September 29, 2024 -- Jeremiah 39:15-18 -- Does God really see me?

15 The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah while he was shut up in the court of the guard: 16 “Go, and say to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will fulfill my words against this city for harm and not for good, and they shall be accomplished before you on that day. 17 But I will deliver you on that day, declares the LORD, and you shall not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are afraid. 18 For I will surely save you, and you shall not fall by the sword, but you shall have your life as a prize of war, because you have put your trust in me, declares the LORD.’”
Jeremiah 39:15-18 ESV

Those who know a little bit of Hebrew recognize something about the Ethiopian’s station. He is a servant (or possibly slave of) the King. At a quick glance he might be thought of as a low ranking person, but there are some clues in Jeremiah 38 that teach something about this man. He is a Cushite, that is, a black Egyptian from the upper Nile region—a people allied with Judah. It is entirely possible (since King Zedekiah listened to his advice about rescuing the prophet Jeremiah from the cistern of Malchiah, the son of King Zedekiah) that Ebed-melech is a military commander. If this is true, he is a representative  of the Cushite people, posted in the court of the king. He would then be an advisor to the king, a man who serves as an ally well-versed in the tactics of the enemy.

Why mention this? Ebed-melech is a foreigner. He is caught up in all the events overtaking the kingdom of Judah—events which point to the judgment of God being poured out because of her sins. In contrast to the king’s duplicity, this stranger put his trust in the LORD and his actions are the direct result of his trust in the LORD. It is even more remarkable because King Zedekiah consulted with Jeremiah several times, and each time, having heard the Word of the LORD, King Zedekiah acted against the prophesy he’d received.

The LORD of Hosts—that is, the Mighty God of Heaven—knows the past, the present, and the future. His Name, the LORD, can be translated: “He is, He was, He will be”. He revealed that Name to His people. What is communicated by His Name is that all of history is before Him at every moment. Nothing surprises Him. Nothing is outside of His Sovereign control. This passage gives tremendous assurance to believers who read it today. By reading it believers are instructed about the knowledge of God, which is higher and greater than anything we can know. As the believer reads this passage and many others, he realized it is the LORD, Who alone, is the help His people need.

The passages teaches believers to trust in God and His Word, even when events in your life are overwhelming and obedience requires you to go against all the powers of the world. The power of the LORD is greater than all the puny strength of man.

Jeremiah spoke as a prophet of the LORD—his office points to Jesus Christ—Who fulfilled all obedience to the LORD of Hosts—and His life was poured out as a sacrifice to the Father. By Jesus’s perfect obedience, obedience even unto death on the cross, He became the source of salvation for all who believe and express such by their obedience to Him.

What is the guarantee that this is so? In the New Testament believers are gifted with the Presence of Holy Spirit. The Spirit of God is the deposit guaranteeing all God’s promises. The Holy Spirit is the prize of Christ’s victorious life, death, and resurrection. It is the Spirit of God Who leads believers into deeper knowledge of Christ, greater trust in His reconciling work. It is Jesus, our Redeemer-King, Who takes His people, held captive by the Spirit, and presents them pure and perfected before the Father in heaven.

Be encouraged dear believer. You may think, “Does God really see me?” It might be that your insecurities and the slimy words of the deceiver whisper despair into your ears so that your strength leaves you and you say to yourself “I am cut-off from God and all help”. Do not believe the Devil’s lies. Know that this story of the Ethiopian, the foreigner in the court of the king, is meant to reassure you of God’s graciousness. He sees you. He knows your struggles. He matches His power to your weakness.

O LORD of Hosts, strength of the helpless and salvation of all Who trust in You through Jesus, send Your Spirit so that my faith will not fail. I need You. Deliver me from all evil and lead me by Your Spirit into the victory of Jesus, Your Son, my Savior. Amen.

https://youtu.be/NTT5HGSaO-Y?si=iRseGnBmMUPTxwP2 “Abide with Me”

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