August 18

Jeremiah 38-40; Psalm 74, 79 (biblegateway.com)

When the Walls Fall: Faith in the Midst of Destruction

Jeremiah 38–40 captures the final collapse of Jerusalem under Babylon’s assault, a devastating fulfillment of the warnings Jeremiah had spoken for years. In chapter 38, Jeremiah is thrown into a muddy cistern for declaring God’s truth, but is later rescued. Chapter 39 describes the brutal siege’s end—the city walls are breached, the temple destroyed, and many are carried into exile. Yet even in judgment, God preserves His prophet and shows mercy to Ebed-Melek, the Ethiopian who had courageously intervened on Jeremiah’s behalf. Chapter 40 follows the aftermath, as the remnant under Governor Gedaliah faces uncertainty. This historical record is paired with Psalm 74 and Psalm 79, which give voice to the anguish of God’s people—pleading for Him to remember His covenant, avenge injustice, and bring restoration.

Jeremiah 38 – Jeremiah in the Cistern and His Deliverance

Even in confinement, Jeremiah continued to proclaim God’s truth without compromise. Though restricted to the courtyard of the guard (37:21), he still had some freedom to meet with visitors and used every opportunity to share God’s message with anyone willing to listen. On one such occasion, four high-ranking officials overheard him addressing the people: Shephatiah son of Mattan, Gedaliah son of Pashhur, Jehucal son of Shelemiah (previously sent by Zedekiah to inquire about the lifting of Babylon’s siege, 37:3), and Pashhur son of Malkijah (sent earlier by Zedekiah during Babylon’s initial attack, 21:1–2).

The four officials overheard Jeremiah proclaiming the Lord’s word: those who stayed in Jerusalem would die by sword, famine, or plague, but those who surrendered to the Babylonians would live (Jeremiah 38:1-3). To the military-minded rulers, this sounded like treason. They accused Jeremiah of weakening the resolve of the soldiers and discouraging the people, insisting he should be put to death (v. 4).

King Zedekiah, weak in leadership and eager to avoid conflict, told them, “Behold, he is in your hands,” admitting that he could not oppose them (v. 5). They seized Jeremiah and lowered him into the cistern of Malchiah, the king’s son. The pit had no water, only deep mud, and Jeremiah sank into it (v. 6). This was meant to silence him and perhaps cause his death slowly without direct bloodshed — an attempt to remove him without openly violating God’s law.

God’s providence intervened through an unlikely rescuer: Ebed-melech, an Ethiopian court official. Hearing of Jeremiah’s plight, he approached the king in the Benjamin Gate and boldly protested this injustice, declaring that the prophet would die of starvation in the cistern because there was no more bread in the city (v. 7-9). Remarkably, Zedekiah granted permission for his rescue. Ebed-melech took thirty men to ensure the mission’s success, lowered worn-out rags to Jeremiah, and told him to pad them under his arms to prevent injury as they pulled him up (v. 10-13). This act of compassion and courage not only saved Jeremiah’s life but also showed that God can raise up allies from unexpected places.

Later, Zedekiah secretly summoned Jeremiah to the third entrance of the temple to seek God’s word without his officials’ knowledge (v. 14). Jeremiah hesitated, knowing that speaking truth might again bring danger, but Zedekiah swore he would not kill him or hand him over (v. 15-16). Jeremiah then delivered the unchanging message: surrender to the Babylonian commanders, and your life and the city will be spared; resist, and the city will be burned, and the king himself captured (v. 17-18).

Fear of betrayal troubled Zedekiah. He worried that if he surrendered, the Judeans who had already defected would mock and mistreat him (v. 19). Jeremiah assured him that obedience to God would ensure safety and that fear of man must not outweigh trust in the Lord (v. 20-21). Yet Jeremiah also vividly described the consequences of refusal — the women of the palace led away by the Babylonians, mocking Zedekiah for being deceived, and the city set ablaze (v. 22-23).

The meeting concluded with Zedekiah instructing Jeremiah not to reveal their conversation to the officials. When the officials questioned him, Jeremiah replied exactly as the king had told him, explaining that he had petitioned not to be sent back to Jonathan’s house lest he die there (v. 24-27). The chapter ends with Jeremiah remaining in the court of the guard until the day Jerusalem was captured (v. 28).

Jeremiah 38 shows the conflict between God’s word and human self-preservation. God’s truth is often resisted not because it’s unclear, but because it demands humility, surrender, and trust beyond human reasoning. It also illustrates God’s providence in preserving His servant through unlikely means (Ebed-melech).

Followers of Christ must be prepared to speak and live the truth even when it provokes opposition. The chapter challenges us to resist the fear of man and to trust that God can provide deliverance in surprising ways. It also reminds us that obedience is always safer than compromise, even when surrendering to God’s will feels like personal loss.

Jeremiah 39 – The Fall of Jerusalem

The prophecy Jeremiah had proclaimed for decades now comes to pass with exact precision. In the ninth year of Zedekiah’s reign, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and his entire army laid siege to Jerusalem (v. 1). For nearly two years, the city endured starvation, disease, and relentless pressure. In the eleventh year, on the ninth day of the fourth month, the Babylonians breached the city wall (v. 2).

The Babylonian officials — Nergal-sharezer, Samgar-nebo, Sarsechim the chief officer, and other high-ranking commanders — entered and took seats at the Middle Gate, symbolizing complete control (v. 3). Realizing defeat, King Zedekiah and his soldiers fled by night toward the Arabah, slipping out through a gate between the two walls near the king’s garden (v. 4). However, the Babylonian army pursued them and overtook them on the plains of Jericho, capturing Zedekiah and bringing him to Nebuchadnezzar at Riblah in the land of Hamath for judgment (v. 5).

The sentence was brutal and prophetic fulfillment. Nebuchadnezzar killed Zedekiah’s sons before his eyes, as well as all the nobles of Judah, then blinded Zedekiah and bound him in bronze shackles to take him to Babylon (v. 6-7). This was exactly in line with Jeremiah’s warnings (Jeremiah 34:3; 38:23) and Ezekiel’s prophecy that Zedekiah would go to Babylon but not see it (Ezekiel 12:13).

The Babylonians burned the royal palace and the people’s homes, tore down the city walls, and carried most of the population into exile (v. 8-9). Yet consistent with Jeremiah’s prophecies of a remnant, Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guard, left behind some of the poor people who owned nothing, giving them vineyards and fields (v. 10).

Amid the destruction of Jerusalem, God kept His promise to protect His prophet. Nebuchadnezzar ordered his commander, Nebuzaradan, to find Jeremiah, treat him well, and grant his requests (v. 11-12). Jeremiah was released to live under the protection of Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, free to dwell among the people (v. 13-14). This was not a political coincidence but divine providence fulfilling God’s earlier assurances.

The chapter closes with the personal deliverance of Ebed-Melek, the Ethiopian official who had risked his life to pull Jeremiah from the cistern (38:7-13). Through Jeremiah, the Lord promised him safety in the Babylonian conquest because he had put his trust in God (39:15-18).

The contrast is striking: Jeremiah, though imprisoned for truth, was freed; Zedekiah, though seated on the throne, ended in chains. Jeremiah was preserved through faith; Zedekiah perished through fear. Jeremiah was respected by his captors; Zedekiah was humiliated by his enemies. Jeremiah sought the good of God’s people; Zedekiah sought only his own safety.

Even in national collapse, God’s justice and mercy remain personal. The fate of individuals rests not on the survival of their nation but on their trust in Him. Faithfulness, whether bold and public or quiet and unseen, never escapes His notice. In times of chaos, we can stand firm knowing that the God who preserved Jeremiah and rescued Ebed-Melek is the same God who sees, rewards, and protects those who trust Him today.

Jeremiah 40 – Jeremiah’s Release and Gedaliah’s Governorship

These next six chapters cover events following Jerusalem’s fall to Babylon. In chapter 40, the narrative shifts from the siege itself to the events that shaped Judah’s life under Babylonian control. The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah after Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guard, had released him at Ramah (Jeremiah 40:1). Jeremiah had been bound in chains among other captives destined for Babylon, but Nebuzaradan recognized him and acknowledged that the disaster had come because the people had sinned against the Lord and disobeyed His word (v. 2-3). This remarkable admission from a pagan commander echoed Jeremiah’s own prophecies and showed that God’s truth was recognized even by foreign powers.

Nebuzaradan then gave Jeremiah a choice: he could go to Babylon and be cared for there, or remain in Judah under the appointed governor Gedaliah son of Ahikam (v. 4). Jeremiah chose to remain in the land, near his people, to serve among the remnant (v. 5-6). He went to Gedaliah at Mizpah and lived there among those who had not been taken into exile. This was consistent with Jeremiah’s earlier letter to the exiles in Babylon (Jeremiah 29), in which he urged them to settle down and seek the welfare of the land where God had placed them, whether in Babylon or Judah.

Gedaliah’s appointment was strategic. He came from a family known for protecting Jeremiah (Ahikam, his father, had defended Jeremiah in Jeremiah 26:24). As governor, Gedaliah sought to stabilize the community and encourage loyalty to Babylon to avoid further destruction. Word spread among the scattered Judean military commanders who were still in the countryside — men like Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, and others — that Babylon had set Gedaliah over the towns of Judah (v. 7).

These commanders and their men came to Mizpah to meet Gedaliah (v. 8). Gedaliah assured them they had nothing to fear from serving the Babylonians as long as they remained in the land, submitted to the new authority, and lived peacefully. He encouraged them to harvest wine, summer fruit, and oil, store them in jars, and settle in the towns they had taken over (v. 9-10). His tone was pastoral and practical, aiming to rebuild some semblance of life after the devastation.

When the Judeans who had fled to Moab, Ammon, Edom, and other surrounding nations heard that a remnant was left in Judah and that Gedaliah had been appointed, they returned and gathered an abundance of produce during the harvest (v. 11-12). This return seemed to be a small-scale fulfillment of God’s earlier promises to preserve a remnant (Jeremiah 24:4-7).

However, tension was already brewing. Johanan and the other military leaders privately warned Gedaliah that Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, a man of royal blood, had been sent by Baalis, king of the Ammonites, to assassinate him (v. 13-14). This intelligence suggested both political intrigue and foreign manipulation, as Ammon may have sought to destabilize Babylon’s control in Judah. Despite the warning, Gedaliah refused to believe it, dismissing Johanan’s concerns as false accusations (v. 15-16). His trusting nature , or perhaps political naïveté, would prove fatal in the next chapter.

Jeremiah 40 illustrates that God’s purposes continue even after national catastrophe. While judgment had fallen, His care for the remnant remained evident. Gedaliah’s appointment and Jeremiah’s freedom demonstrate that God preserves leaders and voices of truth for the sake of His people. It also warns that even in times of restoration, danger can arise from within through betrayal or refusal to heed wise counsel.

For believers today, Jeremiah 40 reminds us that life after crisis still requires faithfulness, discernment, and commitment to God’s instructions. It also cautions against ignoring warnings simply because they disrupt our plans. True peace comes not from political arrangements but from aligning with God’s purposes and walking wisely among others.

Psalm 74 – A Lament Over the Destruction of God’s Sanctuary

The events of Jeremiah 40 mark the immediate aftermath of Jerusalem’s fall: the city is in ruins, the people are displaced, and God’s judgment has been carried out against a nation that ignored His warnings. In the wake of this devastation, the psalms of lament, such as Psalm 74 and Psalm 79, give voice to the grief, anger, and pleas for deliverance that arose among God’s people. Psalm 74 mourns the destruction of the temple and the desecration of God’s sanctuary, while Psalm 79 reflects the suffering of the nation and the massacre of its inhabitants.

Placing these psalms here in the chronological reading plan helps to move seamlessly from the historical narrative of Jerusalem’s fall into the heartfelt poetic response of the exiles, showing both the human and divine dimensions of this catastrophe.

Psalm 74, attributed to Asaph, is a national lament crying out to God over the devastation of Jerusalem and the temple. The psalmist opens with a plea: “O God, why do You cast us off forever? Why does Your anger smoke against the sheep of Your pasture?” (v. 1). This imagery portrays God’s people as vulnerable sheep in need of their Shepherd’s protection, yet experiencing His apparent withdrawal. He calls God to remember His congregation, the people He purchased of old and redeemed to be His inheritance (v. 2), and to recall Mount Zion, His dwelling place.

The psalmist vividly describes the destruction of the sanctuary: enemies have come into God’s holy place, roaring like wild beasts and setting up their own standards as signs of conquest (v. 3-4). They behaved like men wielding axes in a forest, smashing the carved paneling with hatchets and hammers (v. 5-6). They burned the sanctuary to the ground, defiling the dwelling place of God’s name (v. 7). This reflects the Babylonian destruction of the temple (2 Kings 25:9), though the psalm could also poetically encompass other desecrations.

He laments that the people see no miraculous signs, no prophets remain, and no one knows how long this desolation will last (v. 8-9). The cry “How long, O God, is the foe to scoff?” (v. 10) captures the deep tension between God’s covenant promises and the present reality of defeat. The psalmist even asks why God holds back His hand (v. 11), pleading for divine intervention.

In a shift of tone, the psalm recalls God’s past acts of power as grounds for hope. God is the eternal King who brought salvation to the earth (v. 12). He shattered the sea by His might, broke the heads of the sea monsters (v. 13), crushed Leviathan, and gave him as food for the creatures of the wilderness (v. 14). He opened springs and streams, dried up ever-flowing rivers (v. 15), and established the boundaries of the earth with the seasons of summer and winter (v. 16-17). These reminders of creation and redemption serve as a theological anchor–if God acted mightily before, He can do so again.

The psalmist returns to the present plea, asking God to remember how the enemy scoffs and a foolish people blasphemes His name (v. 18). He begs God not to deliver His dove, a symbol of His people, to wild beasts or forget the life of the poor forever (v. 19). The covenant is invoked directly: “Have regard for the covenant” (v. 20), since violence fills the dark places of the land. He calls for the oppressed to be delivered and the poor and needy to praise God’s name (v. 21).

The psalm closes with urgency: “Arise, O God, defend Your cause” (v. 22), and remember the constant taunts of enemies. The voices of those rising against God grow louder and louder (v. 23), and the psalmist’s prayer leaves the tension unresolved, trusting God to act in His time.

Psalm 74 teaches that lament is not unbelief but an act of faith, holding God accountable to His promises while acknowledging present pain. It affirms that God’s past acts in creation and redemption are the basis for confidence in His future deliverance. Believers today can learn to bring their confusion, grief, and even bold questions to God in prayer. In seasons when God seems silent and evil seems to prevail, recalling His faithfulness in the past strengthens our hope for His intervention in the present and future.

Psalm 79 – A Plea for God’s Mercy in the Midst of National Ruin

Psalm 79, another psalm of Asaph, is a national lament over the devastation of Jerusalem, most likely after the Babylonian destruction in 586 BC (2 Kings 25:8-12). It opens with a cry: “O God, the nations have come into Your inheritance; they have defiled Your holy temple; they have laid Jerusalem in ruins” (v. 1). Foreign invaders have not only conquered but also desecrated what was set apart for God. The people’s bodies are left unburied, given as food for birds and wild animals (v. 2-3), a sign of both complete defeat and covenant curse (Deuteronomy 28:26). Blood flows in the streets with none to bury the dead, the ultimate indignity in the ancient Near Eastern worldview.

This humiliation has brought relentless scorn from surrounding nations (v. 4). The psalmist then pleads, “How long, O Lord? Will You be angry forever?” (v. 5). He recognizes the suffering as part of God’s judgment for sin, but asks for mercy, not only for Israel’s sake but for God’s own honor. He asks God to pour out His wrath, not on His covenant people, but on the pagan nations that do not acknowledge Him (v. 6-7), the ones who have devoured Jacob and laid waste his habitation.

The prayer turns toward repentance and petition: “Do not remember against us our former iniquities; let Your compassion come speedily to meet us” (v. 8). The psalmist acknowledges that only God’s mercy can save them, asking for deliverance for the sake of His name and glory (v. 9). This is not merely a request for survival, it’s a plea that God’s reputation among the nations be upheld.

He asks God to repay the nations sevenfold for their insults (v. 12), but also that the groaning of prisoners be heard and those condemned to die be preserved (v. 11). The covenant relationship remains at the heart of the prayer: “We Your people, the sheep of Your pasture, will give thanks to You forever” (v. 13). Even in national ruin, there is a promise of ongoing praise, anticipating God’s eventual vindication.

Conclusion

Jeremiah 38-40 and Psalms 74 and 79 remind us that even in the darkest moments—imprisonment, destruction, and exile—God’s presence and faithfulness remain. Jeremiah’s steadfast courage and faith contrast sharply with the failures of others, showing that trusting God shapes our ultimate destiny. The psalms capture the raw pain and lament of a people facing loss, yet even in their sorrow, they turn to God, seeking justice, restoration, and hope. These passages encourage us to remain faithful, to voice our grief honestly before God, and to trust that He sees, sustains, and redeems those who place their confidence in Him.