JEREMIAH LESSON 39


     We will begin this lesson in Jeremiah 36:1 "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,"

     We must remember that the 4th year of Jehoiakim is the same as
the first year of Nebuchadnezzar.

     Jeremiah 36:2 "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."

     Jeremiah had been speaking the Word God had put into his mouth to
speak in prophecy. Now, we see the written Word is powerful, as well.
This written Word would be the second witness against them. The 2
great powers in the world are God's spoken Word and His written Word.
Now, we see them both being brought to these rebellious people to try
to get them to listen and change.  When a person prophesies from God,
the Words are actually God's Words in the mouth of the prophet.
They are inspired. Josiah did right in the sight of God. It was his
successors Jehoiachim, Jehioachin, and Zedekiah that were evil rulers.

     Jeremiah 36:3 "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."

     The house of Judah, which consisted of Judah and Benjamin were
not destroyed, until many years after the 10 tribes had been
destroyed.  They had had some good rulers, and Israel did not. God has
more hope for Judah. God wanted them to turn from their evil, and ask
forgiveness. God wanted to forgive them. He is also just, and could
not let their worship of false gods go unpunished.

     Jeremiah 36:4 "Then 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."

     Baruch was Jeremiah's assistant. He acted in this particular
instance, like a secretary. Jeremiah spoke and Baruch wrote it down.
He was a man of some distinction himself. His grandfather was governor
of the city. In 2nd Chronicles chapter 34 verse 8, we see Maaseiah
{Baruch's grandfather} as acting governor. It was not unusual for a
prophet to have an assistant. Jeremiah had Baruch to write all the
prophecies God made through him in a book, or roll.

     Jeremiah 36:5 "And Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying, I [am] shut
up; I cannot go into the house of the LORD:"

     For some unspoken reason, Jeremiah could not go into the temple
at this particular time.
     Jeremiah 36:6 "Therefore 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."

     This was a task that would take a brave man. This message was not
given to Baruch by God, but by Jeremiah. Baruch had to believe 100% in
Jeremiah to be willing to do this. The hate some had felt for
Jeremiah, would now be partly aimed at Baruch. The people did not want
to hear of their sins. The best time, however, for this to be done
would be at a time of fasting, when they were seeking the will of God.
This was not a message for just one class of people, but for all, from
the king to the servant. There would be people from all over Judah
here for fasting day, and the most people would hear it there.

     Jeremiah 36:7 "It may be they will present their supplication
before the LORD, and will return every one from his evil way: for
great [is] the anger and the fury that the LORD hath pronounced
against this people."

     We learned in an earlier lesson, that "supplication" had to do
with prayer of petition. If they would be open to repent at all, this
would be the time. They must repent of their evil way of life. God's
great anger has come up, and He has pronounced their doom.

     Jeremiah 36:8 "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."

     When a person is working as an assistant to someone, this is the
proper thing to do. They must work as a team. The assistant cannot
fight Jeremiah, or they would be stopped then. Baruch will be blessed
of God for his part of this operation. Generally, God speaks through
His mouthpiece here on the earth. Seldom does anyone hear the voice of
the LORD directly. There are occasions like at Mount Sinai, but that
is unusual. He occasionally speaks to prophets, as He did to Jeremiah,
but generally speaking, He speaks through a minister, or prophet, to
the people.

     Jeremiah 36:9 "And it came to pass in the fifth year of Jehoiakim
the son of Josiah king of Judah, in the ninth month, [that] they
proclaimed a fast before the LORD to all the people in Jerusalem, and
to all the people that came from the cities of Judah unto Jerusalem."

     This fast was called, probably, because of the impending war.

     Jeremiah 36:10 "Then read Baruch in the book the words of
Jeremiah in the house of the LORD, in the chamber of Gemariah the son
of Shaphan the scribe, in the higher court, at the entry of the new
gate of the LORD'S house, in the ears of all the people."

     If all the people were there, this was the outer court. It
appears, that was where Baruch read the roll from, so that all would
be able to hear. God wanted all to hear, so they would be without
excuse, if they did not repent. This solemn occasion of fasting would
have been a perfect time to examine themselves and repent of their
sin.

     Jeremiah 36:11  "When Michaiah the son of Gemariah, the son of
Shaphan, had heard out of the book all the words of the LORD,"
Jeremiah 36:12 "Then he went down into the king's house, into the
scribe's 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."

     Perhaps, he went down to tell them of this roll and its contents.
He did not know what to think of this. The people in authority were
gathered together in the king's house. These were frightening times,
and they were, perhaps, trying to decide what to do.

     Jeremiah 36:13 "Then Michaiah declared unto them all the words
that he had heard, when Baruch read the book in the ears of the
people."

     They had not been in the court of the common people and heard the
message Baruch had read. Michaiah gives them what Baruch had read to
the others.

     Jeremiah 36:14 "Therefore 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."

     Jehudi was, probably, a eunuch in the service of the king. He
was, probably, Ethiopian. Nevertheless, he was a message bearer to
Baruch.  Baruch was to bring the roll to these officials.

     Jeremiah 36:15 "And they said unto him, Sit down now, and read it
in our ears. So Baruch read [it] in their ears."

     God had intended it to be read in their ears. They just made it
easier for this to happen, when they called Baruch to come and read
it.

     Jeremiah 36:16 "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."

     These were frightening accusations about all of them, and worse
the frightening punishment, if they did not repent. The first thing
they thought to do, was go tell the king.  This was a matter of great
magnitude. They would have to tell the king, and see what he would do.

     Jeremiah 36:17 "And they asked Baruch, saying, Tell us now, How
didst thou write all these words at his mouth?"

     From this statement, this seems to have been a lengthy roll. They
are now questioning Baruch about how he wrote it? Perhaps, they were
questioning whether Baruch made this up himself, and wrote it down.

     Jeremiah 36:18 "Then Baruch answered them, He pronounced all
these words unto me with his mouth, and I wrote [them] with ink in the
book."

     Baruch explains that he just wrote them down, as Jeremiah spoke
them. He is saying, I am the man's secretary.

     Jeremiah 36:19 "Then said the princes unto Baruch, Go, hide thee,
thou and Jeremiah; and let no man know where ye be."

     The princes were afraid for the life of Jeremiah and the life of
Baruch. They feared what the king would do, so they told Baruch to
hide and tell Jeremiah to hide, as well.

     Jeremiah 36:20  "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."

     It appears, they did not read the roll, just told the king what
the roll said. They did keep the roll and give it to the court scribe,
Elishama to keep.

     Jeremiah 36:21 "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."

     It appears, the king was not satisfied with just hearing about
the roll. He had Jehudi to get the roll from Elishama, and read it
aloud to him and the princes.

     Jeremiah 36:22 "Now the king sat in the winterhouse in the ninth
month: and [there was a fire] on the hearth burning before him."

     It was cold, and the king was sitting in front of the fireplace
to warm. There was fire in the fireplace.

     Jeremiah 36:23 "And 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."

     He cut it with the penknife, and threw it in the fire at the
command of the king. It appears, he kept cutting and burning, until it
was burned up. Even the burning of the roll was a message to the king.
The city would burn, as this roll had burned. The king, and all in
attendance, did not like what they heard and thought by burning it, it
would be destroyed. You cannot destroy the Word of God. It lives on
forever.

     Jeremiah 36:24 "Yet they were not afraid, nor rent their
garments, [neither] the king, nor any of his servants that heard all
these words."

     They showed no action of repenting at all. They did not believe
these to be the Words of God.

     Jeremiah 36:25 "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."

     It appears, there were three who did recognize this roll as the
Word of God, and did not want it burned. They pleaded to the king, but
it did no good at all.

     Jeremiah 36:26 "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."

     The king sent his men to go capture Jeremiah and Baruch, but God
hid them where they could not be found. God protects His faithful
servants. Just as He hid Moses in the rock, and put His hand over him
to keep Satan from finding his body, He helped Baruch and Jeremiah.

     Jeremiah 36:27  "Then 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,"  Jeremiah 36:28 "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."

     We might think that to be an impossible task, but God put the
Words in Jeremiah's mouth, Jeremiah spoke them and Baruch wrote them.
The burning of a roll cannot destroy the Word of God. His Word is
everlasting. Jesus speaks the following about the eternity of the
Word. Matthew 24:35 "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words
shall not pass away."

     Jeremiah 36:29 "And 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?"

     The roll is restored. Now, Jeremiah must tell Jehoiakim of his
fate, and the fate of his land. Jeremiah must tell him that the king
of Babylon will come, and destroy the land. The man and beast ceasing
means they will be killed, or captured and carried away.

     Jeremiah 36:30 "Therefore 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."

     Jehoiakim will die and have no one to bury him.

     Jeremiah 36:31 "And 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."

     The punishment of Jehoiachim will be so great, it will extend to
his family, as well. He has greatly sinned, by disregarding the Word
of God. God gave them every chance to repent, and they did not. Their
punishment will be their own fault.

     Jeremiah 36:32  "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."

     God's Words live on. You may burn the Bibles, but someone would
just write them down again. Now, God adds the happenings, here with
Jehoiachim, to the book. The Word of God is alive. Baruch wrote it
down again, just as God had instructed Jeremiah.































                         Jeremiah 39 Questions


1.  What must we remember about the 4th year of Jehoichim?
2.  Instead of speaking the prophecy, what is Jeremiah to do?
3.  What would be the second witness against these people?
4.  Where do the Words of a true prophet come from?
5.  Who were the three evil rulers that followed Josiah?
6.  What did God want them to do?
7.  Who did Jeremiah call to do the actual writing of the roll?
8.  What was he to Jeremiah?
9.  Why did Jeremiah not go himself?
10. Who was Baruch to read the roll to?
11. What special day was the roll to be read?
12. Where was Baruch to read the roll?
13. What sort of man would it take for this task?
14. What does the word "supplication" mean?
15. How does God generally speak to His people?
16. When did Baruch go to read the roll?
17. Why had they called a fast, probably?
18. In whose chamber did he first read it?
19. If the people were there, this was the _________ court.
20. What did Michaiah do, when he heard the Words of the roll?
21. What nationality was Jehudi?
22. What effect did the reading of these Words of the roll have on the
    princes?
23. Who did they go and tell about the roll?
24. What answer did Baruch give, when they asked him about his writing
    the roll?
25. What did the princes tell Baruch to do, and to tell Jeremiah to
    do?
26. Where did the princes put the roll?
27. What did the king do, when he heard about the roll?
28. After he heard the roll read, what did the king do with it?
29. What amazing statement does verse 24 make about their attitude?
30. Who were three that interceded to get them not to burn the roll?
31. Why could the king not find Baruch and Jeremiah?
32. What did God tell Jeremiah to have Baruch do again?
33. What will happen to Jehoiachim?