I. Summary
Baruch writes the words of Jeremiah on a scroll and reads them to the people in the temple. King Jehoiakim burns the scroll and calls for Jeremiah’s and Baruch’s arrest. Jeremiah and Baruch go into hiding and write a second scroll that condemns Jehoiakim and his offspring to death.
II. Photo
Jehoiakim burns Jeremiah’s scroll: “As Jehudi read three or four columns, the king would cut them off with a penknife and throw them into the fire in the brazier, until the entire scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the brazier.” (v. 23)
III. Select Verses
2-3: Take a scroll and write on it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel and Judah and all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Josiah until today. It may be that when the house of Judah hears of all the disasters that I intend to do to them, all of them may turn from their evil ways, so that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.
11-12, 16: When Micaiah son of Gemariah son of Shaphan heard all the words of the LORD from the scroll, he went down to the king’s house, into the secretary’s chamber; and all the officials were sitting there: Elishama the secretary, Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Achbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the officials… When they heard all the words, they turned to one another in alarm, and said to Baruch, “We certainly must report all these words to the king.”
22-25: Now the king was sitting in his winter apartment (it was the ninth month), and there was a fire burning in the brazier before him. As Jehudi read three or four columns, the king would cut them off with a penknife and throw them into the fire in the brazier, until the entire scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the brazier. Yet neither the king, nor any of his servants who heard all these words, was alarmed, nor did they tear their garments. Even when Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them.
26: And the king commanded Jerahmeel the king’s son and Seraiah son of Azriel and Shelemiah son of Abdeel to arrest the secretary Baruch and the prophet Jeremiah. But the LORD hid them.
30-31: Therefore thus says the LORD concerning King Jehoiakim of Judah: He shall have no one to sit upon the throne of David, and his dead body shall be cast out to the heat by day and the frost by night. And I will punish him and his offspring and his servants for their iniquity; I will bring on them, and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and on the people of Judah, all the disasters with which I have threatened them—but they would not listen.
IV. Outline
1. Introduction: prophecy in the fourth year of Jehoiakim
2-3. Jeremiah is to write a scroll of sins to bring about repentance
4-7. Baruch son of Neriah writes the scroll and is to pronounce it in the Temple on a fast day
8. Baruch completes his task
9-10. Baruch reads the scroll in the temple on a fast day
11-13. Micaiah relates the message to the king’s scribes
14. The scribes call for Baruch’s scroll, and he brings it
15. Baruch reads the scroll
16-19. Baruch and Jeremiah are to hide from the king
20-25. The scroll is read to king Jehoiakim, who burns it nonchalantly
26. Jeremiah and Baruch are to be arrested, but Yahweh has hidden them
27-31. Yahweh tells Jeremiah to write a second scroll, this one condemning Jehoiakim and his offspring to death
32. Jermiah dictates the words of the scroll to Baruch
V. Comment
No comment today. Stay tuned.
VI. Works Used
(see “Commentaries” page)
Photo copied from http://c8. nrostatic.com/sites/default/files/uploaded/pic_related_050115_SM_Burning-Books.jpg