scroll

He Thought He Had Destroyed It

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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.
Jeremiah 36:32

In chapter 36 of the prophecy of Jeremiah, the LORD God had commanded Jeremiah to write in a scroll all the words that He had said to him. He called Baruch to be his writer, and Jeremiah spoke to Baruch all that the LORD had said.

When the scroll was finished Jeremiah sent Baruch to read it to the nobles of Jerusalem; because he himself was imprisoned. Baruch took the words as Jeremiah had said, he read it to the people he was told to. They heard, and said they would take it to the king Jehoiakim. They did, and he did not like what he heard. It was the word of God to a vile and wicked king, who evidently thought that if he burned it then he would need to be concerned about it. He cut it into pieces and threw it in the fire, and thought he had rid himself of these annoying prophecies of war, capture, captivity, and destruction to the  city.

Folks, you can ignore it. You can hate it. You can even work to try and destroy it; but the word of the LORD endures forever.

After the king destroyed the scroll of the word of the LORD, the LORD commanded Jeremiah to write it again. He did, and many more words were added as the LORD commanded.

Psalm 119:89 says, “Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in Heaven.” Jesus said, “Heaven and Earth will pass away; but My words will not pass away (Matthew 24:35). So if you choose to go ahead, and not believe in and trust the Lord Jesus Christ you do so at your own peril. His word, all of it shall come to pass just as He has said.

The LORD has a Son whom He sent to be our sin-bearer, and take the wrath and judgment of our sin for us. The word of the LORD tells us this.  A sinless, innocent, Man died for the sinful, evil,  guilty, of the whole world. That includes you and me. Call on Him today and be delivered from sin, death, and Hell.

 

Gracious and Patient LORD

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And it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that this word came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, “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, from the day I spake unto thee, from the days of Josiah, even unto this day.  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.”
Jeremiah 36:1-3

The Word of God at Work

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“And Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people; (for he was above all the people;) and when he opened it, all the people stood up: and Ezra blessed the LORD, the great God. And all the people answered, Amen, Amen, with lifting up their hands: and they bowed their heads, and worshipped the LORD with their faces to the ground. Also Jeshua, and Bani, and Sherebiah, Jamin, Akkub, Shabbethai, Hodijah, Maaseiah, Kelita, Azariah, Jozabad, Hanan, Pelaiah, and the Levites, caused the people to understand the law: and the people stood in their place. So they read in the book in the law of God distinctly, and gave the sense, and caused them to understand the reading.” Nehemiah 8:5-8 (KJV)

The book Nehemiah speaks of in the verses is the Word of God, the law, the commandments. Of course it was in the form of a scroll. When he opened the book in the sight of the people, they stood to their feet. It was a matter of respect for God and His Word. They were believing it. God had told them through the prophets that they would go into captivity, and then return after 70 years. Thus, they had indeed.

The temple had been rebuilt. The wall around Jerusalem was restored. They would worship, and glorify the LORD.

There is much need today for the people of God to believe the Book; the Word of God. We need for the people of God to respect the Book. We ought to stand when it is read. Even more importantly we need to hear what is read, and apply it to our daily lives. It is the Word of God that gives us life. It is by the Word of God that we are to live.

Notice that the spiritual leaders read “distinctly” = clarify; “gave a sense” = explaining the meaning; and “caused them to understand”. These are matters of responsibility of every pastor and preacher of the Word of the LORD. And to teach the people to do so too.

Hide the word of God in your heart that you might not sin against Him (Psalm 119:11).