ripple effect: vacaville

Read Jeremiah 38:1-13.

1. Jeremiah’s prophecy was not popular, but he said what he needed to say. Man, I wish I could do that more…
2. Basic message…leave Jerusalem or face the wrath of Nebuchadnezzar (who is really just an instrument of God in all of this).
3. Obviously, everyone else wasn’t taking Jeremiah’s message lightly; but the officials were scared of it, so they wanted to kill Jeremiah. We kill what we fear.
4. Is Jeremiah seeking the welfare of his people?
5. At this point, Zedekiah is now king; and this schmo says there isn’t anything that he can do about one of his subjects. What a tool. He lets the officials do what they want.
6. The lowered Jeremiah into a cistern (or well) without water in it…just mud. Can you imagine how dark and smelly is was down there?
7. Ebed-melech is a foreign servant of the king; but even he realizes that this is NOT the way to treat a prophet. At personal risk to himself, he goes the king to tell him what’s up. Thank God Zedekiah listens to him…and Ebed-melech ends up freeing Jeremiah. At least someone has some respect.