“Therefore, this is what the LORD says about Jehoiakim king of Judah: He will have no one to sit on the throne of David; his body will be thrown out and exposed to the heat of the day and the frost by night.”
~ Jeremiah 36:30
Hi James and Ellen,
Do you like to read the Bible? Do you like to have your dad or ma read the Bible to you? Is anything happening to you as you are reading the Bible? Is anything happening to your dad or ma as your dad or ma is reading the Bible to you? Do you think that God is watching you as you are reading the Bible? Do you think that God is watching your dad or ma as your dad or ma is reading the Bible to you? Do you think that the Bible should be burned? Do you think that God would be okay with a guy, gal or kid if the guy, gal or kid decides to burn a Bible? Do you know what the Bible is? Is the Bible to you just another book? The sixty-six books in the Bible were first written on scrolls. Scrolls were made from animal skins or papyrus. A stretched and dried animal skin is called a parchment or vellum. Papyrus is from the pith that is in papyrus reeds. Jeremiah – in Jeremiah 36, was being prompted by God – as God the Spirit, to scribe with ink – with the ink being made out of soot or lampblack that had been mixed with gum arabic or oil or some kind of metallic substance, on a scroll how He was going to inflict or punish His specially chosen guys and gals – the Israelite people’s group’s guys and gals, for their complete abject disobedience against Him. The king who was ruling over the guys and gals who were living in Judah’s land area and in the city of Jerusalem at this time was Jehoiakim. It was 605 B.C. – which was 2609 years ago or 2626 years ago at the time of this editing, when God – as God the Spirit, prompted Jeremiah to dictate to Baruch – his secretary, what He wanted scribed on a scroll for His specially chosen guys and gals to hear read to them. Jeremiah first asked Baruch to read the words that he had had Baruch scribe on a scroll to a group of guys who were in the temple that was in the city of Jerusalem on a day that was scheduled for fasting. When Baruch read the words that he had scribed on a scroll, the guys who heard these words realized that God was serious about what He planning to do. The guys who heard the words read that Jeremiah dictated to Baruch to scribe on a scroll, decided that their king really needed to hear the words read to him.
The scroll that had the words that Baruch had scribed on with ink – which Jeremiah had dictated to him to scribe, was taken to Jehoiakim. It was by this time winter – and a new year. When the scroll that had on it the words that God – as God the Spirit, had Jeremiah dictate to his secretary – Baruch, to scribe arrived at where Jehoiakim was living – which was in his winter apartment, Jehoiakim was sitting in a chair with a firepot next to him – with a fire burning in the firepot. Jehudi was delegated to read the scroll to Jehoiakim. When Jehudi would finish reading three or four columns of the scroll, Jehoiakim would cut the columns off with a scribe’s knife and throw the columns into the fire that was burning in the firepot. When the guys in the temple heard what had been written on the scroll as Jehudi was reading it to Jehoiakim, the guys became scared. When the guys who were with Jehoiadim heard what had been written on the scroll as it was being read to Jehoiadim, they did not do anything. When Jehudi finished reading the scroll, Jehoiakim ordered one of his officers – Jerahmeel, to find Jeremiah and Baruch to arrest them. How do you think that God felt about Jehoiakim – which warned Jehoiakim of what He was going to do to him if he continued to . . ., cutting up the scroll with a scribe’s knife and burning the scroll’s cut up pieces. Jeremiah wrote in verse 30, “Therefore, this is what the LORD says about Jehoiakim king of Judah: He will have no one to sit on the throne of David; his body will be thrown out and exposed to the heat of the day and the frost by night.” Because Jehoiakim did not take seriously the words that God – as God the Spirit, had made sure were scribed in ink on a scroll, God would make sure that Jehoiakim and his family would never be remembered.
Your grandpaa’s dad and ma – by example, taught your grandpaa to read the Bible every day. Your grandpaa lived for two years in Sioux Center, Iowa. Dordt College is located in Sioux Center. When your grandpaa finished his first school year at Dordt College, he stayed in Sioux Center through the summer to work. Your grandpaa during the two years that he lived in Sioux Center stayed in the apartment that was in the basement of Mr. and Mrs. Kried’s house. Mr. and Mrs. Kried were really kind to your grandpaa. Mr. Kried was the electrician at a manufacturing place in Sioux Center called Wandscheers. Mr. Kried got a job for your grandpaa at Wandscheers. Before your grandpaa went to bed each night, your grandpaa would read the Bible. Your grandpaa has never forgotten the night when – as he was reading the Bible, your grandpaa suddenly felt or sensed a strong desire to kneel down in front of the chair where he had been sitting to tell God that he knew that he totally believed in what he had been reading in the Bible. Your grandpaa also told God at that time that he was willing to do whatever He asked him to do. Your grandpaa did not sense any change in his life – at that time. Your grandpaa knows now that God heard what your grandpaa said that night and that God did not forget what your grandpaa said that he would do if . . . it was after your grandpaa was called by God to be for Him a servant leader – as a missionary, that your grandpaa was one day reminded of that night when he told God that he had heard His voice speaking to him. Have you heard God speaking to you through the words that He had different guys over centuries write down – and which is now the Bible? Your grandpaa knows that regularly reading the Bible will lead to being amazingly blessed by God. Your grandpaa also believes that not accepting the Bible as is – which is to have no desire to read the Bible, will ultimately lead to being burned in hell.
Jeremiah 36 (464)