Jeremiah 36:28, commentary and pictures

God commanded that another roll be made to replace the one Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned, containing again all the former prophecies concerning Judah and Jerusalem. Jeremiah dictated those words anew to Baruch son of Neriah, who wrote them from his mouth, with many like words added besides them by the same Holy Spirit. Burning the roll did not destroy the message, for the reproof and warning and swift-coming punishment it contained could not be disposed of so easily as the writing, and God's word never returns to Him void but lives on as burning fire. Rejecting and trying to put the plain message out of sight only brought further declaration of judgment for refusal to heed and gave increased publicity and confirmation to what had been repulsed. This stands as a warning against rejecting God's corrective light to trust one's own wisdom, for refusal does not end the message but is recorded and pronounces sentence, and the same rejection will be repeated in the present.

The Burned Roll Rewritten

After the burning, God commanded Jeremiah to take another roll and write in it all the former words that had been in the first roll which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned. The command required writing again every word from the burned scroll, including all the former prophecies concerning Judah and Jerusalem. The burning did not silence or erase the message, but it was to be preserved and delivered again.

The command was fulfilled when Jeremiah dictated the words again to Baruch son of Neriah. Baruch wrote from Jeremiah's mouth on another roll all the words of the burned book.

The second roll did not contain only the former words, for many like words were added besides them. A great deal more was added to the repeated message. It was given again by the same Holy Spirit who had given the first testimony that had been refused and burned.

When God's special message was read in Jehoiakim's hearing he listened to only three or four pages. He then cut it out with a penknife and cast it into the fire.

God's Message Cannot Be Silenced

Jehoiakim's burning of the roll was not the end of the matter and could not destroy God's message. The written words were more easily disposed of than the reproof and warning they contained and the swift-coming punishment pronounced against rebellious Israel. What was burned was to be preserved and delivered again, for God's word never returns to Him void but still lived in Jeremiah's heart as a burning fire. The command to take another roll and write in it all the former words concerning Judah and Jerusalem was fulfilled when the words were dictated again and written anew, with many like words added besides them, so that the message was preserved and enlarged. This persistence exposes the danger of rejecting God's warnings and light, for the act could not erase the message and the history stands as a warning whose events have parallels in the present and will be repeated.

Burning written words of reproof does not stop the threatened warning and judgment from taking effect. The king's rejection brought a further declaration of judgment against Jehoiakim and Judah for refusal to heed. That refusal provokes God's anger and brings ruin, and those who reject light and trust their own wisdom will walk in darkness. The episode in this way illustrates the opposition God's messengers may face when faithfully delivering His reproof.

Trying to consume a straight, plain message to get it out of sight does not end it but only gives increased publicity to and confirmation of what was dismissed and repulsed. Jehoiakim's attempt to limit the prophet's influence only gave further opportunity for making plain the divine requirements. When God sends a corrective message to any man or woman and they refuse to be corrected and refuse to receive it, that is not the end of the message by any means. All the transaction is recorded, and those who take part in it by refusal pronounce their own sentence against themselves.

The special message was read in Jehoiakim's hearing, he listened to only three or four pages, then cut it out with a penknife and cast it into the fire. That burning could not destroy the message, for the same Holy Spirit who had given the first testimony that was refused and burned repeated the very message that had been rejected, caused it to be written again in another roll, and added a great deal more to it. The act exposes those who hear the evidence of the binding claims of God's law and the required obedience to His commandments and, feeling their characters in contrast to the requirements, would do as Jehoiakim did to get the message out of sight.

Warning Against Rejecting Light

The burning of the roll shows the danger of rejecting God's warnings and light, for the command to write all the former words again meant the message could not be erased but was repeated with warning of judgment against Jehoiakim and Judah for refusal to heed it. That rewriting was part of God's plan to correct and save the erring, and the next roll contained many additional words besides the former ones. Those who reject God's light and trust their own wisdom will walk in darkness, and the same kind of rejection would happen again.

When the Lord sends a corrective message to any man or woman to correct them and they refuse to be corrected and refuse to receive it, that is not the end of the message by any means. Trying to consume a straight, plain message to get it out of sight does not end it but only gives increased publicity to and confirmation of what was dismissed and repulsed. All the transaction is recorded, and those who take part in it by refusal pronounce their own sentence against themselves.

Those who pursue a course to make of no effect a message God designed to change principles and turn the heart to repentance would be better if they had never been born. God will be vindicated in His work to bring men to see their crooked ways and turn and be converted so their sins registered in the books of heaven may be blotted out. Those who justify the one God corrected and build him up in his crooked, unjust course will suffer with the transgressor unless they humble themselves with repentance that needeth not to be repented of.

This history stands as a warning because these historical events have parallels in the present and will be repeated. The burning did not silence the message, for it was to be preserved and delivered again, and destroying the roll could not destroy God's message, which was preserved and enlarged. The chapter is a warning to Battle Creek.