Jeremiah 39 “Living as the Lord’s Servant”

Jeremiah 39 NIV

Suggested Praise Songs:                                                            

• You Make Me Brave – Bethel Music
• Still | Hillsong Worship
• Give Me Faith – Elevation Worship

Resources for Family Worship (with Children):

• Don’t Worry (Matthew 6: 25-34) – Lesson for Kids
• Kids Praise Party: Hosanna Rock – Yancy – Song for Kids
• Never Let Go Of Me | Shipwrecked VBS | Outback Rock VBS | Group Publishing – Song for Kids
• SHINE A LIGHT LYRIC & DANCE VIDEO | Kids on the Move – Song for Kids
• Discussion Questions for Children & Youth are located in the section after Explanation, Meditation, and Prayer (at the end of this email/blog).

Explanation:

Nebuchadnezzar, who had temporarily withdrawn from Jerusalem to drive back the Egyptian army, once again surrounds and attacks Jerusalem. In 587 B.C., after eighteen months of siege, the city of Jerusalem is captured by the Babylonian army (vv. 1–3).

When the tide of war shifts completely, Zedekiah and his soldiers flee by night toward the Arabah wilderness (v. 4). The Babylonian soldiers pursue them and capture them. Nebuchadnezzar interrogates the captured King Zedekiah and executes his children and officials before his eyes (vv. 5–6). Then he puts out Zedekiah’s eyes and binds him with bronze shackles (v. 7).

Meanwhile, the Babylonian soldiers set fire to the royal palace and the houses of the people inside Jerusalem, and they tear down the city walls (v. 8). After this, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, takes the people who remained in the city and those who had surrendered and carries them off to Babylon (v. 9). Only the poorest people remain in Jerusalem. Nebuzaradan treats them kindly by giving them vineyards and fields (v. 10).

Nebuchadnezzar commands Nebuzaradan to take good care of Jeremiah and to do whatever Jeremiah requests (vv. 11–12). This indicates that Nebuchadnezzar had heard and knew the prophecies Jeremiah had spoken. Seeing that Jeremiah’s prophecies were fulfilled exactly, Nebuchadnezzar must have concluded that Jeremiah was not someone to be mistreated. Nebuzaradan consults with other officials and entrusts Jeremiah to Gedaliah for his care (vv. 13–14).

Before Jeremiah is released, the Lord gives a prophecy concerning Ebed-Melek. Ebed-Melek, an Ethiopian eunuch, had intervened with King Zedekiah to save Jeremiah when the officials tried to kill him (38:7–13). The Lord promises that when Jerusalem is taken by the Babylonian army, Ebed-Melek will be protected and will not suffer harm (vv. 15–18).

Meditation:

Ebed-Melek was an Ethiopian (translated as “Cushite” in the Korean Revised Version) who worked as a eunuch in the royal palace of Judah. Likely due to poverty, he was probably sold to Judah as a child and raised to serve as a eunuch. Serving closely under King Zedekiah, he intervened when Jeremiah was on the verge of death. At the king’s command, he rescued Jeremiah from the muddy cistern. Speaking up for Jeremiah and leading the rescue operation were both life-threatening actions for him, because the officials held more power than King Zedekiah. In such a situation, he risked his life for Jeremiah.

Regarding why Ebed-Melek was able to act this way, the Lord says, “You trusted in Me” (v. 18). Though he was a foreigner, it seems that while living in Judah he came to have faith in God. Many in the royal palace were known for their piety, yet none trusted and depended on God the way Ebed-Melek did. He recognized that Jeremiah was a man of God, and for that reason he found the courage to act, even when his own life was in danger.

He could do this because he believed, “Even if I die because of this, it is enough that God knows.” Since God rules over all things, he considered standing on God’s side to be the safest path. The name “Ebed-Melek” means “servant of the king,” but for him, the true King was not Zedekiah—it was the Lord.

Sometimes standing on God’s side becomes the most dangerous choice in this world. At other times, the path that seems safest and most comfortable to us is, in the eyes of God, the most precarious and dangerous path.

Prayer:

We remember the name Ebed-Melek, a name hardly anyone recalls. Outwardly, he served an earthly king, but in reality, he served You as the true King. As we think of a man who trusted You so steadfastly that he was willing to risk his life, if necessary, we pray: make our faith true and genuine as well. Amen.

Discussion Questions for Children & Youth:

Key Point: True courage comes from trusting God, even when doing the right thing feels risky.
Like Ebed-Melek, we can stand with God and help others because God sees, knows, and protects those who trust Him.

• For Preschool-Elementary:
  • Ebed-Melek helped Jeremiah even though it was dangerous. Have you ever helped someone even when it was hard or scary?
  • What does it mean to “trust God” when something feels scary or unfair?
  • Who is someone you can ask for help when you feel afraid—and how can you remember that God is with you too?
    
    
• Youth:
  • Ebed-Melek acted with integrity even though powerful people opposed Jeremiah.
  • Where in your life do you feel tension between what is right and what is easy?
  • What does trusting God look like in real life for you—emotionally, socially, or spiritually?
  • Ebed-Melek believed “Even if I die, God knows.”
  • What would it look like for you to live with that kind of deep confidence in God today?