Notes from Jeremiah chapter 36
"2Take 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, from the day I spake unto thee, from the days of Josiah, even unto this day. 3It 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. 4Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah: and Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the LORD, which he had spoken unto him, upon a roll of a book." (verses 2-4)
God told Jeremiah to take a roll of a book (a scroll) and write down all the words that God had spoken to Him against Israel and against Judah and against all the nations. Maybe the people of Judah would see these words and fear God and return to Him from their evil ways. If they did, then God would forgive their iniquity and their sin. So Jeremiah did just as the LORD commanded him.
"5And Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying, I am shut up; I cannot go into the house of the LORD: 6Therefore go thou, and read in the roll, which thou hast written from my mouth, the words of the LORD in the ears of the people in the LORD's house upon the fasting day: and also thou shalt read them in the ears of all Judah that come out of their cities." (verses 5,6)
Jeremiah was shut up in prison, so he sent Baruch to read the words of God that Baruch had written in a roll. He was to read them to the people in the LORD's house on the fasting day, and he was to read them to all the people of Judah that came out of their cities.
Everyone was to hear the words of God.
"And Baruch the son of Neriah did according to all that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him, reading in the book the words of the LORD in the LORD's house." (verse 8)
Baruch did all that Jeremiah commanded him, and he read the words of the LORD in the LORD's house.
"11When Michaiah the son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, had heard out of the book all the words of the LORD, 12Then he went down into the king' house, into the scribe' chamber: and, lo, all the princes sat there, even Elishama the scribe, and Delaiah the son of Shemaiah, and Elnathan the son of Achbor, and Gemariah the son of Shaphan, and Zedekiah the son of Hananiah, and all the princes. 13Then Michaiah declared unto them all the words that he had heard, when Baruch read the book in the ears of the people. 14Therefore all the princes sent Jehudi the son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, unto Baruch, saying, Take in thine hand the roll wherein thou hast read in the ears of the people, and come. So Baruch the son of Neriah took the roll in his hand, and came unto them. 15And they said unto him, Sit down now, and read it in our ears. So Baruch read it in their ears." (verses 11-15)
After Micaiah heard the words of the LORD, he went to the king's house where all the princes were gathered together and told them all the words that he had heard. Then the princes sent for Baruch and had him come and read God's words to them. All the princes also heard God's words.
"Now it came to pass, when they had heard all the words, they were afraid both one and other, and said unto Baruch, We will surely tell the king of all these words." (verse 16)
When the princes heard these words they were afraid, as they should have been. They said that they would tell all these words to the king.
"Then said the princes unto Baruch, Go, hide thee, thou and Jeremiah; and let no man know where ye be." (verse 19)
The princes prepared to tell the king God's words, but they told Baruch that he and Jeremiah should hide and not to tell anyone where they were.
"And they went in to the king into the court, but they laid up the roll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe, and told all the words in the ears of the king." (verse 20)
First the princes safely stored the roll in the scribe's room, and then they went and told the king all the words of the LORD.
"So the king sent Jehudi to fetch the roll: and he took it out of Elishama the scribe's chamber. And Jehudi read it in the ears of the king, and in the ears of all the princes which stood beside the king." (verse 21)
The king apparently was not satisfied and had the roll brought to him. Then he had it read to him and to all the princes that stood before him. They all heard the words of the LORD.
"22Now the king sat in the winterhouse in the ninth month: and there was a fire on the hearth burning before him. 23And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it 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. 24Yet they were not afraid, nor rent their garments, neither the king, nor any of his servants that heard all these words." (verses 22-24)
The king and his servants were not afraid to despise or destroy God's word.
"Nevertheless Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah had made intercession to the king that he would not burn the roll: but he would not hear them." (verse 25)
Some of the princes did fear and pleaded with the king not to destroy God's word; but the king would not hear them.
"But the king commanded Jerahmeel the son of Hammelech, and Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to take Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet: but the LORD hid them." (verse 26)
Not only did the king destroy God's word, he also tried to take Baruch and Jeremiah to either punish or destroy them. But the LORD hid them. The LORD protected those who spoke for Him.
Destroying or silencing the messenger does not change God's word nor make it of none effect.
"27Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, after that the king had burned the roll, and the words which Baruch wrote at the mouth of Jeremiah, saying, 28Take 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." (verses 27,28)
The king sought to destroy the roll so that there would be no written record of God's words to Judah and Jerusalem. But, God did not forget His words. He knew what He had said. He had Jeremiah take another roll and write all the same words in it again. The king, nor anyone else, could destroy the word of God or make it go away. And no one can destroy the word of God today or make it go away.
"29And thou shalt say to Jehoiakim king of Judah, Thus saith the LORD; Thou hast burned this roll, saying, Why hast thou written therein, saying, The king of Babylon shall certainly come and destroy this land, and shall cause to cease from thence man and beast? 30Therefore thus saith the LORD of Jehoiakim king of Judah; 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; but they hearkened not." (verses 29-31)
Not only did God have His words re-written, He also had Jeremiah confront the king for the king's actions. God punished the king and all those who heard His words because they would not hear (hear, listen and obey). The king would have no descendants to sit on the throne, and he would not have a proper burial. He would simply be cast out and his body would rot in the heat of the day and the frost of the night. Even so, neither he nor the people would hearken to the words of the LORD.
"Then took Jeremiah another roll, and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah; who wrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire: and there were added besides unto them many like words." (verse 32)
Jeremiah and Baruch did as the LORD commanded them and took another roll and wrote all the words that were in the first book that Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned with fire. God also added many other words to the new book. All Jehoiakim's efforts to destroy God's word were in vain. God preserves His word.
As I read these words in Jeremiah chapter thirty-six, I am very afraid for America. So many times people have blasphemed the LORD. He has been blamed for the hurt, the hate, and the violence. Christians have been mocked and despised for declaring the word of God. Sometimes the word of God is simply not considered and God Himself is either left out of the picture or His very existence is denied. People see that there are problems, and they try every solution they can come up with. However, these are man’s solutions, and they can never work. Problems just get worse and worse.
Consider the latest school shootings and other such violence. People are gathered together to try to find a solution. Some blame the Republicans and conservatives. Some blame the Democrats. Some blame the guns. Everyone blames everyone else. Leaders and the people meet together to try to find a solution; but the harder they try, the worse the problems become. Why? Because they reject the only true solution – to hear and hearken to the word of God. They do not want to see that they have sinned. They do not want to admit that Satan and sin are at the root of the problems. They do not want to believe that they are wrong and that God is right. They do not want to seek after God and turn to Him from their wicked ways. In many circles, people are not even afraid to speak ill of and despise the word of God and His messengers.
As long as we continue to reject God and His word and follow our own ways and try to find our own solutions, there will never be a remedy, and terror and destruction will continue. What will it take for us to fall down before God and seek His face and His mercy?