What is an example of how God has made sure down through the ages that His word is preserved? Let’s look at Jeremiah 36.
Why did God tell Jeremiah to write all his prophecies on a scroll?
In the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, “Take a scroll and write on it all the words which I have spoken to you concerning Israel, Judah, and all the nations, from the day I first spoke to you, from the days of Josiah, even to this day. Perhaps the house of Judah will listen to all the disaster which I plan to carry out against them, so that every person will turn from his evil way; then I will forgive their wrongdoing and their sin.” (Jer 36:1-3 NASB)
To whom did Jeremiah dictate the scroll and ask to read it to all the people of Judah?
So Jeremiah called Baruch son of Neriah, and while Jeremiah dictated all the words the Lord had spoken to him, Baruch wrote them on the scroll. Then Jeremiah told Baruch, “I am restricted; I am not allowed to go to the Lord’s temple. So you go to the house of the Lord on a day of fasting and read to the people from the scroll the words of the Lord that you wrote as I dictated. Read them to all the people of Judah who come in from their towns. Perhaps they will bring their petition before the Lord and will each turn from their wicked ways, for the anger and wrath pronounced against this people by the Lord are great.” (Jer 36:4-7 NIV)
Did Baruch read the scroll of Jeremiah to those assembled in the house of the Lord?
And Baruch the son of Neriah did according to all that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him, reading from the book the words of the Lord in the Lord’s house. Now it came to pass in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, in the ninth month, that they proclaimed a fast before the Lord to all the people in Jerusalem, and to all the people who came from the cities of Judah to Jerusalem. Then Baruch read from the book the words of Jeremiah in the house of the Lord, in the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shaphan the scribe, in the upper court at the entry of the New Gate of the Lord’s house, in the hearing of all the people. (Jer 36:8-10 NKJV)
Did Baruch read the scroll of Jeremiah to those assembled in the palace?
When Micaiah son of Gemariah and grandson of Shaphan heard the messages from the Lord, he went down to the secretary’s room in the palace where the administrative officials were meeting. Elishama the secretary was there, along with Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Acbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the other officials. When Micaiah told them about the messages Baruch was reading to the people, the officials sent Jehudi son of Nethaniah, grandson of Shelemiah and great-grandson of Cushi, to ask Baruch to come and read the messages to them, too. So Baruch took the scroll and went to them. “Sit down and read the scroll to us,” the officials said, and Baruch did as they requested. (Jer 36:11-15 NLT)
What warning did the princes give to both Baruch and Jeremiah?
Now when they had heard all the words, they turned in fear one toward another, and said to Baruch, “We will surely tell the king of all these words.” They asked Baruch, saying, “Tell us now, how did you write all these words at his mouth?” Then Baruch answered them, “He dictated all these words to me with his mouth, and I wrote them with ink in the book.” Then the princes said to Baruch, “You and Jeremiah go hide. Don’t let anyone know where you are.” (Jer 36:16-19 WEB)
What did the king do with the scroll as he had it read to him?
After leaving the scroll in the room of Elishama the scribe, they went to the king’s court and told him everything. The king sent Jehudi to take the scroll, and he retrieved it from the room of Elishama the scribe. Then Jehudi read it to the king and all his royal officials who were standing next to the king. Now it was the ninth month, and the king was staying in the winterized part of the palace with the firepot burning near him. And whenever Jehudi read three or four columns of the scroll, the king would cut them off with a scribe’s knife and throw them into the firepot until the whole scroll was burned up. Neither the king nor any of his attendants who heard all these words were alarmed or tore their clothes. Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah begged the king not to burn the scroll, but he wouldn’t listen to them. (Jer 36:20-25 CEB)
Did God tell Jeremiah to dictate a second scroll, a copy of the original, to Baruch?
The king told his son Jerahmeel to take Seraiah and Shelemiah and to go arrest Baruch and me. But the Lord kept them from finding us. I had told Baruch what to write on that first scroll, but King Jehoiakim had burned it. So the Lord told me to get another scroll and write down everything that had been on the first one. (Jer 36:26-28 CEV)
What were the consequences for king Jehoiakim because of his actions?
And concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah you shall say, ‘Thus says the Lord, You have burned this scroll, saying, “Why have you written in it that the king of Babylon will certainly come and destroy this land, and will cut off from it man and beast?” Therefore thus says the Lord concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah: He shall have none to sit on the throne of David, and his dead body shall be cast out to the heat by day and the frost by night. And I will punish him and his offspring and his servants for their iniquity. I will bring upon them and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem and upon the people of Judah all the disaster that I have pronounced against them, but they would not hear.’” Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah, who wrote on it at the dictation of Jeremiah all the words of the scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And many similar words were added to them. (Jer 36:29-32 ESV)
What are the consequences of adding to or taking away from a prophetic book?
I testify to everyone who hears the prophetic words of this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book. And if anyone takes away from the words of this prophetic book, God will take away his share of the tree of life and the holy city, written in this book. (Rev 22:18-19 HCSB)
What is an example of how God has made sure down through the ages that His word is preserved? You decide!
