Purkey's Bible Study Outlines

KEY VERSE: Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die (Jeremiah 38:10).

INTRODUCTION: The king didn’t release Jeremiah, but at least he saved his life. Then Zedekiah the king commanded that they should commit Jeremiah into the court of the prison, and that they should give him daily a piece of bread out of the bakers’ sheet, until all the bread in the city were spent.

Therefore, Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison (Jeremiah 37:21). Jeremiah remained in prison now until the armies of Babylon take the city of Jerusalem.

A. Jeremiah was Cast into a Cistern. (Jeremiah 38:1-6).

1 Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the people, saying, 2 Thus saith the Lord, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live. 3 Thus saith the Lord, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, which shall take it. 4 Therefore the princes said unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt. 5 Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he is in your hand: for the king is not he that can do any thing against you. 6 Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire. (Jeremiah 38:1-6).

When we come to chapter 38, Jeremiah is still confined to the court of the prison, and he faithfully relays God’s Word to his people even though his personal safety is endangered.

The princes of Judah consider him a traitor to his country and a demoralizing influence among the people; so they get permission from the king to silence Jeremiah by putting him in the dungeon.

Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire (verse:6).

INSIGHT: Jeremiah had a powerful array of enemies, government officials in the court of the puppet king Zedekiah who pulled his strings. They didn’t like that the prophet was urging the people to avoid death by surrendering to the enemy (Jeremiah 38:1–3). To them, Jeremiah’s words were treason. So the leaders told the king that Jeremiah ought to die because he was weakening the morale of the warriors … and of all the people (Jeremiah 38:4). Zedekiah’s sniveling reply was pathetic: Here he is; he’s in your hands since [I] can’t do anything against you (Jeremiah 38:5). That is all they needed to hear. They lowered Jeremiah into a deep cistern filled with mud. You may sometimes feel like your life is so bad that you’re symbolically “sinking in mud,” but for Jeremiah, this was reality (Jeremiah 38:6).

B. Jeremiah was Rescued from the Cistern (Jeremiah 38:7-13).

7 Now when Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin; 8 Ebedmelech went forth out of the king's house, and spake 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; and he is like to die for hunger in the place where he is: for there is no more bread in the city. 10 Then the king commanded Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die. 11 So Ebedmelech took the men with him, and went into the house of the king under the treasury, and took thence old cast clouts and old rotten rags, and let them down by cords into the dungeon to Jeremiah. 12 And Ebedmelech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah, Put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine armholes under the cords. And Jeremiah did so. 13 So they drew up Jeremiah with cords, and took him up out of the dungeon: and Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison. (Jeremiah 38:7-13).

Again God sent someone to his rescue (verses 7–13). This is a thrilling rescue—I hope you will read the text carefully. After this, Zedekiah the king secretly asked Jeremiah to tell him what the Lord was saying to him now. And he promised to save Jeremiah from those who were seeking his life.

INSIGHT: But, by God’s grace, Jeremiah had friends, too. The bravest of them was an African man named Ebed-melech, a Cushite court official in the king’s palace (Jeremiah 38:7). This man obviously feared God, so he courageously approached King Zedekiah and told him what Jeremiah’s enemies had done to him (Jeremiah 38:8–9). Zedekiah gave Ebed-melech permission to rescue Jeremiah from the pit, although Jeremiah went back to being under house arrest (Jeremiah 38:10–13).

A. The Lord’s Answer To Jeremiah. (Jeremiah 38:14-17).

14 Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took Jeremiah the prophet unto him into the third entry that is in the house of the Lord: and the king said unto Jeremiah, I will ask thee a thing; hide nothing from me. 15 Then Jeremiah said unto Zedekiah, If I declare it unto thee, wilt thou not surely put me to death? and if I give thee counsel, wilt thou not hearken unto me? 16 So Zedekiah the king sware secretly unto Jeremiah, saying, As the Lord liveth, that made us this soul, I will not put thee to death, neither will I give thee into the hand of these men that seek thy life. 17 Then said Jeremiah unto Zedekiah, Thus saith the LORD, the God of hosts, the God of Israel; If thou wilt assuredly go forth unto the king of Babylon’s princes, then thy soul shall live, and this city shall not be burned with fire; and thou shalt live, and thine house (Jeremiah 38:14-17).

Jeremiah told King Zedekiah, “Surrender! You can’t resist the king of Babylon.”

But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon’s princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand.

And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me.

B. Zedekiah Makes The Wrong Decision. (Jeremiah 38:18-22).

18 But if thou wilt not go forth to the king of Babylon's princes, then shall this city be given into the hand of the Chaldeans, and they shall burn it with fire, and thou shalt not escape out of their hand. 19 And Zedekiah the king said unto Jeremiah, I am afraid of the Jews that are fallen to the Chaldeans, lest they deliver me into their hand, and they mock me. 20 But Jeremiah said, They shall not deliver thee. Obey, I beseech thee, the voice of the Lord, which I speak unto thee: so it shall be well unto thee, and thy soul shall live. (Jeremiah 38:18-20).

Jeremiah is pleading with Zedekiah to surrender to save his own life and the life of his people. His refusal to follow the course of action which Jeremiah presents will doom his nation.

Zedekiah is a coward at heart. He tries to make peace with everybody and to please everybody. He is a typical politician. As a result, he pleases nobody.

21 But if thou refuse to go forth, this is the word that the Lord hath shewed me: 22 And, behold, all the women that are left in the king of Judah's house shall be brought forth to the king of Babylon's princes, and those women shall say, Thy friends have set thee on, and have prevailed against thee: thy feet are sunk in the mire, and they are turned away back  (Jeremiah 38:21-22.)

A study of this period of Judah’s history reveals that womanhood was pretty much corrupt. When womanhood becomes corrupt in any nation, there is very little hope for it on the moral plane. This is the picture here.

The foolish king will not heed the warning of God through Jeremiah. Instead he will continue to listen to the optimistic forecast of the false prophets.

INSIGHT: Here is what Bible teacher, Toney Evens had to say about Jeremian’s message from God: “Jeremiah delivered God’s message to the king: surrender. Only by submitting to defeat at the hands of Babylon would the king and the city survive (Jeremiah 38:17–18). Then Zedekiah revealed the real reason he was afraid to follow Jeremiah’s advice. The king was worried about the Judeans who have defected to the Chaldeans. They may hand me over to the Judeans to abuse me (Jeremiah 38:19). Jeremiah assured the king this would not happen if he would only obey the LORD (Jeremiah 38:20). Refusal to obey, however, would result in mocking, capture, and destruction (Jeremiah 38:22–23). Zedekiah warned Jeremiah to say nothing of their conversation (Jeremiah 38:24–26) and still couldn’t find the courage to do what was right. Jeremiah was kept in custody until the day Jerusalem fell” (Jeremiah 38:28).

 (Read John 18:28-40) 

INSIGHT: Remember, Jeremiah is a type (an illustration) of Jesus Christ. Jeremiah spoked only what God the Father told him to speak.

“Pilate saith unto [Christ], What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all” (John 18:38).

First, The fact that there were two men identified as high priests shows how corrupt the nation was at that time. Annas and Caiaphas were partners in the temple trade and hated Jesus for twice cleansing the temple. 

Second, Much has been written about the illegal aspects of Christ’s trial. It was held at night; the prisoner was assumed to be guilty and treated that way; the court hired false witnesses; the judge permitted the prisoner to be mistreated while bound; the court allowed the accused no defense. After the secret night trial, the crafty religious leaders led Jesus to Pilate for the final death sentence. They would not enter a Gentile’s hall, lest they “should be defiled,” but they did not hesitate to condemn an innocent man to death! 

Third, In John 18:33 through John 19:15, we read the sad record of Pilate’s cowardly indecision.At least seven times Pilate went from the hall to the people outside, trying to work out a compromise. Pilate crucified Christ because he was a coward, “willing to content the people” (Mark 15:15). How many sinners will be in hell because they feared people and sought to please them!

Fourth, Christ explained to Pilate the spiritual nature of His kingdom but did not explain His statement “My kingdom is not of this world” (John 18:36). Had the Jews received Him, He could have established His kingdom on earth. But they rejected Him, for His kingdom is of a spiritual nature, within people’s hearts. One day when Christ returns, He will establish His kingdom on earth. How Christians long for that blessed day.

Fifth, Pilate’s question, “What is truth?” has been asked by philosophers for ages. In John 14:6, Jesus says, “I am the truth.” John 17:17 says, “Your Word is truth.” 1 John 5:6 states that “the Holy Spirit is truth.” The Spirit, and the Word of God point to Jesus Christ, the Truth!

Sixth, The world makes the wrong choice when it comes to spiritual matters. The mob preferred a murderer to the Prince of Life! They chose the lawbreaker, not the Lawgiver! 

Seventh, the Jews rejected their true Messiah, but they one day will accept Satan’s false Messiah, the Antichrist (John 5:43). Men reject Jesus for different reasons. Judas rejected Christ because he listened to the devil; Pilate listened to the world; King Herod obeyed the flesh. “You have a custom,” said Pilate (John 18:39). How sad that Pilate knew the religious customs, but did not know Jesus Christ!

INSIGHT: People are like this even today, careful to observe religious holidays and customs, but ignorant of the Savior of the world. Rejection means eternal judgment, but faith means eternal life. In John 18:40. The “mob” made the wrong decision. . We must make the right decisions.

CONCLUSION: What have we learned from our study of Jeremiah chapter 38?

First, We learned that King Zedekiah was a weak king who was more interested in being popular with his friends than in being right with God. Since he was a doubleminded man, he was “unstable in all his ways” (James 1:8).

Second, we learned that, he allowed some of his friends to arrest Jeremiah and put him in a dungeon.Next, he let Ebed-Melech and thirty guards rescue Jeremiah and take him to a safe place. Then, Zedekiah had a private meeting with Jeremiah to ask for help! If the king had accepted God’s message and obeyed it, he would have had the courage to stand up to his unbelieving friends and do what was right.

Third, we learned that Jeremiah sank in the mire (verse 6), but the king was sinking even deeper (verse 22). His fear (verse 19) and unbelief ruined him. He could have saved himself and his people had he submitted to the Lord. Instead, he trusted his friends, and they dragged him down into the mire of disgrace and defeat.

THOUGHT TO REMEMBER:“Jeremiah believed God, and he was saved from death; King Zedekiah did not believe God, and he and his nation were destroyed by his enemies.”