Ropes and Rags (Part 1 of 2)

Devotional

Day 1: Sinking in the Mud of Obedience

Jeremiah’s faithfulness left him trapped in a cistern’s suffocating darkness, swallowed by mire up to his waist. His reward for declaring God’s truth was abandonment by those in power. Yet this mud became holy ground—a place where God’s servant learned dependence. Deliverance would come, but not before Jeremiah’s obedience was tested in the sludge of isolation. The cistern reminds us that serving God often means enduring discomforts that refine rather than rescue. [10:51]

“So they took Jeremiah and put him into the cistern… It had no water in it, only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.” (Jeremiah 38:6, ESV)

Reflection: When has obedience to God’s call left you feeling “stuck in the mud”? How might this discomfort be preparing you to witness God’s unexpected deliverance?

Day 2: The Unlikely Hands of Providence

A foreign eunuch—socially marginalized and physically broken—became God’s rescue squad. Ebed-Melech’s ethnicity, status, and past trauma disqualified him in human eyes, yet God chose him to confront a cowardly king. True kingdom work often bypasses the powerful to elevate the overlooked. This Cushite’s boldness rebuked the passivity of Jerusalem’s leaders, proving God’s deliverance arrives through unexpected allies. [16:44]

“But Ebed-Melech… heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern… he went out of the palace and said to [the king], ‘These men have acted wickedly.’” (Jeremiah 38:7-9)

Reflection: Who in your life seems an unlikely instrument of God’s grace? How might your own limitations uniquely position you to serve others?

Day 3: Ropes, Rags, and Resourceful Faith

Ebed-Melech didn’t just protest injustice—he arrived with thirty men, old clothes, and ropes. His compassion married preparation. The rags padding Jeremiah’s armpits reveal God’s care for practical details in deliverance. Rescue often requires both courage and creativity, using whatever “rags” we have to ease others’ chafing wounds. True intervention considers both the lifting and the landing. [22:15]

“Ebed-Melech… took some old rags and worn-out clothes… and said to Jeremiah, ‘Put these under your arms to pad the ropes.’” (Jeremiah 38:11-12)

Reflection: What “rags” has God placed in your hands to serve someone’s need? How could preparation amplify your willingness to act?

Day 4: The Cowardice of Compromised Leadership

King Zedekiah’s pathetic “the king can do nothing” (38:5) exposed leadership devoid of conviction. His fear of man overruled duty to protect God’s prophet. Weak leaders enable oppression through silence, valuing comfort over justice. Yet God still works through flawed systems, using even a spineless king’s coerced permission to fulfill His purposes. [07:28]

“The king said, ‘He is in your hands… the king can do nothing to oppose you.’” (Jeremiah 38:5)

Reflection: Where have you tolerated compromise to avoid conflict? How can you cultivate courage without demanding control of outcomes?

Day 5: The Ebed-Melech Challenge

The Cushite’s intervention mirrors the Good Samaritan—marginalized outsiders modeling true neighbor-love. While religious leaders crossed the road, the “unqualified” stopped. Ebed-Melech challenges us: Will we be derailed by our disqualifications, or let our scars fuel compassion? God’s kingdom advances through those willing to get rope burns on their hands. [19:33]

“A Samaritan… saw [the wounded man], took pity… went to him and bandaged his wounds.” (Luke 10:33-34, NIV)

Reflection: What personal “otherness” do you assume disqualifies you from service? How might embracing it become your greatest credential for ministry?

Sermon Summary

Jeremiah 38 sets a prophet of God in the middle of a city that has already lost the war. Jeremiah speaks exactly what the Lord has given him to say: whoever stays in Jerusalem will die by sword, famine, or plague, but whoever goes over to the Babylonians will live. The word of the Lord calls for a strategic decision, not brave nonsense. Jerusalem’s resistance is nothing but “obstinate stupidity,” because the Lord himself has said the city will certainly be handed over.

Jeremiah is then accused of treason by the officials. Their charge only makes sense if surrender is never allowed, even when all is lost. But Jeremiah is not seeking the ruin of the people. Jeremiah is telling the truth that God has commanded him to tell. The king’s reply, “He is in your hands,” exposes Zedekiah as a monument to weak leadership. The king who should rule instead collapses, and his cowardice resembles Pilate washing his hands.

Jeremiah is lowered by ropes into a cistern. The pit has no water, only mud, and the mud matters. It is not a little residue at the bottom, but the kind of mire that can swallow a man waist deep, leaving him to suffocate before he starves. The officials choose a slow, revolting death, one that leaves no marks of violence. Jeremiah sinks down into the mud with no human prospect of deliverance.

Jeremiah 38 then turns on the little word “but.” Ebed-Melech, a Cushite, hears what has happened. He is likely from Nubia or northern Sudan, a black man, a foreigner, possibly a eunuch, a socially unacceptable outcast barred from temple worship. If anyone might have had “attitude” or “issues,” it would have been him. Yet God reaches down into the heart of this gentle man.

Ebed-Melech combines compassion with courage. Others may have heard, and others may have cared, but he goes publicly to the king at the Benjamin Gate. His intervention shames the officials who should have acted but did nothing, much like the Samaritan in Jesus’ story shames the priest and Levite. Ebed-Melech shows boldness, moral outrage, and resourcefulness. When permission is given, he is ready, like Nehemiah when the light turns green. He gathers ropes, old rags, and worn-out clothes, so that Jeremiah may be lifted from the mud without being torn by the rescue.

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Key Takeaways

1. Truth may be called treason Jeremiah’s faithfulness is treated as disloyalty because the word of the Lord cuts across the pride of the city. The issue is not whether his words feel encouraging, but whether they are true. God’s word may sound like defeat to those committed to their own doomed strategy. [05:48]
2. Weak leadership lets evil proceed Zedekiah’s “the king can do nothing” is not humility, but collapse. Authority that refuses responsibility becomes an accomplice to wickedness, even when it never gives the order with its own hands. The sin here is not only cruelty from the officials, but cowardice from the throne. [07:03]
3. God notices the unlikely rescuer Ebed-Melech stands outside the circles of privilege, belonging, and religious status, yet God makes him the instrument of deliverance. The outsider becomes the one with the clearest moral vision. Grace often moves through those whom respectable people have learned not to expect anything from. [14:04]
4. Compassion must become courage Ebed-Melech probably is not the only one who heard, and probably not the only one who cared. The difference is that his compassion grew legs and walked to the Benjamin Gate. Mercy that remains private may soothe the conscience, but mercy that speaks publicly can become the means of rescue. [17:32]
5. Rags can serve holy purposes Ebed-Melech does not only bring ropes, he brings old rags and worn-out clothes to pad the prophet’s arms. Deliverance is not careless or brutal simply because it is urgent. God’s kindness appears even in the details, where rescue is made tender.

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Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:58] - Jeremiah 38 Is Read
[03:34] - A Shining Old Testament Cameo
[04:32] - Jeremiah Delivers the Lord’s Word
[05:48] - Accused of Treason
[07:03] - Zedekiah’s Pathetic Weakness
[08:11] - Jeremiah Lowered Into the Cistern
[10:23] - Sinking Deep Into the Mud
[12:19] - But Ebed-Melech Heard
[14:04] - The Cushite Outsider
[17:32] - Compassion Joined to Courage
[20:05] - Ebed-Melech’s Boldness
[20:52] - Moral Outrage Before the King
[21:21] - Resourcefulness With Ropes and Rags
[22:33] - Truth For Life Resources

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Jeremiah 38:1-13
Shephatiah the son of Mattan, Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malchiah heard the words that Jeremiah was saying to all the people: “Thus says the Lord: He who stays in this city shall die by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence, but he who goes out to the Chaldeans shall live. He shall have his life as a prize of war, and live. Thus says the Lord: This city shall certainly be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon and be taken.” Then the officials said to the king, “Let this man be put to death, for he is weakening the hands of the soldiers who are left in this city, and the hands of all the people, by speaking such words to them. For this man is not seeking the welfare of this people, but their harm.” King Zedekiah said, “Behold, he is in your hands, for the king can do nothing against you.” So they took Jeremiah and cast him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king's son, which was in the court of the guard, letting Jeremiah down by ropes. And there was no water in the cistern, but only mud, and Jeremiah sank in the mud. When Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, a eunuch who was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah into the cistern—the king was sitting in the Benjamin Gate— Ebed-melech went from the king's house and said to the king, “My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they did to Jeremiah the prophet by casting him into the cistern, and he will die there of hunger, for there is no bread left in the city.” Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, “Take thirty men with you from here, and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies.” So Ebed-melech took the men with him and went to the house of the king, to a wardrobe in the storehouse, and took from there old rags and worn-out clothes, which he let down to Jeremiah in the cistern by ropes. Then Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, “Put the rags and clothes between your armpits and the ropes.” Jeremiah did so. Then they drew Jeremiah up with ropes and lifted him out of the cistern. And Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard. [00:58]

Luke 10:30-37
Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”

Matthew 27:24
So when Pilate saw that he was gaining nothing, but rather that a riot was beginning, he took water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves.”

Observation questions

What exactly was Jeremiah told to say to the people of Jerusalem, and why did the officials hear his words as harmful rather than helpful? [05:48]
What details in Jeremiah 38 show how vulnerable Jeremiah really was once he was lowered into the cistern? [10:23]
What does Ebed-Melech actually do after he hears what happened to Jeremiah, and what details show that his compassion led to action? [17:32]
What specific items did Ebed-Melech gather for the rescue, and how were those items used? [21:21]

Interpretation questions

Jeremiah’s message sounded disloyal because it called for surrender. How can a word that feels discouraging still be the true and merciful word of God? [06:02]
Zedekiah says, “The king can do nothing against you.” What does that reveal about leadership, responsibility, and the damage done by cowardice? [07:03]
Ebed-Melech is an outsider in almost every way, yet he becomes the instrument of rescue. What does that suggest about the way God often works and the kinds of people he is pleased to use? [14:04]
In both Jeremiah 38 and Luke 10, the unlikely person steps forward while others do nothing. Why is compassion alone not enough, and what turns mercy into real help? [19:30]

Application questions

Truth may be called treason when it cuts across pride, self-protection, or a doomed plan. Where is there pressure right now to stay quiet about what is true because it may sound negative, disloyal, or unhelpful? [05:48]
Weak leadership often shows itself not by open cruelty but by refusing responsibility. In what relationships or settings is there a temptation to say, in effect, “It’s in their hands,” instead of doing what is right? [07:03]
Jeremiah remained faithful even when obedience led him into the mud. When has doing the right thing made life harder rather than easier, and how did that test trust in God? [12:19]
Ebed-Melech heard, cared, and then acted. Is there a person, situation, or need that has been heard about and cared about, but not yet acted on? What might courage look like this week? [17:44]
Ebed-Melech went publicly to the king instead of keeping his concern private. When is it right to move from quiet concern to clear, public action on behalf of someone else? [20:05]
God used an unlikely outsider to bring deliverance. Is there any way pride, habit, or prejudice has made it easy to overlook the people through whom God may want to help, correct, or encourage his people? [16:33]
The ropes mattered, but so did the rags. Where is there an opportunity not only to help someone, but to help with tenderness, patience, and care for the details? [21:21]

Sermon Clips

So, I don't think he's the only one who heard, but we're told that he heard. He probably is not the only one who cared. Doubtless there were others who cared. It would be hard to imagine a circumstance where there was only one person who on hearing the news of what had happened to Jeremiah actually cared about it at all. That would be a unique circumstance. But presumably he is the only one who was prepared to combine compassion with courage. [00:17:21]

Now, the only way that we can conclude that this man is a traitor is if we are of the opinion that a soldier or a fortress or an army should never ever surrender even when all is lost. If we believe that in military engagement there comes a strategic moment when the wisest thing to do is to capitulate to the overwhelming force, then we would understand, especially in light of the fact that Jeremiah was speaking the word of the Lord, that for these officials to describe him as a traitor was hopelessly inaccurate. [00:06:07]

And what you have here in this little section is a perfect monument to total weakness when it comes to the matter of leadership. And indeed, in all that I know of the Old Testament, there is no more abject um declension in the Old Testament than what we find here in this simple incident. You have to I think go all the way forward to Pilate washing his hands before you come across such a dreadful and hopeless case of somebody simply throwing in the towel. [00:07:35]

And it is out of the palace to that Benjamin Gate that this individual Ebed-Melech goes in order to declare the fact that his compassionate heart is matched by his courageous spirit. And his intervention is a disgrace to the king's princes. Those who presumably upon hearing and caring should have done something did nothing. [00:18:21]

Those whom we may have expected to have combined compassion with courage did nothing. And the most unlikely individual steps from the wings and fulfills the plan and purpose of God. [00:19:30]

witness his boldness. His boldness. It would have been one thing for him to hold a conviction to himself, perhaps even to have tried to send a note somehow to the king, to do it in a discreet way, to wait until the king returned to his palace, but no, he takes himself out of the palace, he goes to the place of judgment, he goes directly to the king, he goes publicly to the king. Witness his boldness. [00:20:13]

Witness secondly his sense of moral outrage. He went out of the palace and he said to him, "My Lord the king, these men have acted wickedly." In other words, this man possessed a sense of moral rectitude. Witness his boldness, witness his sense of moral outrage, witness thirdly his resourcefulness. [00:20:41]

There's something of Nehemiah about this next move, you know. Isn't there? That Nehemiah when the king gave him the go ahead, he was ready, you know. He wasn't just wandering around in a dream. He wasn't just going around in a fog waiting for for something to hit him on the head and then inspired him to activity. As soon as the the the signal was given, as soon as the light went to green, Nehemiah revealed his leadership capacities and his purposiveness and his resourcefulness. And so does this man, at least to some extent. [00:21:31]

Now, if you think about that at all, if anyone might have been expected to have what teenagers say today is attitude. If might have been expected to have, as they say, issues, then it would presumably have been Ebed-Melech, right? After all, he was in a place that he didn't want to be. He was in subjugation to a people that for whom he had presumably by nature very little regard. He had been given a a responsibility for which he had been ill-suited by nature of his manhood. [00:15:16]

He was himself a foreigner and an alien. He is described here as an official in a word which in the Hebrew is also translated eunuch. Sometimes it is translated official, sometimes it is translated eunuch because it isn't always possible to say that the man met the requirements that a eunuch would fulfill, but the chances are that this individual had been taken out of his circumstances, had been brought in bondage to this environment, had been emasculated in order that he might fulfill the responsibility of the keeper of the king's harem. [00:14:38]

And they consign him to this cistern, and in doing so, really pronounce the sentence of death upon him. They do it in a way that is fairly skillful. His death is going to be, if it follows, as a rather gradual and also quite revolting. They are taking care to make sure that if ever anybody on earth him, they will never be able to find on his body any marks of violence. [00:09:25]

Jeremiah comes into the city and he proclaims the word of the Lord. The officials say this man is a traitor, he should be put to death. The king acquiesces to those who are under his his directives and before we know it Jeremiah has now sunk down deep into the mud with no prospect whatsoever of liberation. [00:12:07]

And yet in the providence of God, in order that his purposes may be fulfilled. And he speaks to the king, and so the king says, "Well, in that case take 30 men from here with you and lift Jeremiah the prophet out of the cistern before he dies." [00:21:14]

And what we have discovered from our reading, as we focus on Jeremiah, the prophet of God, is that Jeremiah has been doing what God has called him to do, namely delivering the message of the Lord. [00:04:40]

And it is on account of the fact that God stirs in the heart of a most unlikely young lady transplanted from all that represented security and family to her, it is going to be by means of the intervention of the servant girl that God brings about the transformation in Naaman. [00:13:18]

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