Unmoved By God's Word

1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.

If you have your Bible, keep it open to Jeremiah 36.

“Unmoved By God’s Word”

Lesson Connection

I can remember a long period in my teens when I first really engaged with this Book. I can remember my first encounters with individual books… Genesis (wow!) Exodus (my goodness!) Numbers (oh, Lord.) Psalms (praise break!) Song of Solomon (what in the name of heaven... am I reading here?!)

Many tears. Many times of joy and thankfulness for this powerful Word!

I can also remember getting into college and hearing World Literature professors teach whole books of the Bible as literature.

My teaching this morning has much to do with the response to this Word. We’re going to have some response, whether we like it or not. No response is still a response.

But God told Jeremiah to write His words in a scroll. And that’s part of how we know how legitimate the Bible is. One of the first parts of the Bible that comes to mind here is 2 Timothy 3. It talks about Scripture being by the “inspiration of God”. Theopneustos literally means “God-breathed.” So, all Scripture is God-breathed.

And this means that all of Scripture has authority. That is important and foundational!

As a matter of fact, I’m going to read to you out of the Articles of Faith of the UPCI:

We believe the Bible to be inspire of God, the infallible Word of God. “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.” (2 Timothy 3:16)

God Told Jeremiah to Write on a Scroll

God Sought to Bring Judah to a Place of Repentance

Let’s think about a little Old Testament history for a moment...

For a long time (in the Old Testament), people did not have access to The Book. And they did not obey or heed the words of The Book.

And one day, Josiah discovered “the book of the law in the house of the Lord” (2 Kings 22:8). And from there, much change began to happen. Under Josiah’s leadership, the people had all unanimously committed that they were going to keep the commandments of God in The Book, place them in their hearts, and perform the words of this Book (2 Kings 23:3).

Because of this great move to keep the Word of God, the Bible speaks very highly of Josiah:

2 Kings 23:25 NKJV

25 Now before him there was no king like him, who turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him did any arise like him.

But when Josiah died, the people of Judah made his son, Jehoahaz, king in his place.

And this… was a big mistake.

Jehoahaz began his rule when he was 23 years old. And hear this: he reigned for only three months. What happened there? He reversed all of his father’s decisions and 2 Kings 23 says that he “did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord, according to all that his fathers had done” (2 Kings 23:32). Pharaoh Necho captured Jehoahaz, put him in prison, and then he imposed a hefty tax on all of the people.

So as this happened, Jehoahaz’s brother came onto the scene - Jehoiakim. And he became a placed and controlled king by Pharaoh. And what’s sad here is that Jehoiakim had apparently learned nothing from his father’s righteous living or from his brother’s evil living. We hear another eerily similar scripture about him, too, saying that Jehoiakim “did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord” (2 Kings 23:37).

And had he followed the example of his father and not his brother, his fate would probably have been a lot different.

Jeremiah Commanded Baruch to Read the Scroll to the People

Okay, now let’s zero-in on what’s important today...

Jehoiakim is not in his fourth year of reign, and Jeremiah, the prophet, hears from the Lord. And the instructions are specific. Jeremiah was to write in a scroll everything that the Lord had said to him against Israel, Judah, and all other nations. He couldn’t be selective about it. Jeremiah would write all that was said to him.

And the purpose of this was to bring Judah to repentance. It was a warning. God said it like this:

Jeremiah 36:3 NKJV

3 It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the adversities which I purpose to bring upon them, that everyone may turn from his evil way, that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.”

Now, God had attempted this through several kings; trying to get them all to repent and be restored spiritually. There had been moments of hope (like with Josiah), but it was always temporary. And God was looking for a reason to be forgiving. We know from biblical history that there was a long-prophesied judgment that was about to touch down.

So Jeremiah is receiving this word from the Lord, and he’s got a servant (more like a trusted secretary) by the name of Baruch. And Jeremiah tells Baruch every word the Lord says to him against all these nations. The Bible says that Baruch wrote them down (Jeremiah 36:4).

Then, Jeremiah sends Baruch to go and read the scroll to the people in the Lord’s house, with the hope that the people would repent. The scroll ended up being read three times.

A Fast Was Proclaimed

Now… we’re talking about response to the Word of God this morning. So let’s look at the response...

After the first reading, a fast was proclaimed. And you would think that it was because Jehoiakim had repented. But that wasn’t the case. He had not even yet heard the reading of the scroll. And even when he did hear it, he didn’t respond with repentance.

Now, months later, there’s a call for a fast. And this led to the reading of Jeremiah’s words by Baruch.

God Expects Us to Heed and Obey His Word

So, let me talk for just a minute, here...

When we open The Book… the Scriptures,… we soon discover that they are not only to be read… they are to be obeyed.

This is seen in the first book of the Law, all the way into Revelation - all throughout the Bible. Notice, for instance, in Deuteronomy, the connection between loving God and keeping His commandments:

Deuteronomy 7:9 NKJV

9 “Therefore know that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and mercy for a thousand generations with those who love Him and keep His commandments;

Deuteronomy 7:11 NKJV

11 Therefore you shall keep the commandment, the statutes, and the judgments which I command you today, to observe them.

Don’t think that loving God is enough for Him to be pleased. He specifically stresses that we are to also keep His commandments.

John 14:15 NKJV

15 “If you love Me, keep My commandments.

You see, many biblical concepts get simplified to the point that they lose original meaning.

“Just faith and faith alone!” And yes, without faith it’s impossible to please God. Well, faith is also something that motivates an action. It’s what causes miracles to happen, causes you to receive the Holy Ghost, be washed of sins… yes, faith. Yes, believe. But, “Have you received since you believed?”

“Grace does the work!” Yes, His grace is sufficient. But does that mean that we live ungodly and not in holiness? We don’t preach Greasy Grace. Paul asked, “Should we continue in sin that grace may abound? God forbid!”

And so, looking at this section of Scripture, we can say (very similarly): Don’t distort the love of God. If you love God, you’ll keep His commandments. If you love God, you’ll strive to please Him in all you do.

Some of the first words in Revelation have to do with how important it is to not only read and hear, but to obey the written Word:

Revelation 1:3 NKJV

3 Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written in it; for the time is near.

And then, throughout the rest of the book of Revelation (which is the end of the Bible) there are reminders scattered talking about this.

The Scroll Was Brought to the King

Jehudi Read the Scroll to Jehoiakim

Now, Baruch is reading the scroll with the Word, and there’s a man by the name of Michaiah who was hearing it. And he went to the king’s house and informed the princes there what he had just heard.

So the princes said, “Bring this man to us.” They wanted to hear it for themselves. So Baruch came, and spoke. And after hearing the prophet’s words, they got really scared and told Baruch:

Jeremiah 36:16 NKJV

16 Now it happened, when they had heard all the words, that they looked in fear from one to another, and said to Baruch, “We will surely tell the king of all these words.”

And what’s interesting is, not only did they seem a little defiant there, but they also questioned Baruch about the origin of the scroll.

It’s interesting… when we’re met with something convicting or something that speaks counter to the way we’re living, we start trying to figure out how we can discredit it.

My favorite thing is when somebody prophesies, delivers a direct Word from the Lord, and someone makes the claim that, “Yeah that person’s so super-spiritual all the time!”

The Church is a spiritual organism. You’re not going to be able to separate the Church and the spiritual. Because once you try, you no longer are the Church.

So they started questioning the validity of the scroll.

And Baruch explained that he wrote down Jeremiah’s exact words. then, the princes told him to go get Jeremiah and hide. As a matter of fact, they said, “Let no man know where ye be” (Jeremiah 36:19). They took and hid the scroll and took off to tell the king what they heard. And Jehoiakim also wanted to hear it for himself, so he sent for the scroll also.

The King Burned the Scroll

Now… here’s where it gets rough.

They bring in this scroll. They read it before the king and the princes. And here’s what would happen...

Here, in the king’s court, there was a fire burning in a sort of fireplace. And Jehudi would read about three or four columns from the scroll, and then the king would take a scribe’s knife - extremely sharp - and he would cut off the columns that had been read, and throw them into the fire.

He kept on doing this until the scroll was completely destroyed.

The King and His Servants Were Unmoved by God’s Word

Now, that’s a very sudden dramatic response.

You recall that, earlier, there were those who had reacted in fear after hearing the Word read. But here, neither the king or his princes responded to the reading. Actually, three of the men in the room had begged the king not to burn the scroll, but Jehoiakim wouldn’t listen.

Instead, he even turned around and commanded that they capture Baruch and Jeremiah. He didn’t have much luck there, because the Bible says that the Lord had hidden them (Jeremiah 36:26). (Touch not mine anointed, right?)

We Must Never Become Unmoved by God’s Word

So, I think we can effectively say that these people were unmoved by the Word of God.

So, here’s the deal: If you are unmoved by the Word of God, you are also unmoved by Jesus. You cannot separate Jesus and His Word. He IS the Word.

You know, one of my favorite portions of Scripture happens to be Psalm 119. And essentially, the whole chapter is like an old to God’s Word. It’s over 170 verses. And I believe all but about three of them speak in some way about God’s Word.

The Word of God is very, very important. And it we believe it’s important, that will show in out actions. We’ll read it. We’ll respond to it. We’ll honor it. We’ll be hungry for it. We’ll order our life by it!

So, let me ask what I think is a pertinent question today: Are there Scriptures you avoid reading because they make you uncomfortable???

2 Timothy 3:16 NKJV

16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,

2 Timothy 4:1–4 NKJV

The Time is Coming When People Will Not Tolerate Sound Doctrine

Some People Want to Control What They Hear from God’s Word

Now, it did absolutely no good for Jehoiakim to burn the scroll. Because the Word of God cannot be destroyed.

Let me show you the proof that Jesus and the Word are inseparable…

For years they tried to burn the book, they tried to rip it up, lock it up, distort it, remove it. Well, we still have it.

When Jesus walked the earth, they whipped Him, kicked Him, punched Him, put a crown of thorns on His head, drove nails in His hands and feet, put a speak in His side… tried to kill Him… and yet He lived.

And it shows that He and His Word are one and the same. It’s still here after every single attempt.

And so, what happens? The king burns this Word. And you know what happened? The Word simply came to Jeremiah again, told him to take another scroll and to write in it everything that had been in the first scroll, adding some more words also (Jeremiah 36:32).

And when the king heard the Word the first time, he asked the question, “How come it says that the king of Babylon is going to come and destroy this land?” The answer to that was that his reign was about to come to an abrupt end.

Jeremiah 36:30–31 NKJV

30 Therefore thus says the Lord concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah: “He shall have no one to sit on the throne of David, and his dead body shall be cast out to the heat of the day and the frost of the night. 31 I will punish him, his family, and his servants for their iniquity; and I will bring on them, on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and on the men of Judah all the doom that I have pronounced against them; but they did not heed.” ’ ”

So, there are your extra words.

You know, the Israelites broke the Ten Commandments, and the Lord rewrote them and gave them to Moses yet again.

And I’ll tell you this: When murdered Truth returns, she comes to kill.

Jehoiakim is an example of those who wish to control what they hear from God. He’s also an example of how badly that will backfire on you.

God’s Word is authoritative, even for those who refuse to read or hear it.

And that’s why this is more of what I talked about Wednesday night… we’ve got to get ourselves out of the way and guard the things of God, as Lucifer should have been doing.

Why do some people refuse to look at some parts of the Bible? They’re either taught tradition instead of truth, or they’re trying to build their own kingdom.

Our World is Offended by God’s Word

You know, the Word of God goes against the grain of human philosophy. It’s offensive to people who are opposed to God’s purpose in their lives. Paul described these people:

2 Timothy 4:3 NLT

3 For a time is coming when people will no longer listen to sound and wholesome teaching. They will follow their own desires and will look for teachers who will tell them whatever their itching ears want to hear.

And then, he said that as a consequence of turning away from truth, they would turn to fables.

I Will Heed and Obey God’s Word

Our world is full of influences that are at odds with the Word. Social media, the 24-hour news cycle, divisive conspiracy theories… they all serve to distract us from the truth of the Word.

But today we’re reminded to look at Jehoiakim. His rejection of God’s Word was disastrous for him.

We have to become strong in prioritizing God’s Word!

Conclusion

Internalizing the Message

C.S. Lewis, talking about Jesus Christ, once said this:

I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: “I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.” That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic—on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg—or else He would be the devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse . . . You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon, or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.

(Josh McDowell, Evidence That Demands a Verdict)

Jesus claimed to be the Messiah and identified Himself as one with the Father, there can be no middle ground in assessing His identity. Either He was who He claimed to be, or He wasn’t.

If He wasn’t, only two options remain: He was mistaken, or He was intentionally deceptive. We accept at full value His testimony and proclaim Jesus to be Lord and God.

We have a challenge to face. Since we believe the Holy Bible is the Word of God, we must read it and obey it. Otherwise, it is as if we are saying to God, “I’m not interested in what You have to say. It’s not important to me. Leave me alone. If I must, I will toss your words into the fire.”

Jehoiakim is not the example we want to follow. It is much wiser to follow the life of Timothy. Timothy knew the holy Scriptures since childhood and learned from them to be watchful, to endure afflictions, and to do the work to which he was called, thereby making full proof of his ministry (II Timothy 3:15; 4:5)

Responding to the word:

honor

change

praise

action

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