Dave Burnette's Commentary

Jeremiah Chapter 36

Written By: God through Inspiration
Penned By: Jeremiah
Date Penned: (627-586 BC)
Overview: To Urge God's People to Turn from Sin to God (c 1-52)
Theme: God's Judgement on Judah (c 1-45)
Message: Baruch Reads God's Messages (v 1-32)

Jeremiah 36 Commentary 

(36:1-32) Baruch Reads God's Messages - This happened in the summer of 605 BC, shortly after Nebuchadnezzar's victory over the Egyptian army at Carchemish and before the events recorded in Jeremiah 34 and 35

(36:2-4) Jeremiah's Scribe - Most people in ancient times could neither read nor write, so those who could were highly esteemed and valued. These people, called scribes or teachers, held positions of great importance and were very respected for their knowledge. Baruch was Jeremiah's scribe. Writing was often done on vellum or papyrus sheets that were sewn or glued together and stored in long rolls called scrolls. After the Exile, scribes became teachers of the law. In New Testament times, the scribes formed a powerful religious and political party. 

(36:9) Fasting - Times of fasting (when people abstained from eating food to show their humility and repentance) were often called during times of national emergency. Babylon was destroying city after city and closing in on Jerusalem. As the people came to the temple, Baruch told them how to avert the coming tragedy--but they refused to listen. 

(36:10-32) God's Word - God told Jeremiah to write his words on a roll (scroll). Because he was not allowed to go to the temple, Jeremiah asked his scribe, Baruch, to whom he had dictated the roll, to read it to the people gathered there. Baruch then read it to the officials, and finally Jehudi read it to the king himself. Although the king burned the roll, he could not destroy the words of God. Today, many people try to put God's Word aside or say that it contains errors and therefore cannot be trusted. People may reject God's Word, but they cannot destroy it. God's Word will stand forever (Psalm 119:89). 

(36:25) Stand for the Lord - Only three leaders protested this evil act of burning the roll (scroll) containing God's word. This shows how complacent and insensitive to God the people had become. Not only did the king reject God's word--he tried to destroy it. Speaking out against these actions took courage. Anyone who decides to live for God must be willing to stand for what is right even if almost everyone else turns away. In the climate of darkness and sin, genuine faith shines most brightly. 

(36:30) Sitting Upon the Throne - Jehoiakim's son Jehoiachin was king for three months before he was taken into captivity, but this did not qualify as sitting "upon the throne of David" -an expression that implied permanence. Jehoiakim did not secure a dynasty. Zedekiah, the next ruler, was Jehoiachin's uncle. Thus, the line of mortal human kings descended from David's son Solomon was finished. However, in less than 600 years, the eternal King would come through the descendants of Solomon's brother Nathan (see also the note on 22:30).

 


Dave Burnette's Life Application


The Everlasting Word of God

 Each day we walk through the Bible chapter by chapter making an application of our text to help us grow in the Lord. Many applications can be made from each day's text. Today, we continue in the Book of Jeremiah with chapter 36. In our text today, we see Baruch's pens and read God's Message, which impacted the people even though the King destroyed the writings to silence the Word of God. In making applications, we see today that people try to put God's Word aside, say that it contains errors and cannot be trusted, or attempt to change it, and even some try to add to it. The truth is that God preserves His Word, Protects His Word, and will stand forever. How about you? Do you read, listen, and apply God's Word to your heart and life? Let us learn from our text today that the Lord gives us His Word, He Protects His Word, He Preserves His Word, His Word will remain forever, and if we read and apply the Scriptures, they will change our lives.

 

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Jeremiah 36

Jeremiah 36

 1And 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,

 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.

 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.

 7It 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.

 8And 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.

 9And 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.

 10Then 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.

 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'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.

 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.

 16Now 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.

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

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

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

 20And 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.

 21So 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.

 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.

 25Nevertheless Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah had made intercession to the king that he would not burn the roll: but he would not hear them.

 26But 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.

 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.

 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.

 32Then 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.