Have you ever felt like you were stuck in a pit? You know there’s always a next step, but it can feel like you have nowhere to turn. The pits of life are dark and cold, kind of like a tomb.
Near the end of his 40-year ministry, Jeremiah found himself in a pit. The Babylonian army had Jerusalem surrounded. They cut off the supplies in and out, and now it was a question of who could outsurvive who. The powerful Babylonian army of engineers went to work building siege ramps; man-made hills constructed of small boulders passed along human chains that gradually rose to the height of the city walls. The strongest fighting machine in the world cut down every standing tree to build massive battering rams.
But King Zedekiah and his officials remained optimistic that God would somehow work a miracle of deliverance, much like Hezekiah experienced during the Assyrian siege years before. An angel of the Lord came into the camp and slew 85,000 soldiers, and Sennacherib retreated back to the capital of Nineveh (2 Kings 19).
God spoke to Jeremiah and told him to deliver a difficult word.
Jeremiah 28:2 – This is what the Lord says: ‘Whoever stays in this city will die by the sword, famine or plague, but whoever goes over to the Babylonians will live.
To the king’s officials these were seditious words that undermined the resistance. Jeremiah was discouraging the soldiers and the people. They labeled him a turncoat and enemy sympathizer.
But Jeremiah was the only sensible person in the city, pointing the way to save as many lives as possible. The writing was on the wall. God’s word had come to pass. Instead of discord, Jeremiah was seeking the good of the people.
The officials brought the news to the King Zedekiah saying, “This man should be put to death!” (38:4)
The king responded in Jeremiah 38:5, “He is in your hands. The king can do nothing to oppose you.” Zedekiah often called for Jeremiah to have him pray and to give advice. He knew in his heart Jeremiah was a man of God. Zedekiah had a chance to defend and save the prophet’s life. But he was a weak, double-minded leader. Pulled from both sides, he had no sense of direction. Zedekiah turned him over to his enemies, like Pilate washed his hands and turned Jesus over to his accusers. He said, “He’s in your hands. I don’t want to know about it.”
Jeremiah 38:6 – So they took Jeremiah and put him into the cistern of Malkijah, the king’s son, which was in the courtyard of the guard. They lowered Jeremiah by ropes into the cistern; it had no water in it, only mud, and Jeremiah sank down into the mud.
After decades of faithful ministry, they threw Jeremiah into a cistern. A cistern was an underground storage tank for water, hewn out of limestone. The opening was usually three to four feet, with a much larger, bulb-like area underneath. Apparently, too deep for their arms to reach, they used ropes to lower the prophet down. He descended into the cold, dark, damp, prison-like space. Once his feet came to rest, he began to sink in the mud.
Their intention was not to end his life quickly. So eaten up with disdain, they wanted Jeremiah to die a slow and painful death. I think Jeremiah cried to his enemies and pleaded for mercy. Then, he began to call out for anyone who might pass by to rescue him. But all he heard was the sound of his voice echoing in the cave. We all have our moments in the pits when we feel powerless, tired, and forgotten.
Jeremiah was put there by his enemies. The realization that the old prophet had been right all along fired them up with anger. They had all written him off as the “holy roller.” He had one song to sing, and they were tired of hearing it. But now, the moment had come, like the flood in the days of Noah. With Babylon beating on their walls, they still refused to believe and defiantly cast the prophet into the chasm. They were determined to stop the train of God’s purposes, like ants with toothpicks standing on the rails in front of an oncoming locomotive.
Jeremiah was not in a good place. What was he doing in the pit? He gives us a glimpse in his other book. Lamentations 3:52-53 says, “They tried to end my life in a pit and threw stones at me; the waters closed over my head, and I thought I was about to perish.”
Have you ever thought you were going to die? Last chapter. Totally surrounded by the bad guys. Your back against the wall with a squirt gun.
Some people could speak up and rescue you, but like King Zedekiah, they say and do nothing, choosing passivity by “leaving it in the hands of God.”
Here’s the reality. Some of the people you love will pack up and walk out, and leave you for dead. And without their support, you can feel like you’re going to die a slow, embarrassing death. Usually, before heading for the exits, they do their best to throw you in a pit. They may throw rock or two on the way out. “You’re a false prophet.” Wack. “You’re a fake.” Smack. “You’re in it for the money.” Crack..
Some see “success” in the Christian life like an Instagram highlight reel. We post ourselves praying, holding a Bible with a highlighter, or with our hands lifted as the sun twinkles through of fingers. Prosperity, property, position, and prestige are like merit badges displaying divine approval; all of which Jesus the Savior had none of in terms of the world’s perspective. If you’re looking fly, you must be blessed. But God’s Word teaches us differently.
1 Peter 2:21 says, “To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.”
If you sign up to serve Jesus with your life, there will be suffering.
To be continued…