I love studying characters in the Bible. All of God’s stories teach us something important.
I especially love studying the more obscure characters of the Bible, those mentioned almost in passing, because I figure if they were important enough for God to call them out by name in His book, I should pay attention.
A Courageous Gentile
I discovered one such character as I was studying the book of Jeremiah. His name was Ebed-Melech. The Bible describes Ebed-Melech as a Cushite eunuch (some translations say Ethiopian) who served King Zedekiah of Judah. Cushites were descendants of Cush, the son of Ham, the grandson of Noah. The Cushites settled in the land of ancient Ethiopia.
Ebed-Melech’s name means “Servant of the King.” Being a Cushite means, he was a gentile serving in the court of Zedekiah, king of Judah.
Jeremiah had been prophesying for years that Babylon would conquer Judah, including the capital of Jerusalem. King Zedekiah, his officials, and other prophets didn’t believe Jeremiah. Several officials called for Jeremiah to be arrested and executed for treason. Zedekiah was more concerned with his advisors’ opinions than the judgment of God that Jeremiah had prophesied, so he turned Jeremiah over to them. They took Jeremiah and lowered him with ropes into a deep cistern full of mud at the bottom. Undoubtedly, they hoped if he died there, they would not be directly responsible for his death.
This is where Ebed-Melech enters into the story. Remember, Ebed-Melech is a gentile servant of a Jewish king. When he heard what happened to Jeremiah, he went to King Zedekiah. He told Zedekiah what these officials had done was evil because Jeremiah would die if left in the cistern.
Zedekiah ordered Ebed-Melech to take 30 men and rescue Jeremiah from the cistern before he died. Ebed-Melech took 30 men, got some old rags and ropes, and went to the cistern. He had Jeremiah put the rags around his armpits to protect him from the ropes and hauled Jeremiah out of the cistern.
A Courageous, Godly Leader
What is especially noteworthy about Ebed-Melech and his actions?
1. He was courageous.
He did not allow his status as a servant to keep him from approaching the king to plea for Jeremiah’s life. Moreover, he accused Judah’s ranking officials, friends of the king, of being wicked, evil men.
2. He was more righteous than his masters.
He knew killing an innocent man was wrong and stated so, whereas the city officials were perfectly content in conspiring to bring about the death of someone they didn’t like.
3. He was thoughtful and considerate.
He could have hauled Jeremiah out of the cistern with just the ropes, but he was thoughtful and considerate in giving Jeremiah rags to protect himself from the ropes as he was lifted.
4. He trusted in the Lord.
Even though a gentile, Ebed-Melech trusted in the Lord (Jeremiah 39:18). What a contrast to the Lord’s people of Judah, who had rejected God!
I love the story of Ebed-Melech because here is this gentile servant who dared to confront a king and his officials with their treachery. Any of them could have had him killed, but he stood up to them, trusting in the Lord.
He became the Old Testament version of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10) as he carefully lifted Jeremiah out of the cistern, restoring him to life. The Lord used Ebed-Melech in a powerful way. He was aptly named “Servant to the King.”
You Can Tell You’re Not a Godly Leader If:
1) If you’re not willing to stand up for what is right and call out evil when you see it, you’re not a Godly leader.
2) If you’re not willing to stand against the majority, you’re not a Godly leader.
3) If you’re not willing to protect the oppressed and the innocent, you’re not a Godly leader.
4) If you’re more worried about man’s opinion than being righteous before the Lord, you’re not a Godly leader.
More Articles
I have written many articles on leadership qualifications. You can find them by typing “Leader Qualifications” in the search bar. Meanwhile, here are a few of my favorites.
- #059: The Single Most Important Qualification for Leadership
- #069: Two Kinds of Bosses You Don’t Want to Work For!
- #074: Our Leadership Crisis is a Self-Inflicted Wound
- #160: Six Leadership Lessons from a Woman of Valor, Conviction, and Faith
Join the Conversation
As always, questions and comments are welcome. What do you think of Ebed-Melech’s actions compared to King Zedekiah? Which one was a Godly leader?
I’d love your help. This blog is read primarily because people like you share it with friends. Would you share it by pressing one of the share buttons below?
Category: Personal Development | Leader Qualifications
Ron- I’ve been watching the Pope this weekend, and was struck by how much his simple message about the family and power of small acts has affected so many. People seem to be yearning for meaning and hope these days. Your post today comes down to having the courage to do the right thing. Something we need more of in Government, and society for that matter. May the Pope’s message, and blog posts like yours, encourage us all to seek out better angels (to borrow from Lincoln)!
John,
I agree, sometimes a simple message, well spoken with conviction provides the leadership people are so desperately looking for these days!