TRYING TO DESTROY GOD’S WORD
Lesson XI.—Sunday, December 11, 1898. TRYING TO DESTROY GOD’S WORD.
Note.—To connect the present lesson with the past, it is necessary to note that King Josiah was killed in battle with the Egyptian army, which he attempted to intercept while on the way to make war on the Assyrians. The people placed Josiah’s third son, Jehoahaz, on the throne, but the king of Egypt, Pharaoh-Necho, deposed him and set up his elder brother, Jehoiakim. He was a very wicked king, and utterly rejected the Word of the Lord, even putting to death the prophet Urijah. Jer. 26:20–23. In the fourth year of his reign Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, having defeated both Assyria and Egypt, came against Jerusalem. Then a great feast day was proclaimed, and great numbers of people flocked to the city. It was then that the Lord told Jeremiah the prophet to write out all the words that He had spoken to him against Judah and against all the nations. Jeremiah called Baruch, a scribe, and told him the words to write. Then he had Baruch read them to the people. Some of the nobles and princes heard the reading of the roll, and Baruch told them how he came to write it. 20 “And they went in to the king into the court; but they had laid up the roll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe; and 21 they told all the words in the ears of the king. So the king sent Jehudi to fetch the roll; and he took it out of the chamber of Elishama the scribe. And Jehudi read it in the ears of the king, and in the ears of all the princes which stood beside the king. 22 Now the king sat in the winter house in the ninth month; and there was a fire in the brazier burning before him. 23 And it came to pass, when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, that the king cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was in the brazier, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was in the brazier. 24 And they were not afraid, nor rent their garments, neither the king, nor any of his servants 25 that heard all these words. Moreover Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah had made intercession to the king that he would not burn the roll; but he would not hear them. 26 And the king commanded Jerahmeel the king’s son, and Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to take Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet; but the Lord hid them. 27 “Then the Word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, after that the king had burned the roll, and the words which Baruch wrote at the mouth of Jeremiah, saying, 28 Take thee again another roll, and write in it all the former words that were in the first roll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah hath burned. 29 And concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah thou shalt say, Thus saith the Lord: Thou hast burned this roll, saying, Why hast thou written therein, saying, The king of Babylon shall certainly come and destroy this land, and shall cause to cease from thence man and beast? 30 Therefore thus saith the Lord concerning Jehoiakim king of Judah: He shall have none to sit upon the throne of David; and his dead body shall be cast out in the day to the heat, and in the night to the frost. 31 And I will punish him and his seed and his servants for their iniquity; and I will bring upon them, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and upon the men of Judah, all the evil that I have pronounced against them; but they hearkened not. 32 Then took Jeremiah another roll, and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah; who wrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire; and there were added besides unto them many like words.” Golden Text.—“The Word of our God shall stand forever.” Isa. 40:8. (1) What did the princes do after hearing the words that had been written? V. 20. (2) Then what did the king do? To whom did Jehudi read the roll? V. 21. (3) Where was the king at this time? What was on the hearth before him? V. 22. (4) How did the king show his disregard of the Word of God? V. 23. Note 1. (5) How were the king’s servants affected by the reading? V. 24. Note 2. (6) Who made intercession to the king? For what purpose? How did he regard their request? V. 25. (7) What command did the king give? How was the command frustrated? Note 3. (8) Then to whom did the Word of the Lord come? V. 27. (9) What did the Lord say to the prophet? V. 28. (10) What prophecy in the first roll had given special offense to the king? V. 29. (11) What special judgment should come upon the king? V. 30; Jer. 22:18, 19. (12) Upon whom else should judgment fall? How were these affected by the terrible denunciation? V. 31. (13) What then did Jeremiah do? What was written on this roll? V. 32. Note 4. 1. Attempting to destroy God’s warning.—The king became so disturbed by the rebuke and the warning sent to him in mercy by the Lord that he could not bear even to have it read to him. So he destroyed the roll, or writing, when he had heard but a small portion of its contents. It evidently came squarely across his path, requiring humiliation, confession of sin, and great self-denial. Notwithstanding the fact that Jehoiakim was only a vassal king, placed on the throne by a conquering power, and notwithstanding the poverty of the people as a tribute-paying nation (2 Kings 23:35), he had built for himself a magnificent palace at their expense (Jer. 22:14–19). Such a king would be loath to humble himself at reproof. 2. “Were not afraid.”—The king’s officers were actuated by his spirit, and gave no heed to the warnings of the God of heaven, although three of them interceded with him not to burn the roll. 3. A characteristic command.—As is common with those who are averse to the Word, or law, of God, where it comes as a personal rebuke and call for repentance, the king commanded the punishment of those who were instrumental in the promulgation of the truth. He would fain do with Jeremiah and Baruch as he had done with Urijah. 4. “The Word of the Lord endureth forever.”—It may be neglected, it may be rejected, the parchment upon which it is written may be burned by puny man, but that does not destroy it. As the Author is indestructible, His Word is equally so. And when it has passed through all that man can attempt to do, it comes out unscathed, unaltered. “My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of My lips.” Ps. 89:34. Man may attempt to alter it, as the prophecy has said he would (Dan. 7:25), and as he has done in many respects; he may attempt to escape it and to hide from it; but it will pursue him, to warn, to instruct, to admonish, to lead, yea, to chastise for his own good; and it will meet him in the judgment as the standard by which his case will be settled forever. “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.”