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The year was 605 BC (the fourth year of the reign
of Jehoiakim, king of Judah). Earlier in this year, Nebuchadrezzar
defeated the Egyptian forces at Carchemish, and he was moving toward
Palestine. These conditions provided a great opportunity to declare
the judgment of God. In Jeremiah 36:1-32, we learn some important
truths about God's word.
God's Word Is Recorded
Jeremiah was told to "Take thee a roll of a
book, and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee
against Israel, and against Judah, and against all the nations…"
(Jer. 36:2). The purpose of the written word on this occasion was
to cause repentance. "It may be that the house of Judah will
hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them; that they may
return every man from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity
and their sin" (Jer. 36:3). Jeremiah commissioned Baruch, his
scribe, to write "from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words
of the Lord," and because the prophet was "shut up [and
unable to] go into the house of the Lord," Baruch was told
to read the scroll to those in the house of the Lord and to all
that come there from different cities (Jer. 36:4-6). Again, the
purpose was to cause repentance (Jer. 36:7). We also need to realize
that God's word is recorded for us today (2 Tim. 3:16-17). Even
though the Bible was written through human agency, it is still the
word of God, and, among other things, calls on us to repent (cf.
Acts 17:30-31; Rom. 2:4).
God's Word Is Heard
As commanded, Baruch read the word of the Lord from
Jeremiah (Jer. 36:10). Those in the temple area, Gemariah, the scribe,
those in the high court, those at the new gate, and all the common
people heard the word of the Lord (Jer. 36:9-10). Among those who
heard was Michaiah, and he told what he heard to all the king's
princes, who were gathered at the king's house (Jer. 36:11-13).
These princes, in turn, sent for Baruch, and they asked him how
he obtained the word of God (Jer. 36:14-17). "Then Baruch answered
them, He [Jeremiah] pronounced all these words unto me with his
mouth, and I wrote them with ink in the book" (Jer. 36:18).
After telling Baruch and Jeremiah to hide, the princes went to the
king and told him what the scroll said. The king heard God's word.
He had a decision to make. Would he accept God's word or would he
reject it? We also have a choice. We can either accept it or reject
it.
God's Word Is Rejected
The king did not like what the word of God said. Therefore,
"he cut it [each page of the scroll] with the penknife, and
cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll
was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth" (Jer. 36:23).
This blatant rejection of God's word did not bother the conscience
of the king or his princes-"they were not afraid, nor rent
their garments" (Jer. 36:24). Although there were two individuals
who did not like the king burning the scroll, these two's warning
was not heeded (Jer. 36:25). Not only did the king and his princes
reject God's word, but "the king commanded…to take Baruch
the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet: but the LORD hid them"
(Jer. 36:26). What is our reaction to the word of God? This preacher
was told of a person who literally cut out sections of her New Testament
that taught the necessity of baptism. Of course, she also cut out
everything on the other side of the page! Some people practice "penknife"
religion. That is, they pick and choose what parts of the Bible
they will obey. However, if we reject just a little bit of the Bible,
why not reject it all? Like the king and his princes, many people
today reject parts of God's word without their conscience bothering
them a bit. Just look around the denominational world. People in
all good conscience are practicing penknife religion. To please
God, however, we must accept all of God's word (cf. Gal. 1:8-9;
1 Thes. 2:13; Rev. 22:18-19). God's word will be the standard of
our judgment at the end of time (Jn. 12:48).
God's Word Is Preserved
After this event Jeremiah was told, "Take thee
again another roll, and write in it all the former words that were
in the first roll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah hath burned"
(Jer. 36:28). Jeremiah was then commanded by God to pronounce judgment
on King Jehoiakim: "Thou hast burned this roll… 30Therefore
thus saith the LORD of Jehoiakim…He shall have none to sit
upon the throne of David: and his dead body shall be cast out in
the day to the heat, and in the night to the frost. 31And I will
punish him and his seed and his servants for their iniquity; and
I will bring upon them, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and
upon the men of Judah, all the evil that I have pronounced against
them…" (Jer. 36: 29-30). Such is the ultimate fate of
all those who reject the word of God. The new scroll not only contained
everything in the previous one, but also "there were added
besides unto them many like words" (Jer. 36:32). The word of
God is indestructible-it cannot be destroyed! We can be deceived
into thinking that it is irrelevant; we can rip out its pages; we
can slander the character of its messenger; but we can never destroy
the word of God! Remember the words of Jesus, "Heaven and earth
shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away" (Mt. 24:35).
Peter declared that the word of God "liveth and abideth for
ever" (1 Pet. 1:23-25).
©Brian Kenyon
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