Ebed-Melech

Ebed-Melech, a servant/slave of Judah’s King Zedekiah, stands tall as an Ethiopian Eunuch, in God’s Story, as told in the book of Jeremiah, chapters 38:7-12; 39:16.


It was a horrible way to live in Jerusalem as they waited for Babylon to break through the gates of the city. Jeremiah, the Prophet, proclaimed truth of the coming fall of the city at every opportunity. Even after being beaten, put in stocks, imprisoned in a vault in a dungeon, Jeremiah wavered not at God’s call on his life.
 “I knew you before I formed you in the womb

Before you were born I set you apart;

I appointed you as a prophet to the nations.” (Jeremiah 1:5) NIV

Back to our man of the hour, Ebed-Melech, also set apart for a work of King Zedekiah and another KING…Jehovah God Almighty. Being an Ethiopian meant that Ebed-Melech grew up in the despicable heathen class of cruelty and was not known for good moral character.

But this Ethiopian had a transformed life and consequently, a transformed moral character which was a triumph of grace in the life of God’s Prophet, Jeremiah. I wish I knew how he came to know the Lord as the only true God, in a godless place. Did he secretly listen to Jeremiah preaching, walking with his stick through Jerusalem, railing, and whining about the coming of the Babylonians to destroy Jerusalem? Did he observe Jeremiah being dumped into the dungeon at Jonathan’s prison house? Had he walked by when the stocks next to the temple displayed the emaciated body of Jeremiah? Is that when he believed?

Even though the Eastern Eunuchs were known to be pitilessly cruel people, who delighted in horror rather than honor, to wound rather than heal, one of their race came to be known in the Holy Writ as” Ebed-Melech, the man who was a credit to his class.” ( Herbert Lockyer)

Ebed-Melech watched as cruel men lowered Jeremiah the Prophet of God into the cistern which, empty of water, held only mud. Did he listen as the Prophet cried out for mercy or did he hear nothing but his tears as he weakly thrashed about in his muddy grave?

BUT, Ebed-Melech risked his own life, went before King Zedekiah to beg for Jeremiah’s life. Granted that favor, he went about doing something that only the compassionate, thoughtful person would do. He sought out old rags and discarded clothing, tore it into strips and took it along with the rope to rescue Jeremiah, Why the rags? To cushion the ropes under his arms as they pulled him bodily out of the mud in that cistern.

That very ‘over the top’ act of mercy rips my heart apart. The tenderness of God through the hands of a slave reminds me so of those who have lovingly and compassionately gone the extra mile in pulling me out of the mud and the muck so many times in my life. It reminds me of my Mother, who was a “Practical Nurse”, an LPN, as they were known, back in the day. She always knew just what ‘rag’ to put under the ropes of another’s suffering, whether physically or emotionally or spiritually. She could be Ebed-Melech, servant of the Most High God.

Others in my life that I cannot name have shown me the meaning of Ebed-Melech, the man who surely was superior to his surroundings. Those who have risked their own reputations to stand for what is right, putting others who claimed the Name to shame. Some who had the courage of their convictions and risked it all to help another that was floundering, or stuck in the stocks of life’s unfair circumstances. It’s amazing how God can use the amazingly weak things in life to accomplish His perfect plan. O how thankful I am for those in my life who had the faith in God to live it out daily in front of me, cushioning the ropes that tear the skin from life’s brutal suffering.

And now for ‘the rest of the story’:”Go and tell Ebed-Melech, the Cushite, ‘this is what the LORD ALMIGHTY, the God of Israel says: I am about to fulfill my words against this city through disaster, not prosperity. At that time they will be fulfilled before your eyes. BUT I will rescue you on that day, declares the LORD; you will not be handed over to those you fear, I will save you; you will not fall by the sword but will escape with your life, because you trust in me, declares the LORD.’” (Jer. 39:16-18) NIV

O, thank you, LORD, for the Ebed-Melech’s in my life. May I be an Ebed-Melech and soften the ropes under the arms of others along this earthly path….

Daddy's Corn

Father’s Day Memories…


It was lying on the floor half way under the closet door in our home office. When I picked up the yellow legal pad paper and opened it, I read:

June 19, 1993


Dear Daddy,

From my earliest years you have always “been there” for me...

The four, pencil scribed pages of 5x7 paper extolled my daddy’s virtues as I was a girl growing up and beyond. I have no idea how it came to be on the floor at this time of year in my closet. But it surely is appropriate for Father’s Day. My Daddy is not ‘there’ physically for me anymore, but he’ll always ‘be there’ for me in my heart. He went home to be with Jesus June 28, eleven years ago. Obviously I won’t forget my Daddy. He always called me his ‘baby Chile’. (I was the youngest of three) One of the lessons learned from Daddy:

Gardening….Mother (96) and I talked about some of our ‘daddy’ memories on the phone just a few minutes ago and the subject of Daddy’s corn came up. She related how Daddy would go out to the back yard corn patch, break the corn, shuck the corn in the field and track his dirty boots into the back of the kitchen. He picked out four of the nicest ears, bagged them and delivered them to the widows of Grace Baptist Church who had no access to fresh grown corn.

And I’m telling you, there was no corn like my Daddy’s corn! He grew Silver Queen and Seneca Chief. His corn was babied from the moment he put those kernels under that rich black dirt. I believe he probably measured it every day in his mind’s eye. Not only did he take corn to the widows from church but he shucked ears of corn by the dozen to hand deliver to friends all over Sumter County during the hot summer months in the low state.

What wasn’t given away was eaten and enjoyed by all of our family. Then, we froze corn. He tried to keep his corn crop coming in at different times so we’d have fresh corn most of the summer. Mother remembers, “Sitting by the back door, silking corn by the bushel. You know, so the silks wouldn’t get all over the kitchen and stop up the sink drain”.

 We froze a lot on the cob because that’s how Daddy liked it. Watching Daddy fix his corn put on quite the show at our table. He liked it dripping with melted butter. Little yellow corn holders stuck in the ends of the boiling hot ears. Then there were the green and yellow ceramic corn dishes that my husband, Dennis made him one year. He didn’t miss a single kernel of the corn on any cob. Daddy loved his corn. We loved it too!!

I could continue to extol my Daddy’s gardening skills by talking about his tomatoes, cukes, squash, green beans, butter peas, Crowder peas and other things but of course the fruit that he bore taught me more than that. The garden of knowledge that little girls need in order to relate to their heavenly Father helped me to feel like I could come into God’s presence and feel accepted.

Daddy was by no means a spiritual giant, nor a perfect man, but I choose to remember sitting on his lap, communicating comfortably, and of course, his corn. I still find myself seeing a little blond headed girl, sitting on the lap of my Father. Kinda ‘corny’, huh!?

Thank you, Daddy, for being there for your ‘baby Chile’...

HEART THOUGHTS…from Helen “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills from whence comes my help.” (Psalm 121:1)

“There they are,” is my standard expression as we drive home on Highway #101 north. There’s a rise in the road right after passing O’Neal Baptist Church that sometimes takes my breath away. This morning as Dennis and I rounded the curve and accelerated over the rise, the Blue Ridge Mountains majestically appeared in our front window.

 We refer to them as ‘our mountains’. Some days they seem to speak to me from their clarity of view. Other days the clouds or haze nearly obscure them, but we know that they are there. Today they are clear and they make me smile.

 Dennis commented, “If we could just move all the power lines out of the way from along the roadside, it would be a perfect picture”.

 My quick, know it all reply retorts, “Power lines have no power to do away with the real Power here! The absolute strength and majesty of a mountain is in itself God’s mighty power. They remind me of His splendor and how much I rely on his omnipotence day by day.

 Please don’t misunderstand; power lines play such a vital role in our daily lives, but let’s get serious. Apart from the power of the Almighty who made the mountains and everything else, we perish. I suppose it is my lack of strength at times that makes me crave the mountains. It implies my need for God and His strength.

 Thank You, Lord, for the view of the Blue Ridge Mountains as seen from Hwy #101 in the very community that is named so aptly after them.

A Private Place, A Prayerful Man with a Precise Plan

It kinda snuck up on me. One morning I slept in and it became the norm NOT to get up earlier than anyone else to meet the Master in the morning. The subtlety of it is so sneaky. Thank God He brought me to this small section of Scripture reminding me of seeking first the kingdom of God, before I meet the day. Blanket victory may not be mine every day, but it is my goal and in Jesus’ Name, I press on. Mark 1:35-38 Pre=dawn darkness covered Peter’s house in Capernaum. Quietness coats the place of abode, disturbed only by the sounds of a snoring household. No one else awoke as Jesus deserted His blanket, rose from his pallet bed and left the house in search of solitude. Thoughts of the day before and the day to come all jumbled around in His mind. He needed, no; He required His Father’s power, His Father’s presence, and His Father’s provision for the coming day. He sought out the solitude of a Sovereign God before meeting the demands of another day. The grass was wet with dew; the sliver of a moon lit the way for the Light of the World to pray, alone. It wouldn’t be the only time He did so. “Thank you, Father, for hearing me. I’m exhausted! Yesterday drained me completely. How will I find the strength after such a short night? Where do you want me to go today? What do you want me to do? Thank you for healing Peter’s mother-in-law yesterday. Thank you for driving out the demons that plagued the people and the diseases that destroy the will to live. Thank You, Father.” Peter and friends woke to a pounding on his door. People already gathered in his yard to seek out the Savior. He went in search of Jesus to find the Master gone. Panic spread through the house. “Where is He?” “Did you see where He went?” “Has He been kidnapped?” Slipping into his sandals, Simon Peter hurriedly went out to search for Jesus. “Perhaps I should have risen earlier to discuss the plans of the day with Him. Now, everything demands attention. There’s no time. Where is He?” He lamented to the others. Not too far away, in a solitary place, the big fisherman hears that familiar voice in quiet conversation. Running toward the sound, he and his companions, louder than was necessary, exclaim, “Where have you been? Everyone is looking for you!” As if Jesus, the Christ, had to answer to this group of rag tag disciples. Does He really owe me an explanation for anything? Ahh, yes, the inevitable interruptions of quiet time. There will always be a Simon Peter and others seeking to destroy the quietude of discourse with the Divine. Rising from His knees, Jesus greets the group. After the answers comes the action. Jesus replied, “Let’s go somewhere else---to the nearby villages---so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.”(Verse 38) (see Isaiah 61:1-3 for more perspective) Time to move on to the day’s demands. But He’s ready now. He knows the plan; He goes His way, doing what He was meant to do. He takes along those friends that need to see and hear and follow. Are you seeking His face early? Do you discipline yourself after a demanding day to defeat the drug of drowsiness, to get blanket victory from the warmth of your bed? Where is your solitary place? He has a plan and He’s waiting for you with answers to your daily demands.

A PRIVATE PLACE, A PRAYERFUL MAN WITH A PRECISE PLAN

Mark 1:35-38 Pre=dawn darkness covered Peter’s house in Capernaum. Quietness coats the place of abode, disturbed only by the sounds of a snoring household. No one else awoke as Jesus deserted His blanket, rose from his pallet bed and left the house in search of solitude. Thoughts of the day before and the day to come all jumbled around in His mind. He needed, no; He required His Father’s power, His Father’s presence, and His Father’s provision for the coming day. He sought out the solitude of a Sovereign God before meeting the demands of another day. The grass was wet with dew; the sliver of a moon lit the way for the Light of the World to pray, alone. It wouldn’t be the only time He did so. “Thank you, Father, for hearing me. I’m exhausted! Yesterday drained me completely. How will I find the strength after such a short night? Where do you want me to go today? What do you want me to do? Thank you for healing Peter’s mother-in-law yesterday. Thank you for driving out the demons that plagued the people and the diseases that destroy the will to live. Thank You, Father.” Peter and friends woke to a pounding on his door. People already gathered in his yard to seek out the Savior. He went in search of Jesus to find the Master gone. Panic spread through the house. “Where is He?” “Did you see where He went?” “Has He been kidnapped?” Slipping into his sandals, Simon Peter hurriedly went out to search for Jesus. “Perhaps I should have risen earlier to discuss the plans of the day with Him. Now, everything demands attention. There’s no time. Where is He?” He lamented to the others. Not too far away, in a solitary place, the big fisherman hears that familiar voice in quiet conversation. Running toward the sound, he and his companions, louder than was necessary, exclaim, “Where have you been? Everyone is looking for you!” As if Jesus, the Christ, had to answer to this group of rag tag disciples. Does He really owe me an explanation for anything? Ahh, yes, the inevitable interruptions of quiet time. There will always be a Simon Peter and others seeking to destroy the quietude of discourse with the Divine. Rising from His knees, Jesus greets the group. After the answers comes the action. Jesus replied, “Let’s go somewhere else---to the nearby villages---so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.”(Verse 38) (see Isaiah 61:1-3 for more perspective) Time to move on to the day’s demands. But He’s ready now. He knows the plan; He goes His way, doing what He was meant to do. He takes along those friends that need to see and hear and follow . Are you seeking His face early? Do you discipline yourself after a demanding day to defeat the drug of drowsiness, to get blanket victory from the warmth of your bed? Where is your solitary place? He has a plan and He’s waiting for you with answers to your daily demands.

A Private Place, A Prayerful Man, with a Precise Plan Mark 1:35-38 Pre=dawn darkness covered Peter’s house in Capernaum. Quietness coats the place of abode, disturbed only by the sounds of a snoring household. No one else awoke as Jesus deserted His blanket, rose from his pallet bed and left the house in search of solitude. Thoughts of the day before and the day to come all jumbled around in His mind. He needed, no; He required His Father’s power, His Father’s presence, and His Father’s provision for the coming day. He sought out the solitude of a Sovereign God before meeting the demands of another day. The grass was wet with dew; the sliver of a moon lit the way for the Light of the World to pray, alone. It wouldn’t be the only time He did so. “Thank you, Father, for hearing me. I’m exhausted! Yesterday drained me completely. How will I find the strength after such a short night? Where do you want me to go today? What do you want me to do? Thank you for healing Peter’s mother-in-law yesterday. Thank you for driving out the demons that plagued the people and the diseases that destroy the will to live. Thank You, Father.” Peter and friends woke to a pounding on his door. People already gathered in his yard to seek out the Savior. He went in search of Jesus to find the Master gone. Panic spread through the house.“Perhaps I should have risen earlier to discuss the plans of the day with Him. Now, everything demands attention. There’s no time. Where is He?” “Where is He?” He lamented to the others. “Did you see where He went?” “Has He been kidnapped?” Slipping into his sandals, Simon Peter hurriedly went out to search for Jesus. Not too far away, in a solitary place, the big fisherman hears that familiar voice in quiet conversation. Running toward the sound, he and his companions, louder than was necessary, exclaim, “Where have you been? Everyone is looking for you!” As if Jesus, the Christ, had to answer to this group of rag tag disciples. Does He really owe me an explanation for anything? Ahh, yes, the inevitable interruptions of quiet time. There will always be a Simon Peter and others seeking to destroy the quietude of discourse with the Divine. Rising from His knees, Jesus greets the group. After the answers comes the action. Jesus replied, “Let’s go somewhere else---to the nearby villages---so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.”(Verse 38) (see Isaiah 61:1-3 for more perspective) Time to move on to the day’s demands. But He’s ready now. He knows the plan; He goes His way, doing what He was meant to do. He takes along those friends that need to see and hear and follow. Are you seeking His face early? Do you discipline yourself after a demanding day to defeat the drug of drowsiness, to get blanket victory from the warmth of your bed? Where is your solitary place? He has a plan and He’s waiting for you with answers to your daily demands.

Jesus' Claim to Fame

HEART THOUGHT…Jesus’ Claim to Fame

Luke 4:14-21
After Jesus’ temptation in the desert, He went IN THE POWER OF THE SPIRIT, to Galilee and then to Nazareth, His home town. Of first priority He went to church on the Sabbath. When He stood up, they handed him the Word of God from the book of Isaiah 61:1-2. And this was His text:

“The Spirit of the Lord is on me
Because He has anointed me to preach
GOOD NEWS
to the poor.
He has sent me to proclaim
Freedom for the prisoner and
Recovery of sight for the blind, to
Release the oppressed,
To proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor”

He rolled up the scroll, gave it to the attendant and sat down. All eyes were fastened on Him…riveted on him...they couldn’t take their eyes off Him.

Then He made His application: “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing”.

Wow! What a sermon!

Jesus, in Power, preaches Good News to the poor…What poor person doesn’t need good news?

Freedom for the prisoner…What better news to one in bondage to anything than freedom?

Sight for the blind. Have you ever seen what sight means to one who can’t see? I have.

Release the oppressed. Do you know what it means to be oppressed? To have the curtain come down and never go up? To walk in heaviness and despair day after day with no hope in sight? Oppressed, depressed, suppressed? RELEASE FOR THE OPPRESSED! GOOD NEWS!

To proclaim the Year of Jubilee, the year of Liberty!

Jesus = Good News
I’m rich, I’m free, I can see, I am free; it’s the year of Liberty!

And all eyes were fastened on HIM. And that’s how it ought to be!