Stroll through Scripture for June 29, 2025

Based on Jeremiah 36:1-8, 21-23, 27-31

Over the next four weeks we will be looking at the book of Jeremiah.  Jeremiah was a significant prophet of God, doing his work just before and during the Babylonian captivity.  It’s generally not a happy book.  Most of that comes from the fact that the people of Judah and their leaders keep turning away from God.  And not in an accidental way by mistake.  No, this turning away is on purpose and with spite.  

Because of this turning away, God has Jeremiah pronounce judgement on Judah.  But it’s not set in stone.  God hopes that Judah will see the error of its ways and repent.  When that happens, God would relent of the judgement on Judah.  But that doesn’t happen.  

In this passage of scripture, we hear about the story of Jeremiah and Baruch recording God’s words, and Baruch being sent to the temple to be read aloud.  The king, Jehoiakim, is Josiah’s son.  Josiah would be one of the few good kings of Judah.  His son was not, as we hear in the story.  Jehoiakim has the scroll read to him and as it is being read, he tears off pieces of it and burns them.  

The powerful don’t like to be scolded for their injustice.  Often those in power live by a creedal belief that the ends justify the means.  And when that is your operating system, then everything and everyone is disposable – including God.  Better to discard and hide unpleasant things rather than deal with uncomfortable realities.  The unjust powerful would much rather live in a fantasy world.  

Jehoiakim thinks that the problem is solved with the burning of the scroll.  But it’s not.  God knows what happened and God returns to Jeremiah to dictate another scroll to Baruch with the same words that were written down before.  This act is a beautiful symbol that the unjust can’t cover up their injustice forever.  God knows what they have done and brings it to light.  God’s word will prevail despite whatever roadblocks are put up.  

Questions for further reflection:

• This story is a common one in human history – am arrogant ruler willfully destroys inconvenient truths.  They get caught.  The truth persists.  What lessons does this tell us today?
• How are we like Jehoiakim – trying to hide something we would rather not deal with?
• How are we like Jeremiah and Baruch – proclaiming God’s word to a world that doesn’t want to hear it?