Jeremiah 36
Purpose for writing a book verse 1- 3
And it came to pass in the fourth year of
Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah
that this word came unto Jeremiah from the LORD
saying
Take you a roll of a book and write therein all the words that
I have spoken to you against Israel and against Judah
and against all the nations from the day I spoke to you
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 to them
That they may return every man from his evil way
that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin
Jeremiah has Baruch write a book verse 4- 7
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 to him
upon a roll of a book
And Jeremiah commanded Baruch
saying
I am shut up
I cannot go into the house of the LORD
THEREFORE go you – and read in the roll
which you have 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 you shall read them in the ears of all Judah
that come out of their cities
It maybe they will present their supplication before the LORD
and will return everyone from his evil way
for great is the anger and the fury that the LORD
has pronounced against this people
Baruch read the book in the Temple to the people verse 8- 10
And Baruch 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
And it came to pass in the fifth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah
in the ninth month that they proclaimed a fast before the LORD
to all the people of Jerusalem
to all the people that came
from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem
THEN read Baruch in the book the words of Jeremiah
in the house of the LORD
in the chamber of Gemariah 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
Baruch read book to King’s princes verse 11- 15
WHEN Michaiah the son of Gemariah – the son of Shaphan
had heard out of the book all the words of the LORD
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 – Delaiah – son of Shemaiah
Elnathan – the son of Achbor
Gemariah – the son of Shaphan
Zedekiah – the son of Hananiah and all the princes
THEN Michaiah declared to them all the words that he had heard
when Baruch read the book in the ears of the people
THEREFORE all the princes sent Jehudi – the son of Nethaniah
son of Shelemiah – the son of Cushi unto Baruch
saying
Take in your hand the roll wherein you have 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
And they said to him
Sit down now – and read it in our ears
SO Baruch read it in their ears
Baruch tells them Jeremiah gave messages verse 16- 18
NOW it came to pass – when they had heard all the words
they were afraid both one and other – and said to Baruch
We will surely tell the king of all these words
And they asked Baruch
saying
Tell us now
how did you write all these words at his mouth?
THEN Baruch answered them
He pronounced all these words to me with his mouth
and I wrote them with ink in the book
Baruch and Jeremiah told to hide verse 19- 20
THEN said the princes to Baruch
Go – hide you – you and Jeremiah
and let no man know where you be
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
King burned book verse 21- 25
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
NOW the king sat in the winter house in the ninth mouth
and there was a fire on the hearth burning before him
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
YET they were not afraid – nor rent their garments
neither the king nor any of his servants
that heard all these words
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
King orders Baruch and Jeremiah arrested verse 26
BUT the king commanded Jerahmeel – the son of Hammelech
Seraiah – the son of Azriel – Shelemiah – the son of Abdeel
to take Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet
BUT the LORD hid them
LORD commands Jeremiah to rewrite book verse 27- 28
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
Take you again another roll
and write in it all the former words
that were in the first roll which Jehoiakim
the king of Judah has burned
LORD adds message for king verse 29- 31
And you shall say to Jehoiakim king of Judah
Thus says the LORD
You have burned this roll
saying
Why have you written therein
saying
The king of Babylon shall certainly come and destroy this land
and shall cause to cease from thence man and beast?
THEREFORE, thus says 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
And I will punish him and his seed and his servants
for their iniquity
and I will bring upon them
the inhabitants of Jerusalem
and upon the men of Judah
all the evil that I have pronounced
against them
BUT they hearkened NOT
Jeremiah wrote book with additions verse 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
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 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. (5545 “forgive” [calach] means pardon, spare, release, or remove guilt.)
DEVOTION: This chapter is about the LORD commanding Jeremiah to put the LORD’S commands in writing for the king and people. Jeremiah dictated the words the LORD has given to Baruch to write on a scroll.
Jeremiah commanded him to go to the temple to read the scroll to the people. It was on the occasion of a national fast. Baruch read the words of the LORD to the people in the temple of the LORD. There reaction was that those who heard the words wanted the princes to hear the words of this book.
Michaiah heard the reading of the scroll at the Temple and told the princes. Baruch was asked to read the scroll to the princes. After they heard it they wanted to tell the king about the words of the scroll. They also warned Baruch and Jeremiah to hide, in case, the king wanted to kill them. It was wise advice.
When the words were taken to the king’s house – he burned them. The people were afraid but the king and his princes were not afraid. In fact, king Jehoiakim wanted to kill Jeremiah and Baruch but the LORD hid them so the soldiers could not find them.
Why did the LORD have Jeremiah write HIS words down? This verse gives us a good reason for the writing of the book. The LORD wanted all the inhabitants of Jerusalem and Judah to know what was going to happen to them. HE wanted them to return to HIM.
HE wanted them to leave their evil ways. HE wanted to see them return and HE would pardon their iniquity and sin. The Bible informs us in many places that the LORD is longsuffering.
Jeremiah wrote the scroll the second time at the command of the LORD. In the second writing there was judgment on king Jehoiakim and his children.
There are many who want to burn the Bible. There are many who want to cut up parts of the Bible. We had President of the United States who cut up parts of the Bible because he didn’t like them.
Our Bible is complete and we need to listen to what it has to say. There are many bad translations of the Bible. There are false books that people worship. We need to be reading the Word of God and listen to its warnings. The LORD is coming!!!
CHALLENGE: Understand that the LORD is long-suffering. HE loves HIS people. Repentance is necessary for God to forgive.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 6 Therefore go you, and read in the roll, which you have 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 you shall read them in the ears of all Judah that come out of their cities. (7121 “read” [qara] means call, cried, proclaim, shout, summon, announce, invoke, or utter a loud sound.)
DEVOTION: Jeremiah is in prison because he dared to proclaim the Word of the LORD to the leaders of the nation. He was not afraid of their faces or what they could do to him. He was going to give the leaders the Words that the LORD had given him no matter what happened to him. He was not afraid of humans as they could only kill his body but the LORD could condemn him to the lake of fire for eternity.
So we find that he had to send his servant to the house of the LORD to read the message of the LORD to them, so that, they were warned of what was going to happen if they didn’t listen to the LORD and repent.
The same message is supposed to be proclaimed from our pulpits today but most of the pulpits in our churches are proclaiming easy living and calling it the Word of the LORD. Those pastors or ministers are going to have to face the LORD one day and face their judgment. They will be held responsibility for those that they made a twofold more a child of hell then themselves.
We live in a world that is changing to the point that the Bible is not being proclaimed very much and we are wondering why our world is going in the direction it is. If we were only listening to this book we would know why we are heading in the direction we are headed.
God is judging our nation for our turning from HIS commands to manmade religion. It is sad to go into a church and not hear the Word of God that is found in the Bible proclaimed with power. I think many of our rulers would do the same thing that the king of Judah did with God’s word as it was proclaimed with power to him. They would do what our courts are doing. They would do what our leaders are doing. They would do what most of our ministers are doing: cutting up the parts of the Bible they don’t want to hear!!
CHALLENGE: Are you going to a church that is really proclaiming the Word of God powerfully? Are you changing your life to fit the Word of God or changing the Word of God to fit your life?
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 24 Yet they were not afraid, nor rent their garments, neither the king, nor any of his servants that heard all these words. (6342 “afraid” [pachad] means fear, awe, shake, tremble, dread, or reverence.)
DEVOTION: In any given circumstance each person responds differently. Some are fearful at the slightest sound. Some don’t scare very easily. Each of us has our threshold of fear.
The people heard the reading of the book and they were concerned that the king should hear these words. So Michaiah gathered the princes to hear the words of the book. Once they heard it they thought the king himself should hear the words of the LORD as recorded by Baruch from the prophet Jeremiah who received the message from the LORD.
However, after the princes heard the words of the LORD they told Baruch and Jeremiah to hide. They thought they knew how the king would react to the message from the LORD.
They were right. He burned the book. He ordered the arrest of Baruch and Jeremiah. Instead of fasting and praying and renting his garment, he ordered them arrested in order to kill them. The LORD had hid Jeremiah.
What is our reaction to our reading of the Bible? In this type of setting would we have not listened like king Zedikiah? Would we just have thrown the Bible away and walked away unchanged?
If we are not applying the Word of God to our life on a regular basis it is just like burning it and throwing it away. It does us no good. The LORD wants us to confess our sins to HIM on a daily basis. If we think we are without sin – we are liars.
CHALLENGE: If the LORD convicts you of sin in your life there needs to be repentance. King Zedikiah thought if he burned the words of the LORD it would go away. Don’t copy his thoughts.
______________________________________________________
: 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 to them many like words. (3254 “added” [yacaph] means to have an addition made to, be increased in quality, quantity, size or scope, to give more, enhance, or cause to add to.)
DEVOTION: Here we find that the king of Judah didn’t like what he heard from the LORD and decided to burn the word of the LORD that Jeremiah brought to him. He thought if he just burned the message it wouldn’t come to pass. He thought that he had the power to change what the LORD say was going to happen. He was wrong.
The LORD had Jeremiah write the same words again plus some other words of judgment that were going to happen because of his attitude toward the LORD.
Sometimes we think that we can read the Word of God and HIS commands and the ones we don’t like we can disobey without any consequences. That is not what happens.
The LORD’S words don’t return to HIM void because we think we don’t want to face the consequences of our sins.
We have to listen to the LORD and HIS Word that HE gives us in the Bible if we are going to live a life that is pleasing to HIM. We have to make a choice to follow HIM correctly or face judgment.
CHALLENGE: When you read the instructions found in the New Testament do you want to obey them? If not, they there need to be an examination of your commitment to the LORD. If there is genuine commitment there is obedience.
____________________________________________________________
DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Baruch read Jeremiah’s book on fasting day verse 6
Jehoiakim proclaimed a fast for everyone verse 9
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Jeremiah told to write a book verse 2
Baruch wrote book with ink verse 18
Jeremiah writes second copy of book verse 32
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Return every one from his evil ways verse 7
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Supplications before the LORD verse 7
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
House of the LORD verse 5, 6, 8, 10
LORD’S house verse 6, 8
_______________________________________________________
DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
Word of the LORD verse 1, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 27
Roll of a book verse 2, 14
Wrote all the words of the LORD verse 4, 18
Roll in chamber of Elishama verse 20
Wrote another roll verse 28, 32
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 1, 4- 11, 26, 27, 29, 30
Judgment of God (evil) verse 3, 31
I may forgive their iniquity and their sin verse 3
Words of the LORD verse 6
Anger and fury of the LORD has pronounced
against this people verse 7
LORD’S house verse 10
LORD hides Jeremiah and Baruch verse 26
Word of the LORD came to Jeremiah verse 27
after king burned roll
Said to Jeremiah regarding Jehoiakim
You have burned this roll, saying
“Why have you written therein
Saying “the king of Babylon shall
certainly come and destroy
this land verse 29
I will punish him and his seed and his servants
for their iniquity verse 31
I will bring on them and on the inhabitants
Of Jerusalem and upon the men of
Judah all the evil that I have pronounced
Against them, but they hearkened not verse 31
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
All nations verse 2
King of Babylon verse 29
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Evil way verse 3, 7, 31
Iniquity verse 3, 31
Sin verse 3
Not wanting to hear the Word of the LORD verse 21- 24
Not being convicted by Word of the LORD verse 24
King would not hear Word of the LORD verse 25, 29, 32
Not listening to the LORD verse 31
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Forgive verse 3
Read the roll (Bible) verse 6, 8, 13
Ears of the people to hear verse 6, 10, 14
Fasting verse 6, 9
Supplication verse 7
Return from evil way verse 7
Read in the ears of the leaders verse 15
Conviction of the Word of the LORD verse 16
Beg king to listen to Word of the LORD verse 25
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Jehoiakim (king)- son of Josiah verse 1, 9, 20 -28, 29– 32
fifth year ninth month proclaimed
a fast
sat in the winter house in the ninth month
fire in the hearth – commanded scroll
to be burned
LORD said: He shall have none to sit upon
the throne of David
Josiah – king of Judah verse 1
Judah verse 1- 3, 6, 9, 28, 29- 31
Jeremiah (prophet) verse 1- 6, 8, 10, 19, 26, 27, 28, 32
Commanded to write in book
Called Baruch
I am shut up
I cannot go into the house of the LORD
Told Baruch to go and read what you
have written
Told to take another roll and write in it
all the former words
He took another roll and gave it to
Baruch the scribe – 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 and there were added
besides to them many like words
Israel verse 2
Josiah verse 2
Baruch – son of Neriah verse 4, 5, 8, 10, 12- 19, 26, 32
Wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah
all the words of the LORD
upon a roll of a book
Did according to all that Jeremiah
commanded him
Reading in the book the words of the
LORD in the LORD’S house in
the ears of all the people
Went into the king’s house into the
scribe’s chamber
Told by princes they would tell king
Asked: How did you write all these words
at his mouth?
Told: I wrote them with ink in the book
People in Jerusalem verse 9
Jerusalem verse 9, 31
All the people that came from the cities
of Judah not Jerusalem verse 9
Gemariah (scribe) – son of Shaphan the scribe verse 10, 12, 25
Made intercession to the king
Michaiah – son of Gemariah – son of Shaphan verse 11, 13
declared all the words that he had heard
Princes verse 12, 14, 19
Elishama (scribe) verse 12, 20, 21
in scribe’s chamber
roll in his chamber
told all the words in ears of the king
Delaiah verse 12, 25
made intercession to the king to not
burn scroll
Shemaiah verse 12, 26
to take Baruch and Jeremiah
Elnathan- the son of Achbor verse 12, 25
made intercession to the king to not
burn scroll
Zedekiah – the son of Hananiah verse 12
Princes verse 12, 14, 19, 20
told Baruch to hide with Jeremiah and
let no man know where you are
they went to the king in the court
Jehudi – the son of Shelemiah – son of Cushi verse 14, 21, 23
king sent for him to fetch the roll
he took it out of Elishama the scribe’s
chamber
read it in the ears of the king and
ears of the princes
cut it with a penkinife and cast it
into the fire
not afraid
nor rent their garments
Roll read to the king (burned it) verse 20- 24, 27
Jerahmeel verse 26
commanded to take Baruch and Jeremiah
Seraiah verse 26
commanded to take Baruch and Jeremiah
Throne of David verse 30
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
_______________________________________________________________
DONATIONS:
Remember that all donations to Small Church Ministries are greatly appreciated. The treasurer will send a receipt, at the end of the year unless otherwise requested. Please be sure to make check out to “Small Church Ministries.” The address for the treasurer is P.O. Box 604, East Amherst, New York 14051. A second way to give to the ministry is through PayPal on the website: www.smallchurchministries.org. Also, if you can support this ministry through your local church please use that method. Thank you.
____________________________________________________________
QUOTES regarding passage
36:5–6 Jeremiah requested Baruch to go to the temple on a fast day and read the scroll to the people because he was “restricted” (ʿazûr) and unable to go himself. The word ʿazûr can mean “imprisoned” (as in 33:1; 39:15), but that meaning is unlikely here since vv. 19, 26 indicate he was free to move about. The word can also mean that he was in danger and hiding and therefore was not allowed in the temple (cf. 1 Chr 12:1). It is possible that he was ceremonially unclean, a condition that would have barred him from the temple. However, the most plausible interpretation of the word here is that the temple authorities saw him as a troublemaker and would not permit him to speak there, perhaps because of his temple sermon (see 26:7–19; also cf. Gen 16:2, “The Lord has kept me,” where it means prevented from doing something.
The fast day was a time when large crowds would be gathered in the temple. The OT does not mention fixed fast days during the preexilic period, but they were called in times of crisis or emergency. The presence of the Babylonian army in the region at that time would have been reason enough for Judah to call a fast day. (Huey, F. B. (1993). Jeremiah, Lamentations (Vol. 16, p. 320). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
________________________________________________________
4–8 Baruch, the prophet’s secretary (already mentioned in 32:12–13), came from a prominent family (v.4; cf. 45:1; 51:59). Jeremiah was inspired to dictate to Baruch from memory, probably with the aid of notes he had made (so Bewer). (That he dictated to Baruch should not, however, be taken to mean that God, who inspired him and the other biblical writers, used them in the same way. Biblical inspiration is not to be equated with dictation.) The dates in this chapter (vv.1, 9, 22) show that a number of months passed between the dictation and public reading of what was written. Jeremiah was “restricted” (ʿāṣûr, lit., “shut up”) from going to the temple (v.5). (It has been conjectured that this was because of ritual uncleanness on his part, but the time was too long for that [cf. v.1 with v.9].) The authorities had probably forbidden him to speak there because of his unpopular temple address (cf. 7:1–15; 26:1–7). In 33:1 and 39:15 the verb ʿāṣar means “confined” or “imprisoned,” but it cannot have that precise meaning here (cf. vv.19, 26). With Nebuchadnezzar on the march against Jerusalem, Jeremiah’s message could no longer be considered harmless. Because he could not go to the temple, he had Baruch act as his agent. To guarantee a good hearing of his written messages, Jeremiah chose a fast day when the people would be assembled in the temple (v.6). After the Exile, fast days were specified (cf. Zech 7:3, 5; 8:19), but earlier they were called in time of emergency (cf. Joel 2:12, 15). Some public calamity, perhaps a drought, had occasioned this fast. Internationally, it was a most opportune time for a fast because Jeremiah saw the significance of Egypt’s defeat by the Babylonians at Carchemish in 605 b.c. There was a feeling that turning to the Lord (v.7) in a public fast might avert the judgment that had been conditionally predicted (v.8). (Feinberg, C. L. (1986). Jeremiah. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel (Vol. 6, p. 604). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
__________________________________________________________
36:4–7. Jeremiah summoned Baruch, his scribe (cf. 32:12–16; 36:26), and dictated to him all the words. It is not known whether Jeremiah recited all the prophecies from memory or if he read them from scrolls on which he had recorded them earlier. Both views allow for God’s superintendence (cf. John 14:25–26). Jeremiah was restricted, or barred, from the temple, possibly because of his earlier unpopular addresses there (cf. Jer. 7:1–15; 26:1–19). Because of this restriction Jeremiah told Baruch to go to the house of the Lord in his place. Baruch was to go on a day of fasting. Prior to the fall of Jerusalem in 586 b.c. fast days were not specified but were called in times of emergency (cf. 36:9; 2 Chron. 20:3; Joel 1:14; 2:15). Only after the fall of Jerusalem were regular fast days instituted (Zech. 7:3, 5; 8:19). Jeremiah hoped that as Baruch read to the people from the scroll they would repent of their sins. (Dyer, C. H. (1985). Jeremiah. In J. F. Walvoord & R. B. Zuck (Eds.), The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures (Vol. 1, p. 1180). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
_______________________________________________________________
God declared His Word (vv. 5–26). Once again, God used human instruments to proclaim His Word to the people. “How shall they hear without a preacher?” (Rom. 10:14) Since Jeremiah wasn’t allowed to go to the temple, he sent Baruch in his place. Baruch waited for a day when there would be a good crowd in the temple; when a fast was proclaimed several months later, probably because of the Babylonian menace, he took advantage of it.
It’s interesting to see how different people responded to the Word of God. There were three public readings of the book, and the first one was to the people in the temple (Jer. 36:10). There’s no record that the crowd responded in any special way. One man, Micaiah, however, became concerned because of what he had heard (v. 11). He was the grandson of Shaphan, the man who read the newly found book of the Law to King Josiah (2 Kings 22), so it’s no wonder he had an interest in God’s Word.
Micaiah told the princes about the book, and they asked to hear it, so Baruch read it to them (Jer. 36:12–19). Along with Micaiah, the officials trembled when they heard the Word (v. 16), for they knew that the nation was in great danger. They hid the scroll, told Baruch and Jeremiah to hide, and then went to report to the king that he needed to hear what Jeremiah had written.
The third reading of the scroll was before the king (vv. 21–26) and was done by Jehudi, who may have been one of the scribes. The king treated God’s Word like fuel for the fire! In spite of the remonstrances of three of his officials, the king continued cutting and burning the scroll until it was completely destroyed. The royal attendants who also heard the reading of the scroll showed no fear and thereby encouraged Jehoiakim in his evil deed.
Over the centuries, God’s enemies have tried to destroy the Word of God but have always failed. They forget what Jesus said about the Word: “Heaven and earth shall pass away, but My words shall not pass away” (Matt. 24:35). “The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever” (Isa. 40:8, NIV; quoted in 1 Peter 1:25). Translators and preachers of the Word have been persecuted and martyred, but the truth of God still stands. (Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). Be Decisive (pp. 144–145). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.)
____________________________________________________
Among the host of latter-day evils which are sapping the very foundations of Christianity in the minds of the masses, none has been more audaciously impious in its assault upon the truth of God than the so-called Higher Criticism. Under the guise of reverent scholarship seeking to determine the authenticity of books that faith has never questioned, the advocates of this destructive school have not hesitated to cut in pieces the Scriptures of truth, and deliberately seek to falsify the very words of the Lord Jesus Christ. He, at least, who knew all things, had no doubts as to the divine authority of every jot and tittle of the Old Testament. It was to Him the inspired utterance of the Holy Ghost. (Ironside, H. A. (1906). Notes on the prophecy and Lamentations of Jeremiah (p. 189). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.)
_____________________________________________________
Ver. 6. Therefore go thou, and read in the roll, which thou hast written from my mouth, &c.] The roll being finished, Baruch is ordered to read it, which was the end of writing it: and since the prophet could not go himself, he sends another in his room, to read the words of the Lord in the ears of the people, in the Lord’s house, upon the fasting day; the day of atonement; the great fast, which was on the tenth day of the seventh month, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim; and so a different time of reading from that in ver. 9. This was a very proper time to read it in, when the people were fasting and humbling themselves before the Lord; though some think this was a fast proclaimed by Jehoiakim, to avert the vengeance threatened by the Chaldean army: and also thou shalt read them in the ears of all Judah that come out of their cities; to keep the feast of tabernacles; as they did five days after the fast, or day of atonement; and this seems to be the second reading of the roll enjoined. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 5, p. 606). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
__________________________________________________________
FROM MY READING:
(Remember the only author that I totally agree with is the HOLY SPIRIT in the inerrant WORD OF GOD called THE BIBLE! All other I try to gleam what I can to help me grow in the LORD!!)
_____________________________________________________________
After His resurrection, Jesus appears to His disciples.
INSIGHT
Jesus’ message of salvation is the greatest news on earth. He does not leave to chance the need for His message to be taken to all earth’s people.
In Matthew 28, Jesus charges His disciples with that task. If however, you begin the recital of the Great Commission with verse 19, you have the “great omission.” Verse 19 begins with “Go therefore.” But to fully understand the phrase, we must go to verse 18 to see what “therefore” is there for.
On the basis of His authority, we are to go, and to go in confidence that, as we are obedient to the Lord Jesus Christ’s commission, He will accomplish His work through us.
PRAYER
· Because someone “came” to give the Gospel to us, thank the Lord and give Him your praise: (Quiet Walk)
__________________________________________________________
THE CROSS AND CHRIST’S LOVE
…the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20
Looking at our Lord on the cross, what I see above everything else is the love that made Him do it all. “Love so amazing, so divine.” What does it mean? Let the apostle himself answer the question. This is how he puts it: “For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life” (Romans 5:6-10).
It comes to this, my dear friends: He is dying there because of His love for you, His love for me, His love for those who are sinners, those who are rebels, those who are enemies. He died for people who hated Him. As He was dying there, Saul of Tarsus was hating Him, but He was dying for Saul of Tarsus. As Paul (to give his subsequent name) puts it later: “….the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). He did not wait until Paul was converted before He loved him. He loved him even when Saul of Tarsus was blaspheming His holy name, ridiculing His claim that He was the Son of God and the Lord of Glory, ridiculing the idea that He came to teach us and to die for us and to save us, pouring his blasphemous scorn upon Him. While Paul was doing that, Christ was dying for Paul. And He was doing the same for you and for me.
A Thought to Ponder: He died for people who hated Him. (From The Cross, pp. 59-60, by Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
____________________________________________________________
The Song of Creation
“Where wast thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou hast understanding . . . When the morning stars sang together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy?” (Job 38:4-7)
It is significant that there was singing at the very time of creation. The “morning stars” of this verse are, by Hebrew poetic parallelism, the same as the “sons of God” who were present when God “laid the foundations of the earth.” Similarly, “sang together” is parallel with “shouted for joy.”
It is thus beautifully appropriate to sing of the glories of God’s creation, for angels were doing this even before Adam and Eve were created! The first actual human song mentioned in the Bible, however, was the thanksgiving song of Moses (Exodus 15:1-21), composed and sung by Moses and the children of Israel after their deliverance from Pharaoh and the waters of the sea.
Finally, it is significant that the last song mentioned in the Bible is “the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb” (Revelation 15:3), sung in heaven by “them that had gotten the victory over the beast” (v. 2). This presumably refers back to the original song of Moses, since the deliverance from Pharaoh was, spiritually, a type of their triumph over the beast, the great world ruler in the end times. However, it must now be combined with the song of the Lamb, probably the “new song” of the saints at the Lamb’s throne in Revelation 5:8-10, praising the Lord for their redemption through His blood, shed in substitution for their sins.
These should surely be the three major themes of Christian music, for these are the main themes of the Bible’s songs. It is fitting that they should refer to the past, present, and future works of Christ—His mighty work of creation in the beginning, His gracious work of sustenance in the present, and His glorious work of full redemption in the future. (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
__________________________________________________________
Picture of Jim Thorpe on Facebook with these comments: This is Jim Thorpe. Look closely at the photo, you can see that he’s wearing different socks and shoes. This wasn’t a fashion statement. It was the 1912 Olympics, and Jim, an American Indian from Oklahoma represented the U.S. in track and field. On the morning of his competitions, his shoes were stolen. Luckily, Jim ended up finding two shoes in a garbage can. That’s the pair that he’s wearing in the photo. But one of the shoes was too big, so he had to wear an extra sock. Wearing these shoes, Jim won two gold medals that day. This is a perfect reminder that you don’t have to resign to the excuses that have held you back. So what if life hasn’t been fair? What are you going to do about it today? Whatever you woke up with this morning; stolen shoes, ill health, failed relationships, failed business, don’t let it stop you from running your race. You can experience more in life if you’ll get over the excuses and get on with living. You can have reasons or you can have results…but you can’t have both.
___________________________________________________________
We now have a Facebook page for Small Church Ministries – please invite others to join us on Facebook. Thank you. Look for the logo from the devotionals.