Two chapters in Jeremiah, 38 and 39, tell of a predicament the prophet got into and the help from someone by the name of Ebed-Melech. This account is a shadow of Jesus and what He means to mankind.

1)  JEREMIAH WAS CAST INTO A PIT
     a.  Sin casts us into a pit of iniquity Ps 40:2;  Eph 2:1 - dead in sin        POWERPOINT
     b.  Sin has an enslaving power - John 8:34
     c.  Romans 6:23 - "the wages of sin is death"
     d.  Sin is powerful - Rom 7: 14 - 21
     e.  the word "pit" never means anything positive

2)  JEREMIAH WAS GOING TO STARVE, EBED-MELECH SOUGHT TO RESCUE HIM (38:7-9)
     a.  Jesus Christ died for us to save us from the wrath to come I Thess 1: 10
     b.  He was our propitiation - 1 John 4:10
     c.  Prophesied in the OT - Isa 53: 5-6, 10-11
     d.  Eph 1:7 - He shed His blood 

3)  THE KING DIRECTED EBED-LEMECH
     a.  Jesus followed the will of His Father John 17:4
     b.  Mk 14: 36 - Jesus always kept His Father's will in mind
     c.  Ebed-Lemech was determined to do the will of the king, a shadow of the Son of God

4)  EBED-MELECH PROVIDED THE WAY
     a.  We have the Way to save others through the Word, but we have to tell others about it John 20:21
     b.  Mark 16:15-16
     c.  2 Timothy 4: 1-2 - Paul told Timothy to preach, the way the word is spread
     d.  Acts 2 - Peter preached on the Day of Pentecost

5)  JEREMIAH FOLLOWED THE DIRECTIONS (38:12)
     a.  We have to follow the Lord's instructions to us to be saved.  John 5: 24
     b.  2 Tim 2:15 - "study to show thyself approved"
     c.   Acts 17: 10-11 - the Bereans understood the significance of study
     d.  Hear, Believe, Repent, Confess , Baptism and remain obedient
     e.  2 Kings 5: 1-14 - Naaman..shows the importance of complete obedience

6)  THE KING ASSURED JEREMIAH HE WOULD NOT DIE (38:16)
     a.  The Lord said if we are obedient we shall never perish  John 10: 28-29
     b.  Jude 17ff - remember the words, remain faithful and (24) He will "make you stand in the
          presence of His glory with great joy"

7)   EBED- MELECH WAS REWARDED(39:16-18)
     a.  Those who place their trust in Jesus are rewarded with all spiritual blessings Eph 1:3
     b.  The faithful will also be rewarded in heaven

A wonderful account not often talked about but a shadow of what was to come..