Speaking Truth in a Time of Collapse
Jeremiah 38–40 is full of intense political drama, but what caught my attention this time was the role Jeremiah plays in the middle of it all. He’s not just a religious voice tucked away in a temple. He’s standing in palaces, talking with kings, confronting military officials, and even interacting with foreign powers. It raises an interesting question: what role do moral or prophetic voices have in times of national crisis?
Mud, Messages, and a Very Brave Bureaucrat
In chapter 38, Jeremiah is thrown into a cistern by officials who see him as a threat. Not because he’s trying to start a rebellion, but because he keeps telling the truth about what's coming: “This city will be handed over to the Babylonian army, and they will capture it” (Jeremiah 38:3, NLT). That message is politically inconvenient. It undercuts the narrative that the leadership wants to project. And so, they try to silence him.
But then someone unexpected steps in. Ebed-melek, an Ethiopian court official, goes to the king and speaks up for Jeremiah. He gets permission to rescue him and does so in a surprisingly thoughtful way, lowering ropes with rags to cushion Jeremiah’s body as he's pulled out of the mud (Jeremiah 38:11-13). There’s something deeply human in that small detail.
Private Meetings and Public Cowardice
What’s interesting is how Jeremiah’s role shifts based on who’s listening. Zedekiah, the king, seems to want his advice. He meets with Jeremiah in private, asking, "Do you have a message from the Lord?" (Jeremiah 37:17, NLT). But even when he hears it, he can't act on it. Zedekiah admits he’s afraid of what others will do to him (Jeremiah 38:19), and that fear ends up costing him his city, his family, and his freedom.
Meanwhile, Jeremiah stays consistent. He doesn’t change his message to please people, and he doesn’t back down when it puts him in danger. Even when offered freedom by the Babylonians in chapter 40, he chooses to stay with the people who remain in Judah. He doesn’t leave, even when he has the chance.
Who Gets to Speak When Things Fall Apart?
It's interesting to think about the role of people who speak hard truths in the middle of conflict or transition. Not just religious prophets, but anyone willing to challenge the dominant narrative—journalists, artists, scholars, whistleblowers. They often face pushback, and they often get ignored until it’s too late. And yet, their voices can offer clarity when the usual sources of power are clouded by fear or self-interest.
Jeremiah doesn’t win in the traditional sense. The city falls. The temple burns. The exile begins. But somehow, his story continues. Maybe that’s the quiet power of someone who keeps speaking when others go silent.