Thrown into a Pit, Lifted by God’s Hand (Jeremiah 38:1–13)
Have you ever been treated badly just for telling the truth? That’s what happened to the prophet Jeremiah. He was doing exactly what God asked—sharing a message to help people—but instead of listening, powerful men tried to silence him.
Let’s walk through the dramatic story in Jeremiah 38:1–13 and see how even when we feel stuck or forgotten, God can send help in unexpected ways.
Jeremiah’s Message Upsets the Leaders
God gave Jeremiah a message: “If you want to live, surrender to the Babylonians. If you stay and fight, you will die.” It wasn’t an easy message to hear. But it was the truth.
Some powerful officials didn’t like what Jeremiah said. They thought he was weakening the people and hurting their chances of winning the war. So they went to King Zedekiah and demanded that Jeremiah be punished.
The King Doesn’t Stand Up for Jeremiah
Instead of protecting Jeremiah, the king backed down. He told the officials, “He’s in your hands.” In other words, he let them do whatever they wanted—even though Jeremiah had done nothing wrong.
Thrown into a Muddy Cistern
The officials took Jeremiah and lowered him into a deep cistern—an empty well used to store water. There was no water in it, only thick mud. Jeremiah sank into it. There was no way out. They left him there to die slowly.
Imagine how hopeless that must have felt. Cold. Dark. Alone. Forgotten.
A Brave Servant Speaks Up
But God wasn’t finished with Jeremiah.
A man named Ebed-Melek, a servant in the palace from Ethiopia, heard what happened. He didn’t have much power, but he had a big heart and strong courage. He went straight to the king and said, “This is wrong. Jeremiah will die down there!”
His boldness made a difference.
A Gentle Rescue
The king told Ebed-Melek to take thirty men and pull Jeremiah out of the cistern. Ebed-Melek didn’t just rush the job—he thought about Jeremiah’s pain. He gathered old cloths to pad the ropes so they wouldn’t hurt him while pulling him up.
Thanks to this kind and brave man, Jeremiah was saved.
What We Can Learn
This story is full of lessons for our lives:
- Doing the right thing isn’t always popular, but it’s still right.
- God sees us, even when we feel forgotten or stuck in a dark place.
- Help can come from unexpected people, like Ebed-Melek.
- Kindness and courage matter. Ebed-Melek risked his position to help someone in need.
Final Thoughts
Jeremiah was in a deep pit, but God didn’t leave him there. He sent someone with compassion and courage to lift him out.
Maybe you’re going through a hard time and feel stuck. Or maybe you see someone else in trouble and wonder if you should speak up. Remember: God is always working, even behind the scenes, and He often uses regular people to make a big difference.
Let’s be willing to listen, speak truth, and lift others up—just like Ebed-Melek did.
Jeremiah 38:1-13 (WEB)
38:1 Shephatiah the son of Mattan, Gedaliah the son of Pashhur, Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashhur the son of Malchijah heard the words that Jeremiah spoke to all the people, saying, 2 “The LORD says, ‘He who remains in this city will die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, but he who goes out to the Chaldeans will live. He will escape with his life and he will live.’ 3 The LORD says, ‘This city will surely be given into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, and he will take it.’ ”4 Then the princes said to the king, “Please let this man be put to death, because he weakens the hands of the men of war who remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words to them; for this man doesn’t seek the welfare of this people, but harm.”5 Zedekiah the king said, “Behold, he is in your hand; for the king can’t do anything to oppose you.”6 Then they took Jeremiah and threw him into the dungeon of Malchijah the king’s son, that was in the court of the guard. They let down Jeremiah with cords. In the dungeon there was no water, but mire; and Jeremiah sank in the mire.7 Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, a eunuch, who was in the king’s house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon (the king was then sitting in Benjamin’s gate), 8 Ebedmelech went out of the king’s house, and spoke to the king, saying, 9 “My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon. He is likely to die in the place where he is, because of the famine; for there is no more bread in the city.”10 Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, “Take from here thirty men with you, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he dies.”11 So Ebedmelech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took from there rags and worn-out garments, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah. 12 Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said to Jeremiah, “Now put these rags and worn-out garments under your armpits under the cords.”Jeremiah did so. 13 So they lifted Jeremiah up with the cords, and took him up out of the dungeon; and Jeremiah remained in the court of the guard.