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Jeremiah 36 (ESV)
1 In the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Take a scroll and write on it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel and Judah and all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Josiah until today. 3 It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the disaster that I intend to do to them, so that every one may turn from his evil way, and that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.”…
27 Now after the king had burned the scroll with the words that Baruch wrote at Jeremiah’s dictation, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 28 “Take another scroll and write on it all the former words that were in the first scroll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah has burned. 29 And concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah you shall say, ‘Thus says the Lord, You have burned this scroll, saying, “Why have you written in it that the king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land, and will cut off from it man and beast?” 30 Therefore thus says the Lord concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah: He shall have none to sit on the throne of David, and his dead body shall be cast out to the heat by day and the frost by night. 31 And I will punish him and his offspring and his servants for their iniquity. I will bring upon them and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem and upon the people of Judah all the disaster that I have pronounced against them, but they would not hear.’”
32 Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah, who wrote on it at the dictation of Jeremiah all the words of the scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And many similar words were added to them.
REFLECTION:
In ancient times, most people were illiterate, so scholars were very precious and respected. The status of the scribes is even loftier, and their knowledge and learning are highly respected. Baruch was the scribe of Jeremiah. At that time, most people used lambskin and papyrus to record text, and then sewed or glued sheets of lambskin and papyrus into a volume of books, called scrolls. After the Israelites were taken into captivity, the scribes became law teachers, explaining the Old Testament law. In the New Testament era, the scribes became powerful political organizations. God ordered Jeremiah to write His words on a scroll, but because Jeremiah himself was not allowed to enter the temple, he called Baruch the scribe to write down what he was going to say on the scroll, and then read it to the people in the temple. As a result, when the rebellious King Jehoiakim heard God’s words, he not only turned a deaf ear to God’s words, but also burned the scrolls that recorded God’s words with resentment. Although he burned the scrolls, he could not destroy God’s words, nor could he escape God’s judgment. Today, many people still turn a deaf ear to God’s words and even become hostile, or say that the Bible contains many errors and is not worth believing. People can refuse to listen to what God says, but they cannot destroy it, because His words are powerful and will stand forever.
PRAYER:
Pray for God to strengthen your faith, make you believe that the Bible is infallible and be in awe of it, and be willing to live according to the way of life revealed in the Bible; pray for God to give you the courage, love and wisdom to face the stiffness and even hostility shown after people hearing God’s words, do your best to guide people to God.
HYMN:
Show Us Christ – youtu.be/uLIi5SAVMRw
