The Entire Scroll
Was Consumed
Leaving the scroll in the chamber of
Elishama the secretary, they went to the court of the king; and they reported
all the words to the king. Then the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and he
took it from the chamber of Elishama the secretary; and Jehudi read it to the
king and all the officials who stood beside the king. Now the king was sitting
in his winter apartment (it was the ninth month), and there was a fire burning
in the brazier before him. As Jehudi read three or four columns, the king would
cut them off with a penknife and throw them into the fire in the brazier, until
the entire scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the brazier. Yet neither
the king, nor any of his servants who heard all these words, was alarmed, nor
did they tear their garments. Even when Elnathan and Delaiah and Gemariah urged
the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them. And the king
commanded Jerameel the king’s son and Deraiah son of Azriel and Shelemiah son
of Abdeel to arrest the secretary Baruch and the prophet Jeremiah. But the LORD
hid them.
Jeremiah
36:20-26
In every era there has been a spirit
of the age that challenges our acceptance of Scripture. The temptation is to
remove or alter those portions that seem old-fashioned.
Centuries ago, a Jewish king was
handed a scroll with a message from God. As the document was read aloud, the
king took offense, and with a small knife he cut out a portion of the scroll
and threw it into the fire. Eventually the entire text was thrown into the
flames, yet the king and his servants were not afraid of what they were doing.
In the end, the king lost his kingdom because of his disobedience.
In a changing
world,
you can trust
God’s unchanging word.
Our Daily
Bread –