Jeremiah 36:2, commentary and pictures

The command came in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, while Jeremiah was deprived of liberty as a prisoner and shut up so that he could not go into the house of the Lord. God told him to take a roll of parchment, a roll of a book, and write therein with ink all the words spoken to him against Israel and against Judah and against all the nations, from the day He spoke to him, from the days of Josiah even unto that day. The written record was to rehearse the people's disobedience and the judgments declared because of it, so they would not forget the warnings. It stood as a solemn reproof for sin, a warning of the sure result of continual apostasy, and an earnest appeal to renounce all evil.

The command came from yearning pity for salvation, giving another opportunity to repent before judgment. It shows God is reluctant to give up His people and does not delight in afflicting them, but with care like a pitying father for a wayward child patiently entreats them to return and delays judgment, willing to forgive. Its purpose was that the house of Judah might hear all the evil purposed against them, that it may be they would present supplication before the Lord and return every man from his evil way, because great is the anger and fury pronounced against them. Hearing could lead them to recognize sin, turn from it, and receive forgiveness, that God might forgive their iniquity and sin and have their sins pardoned.

In obedience Jeremiah called Baruch son of Neriah, his faithful friend and scribe, dictated all the words by mouth, and Baruch wrote them with ink in the book upon the roll. Baruch was given the roll and commanded to go and read in the roll the words of the Lord in the ears of the people in the Lord's house upon the fasting day and in the ears of all Judah coming out of their cities. This was fulfilled when he read it to the multitudes assembling at the temple on the national fast day in the fifth year of Jehoiakim in the ninth month, and the message was also read to King Jehoiakim. Jeremiah gave the written roll to Baruch the scribe to read to the king.

The king cut up and burned the roll, with the king's rejection and burning of the scroll including cutting it with a knife. But destroying the scroll did not destroy the message, for by the Holy Spirit it was written again with additional words included, and though rejected and burned the warnings are repeated. The chapter is a warning to later believers not to repeat Jehoiakim's act of cutting and burning the messages of the Spirit of God, with parallels for Battle Creek and for God's people in the last days to be studied. Rejecting or trying to suppress God's correction does not end the message but can instead bring it wider attention and confirmation, while the rejection is recorded and the rejecters incur judgment.

The command means God still directs His messenger with the direct and repeated charge to write what is revealed, Write, write, even when physical condition makes writing seem impossible and the hand cannot hold steady. Obedience brings miracle-working power that steadies the right hand and makes the use of the pen possible, so page after page can be written with ease. The written light preserves what was revealed, holds in harmony with present teaching, and establishes truth point by point by relating scripture to scripture. It shines forth from the printed page to substantiate faith and give confidence in the spirit of prophecy in the last days, and because the light contained in the books is heavenly light it is to be published and circulated in many languages.