Jeremiah Chapter 36 – Commentary and Explanation
“God’s Word Is Never Chained”
So, here we are, again walkin' through the Book of Jeremiah… and today’s chapter, Chapter 36, it's kinda like one of them moments where the power of God’s Word really hits ya in the gut, but also shows how stubborn some folks can be, even when the truth is right in front of their nose. I ain’t gonna lie—this chapter got some serious drama, politics, fear, fire, and even hope tucked in there like hidden gems. It’s like a little story inside the bigger story of Jeremiah’s wild prophetic journey. Let’s sit down and talk ‘bout it, break it apart piece by piece, like you and me sittin’ on a porch, just thinkin’ through it all.
📜 The Scene – Setting the Stage
Right off the bat, verse 1 tells us this is during the fourth year of King Jehoiakim, son of Josiah. So that puts us somewhere around 605 B.C. or so. Babylon’s rising, Judah’s in trouble, and things ain’t looking too bright. The people are still doin' what they wanna do, ignoring God, worshipin’ idols, and basically just goin’ rogue.
God speaks to Jeremiah, tells him to get a scroll and write down all the words He has spoken—from the days of Josiah right up to now. Every prophecy, warning, judgment, all of it. Imagine the weight of that! Years and years of God’s words… it ain’t just a memo. It’s a whole record of everything God’s been sayin’.
And it’s kinda wild how God says in verse 3, “It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the calamity I intend to bring upon them, so that every one may turn from his wicked way…” I mean, look at that mercy. Even after all the nonsense Judah’s done, God still leaves the door open. He’s hopin’ they’ll repent. That’s how loving He is. Still givin’ ‘em a shot.
✍️ Baruch the Scribe – Writing It All Down
Now, Jeremiah can’t write it himself (maybe he’s banned from the temple or something), so he calls Baruch, his faithful scribe. Baruch, bless his heart, writes down everything Jeremiah says—dictation style. Think about that for a minute. This ain’t no small task. This is years and years of prophecy, sorrow, judgment, visions, dreams, all packed into that scroll. Baruch musta had a cramped hand by the time he was done.
It says in verse 6, Jeremiah tells Baruch to go read the scroll at the temple on a day of fasting. The people would be gathered, feelin’ more humble, maybe more willing to listen. Jeremiah's hopin' the people, priests, princes—maybe even the king—might actually listen. That’s always the hope, ain’t it?
🕍 Public Reading – The Word Goes Forth
Baruch goes to the temple and reads the scroll. He does it in the chamber of Gemariah, one of the scribes—right there at the top gate, where folks can hear. This part is kind of like broadcasting God’s message live on the air. He ain’t shy. He reads it bold and true. A dude named Micaiah hears it, and you can tell it hit him in the chest. He runs down to the king’s palace where all the officials are gathered and tells ‘em what Baruch just read.
So the officials summon Baruch. They say, “Bring that scroll and read it to us too.” And he does. He sits down and reads the words of the Lord, every single line Jeremiah dictated. And guess what? It scares ‘em. Verse 16 says, “They looked at each other in fear.” They know this is serious. This ain’t just religious talk. This is God speakin’.
But of course, it’s government business, so they tell Baruch and Jeremiah to go hide, don’t let nobody know where you’re hidin’. 'Cause things are about to go south.
🔥 The King’s Response – Burnin’ the Word
And here we come to the part that makes your stomach turn. They take the scroll to King Jehoiakim. Instead of being humbled or broken or even concerned, he listens to a few columns being read, then cuts it up with a knife and throws it into the fire. Over and over. Piece by piece. Till the whole scroll is gone.
Whew… that part hurts. Just think about it… the Word of God, carefully dictated, written down with hope for repentance, and this king just slices it up and burns it like it ain’t nothin’. Like God's Word is disposable. Like if he burns it, it’ll make the truth disappear.
But we know better. You can’t burn the truth. You can’t delete God’s words just by destroying the paper. Fire don’t erase what God has declared.
And by the way, none of the king’s servants or officials try to stop him. Nobody begs him to reconsider. It says in verse 24, “Yet neither the king nor any of his servants… were afraid, nor did they tear their garments.” That’s the real tragedy here. There’s no fear of the Lord in them.
🙅♂️ A Heart That Refuses
Jehoiakim, man… he’s the example of someone who hears the Word of God but refuses to let it touch him. He don’t tremble. He don’t tear his clothes in sorrow. He don’t even pretend. He just throws the whole thing in the fire and moves on.
And worse, he sends people to arrest Baruch and Jeremiah. He don’t just reject the message—he goes after the messengers. But God protects them. Verse 26 says God hid ‘em. Ain’t that just like the Lord? When you serve Him faithfully, He knows how to keep you covered, even when kings come knockin’.
📜 God Says: “Write It Again”
Now, you might think the story ends there. But God ain't done. In verse 28, He tells Jeremiah, “Take another scroll and write on it all the former words…” Ha! You see that? Burn it once, fine. But it’s comin’ back again. God’s Word don’t vanish. It comes back, stronger and clearer.
Jeremiah dictates everything again. Baruch writes it all down again. And God adds more judgment, specifically against Jehoiakim—sayin’ his body will be thrown out, exposed to the heat by day and frost by night. That’s a harsh end, but it matches the hardness of Jehoiakim’s heart.
🧠 Some Honest Reflections
This chapter—it makes you stop and think. How do we respond when we hear the truth? Do we try to ignore it? Do we get mad and throw it away? Or do we let it pierce us, break us, humble us? The king had the power, the position, the responsibility to lead his people toward repentance, but he chose pride, arrogance, and rebellion.
I think sometimes folks nowadays still do the same thing. They might not burn a scroll, but they’ll scroll past a sermon, avoid scripture, mute conviction, dodge hard truths, and chase comfort instead. That same Jehoiakim spirit’s alive in the world, and sometimes even creeps into the church.
And yet, the beauty here is that God's Word endures. You can burn it, ban it, reject it—but it always comes back. You can't silence God. You can't erase the eternal. This story reminds me of that old line, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God shall stand forever.” Amen to that.
🕯️ Baruch’s Quiet Faithfulness
I gotta say somethin’ about Baruch too. He don’t get much spotlight in the Bible, but this guy is a real one. He writes down the Word of God, not once, but twice. He faces real danger just for bein’ obedient. He could’ve said, “Nah, Jeremiah, that’s too risky.” But he didn’t. He followed through. Sometimes the heroes in Scripture ain’t the loud ones—they’re the ones behind the scenes doin’ the work faithfully.
It’s a reminder that all of us can be like Baruch. We may not all be prophets like Jeremiah, but we can be scribes—recordin’, speakin’, shar’ God’s truth faithfully, even if it ain’t popular, even if it’s risky.
📖 Final Takeaway – What Do We Do With God’s Word?
So yeah, Jeremiah 36 ain't just history. It’s a mirror. It makes us ask questions like:
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Do I honor God’s Word or do I treat it lightly?
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When the truth convicts me, do I repent or rebel?
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Am I more like Baruch, faithfully serving, or Jehoiakim, rejecting what I don’t like?
God’s Word is powerful. It ain't gonna disappear just ‘cause we don’t like what it says. And it’s filled with mercy if we turn to Him—but judgment if we don’t. We gotta choose. Every day.
Maybe today’s a good day to stop and really listen. Not just hear it, but let it change us.
Thanks for walkin’ through Jeremiah 36 with me.
It’s a heavy chapter, but one full of truth we need more than ever. Don’t burn the scroll—read it, believe it, live it. And like Baruch, be faithful even when it’s hard.
Until next time, stay rooted, stay honest, and keep your heart soft to the Word of God. 🙏
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