Vers. 7 — 13. — A friend in need. L Thi hationautt of Ebed-Meleoh. An Ethiopian. Jeremiah had asked in prophecy, " Can the Ethiopian change his skin ? " from which question we may assume that Ethiopians were well known in Israel. Une cannot but feel that here we have a sort of counterpart to that other Ethiopian eunuch sf whom we read in the New Testament. The Ethiopian Ebed-Melech helps Jeremiah in hi* temporal need ; Philip helps the servant of Queen Candace in his spiritual need. What a rebuke there is here to bigoted and frenzied patriotism ! — if, indeed, " patriotism " is the proper word to be used and not rather a spirit of blind nationality. Perhaps the very fact that Ebed-Melech was an eUien helped him to see needs and duties, cruelty ind injustice, which were hidden from the eyes of the natives. Even natives would be obliged to admit that Ebed-Melech could not be expected to look on the position with their traditionary eyes. Even so it was reserved for a Gentile to say at the Crucifixion, " Truly this was the Son of God."
II. The huuanitt of Ebed-Melech. That the eunuch should have pitied the prophet sunk in the dungeon mire may not seem at first a matter to be singled out for special notice. Why should a man be' praised for humanity more than for honesty 1 We must, however, recollect the difference of times. Those who put Jeremiah in the dungeon thought it served him quite right. And yet if there is nothing extraordinary in the humanity of Ebed-Melech, there must be something exceptionally fiendish in the conduct of those who put the prophet in the dungeon ; whereas, in point of fact, they were only doing a usual thing. What a long time it has taken to work the world up even to its present attainments in humanity and compassionate feeling! And still through all these cent<u-ies Ebed-Melech rebukes us fur our too often thoughtlessness and forgctfulness with respect to human pain.
III. The oonBAOK of Ebed-Meleoh. He could not do a thing of this sort without making enemies and running into peril. The humane man has often to be a brave man, going into elements of danger for the sake of humanity, as a lifeboat crew must do, or a band of explorers in a colliery accident. But there are also exercises of humanity which demand rtoal courage — courage that will stand alone in protesting against cruelties and brutalities that have been accepted through long custom. If we are resolved to be consistent and thorough in our humanity, we must be prepared for ridicule and scorn. There are only too many who will check 08 in humane endeavours by calling them mere sentimentality and weakness.
IV. 'J'he influence of Ebed-Meleoh. His ofSce telli us that he was a man abeut the court, and his action here tells us that he was a man who had influence with the king. What we see of his conduct here makes us feel that he bad won his influence in a perfectly legitimate way. Thus at last the opportunity comes for making good um of it. Here is an example of how good a thing it is to cultivate influence with those in authority, if it can be done in a right way without flattery and servility. Men like kinge ne^ some one near them to speak the truth plainly and effectually.
V. The thouohtfdlness of Ebbd-Melbch. Something more is neeaed than the king's permission to get Jeremiah out of the dungeon. Probably hig stay in » miry.
144 THE BOOK OP THE PROPHET JEREMIAH, [oh. xxxvm. 1— 28-
pestilential hole had made him very feeble. Ebed-Melech was evidently » man who could take in all that needed to be done in any difBculty. Just the sort of man who could find usefulness in things that were cast away as worn out and useless. " Useless " is only our ignorant way of naming things we cannot use. The humane man moat be thoughtful as well as courageous. — ^Y.
Ver. 20. — Obeying the voice of the Lord. I. God has A voice fob thobb nr doubt. Poor Zedekiah, king though he be, is in a state of great vacillation. Counsellors speak one thing, and a prophet speaks another. Counsellors proclaim continued and resolute resistance, though it is by no means plain that they believe in what they say, and froai ver. 19 it is clear that there were very considerable divisions in the city. Jeremiah, on the other hand, speaks like a man who is perfectly sure of his ground. He was often- times wretcheil and depressed in his own heart, but never did he speak the message ot Jehovah with a doubt as to whether it was a real message at all. The world abounds in doubters, coming continually to a place where two ways meet, and standing long in uncertainty and fear which way to take. And yet they are uncertain only because they do not see the direction which God has given. For even as at cross-roads finger- posts aie put up to direct strangers, so God has his finger-posts for every doubtful traveller in tlie ways of terrestrial life. Zedekiah seems to have had a feeling that he was seeking in the right direction when he sent again to Jeremiah. He seems to have made himself ready to listen, without hinting that he expected some particular answer. So to speak, it was Zedekiah 's last chance, and he gave the pmphet the opportunity of speaking with corresponding plainness. And as God's Word is here, so it is everywhere, bpoken with the utmost assiirance and from the whole nature of the messenger.
II. The voice calls to immediate obedience. There is always some duty that lies nearest us. Part of the mischief of doubt is that, while we are doubting, some good thing is left undone, the opportuniiy for it pnssing away unused. There was just one thing for Zedekiah to do at this moment — go forth and surrender himself to the generals of the King of Babylon. Repentance and amendment of life — these were no longer available to avert the capture of Jerusalem. That was a thing settled on. But carnage and destruction might he averted by a tirpely surrender. Every day there is some- thing made plain for us to do that day. It may be difBcult, painful, in all ways hard to tlje flesh ; but if it is neglected, then we shall only meet something still more painful to-morrow. " Obey the voice of the Lord, and it shall be well with thee," is a word to US all. The voice of self or the voice of others may hint at procrastination or at some qualified obedience. Our only safety is in attending to the clear and urgent voice from heaven. Paradox as it seems, the most difficult way is really the easiest, and the easiest the most difficult. Zedekiah did not attend to the prophet's imperative utter- ance, and the next chapter tells the dreadful things which happened. The king really made things worse by going out of his way to seek for direction, and then, when he had got it, paying no attention to it. — Y.