Jeremiah 41:1

 Jeremiah 41:1 says, Now it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, and the princes of the king, even ten men with him, came unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and there they did eat bread together in Mizpah.  Ishmael and ten princes of the king came to Mizpah and ate together there with Gedaliah.  They should have been celebrating the fact that one of their own people was in a position of power, but that wasn't why they were there.  We should not be surprised when some people who claim to be friends with us as followers of Christ today are really just looking for ways to harm or destroy us, or at least our witness for Christ.  Verse two declares, Then arose Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and the ten men that were with him, and smote Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan with the sword, and slew him, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land.  While eating with Gedaliah, Ishmael and the ten with him killed him with the sword, which was was actually an act of rebellion against the king of Babylon as well, since he had appointed Gedaliah governor.  Verse three adds, Ishmael also slew all the Jews that were with him, even with Gedaliah, at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans that were found there, and the men of war. Ishmael not only killed Gedaliah,  but he killed all the Jews and the Chaldeans that were with Gedaliah.  Verse four states,  And it came to pass the second day after he had slain Gedaliah, and no man knew it. Two days passed without anyone knowing what Ishmael and his friends had done.  That is hard to imagine in our world of instant communication, but there are still atrocities that are committed in the world today that are not immediately known and probably some that are never known.  Matthew Henry says that some might question why God allowed this to happen, but the it was just another example of how far away from God many of the peope of Judah had gotten.  Verse five says, That there came certain from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, even fourscore men, having their beards shaven, and their clothes rent, and having cut themselves, with offerings and incense in their hand, to bring them to the house of the LORD.  A band of devout men came in mourning to worship God.  Not all the people of Judah had turned away from God, just as all the people today have not,   Verse six declares, And Ishmael the son of Nethaniah went forth from Mizpah to meet them, weeping all along as he went: and it came to pass, as he met them, he said unto them, Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam.  Ishmael met them with false mourning and invited them to come to Gedaliah.  Verse seven adds, And it was so, when they came into the midst of the city, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah slew them, and cast them into the midst of the pit, he, and the men that were with him.  When these men got to the city, Ishmael and those with him killed them and threw them into the pit as well.  Verse eight states, But ten men were found among them that said unto Ishmael, Slay us not: for we have treasures in the field, of wheat, and of barley, and of oil, and of honey. So he forbare, and slew them not among their brethren.  There were ten men in the group who bargained with Ishmael by asking him not to slay them because they had treasures in the field, so he spared them.  Verse nine concludes, Now the pit wherein Ishmael had cast all the dead bodies of the men, whom he had slain because of Gedaliah, was it which Asa the king had made for fear of Baasha king of Israel: and Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled it with them that were slain.  Ishmael filled the pit which had been made by Asa because fear of Baasha the king of Israel with the bodies of those he and his friends had slain.

Jeremiah 40:7

 Jeremiah 40:7 says, Now when all the captains of the forces which were in the fields, even they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land, and had committed unto him men, and women, and children, and of the poor of the land, of them that were not carried away captive to Babylon;  Gedaliah was a Judean, and he had been made a governor.  Matthew Henry points out that Ahikam, the father of  Gedaliah, had defended Jeremiah in the past.  Verse eight adds, Then they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men.  Many of the people of Judah came to Gedaliah when they heard that he had been made governor.  He was one of their own, God's chosen people.  We should pray that we have Christian people in positions of power today,  and if we do, we should rally around them.  Verse nine states, And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan sware unto them and to their men, saying, Fear not to serve the Chaldeans: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.  Gedaliah told them to dwelt in the land and serve the king of Babylon and if they did it would go well with them.  Though they had been defeated, all was not lost.  Verse ten adds, As for me, behold, I will dwell at Mizpah to serve the Chaldeans, which will come unto us: but ye, gather ye wine, and summer fruits, and oil, and put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that ye have taken.  Gedaliah said he was going to live in Mizpah and serve the Chaldeans, but that the others should go to their cities to live.  We as followers of Christ cannot all live in the same place, but must live wherever we are, obeying the government as much as possible, until and unless it interferes with our relationship with God.  Verse eleven declares, Likewise when all the Jews that were in Moab, and among the Ammonites, and in Edom, and that were in all the countries, heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant of Judah, and that he had set over them Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan;  Verse twelve adds, Even all the Jews returned out of all places whither they were driven, and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah, unto Mizpah, and gathered wine and summer fruits very much.  When other Jews heard that the king of Babylon had left aa remnant of Judah and placed Gedaliah over them, they came there as well and lived successfully.  Verse thirteen says, Moreover Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were in the fields, came to Gedaliah to Mizpah,  All the forces of Judah left in the field came to Gedaliah.  Verse fourteen states, And said unto him, Dost thou certainly know that Baalis the king of the Ammonites hath sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to slay thee? But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam believed them not.  They told Gedaliah that Ishmael had been sent by the king of the Ammonites to kill him.  The king of Babylon may have placed Gedaliah in power,  but evidently not all other kings agreed with his decision.  Even if we as Christians are at peace with some of those in power in the world today, it does not mean that we will be at peace with all of them.  Verse fifteen adds, Then Johanan the son of Kareah spake to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly, saying, Let me go, I pray thee, and I will slay Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no man shall know it: wherefore should he slay thee, that all the Jews which are gathered unto thee should be scattered, and the remnant in Judah perish?  Johanan came to Gedaliah in secret and asked Gedaliah to let him go and slay Ishmael so that the Jews who were gathered would not be scattered again.   This may have seemed like a good solution, but we must be careful that we don't start following our own plans instead of God's plan, even if the plan seems sensible.  Verse sixteen declares, But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said unto Johanan the son of Kareah, Thou shalt not do this thing: for thou speakest falsely of Ishmael.  Gedaliah told  Johanan to not do this, because what he said about Ishmael was not true.  If we are going to take some action for God today, we must make sure that it is based on truth and is inaccordance with God's will. 

Jeremiah 40:1

 Jeremiah 40:1 says, The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he had taken him being bound in chains among all that were carried away captive of Jerusalem and Judah, which were carried away captive unto Babylon.  Jeremiah had been led away in chains as had the rest of the people of Judah, but now he had been set free.  God's word came to him again at this time.  As followers of Christ, we were once bound by the chains of sin, but through faith in Jesus Christ we are set free and God's word should always guide us.  Verse two states.  And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah, and said unto him, The LORD thy God hath pronounced this evil upon this place.  The captain of the guard of the Babylonian army recognized that God had sent Babylon to defeat Judah.  The people of Judah would not acknowledge that God was going to bring their destruction as Jeremiah had warned, but this captain of the enemy army recognized that God was the One responsible.  It is sad to think that the people of the world may recognize the work of God before those who are supposed to be His people do.  Veree three adds, Now the LORD hath brought it, and done according as he hath said: because ye have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed his voice, therefore this thing is come upon you.  The captain of the guard told the captives that it was because oof their sin that they were enslaved, and if we are enslaved to the world today, it is because of our sin.  Matthew Henry says that the captain seemed to take pride in being a part of God's judgment.   Verse four states, And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which were upon thine hand. If it seem good unto thee to come with me into Babylon, come; and I will look well unto thee: but if it seem ill unto thee to come with me into Babylon, forbear: behold, all the land is before thee: whither it seemeth good and convenient for thee to go, thither go.  The captain of the guard invited Jeremiah to come with him after he was freed, and said that he would keep an eye out for Jeremiah, but told him that the choice was his.  When we are freed from the bandage of sin, it is our choice where we go, but it should always be under the leadership of God.  We need to remember that although it was the captain of the guard speaking, that this passage begins by saying that the wordof the LORD came to Jeremiah.  God can speak to us in various ways.  Verse five adds, Now while he was not yet gone back, he said, Go back also to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon hath made governor over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people: or go wheresoever it seemeth convenient unto thee to go. So the captain of the guard gave him victuals and a reward, and let him go.  The captain of the guard then told Jeremiah that he could go to Gedaliah, who was a Jew who had been made ruler over a certain area by the kingof Babylon according to Matthew Henry.  Then he gave Jeremiah provisions for the journey.   If we are going where God sends us, then He will always provide for our needs.  Verse six declares, Then went Jeremiah unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and dwelt with him among the people that were left in the land.  Jeremiah went to Gedaliah and dwelt among the people there.  Though Jeremiah was still a captive in a foreign land, he was not enslaved in chains.  Until God calls us home to glory, we will always be living in a foreign land, but as Christians we will never be under the bondage of sin.  

Jeremiah 39:11

 Jeremiah 39:11 says, Now Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard, saying,  Verse twelve adds, Take him, and look well to him, and do him no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee.  Nebuchadrezzar charged the king of the guard with looking after Ieremiah, and told him to treat him well and do whatever Jeremiah asked him to do,  Jeremiah was being shown more respect by the king of Babylon than he had been by the king of Judah.  Hopefully we today as Christians do not show less respect to those who proclaim God's word than the lost of the world do simply because we don't like what they have to say,  Verse thirteen states, So Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard sent, and Nebushasban, Rabsaris, and Nergalsharezer, Rabmag, and all the king of Babylon’s princes;  Verse fourteen adds, Even they sent, and took Jeremiah out of the court of the prison, and committed him unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, that he should carry him home: so he dwelt among the people.  Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, took several princes with him and took Jeremiah out of the courtyard where he had been held prisoner.  There is coming a day when all of God's people will be set free from whatever is imprisoning them in this world.  We, like Jeremiah, must simply remain true to God until this happens,  no matter what.  Verse fifteen declares, Now the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah, while he was shut up in the court of the prison, saying,  Verse sixteen adds, Go and speak to Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil, and not for good; and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee.  God sent Jeremiah with a message for Ebedmelech the Ethiopian, telling him that the city of Jerusalem would be destroyed, which is what Jeremiah had been prophesying all along.  God's message was not changing, nor will it today.  Verse seventeen states, But I will deliver thee in that day, saith the LORD: and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men of whom thou art afraid.  God's message to Ebedmelech was that God was going to deliver him from those that he feared.  Matthew Henry says that Ebedmelech was another true prophet of God, though he may not have been from the nation of Judah.  We should never feel that we are the only Christians in the world today because of our nationality,  nor should we expect better treatment.  Verse eighteen adds, I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but thy life shall be for a prey unto thee: because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the LORD.  God said that Ebedmelech was being rewarded for his trust in God,  just as we will be as followers of Christ.

Jeremiah 39:1

Jeremiah 39:1 says, In the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem, and they besieged it.  Nebuchadnezzar and his army besieged Jerusalem, as Jeremiah had said he would.  No many how many people claim God's word will not come to pass, it always will in His time.  Verse two states, And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, the city was broken up.  Around two and a half years later, Jerusalem fell to Babylon.  They no longer had God's protection but were under His judgment.  No matter how long we may avoid God's judgment, we can be certain that it is one day going to come.  Verse three says, And all the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and sat in the middle gate, even Nergalsharezer, Samgarnebo, Sarsechim, Rabsaris, Nergalsharezer, Rabmag, with all the residue of the princes of the king of Babylon.  The princes of Babylon took control of the city.  All those prophets who had stated that Jerusalem was not going to fall were proven wrong, even though they were all aligned against Jeremiah.  Verse four declares, And it came to pass, that when Zedekiah the king of Judah saw them, and all the men of war, then they fled, and went forth out of the city by night, by the way of the king’s garden, by the gate betwixt the two walls: and he went out the way of the plain.  Zedekiah and those with him fled the city by night.  God had already told Zedekiah to surrender, but he would not listen to Him.  We may think that when the judgment of God comes that we will be able to slip away and avoid it, but that will never happen.  God gives everyone plenty of opportunities to accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord, and if they do not listen they will be even more defeated than Zedekiah and the people of Jerusalem were.  Verse five adds, But the Chaldeans’ army pursued after them, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho: and when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to Riblah in the land of Hamath, where he gave judgment upon him.  Zedekiah's escape was not successful, and he was soon brought before Nebuchadnezzar.  Verse six states, Then the king of Babylon slew the sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes: also the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah.  Nebuchadnezzar killed all of Zedekiah's sons and the nobles while Zedekiah watched.  He would probably have preferred to die.  Death at time might be the lesser of two evils.  Verse seven adds, Moreover he put out Zedekiah’s eyes, and bound him with chains, to carry him to Babylon.  After that, Nebuchadnezzar put out Zedekiah's eyes, chained him and led him away captive to Babylon.  The last thing that Zedekiah saw was the killing of his sons and the princes around him.  This was indeed a cruel punishment.  Verse eight says, And the Chaldeans burned the king’s house, and the houses of the people, with fire, and brake down the walls of Jerusalem.  Though he would not see it, Zedekiah house, and those of all the people of Jerusalem were burned and the walls were broken down.  When God's judgment comes, there will be nothing left standing between His people and Him.  Verse nine adds, Then Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard carried away captive into Babylon the remnant of the people that remained in the city, and those that fell away, that fell to him, with the rest of the people that remained.  The captian of the guard carried away the rest of the people of Jerusalem into captivity.  Then verse ten concludes, But Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard left of the poor of the people, which had nothing, in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and fields at the same time.  The poor people were left in Judah and were given vineyards and fields.  Maybe sometimes it pays to be poor.  Whether we are poor or not, when God's judgment comes, those who have put their faith in Jesus Christ as their personal Savior and Lord will be left in God's kingdom.  We will have all that we ever need. 

Jeremiah 38:14

Jeremiah 38:14 says, 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.  Zedekiah once more sent for Jeremiah and told him that he would ask him one thing.  He met Jeremiah in what Matthew Henry said would have been the main entrance to the house of the LORD.  Verse fifteen asks, 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?  Jeremiah asked if he told Zedekiah what God had to say would Zedekiah not then kill him.  Jeremiah did not say that he would change what God had to say though.  Even if we were to knew that the outcome was to be death, we cannot change the word of God simply to avoid it.  Verse sixteen states, 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. this is the word that the LORD hath shewed me:  Zedekiah took an oath to God that he would not kill Jeremiah nor give him over to those who sought to kill him.  Verse seventeen declares, 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 told Zedekiah that if he would surrender to the princes of Babylon that his life would be spared and the city of Jerusalem would not be burned.  I believe this would have required a lot of humility on the part of Zedekiah, and we today as followers of Christ will have to swallow our self pride in order to be saved.  We cannot save ourselves, but can only be saved by surrendering to Jesus Christ by faith.  Verse eighteen adds, 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.  Jeremiah told Zedekiah that if he did not surrender then the city would be burned and he would not escape from the Babylonians.  Likewise, if a person continues to refuse to surrender to God today, he or she will not escape everlasting punishment.  Verse nineteen says, 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.  Zedekiah said that he was afraid of the Jews that had already been taken captive by the Chaldeans and that they would ridicule him.  He was more concerned about how he would appear to others than he was about how he appeared to God.  Many people today are reluctant to come to Christ because of how they think others will view them.  Verse twenty states, 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 told Zedekiah to not worry about being delivered up by others, but instead to listen to the word of God so that things would be well with him and he should live.  This is the choice every person faces today, whether we will listen to the world or to God.  Verse twenty-one adds, But if thou refuse to go forth, this is the word that the LORD hath showed me:  There was a warning to Zedekiah if he did not obey God, just as there is a warning to those today who will not accept Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord.  Verse twenty-two declares, 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 said that if the king did not listen to God, then even the women would blame him for the captivity and destruction.  Verse twenty-three adds, So they shall bring out all thy wives and thy children to the Chaldeans: and thou shalt not escape out of their hand, but shalt be taken by the hand of the king of Babylon: and thou shalt cause this city to be burned with fire.  Jeremiah told Zedekiah if he didn't surrender that all the women and children would be taken captive and the city would be burned.  Zedekiah had a choice of listening to God or facing defeat and destruction for the people of Jerusalem and Judah.  Verse twenty four states, Then said Zedekiah unto Jeremiah, Let no man know of these words, and thou shalt not die.  Zedekiah then told Jeremiah to not tell anyone what they had discussed and what God had said and then he would not die.  Verse twenty-five adds, But if the princes hear that I have talked with thee, and they come unto thee, and say unto thee, Declare unto us now what thou hast said unto the king, hide it not from us, and we will not put thee to death; also what the king said unto thee:  Verse twenty-six continues, Then thou shalt say unto them, I presented my supplication before the king, that he would not cause me to return to Jonathan’s house, to die there.  Zedekiah told Jeremiah that if the princes questioned him to tell them that he had come to the king asking Zedekiah to not return Jeremiah to the Jonathan's house to die. It would seem that the king was more worried about the princes, who should have been under his authority, than he was about God.  We should never let the fear of what others may do or say keep us from believing. obeying and proclaiming God's word.  Verse twenty-seven says, Then came all the princes unto Jeremiah, and asked him: and he told them according to all these words that the king had commanded. So they left off speaking with him; for the matter was not perceived.  When the princes came and asked Jeremiah what Zedekiah and he had talked about, he told them what the king had asked him to say.  Matthew Henry says that this was not a lie, but that it wasn't telling the whole reason that Jeremiah was there.  Verse twenty-eight declares, So Jeremiah abode in the court of the prison until the day that Jerusalem was taken: and he was there when Jerusalem was taken.  Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison until Jerusalem fell.  It was a better place than he had been recently.  We may not always escape being punished by the powers of the world, but if we are followers of Christ we know that ultimately we will be set free.

Jeremiah 38:1

 Jeremiah 38:1 says, 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,  We are told Shephatiah heard the word of Jeremiah.  Then verse two tells us what that word was, stating. 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.  Jeremiah continued to preach that those who remained in the city would die, and those that went out to the Chaldeans would live.  Verse three adds, Thus saith the LORD, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon’s army, which shall take it.  Jeremiah told them that God said that Jerusalem would be given to the king Babylon.  No matter how many supposed priests of God said otherwise, this was still God's word.  Even if it is unpopular in the religious community, we must always proclaim God's truth.  Verse four says, 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.  The princes told the king that Jeremiah was not looking for the welfare of the people of Judah, but for their hurt.  It was not what Jeremiah had wanted that he was proclaiming, but what God had said was the only way the people could avoid death and destruction.  Many people who profess to believe in God today are upset with those who proclaim the gospel, that faith in Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation, even though that s God's word.  Verse five states, Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he is in your hand: for the king is not he that can do any thing against you.  Zedekiah told the princes that Jeremiah was in their hands.  The king basically tried to renounce his responsibility for making the decision about Jeremiah.  People today may attempt to deny a personal responsibility for making a decision about Jesus Christ, but it will always be each individual's decision to make.  Verse six declares, 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.  The princes put Jeremiah in a dungeon that was full of mire.  He had to be let down on ropes to get there.  Matthew Henry says that Jeremiah was basically put there so that he would die a miserable death.  Verse seven states, 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;  Verse eight adds, Ebedmelech went forth out of the king’s house, and spake to the king, saying,  Then verse nine continues, 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.  When Ebedmelech, an Ethiopian eunuch in the kings service, heard what had happened, he went to the king.  I believe this took a lot of courage on his part, since he would be reporting on what the princes had done, and he was but a foreign servant.  He told the king that the princes had placed Jeremiah in a place where he would die of hunger and said that it was an evil thing that they did.  Verse ten declares,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.  The king told Ebedmelech to take thirty men and bring Jeremiah the prophet out of he dungeon.  The king may have been willing to allow Jeremiah to die unless he had been told specifically what was being done to him, but he was afraid to allow someone who said he was a prophet to die such a death.  There are people who may not truly believe in God and His authority today, but they are still unwilling to directly harm those who represent Him.  Verse eleven adds, 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.  Verse twelve continues, 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.  Ebedimelech and those with him let down old cast clouts and rotten rags to Jeremiah and told him to put them under his arms.  Jeremiah did what they told him to do.  Matthew Henry says that the rescue was done with compassion for Jeremiah, and we should have compassion for those who need rescuing from sin today, and we should especially have compassion for and do everything we can for those who are suffering for proclaiming the gospel.  Verse thirteen concludes, 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 was freed from the dungeon, but he was still kept in the court of the prison.  When God frees us from sin through faith in Jessus Christ as our Savior and Lord, we are freed from the power of all sin.