When Micaiah heard all the prophecies that Jeremiah had Baruch recorded and read to the people, he quickly made his way to the Chamber of the Scribe in the palace. Jeremiah 36:13 said that there, he declared what he heard to some officials of the king. And the officials heard them, they at once knew that those messages would not sit well with the king, yet it was their duty to inform him. So they quickly advised Baruch and Jeremiah to be hidden in a secret place before they report to the king.
Jeremiah 36:20 then said that they deposited the scroll in the chamber of Elishama, the scribe before reporting to the king. The king then despatched Jehudi to get the scroll for him. At this point the king while it was autumn, the king was in his winter palace and sitting by a fireplace warming himself. He had Jehudi read the scroll of Jeremiah’s prophecies to him and the officials standing by him. Verse 23 said that after every three or four columns had been read to him he would cut off that portion of the scroll and throw it as fuel into the fire that was warming him. The king and everyone with him remained untouched by the Word read to them. Verse 26 underscored that “Yet the king and all his servants who heard all these words were not afraid, nor did they rend their garments.” In other words, they were nonchalant and did not repent even though the message described the impending judgment of God. Even though the king was urged not to burn the scroll by some concerned officials, he would not listen and go ahead and defiantly burn it. The King even ordered the arrest of Jeremiah and Baruch as the official had anticipated.
The reason Jehoiakim disregarded and destroyed the scroll is the same way people treat the message of God. They doubt the reality of what God has said. Anyone who adopts such a stun does so at his or her own peril. Going against the Word of God is as good as going against Him. Wisdom dictates that we must not act like Jehoiakim and those who defied God’s Word. Instead, we need to pay attention to what God is saying and not doubt Him. These verses show us how not to approach the Word of God. We must not come to it nonchalantly. To do so indicates that we doubt the reality of His Word.
This is how we must approach the word of God? Firstly, trust and believe that through it, God is communicating with us. Secondly, stay confident in what God has said. Thirdly, be obedient and act on what God has made known. Let us not harden our hearts to God’s Word!
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