Jeremiah dictated the words that he heard from the Lord to Baruch who wrote the words down on a scroll and took the scroll to the temple to read to all of the people. The officials sitting in the temple heard the words of the Lord and told Baruch to go back, get Jeremiah and go into hiding. These were not words that the king was going to like. The officials, who feared the king more than they did God, took the scroll to Jehoiakim, who didn't fear anyone.
It was the ninth month and the king was sitting in the winter apartment, with a fire burning in the firepot in front of him. Whenever Jehudi had read three or four columns of the scroll, the king cut them off with a scribe’s knife and threw them into the firepot, until the entire scroll was burned in the fire. The king and all his attendants who heard all these words showed no fear, nor did they tear their clothes. - Jer. 36:22-24 NIV
It's pretty easy to fear nothing when you're sitting comfortably in front of a burning fire, surrounded by your friends and others in powerful positions. It's easy to fear nothing when, even though the enemy has the city surrounded, you have everything you need. Fear is for those who are having difficulty finding food. Fear is for those whose houses have been burned by the enemy. Fear is not for the high and mighty, comfortable in the luxury that their wealth and influence has afforded them. Cut all the dire predictions into little pieces. Throw them into the fire, they mean nothing. It's just paper, it's just words. The enemy, who's that? God, who does he think he is?
2010 Post - Jeremiah 34-36: Freedom
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