Destroying the Word of God

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JEREMIAH 36
Lesson #36
DESTROYING THE WORD OF GOD

• Memory Verse: Isa 55:11
• Read Jer 36:1-8
  • God tells Jeremiah again to write down everything that God told him in a book.
  • He was writing down all his prophecies from the beginning of his ministry. That is how we happen to have the book of Jeremiah.
    • Baruch was Jeremiah’s scribe. He wrote everything Jeremiah told him.
    • Because Jeremiah was under house arrest and forbidden to enter the temple, Jeremiah will send Baruch to read the messages from the book in the presence of the people in the temple during a national day of fasting a year later.
      • Notice that God does not leave his people without a witness and a testimony.
      • When Jeremiah could not go, God sent someone else.
      • Even in their unrepentant sin our merciful God still pleads with His people to repent and to warn them of what is to come. This is the unlimited mercy and love of God.
• Read Jer 36:9-19 Writing and reading the Word
  • After a year of writing the whole book of Jeremiah to this point, the special fast day has arrived.
    • However, without repentance of sin, the fasting of the people will achieve nothing.
    • The forgiveness of sin and salvation depend on a person’s repentance of sin.
  • Baruch goes to the temple to read the Word of God to the people.
    • Some of the leaders heard about what was happening in the temple and commanded Baruch to read the book in the temple to all of the leaders.
    • Baruch is told that he and Jeremiah are in danger and must hide themselves.
• Read Jer 36:20-32 The destruction of the book
  • The book is confiscated and kept by a scribe.
  • The king is told about all that was happening and demanded to hear it read to him.
  • Then the book is read to King Jehoiakim by a scribe.
    • Jehoiakim’s response to the Word of God:
      • Jehoiakim cuts the book and throws the Word of God in the fire to burn it, even though several men close to the king plead with the king not to burn it.
      • It is interesting that man in his pride thinks he is in control.
      • Man thinks he can change the outcome of God’s will if he destroys the messenger and/or the message.
    • The king commands the arrest of Baruch and Jeremiah.
      • Notice that verse 26 says that the Lord hid them.
      • We do not know the details of this miracle, but we see the protection of God over those that preach the Word of God.
      • This protection is a testimony of who is actually in control.
  • After the burning of the Word of God, Jeremiah and Baruch are told to write it all again.
    • Before the days of a typewriter or a computer, this is a big task that would probably take another year of hard work.
    • Added to the original book, God gives Jeremiah a special judgment against the king and his leader for burning the book.
      • The king would have no descendants sit on the throne of David.
      • The king would not have a normal burial. His body would be treated like refuse.
• Application:
  • How is the Word of God treated today?
    • =1= Forgotten and ignored. (Coffee table Bibles that contain the family genealogy but are never read.)
    • =2= Changed and depleted verses and words. (New International Version).
      • There are 2,886 fewer words in the New International Version than in the King James Bible.

King James	New International Version
Mat 27:35 “And they crucified him, and parted his garments, casting lots: (that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet. They parted my garments among them, and upon my vesture did they cast lots.) When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots.	Mat 27:35 “When they had crucified him, they divided up his clothes by casting lots.”

• • • • There are whole missing verses in the New International Version. Here are some:
        • Mat 17:21

King James: “Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.”

• • • • • Mar 7:16

King James: “If any man have ears to hear, let him hear.”

• • • • • Mar 11:26

King James: “But if ye do not forgive, neither will your father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.”

• • • • Some other missing verses cut out of the NIV.
        • Mar 9:44, 46 Mar 15:28
        • Luk 17:36 Act 28:29
    • =3= Modernized to water down the meaning of the words. (All the modern versions do this in one way or another.)
      • “Hell” is missing
      • To make the Bible more acceptable to the non-believer, “hell” has been removed from many modern translations. This is done in 2 ways.
        • 1. New American Standard Version

Leaves “hell” un-translated (sheol, or hades).

• • • • • 2. New International Version

Translates sheol as “death” or “grave” just like the Jehovah Witness Bible.

• • • =4= Deliberate change of doctrine:
      • A comparison of doctrinal differences

King James	New Amer. Standard	New Intern. Version
Joh 6:47 …he that believeth on me hath everlasting life.	Joh 6:47 …he who believes has eternal life.	Joh 6:47 …he who believes has everlasting life.
1Tim 3:16 “Great is the mystery of godliness, God was manifest in the flesh…”	1Tim 3:16 “Great is the mystery of godliness, he who was revealed in the flesh…”	1Tim 3:16 ”The mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body…”
1Joh 4:3 “Every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God…”	1Joh 4:3 “Every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God…”	1Joh 4:3 “But every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God…”
Mat 18:11 “For the son of man is come to save that which was lost.”	Mat 18:11 {appears in brackets as doubtful scripture}	Mat 18:11 {eliminated}
Eph 3:9 “…who created all things by Jesus Christ.	Eph 3:9 “…God who created all things.	Eph 3:9 “…God, who created all things.
1Joh 5:7 “For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one.”	1Joh 5:7 “And it is the spirit who bears witness, because the spirit is the truth.”	1Joh 5:7 “For there are three that testify: the spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement.”
Luk 2:22 “And when the days of her purification according to the law of Moses were accomplished, they brought him to Jerusalem, to present him to the Lord:”	Luk 2:22 “And when the days for their purification according to the law of Moses were completed, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.”	Luk 2:22 “When the time of their purification according to the law of Moses had been completed, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord”
Joh 3:15 “That whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life	Joh 3:15 “That whoever believes may in him have eternal life	Joh 3:15 “That everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.

Homework
Jeremiah 37-39

• Application of Jer 36
  • Has your attitude toward the Word of God changed over the past 3 years? How?
• Preparation for Jer 37 – 39
  • Read Jer 37 – 39
    • Why do you think King Zedekiah wanted the secret meetings with Jeremiah?
    • What is King Zedekiah’s basic problem that he will not obey God’s commands? (38:19)
    • What do you learn about God and His marvelous deliverance for the believer in times of need? (38:6-13)
• Memory Verse: Jer 39:18