Day 682: Truth that is dangerous - Jeremiah 36 vs 9 - 19

9-10 In the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the ninth month, all the people in Jerusalem and all the people who came from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem proclaimed a fast before the Lord. Then, in the hearing of all the people, Baruch read the words of Jeremiah from the scroll, in the house of the Lord, in the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shaphan the secretary, which was in the upper court, at the entry of the New Gate of the Lord's house. 11-13 When Micaiah the 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 the son of Shemaiah, Elnathan the son of Achbor,  Gemariah the son of Shaphan, Zedekiah the son of Hananiah, and all the officials. And Micaiah told them all the words that he had heard, when Baruch read the scroll in the hearing of the people. 

14-15 Then all the officials sent Jehudi the son of Nethaniah, son of Shelemiah, son of Cushi, to say to Baruch, “Take in your hand the scroll that you read in the hearing of the people, and come.” So Baruch the son of Neriah took the scroll in his hand and came to them.  And they said to him, “Sit down and read it.” So Baruch read it to them. 16-18 When they heard all the words, they turned one to another in fear. And they said to Baruch, “We must report all these words to the king.” Then they asked Baruch, “Tell us, please, how did you write all these words? Was it at his dictation?” Baruch answered them, “He dictated all these words to me, while I wrote them with ink on the scroll.”  19  Then the officials said to Baruch, “Go and hide, you and Jeremiah, and let no one know where you are.” Jeremiah 36:9-19 English Standard Version

If we read the Bible too hurriedly we will often miss it's attention to detail. Verse 1 of this chapter said it was the fourth year of Jehoiakim's reign when God told Jeremiah to write on a scroll all the words of warning to the nation He had spoken. Jeremiah dictated all the words to a man named Baruch and told him to read them in the temple on a day of fasting. What do vs 9-10 tell us as to when the scroll was eventually read?

It was obviously over a year since Jeremiah started to dictate God's words to Baruch to when it was eventually read in the temple in a time of solemn fasting. The scroll hadn't been a rushed job done in a few days. So too we must not be in a hurry for things to happen in our life that we were hoping God would do, or to see results in some work we were trying to do for the Lord. Many things in the Bible did not happen overnight, or in a few months.

The parts of the Bible we may be most tempted to rush over are when it gives a list of names, especially hard to pronounce ones, such as in vs 11-13 of today's reading. But can those parts of the Bible also be important? What do they show us about the Bible and God's purposes?

I suggest they show us the accuracy and authenticity of the Bible. The Bible is telling us of real events in history, and real people who were there at the time. The long lists of genealogies (i.e. family names) we find in parts of the Bible also show how it's story is a connected one. Luke's gospel even gives one showing the progression from Adam, the first human being ever, to the birth of Jesus.

What was the response of the Jewish leaders as they heard the words of Jeremiah being read by Baruch in the temple? (vs 16-18)

They were filled with fear. I wonder if it was fear that the words might be true and Jerusalem was in terrible danger, or a fear that the words might cause the people to lose heart. Sadly, that can be true whenever God's warnings are read to people. Some do take it's warning to heart and repent of sin, but many dismiss it as fear-mongering by religious fanatics. The fact that they urged Jeremiah to hide suggests that perhaps they did believe his message but were worried what King Jehoiakim’s response was going to be. Speaking God's truth then, as is happening more and more today, can be dangerous and life threatening.