Jeremiah 36

Introduction:

Thank Jacob, consider ways to build off of him.

The enduring and effective word of God. God’s word proclaimed (mercy as its end), God’s word responded to (fear or disregard), God’s word come to pass.

Express simple plan for the text with a brief introduction to the text (Jehoiakim, “beginning of end,” draws out themes like God’s mercy, judgement, human stubbornness (illusion of status), danger of bad leaders, God’s word proven true, etc.

Body:

“That Everyone may turn from his evil way.”

This was not an easy message. It was a compilation of all these hard judgements spoken against the people. It is climactic in nature and the message was such that it would make Jeremiah and Baruch groan.

Its end was mercy. The intended purpose of speaking these hard truths was to produce reconciliation.

^What is our intended goal in speaking truth? This brother is falling into a dangerous line of thought. You grow frustrated with his teachings in the church and how it might be hurting things. But before you know it, you find yourself arguing with him in your mind, figuring out how to show him just how wrong he is and how you would do it differently.… is mercy your end, or vindicating yourself? Do you see grace and reconciliation as the hope driving you in speaking hard truths?

We see this again, (continue reading through 6). Jeremiah and Baruch have this commission from God. They feel the weight and perhaps its climactic moment. The people need to hear the word of the Lord, they need to hear the warning (like the sentinel who must get the news to the people whatever the cost). But, just because the word of God is powerful does not mean he simply tosses it out there and hopes it lands. No, he takes precautions to make it as likely to produce the desired end. ^ You may somewhat want reconciliation, but do your actions as a whole follow those of someone desperate to see full reconciliation? > Jeremiah is banned, already having faced some of the consequences of serving God… God’s own prophet, banned from the temple of God. What a cause of grief that must have been… we do not know what obstacles might be set before us to keep us from being with God’s people or proclaiming God’s word, like Charles Simeon, but let us be crafty and persistent! He sends Baruch, and not on any day but a day of fasting when they would be more inclined to find answers!

Again, The hope is that God’s great anger might be turned away. They feel the weight of God’s coming judgement, but such a weight is over each person in your congregation, your neighbors, the whole world. Do you live as one with a message for such doomed people?

“Baruch Read the Words”

Baruch does just as God commands. He reads it. We see a first reaction. They hear it and recognize the weight. They proceed to pass it along as an urgent message. “This needs to be dealt with now!”

The officials hear the word of God and respond with fear and immediately seek out the truth. Is this really from God (dictation)? Yes? Well we need to respond now! ^ They have fear and urgency, but not casualness nor carelessness. They have enough political savvy or awareness of Jehoiakim to not initially bring the scroll, nor to let Baruch and Jeremiah get involved. They respond urgently, but with discernment. ^ Do you respond to God’s word with this sort of urgency? Or do you “get around to working on that eventually?” Do you pray over it and then leave it be?

The chain of urgency takes a sudden turn. Jehoiakim has the scroll brought, he will not just accept their words. For a moment you may think that he needed to see for himself, like when Herod wanted to see the child for himself, for a second you might think he was earnest. But in reality he didn’t care. As we see later, he cut it up saying

Conclusion: