Jeremiah Lesson Five: The Burning Scroll Reading: Jeremiah 25; 36 E vil men have tried to destroy the Word of God since God inspired prophets and apostles to write it down, yet the strategies of these enemies seem to be powerless against the Bible ’ s eternal words. Voltaire predicted that within a hundred years of his death Christianity would be swept from existence, yet two centuries have come and gone, and today Voltaire’s writings are obscure, while almost every home has a Bible. As Jesus said, “ Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away ” ( Matthew 24:35). In this lesson, Jehoiakim king of Judah attempts to destroy God ’ s Word with fire, but in the end, his opposition is revealed as a vain, weak gesture against Almighty God. The Burning Scroll What evidence is there linking Jeremiah 25 and 36? (cf. 25:1; 36:1). What light does this shed on the events that transpire in chapter 36? Who did Jeremiah say was to come up against Jerusalem and take it? (Jeremiah 25:9). How long was the captivity to last? (Jeremiah 25:11-12; Daniel 9:2). What was to happen to Babylon after the captivity? (Jeremiah 25:12- 14). After Jeremiah had spoken these words, what did the Lord command him to do? (Jeremiah 36:1-3).
Who was Jeremiah ’ s assistant, or scribe? (Jeremiah 36:4). The Anvil When the officials Last eve I passed beside a blacksmith’s door heard the words of the And heard the anvil ring the vesper chime; scroll, how did they When looking in, I saw upon the floor, react? (Jeremiah 36:16- Old hammers worn with beating years of time. 19). “How may anvils have you had,” said I, “To wear and batter all these hammers so?” “Just one,” said he; then said with twinkling eye, “The anvil wears the hammers out, you know.” And so, I thought, the anvil of God’s word Why do you think the For ages skeptics’ blows have beat upon; Yet, though the noise of falling blows was heard, officials told Jeremiah The anvil is unharmed — the hammers gone! and Baruch to hide? John Clifford (1836-1923) How did king Jehoiakim receive the message? (Jeremiah 36:21-24). How did God respond to Jehoiakim ’ s rejection of his Word? What did he tell Jeremiah to do? What punishment did the king bring upon himself by this act (Jeremiah 36:30; 22:24-30). The Inspiration of the Bible What did the Lord command Jeremiah to write on a scroll? How does this command support the idea of verbal inspiration? If the Bible is verbally inspired (i.e., every word has been selected by the Holy Spirit), how does that affect the way we read the Bible? (cf. 1 Corinthians 2:7 – 13).
Study Jesus ’ debate with the Sadducees in Matthew 22:23 – 33 and Paul ’ s logic in Galatians 3:16. How did the verbal inspiration of the Bible inform these teachers ’ conclusions? Notice how the phrase “ the words of Jeremiah from the scroll ” and “the words of the Lord from the scroll” are used interchangeably (Jeremiah 36:6, 10). Is reading the Bible any different from personal communication from the Lord? (cf. 2 Timothy 3:16 – 17). Throughout the passage, the Lord is instructing Jeremiah to put his words down in writing. What advantage does the written medium have over other forms of communication, such as prophecy, visions, and angelic messengers? The Indestructible Word Throughout this passage, we can see several different responses to the Word of God. How is each of the following characters impacted by the Word? Jeremiah: ________________________________________________ Baruch: _________________________________________________ The Officials: _____________________________________________ The King: ________________________________________________ Are you allowing the Word of God to make an impact on your life? In what way? Many influential people like Jehoiakim have tried to destroy the Word of God, but the Bible endures. What does this say about the Bible ’ s claims of inspiration? Who is right, the critics or God? (cf. Ps. 119:89; 1 Pet. 1:23-25; Heb. 13:20-21).
Readings for Meditation “ Men come and go; generations vanish. But the Holy Scriptures march on triumphantly. There is a saying: ‘ Homer must be handled with care. ’ The allusion, of course, is to the compositions of the blind poet of ancient Greece. The implication in the proverb is this: Homer’s works have been treasured and preserved cautiously for centuries. And yet, in spite of this meticulous care, only scant copies of Homer’s writings survive. There is no complete copy of the poet’s works prior to the thirteenth century A.D. — more than two thousand years after the Greek writer lived … . By way of vivid contrast, the Bible, though viciously opposed and oppressed across several millennia, is reflected in thousands of Hebrew and Greek manuscripts, and even today continues to be the best-selling publication in the world. -Wayne Jackson “ It is incongruous that the scholars who raise a voice against the adequacy of language have found language adequate enough to convey their view that language is not adequate! The time-tested superiority of a written record of truth was the one God chose to use in order to make permanent and immortalize his message to men. ” -Geisler and Nix, General Introduction to the Bible “ We can create a people around a certain ethnicity. We can create a people around a fully graded choir program. We can find people who will get excited about a building project or a denominational identity. We can create a people around a series of care groups, where each feels loved and cared for. We can create a people around a community service project. We can create a people around social opportunities for young mothers or Caribbean cruises for singles. We can create a people around men ’ s groups. We can even create a people around the personality of the preacher. … But in the final analysis the people of God, the church of God, can only be created around the Word of God. ” -Mark Dever, Nine Marks of a Healthy Church
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