In The Dungeon (Jeremiah 38:6)
Sermon Summary
Pastor David Yan
5 July 2020
When a good man is thrown into a dungeon and treated like a condemned criminal, we must ask why.
Jeremiah was such a man. Why was he cast into a dungeon? It was because he spoke the truth. A society which persecutes good people is an unrighteous society and ready for God’s judgment.
People like Jeremiah who speak the truth must be ready to pay the cost. Being prophet has its price. Jesus was a great prophet. He paid the price for speaking the truth. His dungeon, as it were, was the cross on Calvary.
Jeremiah's message to his people was that they must go into captivity. His message was for the good of the people. It was good counsel but the people did not accept good counsel. (Not much has changed.) They accused him of treason and cast him into a dungeon —- a deep cistern.
What did Jeremiah experience in the dungeon?
He was trapped in the mud and unable to move. Jesus at his death was fixed to the cross. He was spiritually unable to move for by divine decree he was predetermined to die for his people. The way of obedience meant Jesus was fixed to die.
Jeremiah had nothing to cling to -— nothing, that is, except the promise of God. God had told Jeremiah that he would deliver him (Jeremiah 1:8). Similarly, Jesus had nothing to cling to except the promise of his Father that he would not be left in death but would be raised.
It was not time for Jeremiah to die. He had more work to do. God would preserve his servant and use him to proclaim his word. During his life on earth Jesus also was preserved from harm and although he ultimately died, his death was at the appointed time for him.
Jeremiah was rescued. The rescue came from an unexpected source —- an Ethiopian eunuch, Ebed Melech. God sometimes works in unexpected ways to rescue his people. Jesus was raised from death. By his resurrection (which no one expected) Jesus was delivered from his dungeon.
After Jeremiah was rescued he went straight back to speaking the truth. So also Jesus Christ after he was raised from death immediately continued to speak the truth. He proclaimed the kingdom of God. Even till today Jesus speaks the truth through the witness of his church and the Holy Spirit.
No dungeon will ever trap God’s word for nothing will stop the spread of the gospel. All the mire and filth of a fallen world will not darken the power and purity of Jesus Christ.
You may feel you are in a dungeon but remember Jeremiah. Remember Jesus. Call out to God in prayer. It is not time for you die. There is work for you to do.