Jeremiah 36:5-7

B. The Word Read Jeremiah 36:5-19

The word of God was never intended to be written and then deposited in the public archives. God's word is meant to be read, studied, heeded, and obeyed. Therefore it is both significant and appropriate that Jeremiah not only published the word but saw to it that the word was proclaimed. If the word of God is to have an impact upon individual it must be transferred from the written page to the hearts and minds of individuals. Thus in the present paragraph Jeremiah requests of Baruch that he publicly read the scroll (Jeremiah 36:5-7). Baruch complied with that request (Jeremiah 36:8-10) and his reading of the scroll created quite a stir among the princes of the land (Jeremiah 36:11-19).

1. The request of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 36:5-7)

TRANSLATION

(5) And Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying, I am restrained; I am not able to go to the house of the LORD. (6) Now you go and read from the scroll which you have written from my mouth the words of the LORD in the presence of the people at the house of the LORD on a fast day. Also read them in the presence of all Judah who are coming from their cities. (7) Perhaps they will present their supplication before the LORD, and will turn each man from his evil way, for great is the anger and wrath which the LORD has spoken against this people.

COMMENTS

Sometime after he had completed dictating the scroll to Baruch, Jeremiah requested that his secretary go to the house of God and read that which he had written. For some unexplained reason Jeremiah himself was not able to go to the Temple to perform this task. He was not imprisoned as the English versions might imply for both he and Baruch were to hide themselves according to Jeremiah 36:19; Jeremiah 36:26. Jeremiah was probably prohibited by royal edict or by Temple authorities from appearing any longer in the Temple to preach his message of doom.[310] He was literally detained or restrained from entering the Temple. The lesson to be learned from all this is that truth is more important than the speaker. What one hears is more important than whether he hears from the lips of an eloquent Jeremiah or a humble Baruch.

[310] Less likely are the suggestions that Jeremiah was sick or ceremonially unclean at the moment.

Jeremiah instructs Baruch to read the scroll on a fast day (Jeremiah 36:6). Just why this fast had been proclaimed in the ninth month of the year is not stated and it is useless to speculate about it.[311] The main point is that Baruch was to read the scroll in the Temple at a time when he would have the largest audience. Jeremiah may have waited for quite some time for just the right opportunity to have his book read. He was prayerfully hopeful that in that hallowed spot the people would make genuine supplication to the Lord and thus avert the outpouring of divine wrath (Jeremiah 36:7).

[311] Only one fast day was prescribed in the law and it fell in the seventh month (Leviticus 16:29; Leviticus 23:27). Streane (op. cit., p. 242) suggests that the fast here may have been called to commemorate the recent capture of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. Laetsch (op. cit., p. 286) cites a passage from the Talmud which calls for a fast in the ninth month If the rains have not yet fallen.