Jeremiah 36:23
And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth. And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth.
Jeremiah's roll of reproof and warning was read before Jehoiakim king of Judah and his princes in the winter house, and when only three or four leaves had been heard the king in a frenzy of rage took the roll with a penknife and deliberately cut it and cast it into the fire on the hearth until it was wholly consumed. Neither he nor his servants were afraid or rent their garments or showed remorse, even though Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah pleaded with him not to burn it. The burning was deliberate destruction and defiant contempt for God's call to hear and turn every man from his evil way to receive forgiveness, refusing the binding claims of His law when hearers feel their characters in contrast to its requirements. Defiance could not get the message out of sight or prevent the threatened punishment, for it could not destroy the Word that never returns void, and the same Holy Spirit caused the rejected testimony to be written again with much added, only giving increased publicity and confirmation to what was repulsed. The same act is virtually repeated in these last days when those who have had great light by criticism and refusal to repent and reform burn the messages of the Spirit of God and despise faithful reproof, and opposition will not hinder execution but ends in ruin for those who refuse to be corrected.
Setting and Defiant Act
Jeremiah entrusted a written roll to Baruch the scribe to be read to the king, and after Baruch had read it to the people and to the princes, Jehudi fetched the roll and began reading its words of reproof and warning before Jehoiakim king of Judah and the princes of Judah gathered about an open fire in the winter house. The king was seated on his throne as the reading went forward, holding the written roll in one hand and a penknife in the other.
Only three or four leaves had been read in the king's hearing when he acted, a small portion of only three or four pages of the special message sent to him. The hearing of so little did not restrain him, for after listening to those three or four pages he cut into the roll.
Far from trembling at the danger hanging over himself and his people, he in a frenzy of rage seized the roll and deliberately cut it with the penknife and cast it into the fire on the hearth burning beside him. As Jehudi read, the king cut the scroll into pieces and burned it in the fire until the whole roll was completely consumed.
Neither the king nor his servants were afraid, and they showed no fear or remorse or sorrow and did not rend their garments. The burning showed contempt for the warning that exposed the people's true condition. Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah interceded and pleaded with him not to burn the scroll, yet he would not heed them.
Meaning and Enduring Message
Jehoiakim's cutting and burning of the roll was deliberate destruction and defiant rejection of God's written warning, showing contempt for His call to hear, that every man might return from his evil way and receive forgiveness. It was refusal of the binding claims of the law of God and of enjoined obedience to His commandments when hearers feel their own characters in contrast to its requirements, leaving the rejecter without willingness to be called back to repentance. It was trifling with the Lord, passing the boundary line by turning from light to follow selfish devisings and man-formed opinions and joining the enemy.
Burning the roll was defiance that could not prevent the threatened punishment, could not destroy the message, and could not get it out of sight or bring it to an end, for the Word of God will never return void. The same Holy Spirit who gave the first testimony that was refused and burned gave the rejected message again to Jeremiah's servant who had caused the first roll to be written, had it written once more with much added, repeating the very rejected message with a great deal more. Opposition to God's threatenings will not hinder their execution, and resisting His warnings provokes His anger and ends in ruin. Cutting up and consuming His straight, plain message only gives increased publicity to and confirmation of the message dismissed and repulsed, for when God sends a correcting message all the transaction is recorded and those who refuse to be corrected pronounce their own sentence against themselves.
Warning Repeated Today
In these last days those who have had great light virtually repeat Jehoiakim's act when by criticism and refusal to repent and reform they burn the messages of the Spirit of God. The warning was given concerning Battle Creek that a similar rejection of God's messages would occur in that generation.
People who turn from God and His light may repeat the same rejection under the influence of the same evil spirit. Those who hear the evidence today revealing character in contrast to God's requirements would do what Jehoiakim did if placed in similar circumstances.
The same act is repeated when faithful reproof given of God in testimony is despised and written words of rebuke and warning are burned or thrown into the fire rather than heeded. Rejecting a message calling for obedience to God's commandments does not make that message void. Destroying the written roll could not destroy the message.
Those who deliver God's reproof may face the same opposition and persecution Jeremiah endured. Indignation often kindles in the sinner's heart against the agent God chooses to deliver His reproofs, and the same spirit that persecuted and imprisoned Jeremiah for obeying the word of the Lord exists today. Resisting His warnings provokes His anger and ends in ruin, and opposition to His threatenings will not hinder their execution.
When God sends a message to any man or woman, minister or doctor, to correct principles and turn the heart to repentance, refusal to be corrected and receive it is not the end. All the transaction is recorded, and those who refuse to be corrected pronounce their own sentence against themselves. Those who pursue a course to make the correcting message of no effect and destroy the influence God designed to change principles only sustain presumption and leave wickedness remaining. Cutting up and consuming His straight, plain message to get it out of sight does not bring it to an end, but only gives increased publicity to and confirmation of the message dismissed and repulsed.
Those who step in between God and the one mercifully warned and justify and vindicate him while claiming to be ministers and doctors of the Lord leave wickedness and deceit remaining in him. They sustain him in presumption in his own course until sin in deception, falsehood, unprincipled working and underhand dealing becomes current, and build him up in a crooked course that is not justice and righteousness. They will suffer with the transgressor unless they humble themselves before God with repentance that needeth not to be repented of, and it would be better for such men if they had never been born.
The messages of warning are repeated as the roll was rewritten, and judgment follows those who hearken not. God as the high and holy One who inhabiteth eternity will be vindicated in seeking to bring men to repentance to see crooked ways and turn and be converted. His purpose is to save erring men from a wrong course that would destroy usefulness, that sins now registered in the books of heaven may be blotted out. So it was seen in the persecution Christ endured and the treatment of faithful servants in every age.