The Morris County chronicle., 1905-08-22
THE SUNDAY SCH00I|
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR AUGUST n.

Subject: Jeremiah in the Dungeon. Jers
xxxviii., 1-13-GoIden Text, Matt. ",
1O-Memory Verses, s-1O-Commen-
tary on the Days Lesson.
/. Jeremiah's enemies Tvs. Ia. J.
'"Then." After the events referred to
in chapter 81, where jeremiah was de-l
livereJ. from the dungeon. "Shepha-
tiah," etc. Some OF Jeremiah's enemies
who were seeking his life. "All the
people," They had free access to him
in the court of the prison. g Life for
a prey" A proyerbial expression. Tea
make ones escape with life like valu~V
able spoil or prey that one carries off;
the narrowness of the escape, and the
Joy felt at it are included in the idea.
He shall carry off his life as his gain,
saved by his going over 10 the Chal-
deans. Had jeremiah not had a divine
commission he might justly have been@
accused OF treason, but having one
which made the result of the siege GER
tain he acted humanely as interpreter
of Gods will under the theocracy in
uiyising surrender 5. Surely bc
given.' This was a testimony that he
constantly bore; he had the authority
of God for it. He knew it was true
and he never wavered or equivocated.
4. 1.-THE princes said" Their reasons
were plain enough, but the proof was
wanting. "Seeketh the hurt An
unjust insinuation, for no man had
done more for this people than had
jeremiah His preaching was calcu-
lated to arouse them to sense of their
sins and cause them to turn to God.
One of the comm0nest ways of injuring
others is to misunderstood and misin- 4
terpret their motives, as Jeremiah's
motives were maligned because it Was
possible for him TO have done what ne
did with bad motives. When there areM
two possible motives for the conduct
of another, it is not only a more char.
table, but probably q more truthfuV
judgment to impute the better motives.
Judge not that We be not judged
should be written in capital letters,
yea, in flaming letters, before us all.
II. jeremiah in the dungeon Tvs. 8,
g. 5. king is not he" Zedekiah was
q weak king. He had conviction that
Jeremiah was phophet Of the Lord,
and yet he dared not oppose his states-
men, but yielded to their will without
a question. An innocent man was thus
sacrificed to their malice. These
princes were wroth with jeremiah
them to rotten figs' Chapter 24). But
for him they would have had affairs
all their own way, they were anxious
to be rid of him.
6. "Then took they Jeremiah" Jere-
miah was the butt of ridicule and
scorn. He was put in the stocks, was
publicly whipped, was misrepresented
as an enemy, was imprisoned several
times, but he kept right on. 'The dun
geon." Literally 'the cisterr." 1t was
not a subterranean prison as that in
Jonathan's house Chapter 81 15), but
O pit CIR cistern, which had been full Of
water, but was emptied of it during
the siege SO that only mre remained.
Such empty cisters were often used as
prisons Zach. 9: III; the depth forbade
hope of escape. Sunk in the mire."
They evidently expected that be would
die in that place.
III. Jeremiah's friend Tvs. 7-9). z.
"Ebednelech. The servant of the
king. He probably was keeper of the, I
royal harem, and so had private ac-s Z
cess to the king. Already even at this
early time, God wished to show what
good reason there was for calling the
Gentiles to salvation. An Ethiopian
stranger saves the prophet whom bis 1
own countrymen, the Jews, tried z
destroy. So the Gentiles believed I'M Il
Christ whom the Jews crucified, and 1
Ethiopians were among the earliest |
converts (Acts 2: 10; s. 27-39). Sitting
in the gate" The gates of cities were
the places where justice was admins
istered. 8 Went forth" The servant
went Immediately to the king. Thers
was no time to lose, for If he delayed
the prophet might perish. What q
bold courageous act this was. It ought
to put many of us to shame.
g. "These men," etc. He must have
been in the kings confidence or he
would not have dared raise his voice
against the action of the princes. The
Lord can raise up friends for His peo-
pie where they are least expected. mo
more bread" That is, no more bread
left of the public store in the city
Chapter 81: 2D; or, all but no bread
left anywhere. This shows to what
straits the city was reduced.
". jeremiah rescued Tvs. 1913. 10.
'King commanded" Zedekiah's better
nature was stirred. "Thirty men" Not
merely to draw up Jeremiah, but to
guard Ebed-meIech if the princes
should oppose him. The king was de-
termined that he should be rescued by
force if necessary. Ebed-melech was
rewarded for his faith, love and c0ur-
age, exhibited at time when he might
well fear the wrath of the princes.
lib. Ebed-melech took the menaas
the king had commanded and reseuedNf
Jeremiah. He let down into the pit
some torn clothes and worn out gar
ments and instructed Jeremiah to roll
them around the ropes and place them