Who?

In 1998, in the City of David, Jerusalem, a cistern was discovered that many archeologists believe was the dungeon into which the prophet Jeremiah ("whom Jehovah has appointed") was lowered by the princes of Judah. This is how scripture describes that event:
"So they took Jeremiah and cast him into the dungeon (a well, cistern, pit) of Malchiah the king's son, which was in the court of the prison, and they let Jeremiah down with ropes (also meaning pain, sorrow, travail, destruction, to bind, to spoil, to destroy, to ruin, to writhe, to twist, to be broken). And in the dungeon, there was no water, but mire. So Jeremiah sank (to sink down, pierce, drown) in the mire."   Jer. 38:6
The princes of Judah, Shephatiah, meaning "Jehovah has judged", Gedaliah, meaning "Jehovah is great", Jucal, "Jehovah is able", and Pashur, or "freedom", had made clear to the king, Zedekiah ("Jehovah is righteous/just"), that their intent was to kill Jeremiah, and the king had told them to do what they wanted (v. 5).
Jerusalem at this time was besieged by the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnezzar. There was very little food left in the city, and they were in dire straits. Jeremiah had prophesied, even directly to the king, that the Babylonian king would indeed prevail against Jerusalem, and the people would be taken into captivity. He was even accused of being in league with the enemy because of these prophecies.(Jer. 37:14). Jeremiah had also prophesied that after the captivity, the LORD would turn and heal Judah, and bring them revelations of peace and truth with the Messiah, bringing them to a greater glory in Him (Jer. 33:6, 15-16). The LORD affirmed His covenant with the House of David in these prophecies (33:17).
When I started this entry, I thought it was going to be about poor Jeremiah, the prophet appointed by the LORD, lowered into the miry pit to be destroyed, but it became about something else. This is about the people around this incident. Jeremiah was indeed suffering in the pit for prophesying the true Word of the LORD, when other prophets of the day were prophesying a false word of comfort. Of course, all of the people, including the highest leadership, preferred the comforting, reassuring words that all would be well.
While the idolatrous enemy was indeed at the gates, it was Jeremiah's own people, God's people of covenant, who decided that he should die. It was those who had "Jehovah" all over their names who preferred the lie over the truth. They took those ropes of torment, and lowered Jeremiah into the sticky clay of the pit, abandoning him there. How Jeremiah must have suffered for bringing the truth!
However, there was one person who intervened, interceded. This entry is about him.
This man, Ebed-Melech ("bondservant/slave of the king"), an Ethiopian (from Cush in Africa, meaning "black"), was a eunuch who served in the king's palace. On the rungs of society of that day, he would probably be considered of the lowest. The only name he was allowed was one which meant, "the king's servant". However, when he heard what had been done to Jeremiah, the eunuch approached the king as the king was sitting in the gate of the city. Here, a king would sit to hear and judge the concerns of the common people, who would be given this rare access to him, and he would grant petitions. The eunuch, who would probably never be allowed to approach the king in the palace, was able to approach  him here at this gate, the gate of Benjamin ("Son of the right hand"), and said:
"My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon, and he is likely to die from hunger in the place where he is. For there is no more bread in the city."   Jer. 38:9
It is very possible that Ebed-Melech was reminding the king of a previous command the king had given regarding Jeremiah when the prophet was being kept in prison:
"...they should give him daily a piece of bread from the baker's street, until all the bread in the city was gone..."  Jer. 37:21
I'm sure the king had listened to many petitions from the suffering people of Jerusalem that day. He must have had to try to mollify them with those lying words of reassurance the false prophets had brought. However, upon hearing the request of the eunuch, the king told the eunuch to take thirty men from the gate, and lift Jeremiah up before he dies. Can you imagine? It would take thirty men to physically pull one man from that sticky, sucking mire. They even had to gather old torn clothes and rags so Jeremiah could cushion his armpits from the stress of the pulling ropes. This is how strong the suction was in the bottom of that pit or cistern.
To us now, there are those who have been appointed by God, as Jeremiah was, to bring the sure Word of truth to the people. They have been thrown into miry spiritual pits, abandoned, by a people who have preferred to hear the smooth, convenient word that allows us to remain comfortable, and at ease. In reality, an alarm and a call to repentance is the true prophetic message being sounded by the LORD, and delivered by these God-appointed ministers. We need to intercede with our heavenly King, crying to Him on behalf of our Jeremiahs saying, "An evil has been done!" Is there an Ebed-Melech among us who will petition the King, by the Son of the Right Hand, for our Jeremiahs?
Our Jeremiahs will then be able to be pulled from the pit, declaring with the Psalm:

"I waited patiently for the LORD;
And He inclined to me,
And heard my cry.
He also brought me up out of a horrible pit,
Out of the miry clay,
And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps.
He has put a new song in my mouth-
Praise to our God;
Many will see it and fear,
And will trust in the LORD."   Psalm 40:1-3

Our Father has appointed Jeremiahs to us.

"Psalm 40" KJV
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRE9uDZTH7Y