the Fourth Week after Easter
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Daily Devotionals
Day by Day Devotional - Year 3 of 5
Jeremiah 36:16-32
We left Baruch sitting among the princes of Judah, reading the words of the LORD to them. These men look at each other, frightened. The matter seems to be too serious for them not to speak to the king about it. The latter, when he is made aware of the matter, orders someone to read to him from this dreaded roll. Notice that its contents have not been disclosed to us, either during the time when it was dictated or during the three times when it was read. It seems likely, however, that ch. 25 of our book forms part of it (cf. respectively vv. 1, 29 with Jeremiah 25:1; Jeremiah 25:9).
After having listened for a while with growing annoyance, the king takes the roll, cuts it up and throws it into the fire. That was his enraged way of doing away with the judgment. He could neither destroy the roll nor one single word which was written on it (on the contrary, at the LORD’s command another roll replaces it, on which are added "many like words"). Rather, by his destructive act, the king brought additional punishment upon his head (vv. 30, 31; Proverbs 13:13).
How many people despise the Word of God without necessarily imitating Jehoiakim’s reckless gesture! (Psalms 50:17; 1 John 4:6).
