the battle in the pits

I searched and searched for an image of the prophet Jeremiah in the slime pits, but I found nothing which spoke to me of his suffering there ~ until, I came across the one shown above.  Images have a way, oftentimes, of bringing out something deeper than words alone can say.  The above image speaks volumes to my soul about "the battle in the pits", which every true soldier of Christ must face sooner or later.

It's hard to be alone.  God made us to enjoy life amongst a society of loving souls.  Yet, it's far more difficult to be alone in trouble.  Harder still it is to be alone in trouble which results from standing for the truth.

The prophet Jeremiah was no stranger to the battle in the pits ~ literally.  And not just any pit.  But he was thrown into a slime pit, full of waste and debris and, probably, vermin:

"Then Shephatiah the son of Mattan, and Gedaliah the son of Pashur, and Jucal the son of Shelemiah, and Pashur the son of Malchiah, heard the words that Jeremiah had spoken unto all the people, saying, Thus saith the LORD, He that remaineth in this city shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: but he that goeth forth to the Chaldeans shall live; for he shall have his life for a prey, and shall live.  Thus saith the LORD, This city shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon’s army, which shall take it.  Therefore the princes said unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death: for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt.  Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he is in your hand: for the king is not he that can do any thing against you.  Then took they Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, that was in the court of the prison: and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire: so Jeremiah sunk in the mire."  (Jeremiah 38:1-6)

"So, Jeremiah sunk in the mire"; not only physically, but spiritually as well: he was as that man who was "despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief".  Was it because Jeremiah had taken a stand for the truth?  No.  Rather, it was because that Jeremiah was hated by those to whom he had spoken the truth.  And there is a world of difference.  For, whereas Jesus said that our knowing the truth shall make us free; yet, speaking the truth oftentimes brings reproach ~ or worse ~ upon us.

Even the Lord's prophet, Jeremiah, at one point found the battle in the pits to be so difficult, that he said to the Lord:

"O LORD, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived: thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am in derision daily, every one mocketh me.  For since I spake, I cried out, I cried violence and spoil; because the word of the LORD was made a reproach unto me, and a derision, daily.  Then I said, I will not make mention of him, nor speak any more in his name.... 

"Cursed be the day wherein I was born: let not the day wherein my mother bare me be blessed.  Cursed be the man who brought tidings to my father, saying, A man child is born unto thee; making him very glad.  And let that man be as the cities which the LORD overthrew, and repented not: and let him hear the cry in the morning, and the shouting at noontide; because he slew me not from the womb; or that my mother might have been my grave, and her womb to be always great with me.  Wherefore came I forth out of the womb to see labour and sorrow, that my days should be consumed with shame?"  (Jeremiah 20:7-9a; 14-18)

That's a rather bold way to talk to God, I think.  But it shows me how bitter was Jeremiah's struggle within himself.  I emphasized the word "daily," above, to point out the fact that it was not merely an occasional thing which Jeremiah suffered, for the Word of God; but every day of his life the man of God was mocked, scorned, reproached ~ because, he was hated.  And why was he hated so?  Had Jeremiah only kept his mouth shut, instead of boldly speaking the word of truth to the face of God's enemies (some of whom themselves professed to be the Lord's prophets), he would not have suffered persecution as he did.  Indeed, Jeremiah himself thought so; as seen in his words quoted above.  

But the man of God discovered something else vitally important when he was shackled at the stocks, and when he was thrown into the pit and left there to die.  Jeremiah found that even those things which he suffered as the result of his speaking for God, were not able to quench the fire of that Word which burned within his soul:

"But his word was in mine heart as a burning fire shut up in my bones, and I was weary with forbearing [holding back], and I could not stay [keep silent].  For I heard the defaming of many, fear on every side. Report, say they, and we will report it. All my familiars watched for my halting, saying, Peradventure he will be enticed, and we shall prevail against him, and we shall take our revenge on him.  But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one: therefore my persecutors shall stumble, and they shall not prevail: they shall be greatly ashamed; for they shall not prosper: their everlasting confusion shall never be forgotten.  But, O LORD of hosts, that triest the righteous, and seest the reins and the heart, let me see thy vengeance on them: for unto thee have I opened my cause.  Sing unto the LORD, praise ye the LORD: for he hath delivered the soul of the poor from the hand of evildoers."  (20:9b-13)

The passage, above, is rich with instruction.  Jeremiah ~ who pledged himself not to speak anymore in the Lord's name, said that he became "weary", not so much from being in the stocks or in the pit, but from his trying to shut up the Word of God in himself.  

Ah, but Jeremiah was made aware of something else that was happening, which was intimately related to his being in the pit.  Jeremiah doubtless felt isolated and alone in his suffering, in that miry pit.  But then he thought about those who had put him there, in the hope that he would die, and thus they would be rid of him forever.  Wouldn't the devils who seek to trouble us love to see our downfall and destruction?  Jeremiah realized that his enemies were watching him ~ at a distance.  His death would be their victory. . . .

Perhaps not so suddenly, but eventually, Jeremiah turned from complaining about his circumstances and began earnestly to pray.  And what did he pray for? to be loosed from his captivity?  Well, of course, that.  But I perceive in Jeremiah's prayer a higher motive than merely seeking his own freedom: Jeremiah realized he was in a battle ~ for the truth; and he was not willing that the enemies of Truth should prevail against those who stand for the truth.

Jeremiah ~ who was very young when the Lord called him to be a prophet, though he was a prophet, yet even he had to learn some very important spiritual lessons.  He had to learn that speaking for God causes division and separation.  He also had to learn that standing for the truth makes one the target of scorn and reproach.  He had further to learn that refusing to speak for God and to stand for the truth, did not resolve his problems but, rather, added to his own suffering.  Jeremiah then had to learn about the bitter consequences to oneself,  which results from a complaining spirit.  At length, Jeremiah learned how to fight those very private battles in the pits, and win; namely, he had to look beyond himself in order to obtain a broader and higher perspective of unseen, that is spiritual, realities involving himself and his relationship to the truth of God.  Not the least important, throughout the process of his trials, Jeremiah learned a great deal about effectual prayer.

Thus the image I chose for this post speaks to me of a Christian soldier; who, though "over his head," as it were, in the midst of "the battle in the pits," yet, he courageously upholds the Truth (represented by the arrow).  For, in reality, the Truth is the very weapon with which he fights, and by which he shall prevail ~ if he faints not.

But that's the rub, isn't it: "...if he faints not"?  For, who is able to stand ~ alone in the pits ~ against the malevolent forces of hell?

There is One: who stood ~ absolutely alone in the pit, and won.

And that One will ALWAYS stand with those who are called to battle in the pits, for his Name's sake.  Jeremiah said it was like this, for him, though he was standing neck-deep, perhaps, in the miry pit:

"But the LORD is with me as a mighty terrible one . . . ."

I, for one, have found it is well worth the cost, to stand with him ~ wherever that may be.