Wednesday July 15, 2015

Read Jeremiah 36

 One of the complaints that is often levelled against Christians by members of other religions is the disdain with which we approach the Word of God. What they mean is not that we neglect the Word of God in our lives but that we treat our Bibles in such a poor manner. Some religions so revere their writings that it is placed in a prime position in the home and is displayed with great pride. They lament that us Christians throw our holy book around the house, let it gather dust on the shelf and sometimes use it as a cup holder, door stop and the like. Rightly or wrongly such an attitude towards the physical Bible we have causes us to miss the tragedy and pain of Jeremiah 36.

Jeremiah is called to write down all the Words that God had given him. This is not just an exercise in dictation. This is the very Word of God being transmitted from oral form to written form. This is the Bible, the Holy Scriptures in the making so that future generations can read the Word for themselves.

Jeremiah dictates to his servant Baruch and after some time Baruch is sent to the Temple to read the Word. While it’s not clear why, Jeremiah was ‘restricted.’ His Temple sermon in 26:7-19 may have created a situation where the Temple priests would not allow him to speak and might call for his execution if he were to speak again.

Baruch obeyed Jeremiah and read the scroll at the Temple of the Lord. Even though it appears that the fast was declared before the scroll was publicly read (see vs 6) it’s fascinating that vs 8 and10, (which are about the reading of the Word of God) envelope vs 9 in which the fast is declared. 

As would be expected the officials heard the reading and summoned Baruch to appear before them. He did and read the scroll to them. They immediately knew that the king had to be told. But to protect Jeremiah and Baruch, they told the pair to go into hiding.

Upon hearing all this, the king ordered the scroll to be brought to him and to be read. We read of the tragedy that follows.

Jeremiah 36:23

Whenever Jehudi had read three or four columns of the scroll, the king cut them off with a scribe’s knife and threw them into the firepot, until the entire scroll was burned in the fire

Many modern readers would find no issue here. But for someone who loves the Word of God and treasures it deeply, this is a horrifying and terrible situation worthy of weeping. The Bible hints that this is so in the very next verse.

Jeremiah 36:24

The king and all his attendants who heard all these words showed no fear, nor did they tear their clothes.

To help understand the situation, remember that the king is hearing from a written copy what God had spoken. Isn’t that scroll much like our own Bibles? God is angered that the king and his servants showed no fear towards the Word of God. For his defiance, the king would have no heir to succeed him. His uncle  (called Zedekiah by the Babylonian king) would be king after him. God would also bring upon him and the nation all the judgements already spoken of, and God was not to be outdone. He superintended another scroll to be written.

Does our attitude to our physical Bible betray our attitude to the author there of? Or is it a bordering on what some have called biblio-idolatry? Hmm? Food for thought.

Prayer:

Using today’s Bible passage and notes write down points for

Adoration:

Confession

Thanks

Supplication:

· Pray for the ongoing work of the Myanmar Bible college. Pray that they would be fully equipped to teach the students to minister, to serve and to preach the Word faithfully.

· Pray that the students would be growing in maturity, in faith and in understanding of our God of love.

 Discussion Questions

1. Discuss your thoughts on the issue of biblio-idolatry.