King James Bible Study – [And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. – Mark 8:34]
Date: Monday, August 18, 2025
Chapters: Jeremiah 35-37
Message: Jeremiah: The Scroll
Hello My Friend,
It is not uncommon for produces of old movies to to make prequel’s now that show how the characters became who they were as well as the events that took place that led up to the original. Well, God had done that through His Word ever since He had Moses pen down the first five books of the Bible. As we continue in the reading of Jeremiah we learn that those who rebel against the Word of God do everything they can to try to destroy it, as if that will stop what is written in it from happening, but all they are doing is adding to their own peril, [Revelation 22:18-19 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.]
God, did not need to give us His Word to know that He exists or even to follow Him, He gave it for two reasons, to make the way more perfect, [2 Timothy 3:16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:] and to give us a better understanding of who He is, [Exodus 24:12 And the LORD said unto Moses, Come up to me into the mount, and be there: and I will give thee tables of stone, and a law, and commandments which I have written; that thou mayest teach them.]
Yesterday we learned of the events that took place that led to king Zechariah being captured and taken to Babylon, today we learn of the events that led to Jehoiakim being captured and Jeremiah being arrested. First, we learn of the Rechabites, who were a group of Arabs. They were actually refugees from the neighboring country who sought asylum within the walls of Jerusalem to escape the Chaldean’s.
[Jeremiah 35:1-3,5-7 The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying, 2 Go unto the house of the Rechabites, and speak unto them, and bring them into the house of the LORD, into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink. 3 Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habaziniah, and his brethren, and all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites; 5 And I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites pots full of wine, and cups, and I said unto them, Drink ye wine. 6 But they said, We will drink no wine: for Jonadab the son of Rechab our father commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons for ever: 7 Neither shall ye build house, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyard, nor have any: but all your days ye shall dwell in tents; that ye may live many days in the land where ye be strangers.]
Jeremiah, did what God asked and served them wine, but would not accept it. Rechab, was an ancestor of the tribe of the Kenites, these were descendants of Moses as his wife was from there, [Judges 1:16 And the children of the Kenite, Moses’ father in law, went up out of the city of palm trees with the children of Judah into the wilderness of Judah, which lieth in the south of Arad; and they went and dwelt among the people.] Rechab, had given his children the command to abstain from wine in order to protect them immorally corrupting themselves. Think about it, that is all that God is attempting to do by giving us rules to follow and through Jeremiah He goes on to point that out to the Jews.
[Jeremiah 35:13-15 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Go and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will ye not receive instruction to hearken to my words? saith the LORD. 14 The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, that he commanded his sons not to drink wine, are performed; for unto this day they drink none, but obey their father’s commandment: notwithstanding I have spoken unto you, rising early and speaking; but ye hearkened not unto me. 15 I have sent also unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers: but ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto me.]
In other words, the Rechabites, who have no knowledge of the Law, do what their father commanded them with no questions asked, but the people who know me rebel every time. This is similar to what we are told from Paul, [Romans 2:13-15 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the doers of the law shall be justified. 14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: 15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)]
It is a sad truth that there are many saved, born again Christians with less morals than those of the world, which is why so many have a hard time trusting in Christ. Jesus, said this to the religious group, [Matthew 23:13-14 But woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven against men: for ye neither go in yourselves, neither suffer ye them that are entering to go in. 14 Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye devour widows’ houses, and for a pretence make long prayer: therefore ye shall receive the greater damnation.] Those who are proclaiming Christ and not obeying the Word of God need to be very mindful of their salvation and make sure that they are saved to begin with. Watch what God says to the Rechabites.
[Jeremiah 35:17-19 Therefore thus saith the LORD God of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring upon Judah and upon all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the evil that I have pronounced against them: because I have spoken unto them, but they have not heard; and I have called unto them, but they have not answered. 18 And Jeremiah said unto the house of the Rechabites, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Because ye have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts, and done according unto all that he hath commanded you: 19 Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me for ever.]
In other words, the family of the Rechabites will live forever under the protection of God. This is actually another reminder from Jesus, [Matthew 16:27-28 For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works. 28 Verily I say unto you, There be some standing here, which shall not taste of death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom.] in other words, if you are not saved, then you are going to learn the hard way that you are not as the day you die and face Jesus you will be cast into hell because no amount of works will be accounted for if you are not saved, [Matthew 7:22-23 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.]
Today, it is said that the Rechabites are still living in the desert of Yemen, on the border of Mesopotamia and Arabia. Jesus, protects the souls of all who come to Him as their Saviour, simply by grace through their faith in Him, but He still expects them to live a simple and moral life as He did not die for us so that we might remain living in sin, which was why God had told Judah about the Rechabites. Nevertheless, God thought that perhaps if His words were written in a book, then maybe then they would listen to Jeremiah. So, He instructs Jeremiah to write down what He says in a book and send it over to the priests.
[Jeremiah 36:1-4 And it came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, that this word came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 2 Take thee a roll of a book, and write therein all the words that I have spoken unto thee against Israel, and against Judah, and against all the nations, from the day I spake unto thee, from the days of Josiah, even unto this day. 3 It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the evil which I purpose to do unto them; that they may return every man from his evil way; that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin. 4 Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah: and Baruch wrote from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the LORD, which he had spoken unto him, upon a roll of a book.]
God, does not want to see one soul in hell. God, never stops trying to get the people that know about Him to receive Him, but there does come a time when He will stop calling them. No one ends up in hell because God wanted them there, and it is quite sad that the number of who believe in God that end up there outweighs those who end up in heaven, [Revelation 21:7-8 He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. 8 But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death.]
Does God expect us to follow every command written in His Word? While technically He does, not all of them apply to us today, but we must never make light of the first ten, which are basically where all the others come from. God, knows our flesh, which is why He sent Jesus, so what He expects from us is faithfulness, which includes confessing sin. So, when Baruch went up to the temple and read the words, the people heard what God said and started fasting to get right with God.
[Jeremiah 36:6-9 Therefore go thou, and read in the roll, which thou hast written from my mouth, the words of the LORD in the ears of the people in the LORD’S house upon the fasting day: and also thou shalt read them in the ears of all Judah that come out of their cities. 7 It may be they will present their supplication before the LORD, and will return every one from his evil way: for great is the anger and the fury that the LORD hath pronounced against this people. 8 And Baruch the son of Neriah did according to all that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him, reading in the book the words of the LORD in the LORD’S house. 9 And it came to pass in the fifth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, in the ninth month, that they proclaimed a fast before the LORD to all the people in Jerusalem, and to all the people that came from the cities of Judah unto Jerusalem.]
Do you see what they were doing? They were fasting and praying to the LORD. Well, we can fast and pray all we want, but unless we come to Him through the LORD, Jesus Christ, then God will not hear us, [John 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.] This is why Jesus also said this, [Matthew 15:8-9 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.]
I do not know the exact number, but I am pretty sure that it is in the ninety percent mark, but the majority of people who proclaim Christ have no clue what the Word of God says about Him and the second they learn that they are sinners headed for hell unless they receive Him as their Saviour they bolt. Why? They think their own righteousness will save them, hence the teaching for the commandments of men. No sooner than the people began to do what was written in the book, a man named Michaiah went to the king’s house and told them what happened.
[Jeremiah 36:11-12,17-19 When Michaiah the son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, had heard out of the book all the words of the LORD, 12 Then he went down into the king’s house, into the scribe’s chamber: and, lo, all the princes sat there, even Elishama the scribe, and Delaiah the son of Shemaiah, and Elnathan the son of Achbor, and Gemariah the son of Shaphan, and Zedekiah the son of Hananiah, and all the princes. 17 And they asked Baruch, saying, Tell us now, How didst thou write all these words at his mouth? 18 Then Baruch answered them, He pronounced all these words unto me with his mouth, and I wrote them with ink in the book. 19 Then said the princes unto Baruch, Go, hide thee, thou and Jeremiah; and let no man know where ye be.]
The princes knew that this news would not go over too well with the king, and they were correct. As soon as a man named Jehudi started to read it, he not only cut up the scroll, they threw it in the fire and watched it burn, [Jeremiah 36:22-26 Now the king sat in the winterhouse in the ninth month: and there was a fire on the hearth burning before him. 23 And it came to pass, that when Jehudi had read three or four leaves, he cut it with the penknife, and cast it into the fire that was on the hearth, until all the roll was consumed in the fire that was on the hearth. 24 Yet they were not afraid, nor rent their garments, neither the king, nor any of his servants that heard all these words. 25 Nevertheless Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah had made intercession to the king that he would not burn the roll: but he would not hear them. 26 But the king commanded Jerahmeel the son of Hammelech, and Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to take Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet: but the LORD hid them.]
Since creation, the wicked have been trying to silence God, His Word, and those who preach it. Still today there are nations that will burn the Bible if they catch you with one. You see, the problem is that the world and religious see God as all the rest of the gods, just some man made god that they created. They fail to recognize that He is the living, breathing, walking, talking, Almighty God, and their Creator. Since God will always remain, His Word will also, [Psalms 119:89-92 LAMED. For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven. 90 Thy faithfulness is unto all generations: thou hast established the earth, and it abideth. 91 They continue this day according to thine ordinances: for all are thy servants. 92 Unless thy law had been my delights, I should then have perished in mine affliction.]
Did they really think that destroying the scroll was going to keep the judgment from coming to pass? If anything they only made things worse. God, not only had Jeremiah write the book all over again, it is the only time that we will read that God Himself added more words to His Word. Jehoiakim, would actually be the last king from the descendant of Judah to reign in Israel until Jesus returns.
[Jeremiah 36:28-30,32 Take thee again another roll, and write in it all the former words that were in the first roll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah hath burned. 29 And thou shalt say to Jehoiakim king of Judah, Thus saith the LORD; Thou hast burned this roll, saying, Why hast thou written therein, saying, The king of Babylon shall certainly come and destroy this land, and shall cause to cease from thence man and beast? 30 Therefore thus saith the LORD of Jehoiakim king of Judah; He shall have none to sit upon the throne of David: and his dead body shall be cast out in the day to the heat, and in the night to the frost. 32 Then took Jeremiah another roll, and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah; who wrote therein from the mouth of Jeremiah all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire: and there were added besides unto them many like words.]
When God had sentenced judgment upon Judah He did everything possible to get them to return to Him before He fulfilled that sentence. With the majority of people carried away, the rebels, including the king, who was now Zedekiah, could have avoided more judgment, but they refused to listen to God. Now, here comes Egypt trying to overthrow Nebuchadnezzar, this time they even called for Jeremiah and asked for him to pray for them.
[Jeremiah 37:1-3 And king Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah. 2 But neither he, nor his servants, nor the people of the land, did hearken unto the words of the LORD, which he spake by the prophet Jeremiah. 3 And Zedekiah the king sent Jehucal the son of Shelemiah and Zephaniah the son of Maaseiah the priest to the prophet Jeremiah, saying, Pray now unto the LORD our God for us.]
Now that they are seeing what Jeremiah had warned them about they want God’s help, but He was done with them. Up until this point Jeremiah was no longer in the prison as God had hid him, but now he showed himself and prayed to God for them. However, in an attempt to take Judah for themselves the Egyptians come in and attacked the Chaldeans, which delayed things for a while, but did not change the fate of the king and his family.
[Jeremiah 37:5,7-10 Then Pharaoh’s army was come forth out of Egypt: and when the Chaldeans that besieged Jerusalem heard tidings of them, they departed from Jerusalem. 7 Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Thus shall ye say to the king of Judah, that sent you unto me to enquire of me; Behold, Pharaoh’s army, which is come forth to help you, shall return to Egypt into their own land. 8 And the Chaldeans shall come again, and fight against this city, and take it, and burn it with fire. 9 Thus saith the LORD; Deceive not yourselves, saying, The Chaldeans shall surely depart from us: for they shall not depart. 10 For though ye had smitten the whole army of the Chaldeans that fight against you, and there remained but wounded men among them, yet should they rise up every man in his tent, and burn this city with fire.]
This is why so many Christians fall away from God, they do not want to hear the truth nor believe that they need to obey God’s commands. Jeremiah, desperately trying to get on the convoy that was headed to Babylon was captured at the border and arrested.
[Jeremiah 37:12-15 Then Jeremiah went forth out of Jerusalem to go into the land of Benjamin, to separate himself thence in the midst of the people. 13 And when he was in the gate of Benjamin, a captain of the ward was there, whose name was Irijah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Hananiah; and he took Jeremiah the prophet, saying, Thou fallest away to the Chaldeans. 14 Then said Jeremiah, It is false; I fall not away to the Chaldeans. But he hearkened not to him: so Irijah took Jeremiah, and brought him to the princes. 15 Wherefore the princes were wroth with Jeremiah, and smote him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe: for they had made that the prison.]
Well, for days he was cast into a dungeon thinking that their troubles were over only to discover that the very things that Jeremiah warned them about were still coming to pass. That was when Zedekiah, had him brought into the court of the prison and asked him if God had anything to say.
[Jeremiah 37:17-20 Then Zedekiah the king sent, and took him out: and the king asked him secretly in his house, and said, Is there any word from the LORD? And Jeremiah said, There is: for, said he, thou shalt be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon. 18 Moreover Jeremiah said unto king Zedekiah, What have I offended against thee, or against thy servants, or against this people, that ye have put me in prison? 19 Where are now your prophets which prophesied unto you, saying, The king of Babylon shall not come against you, nor against this land? 20 Therefore hear now, I pray thee, O my lord the king: let my supplication, I pray thee, be accepted before thee; that thou cause me not to return to the house of Jonathan the scribe, lest I die there.]
They might have been sent to Babylon as that would have been to their safety, but they trusted in the fools who gave the false prophecies, and therefore the greater judgment would be given to them. Knowing Christ as our Saviour does not keep us from falling into sin nor the chastening that comes when we do, but it does make keep us safe from what is to come, [Revelation 20:12-14 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.]
Today’s Prayer: God, Your Word is settled in heaven, and nothing and no one can ever destroy it. You promise the second we receive Your Son as our Saviour that You will always be with us because we truly believe that He died a sinless death, was buried in the tomb, and arose three days later to save us from the judgment of death and hell. Lord, lead us and guide us, give us Your power, strength, mercy, grace, and courage to live the rest of our lives through Your Son. Keep us in Your Word, defending Your truths because there are many who still need Your Son. Let us be Your voice and witness to an amazing and blessed life as we live in Your Word. And never let us cease from praying, knowing that You hear every word through Your Son in us. I ask these things in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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