Evil King Jehoiakim Burns God's Word

By Mary Vee
Jeremiah 36

From Jehudi's Journal

Photo Courtesy

You may not have heard of me, I'm not a famous prophet like Jeremiah and am not a king. I'm someone who God asked to do a job...just like you.

Jeremiah is a great prophet of God. Recently God told Jeremiah to write down all the messages He had given to Jeremiah. 

Jeremiah hired a scribed named Baruch and they worked for many days writing down the words. 

King Jehoiakim wouldn't allow Jeremiah to go to the temple. But Jeremiah was a smart man. He told Baruch to take the finished scrolls with God's messages to the temple and read them. He did. 

The officials sent me to bring Baruch and the scrolls to them when he finished. Baruch read the scrolls to the officials. We all became afraid of what God said He would do in the message. The officials knew they needed to tell the king about the scroll, but were very afraid what he would do. They told Baruch to take Jeremiah and hide then they hid the scrolls.

I went with them to speak with the king.

"My lord," one official said. "A message has been read to us. It concerns a great punishment that will be brought on our land by God if the people do not say they are sorry for their wicked ways and change."

The king looked at me. "Bring me this scroll."

I ran to the hiding place, took out the scroll, and took it to king Jehoiakim. Winter had come upon us and the rooms were cold. Jehoiakim sat in his winter apartment with a fire burning in the fire pot to keep him warm. "Come forward, Jehudi, and read to me the words on the scroll in your hand."

I did as he said. He had me stand close to him. I unrolled a part of the scroll and began reading. As I finished the first four columns of scroll, King Jehoiakim cut off the parchment with a scribe's knife and threw them into the fire pot.

I didn't know what to do. He surprised me.

"Keep reading, Jehudi."

He had a knife in his hand and the power to kill. I kept reading, and he kept cutting and burning God's words until the last piece burned to ashes. King Jehoiakim and his servants didn't seem to be afraid of God's promise to punish the people. They didn't tear their clothes to show God they heard the words and were sorry. 

Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah asked King Jehoiakim not to burn the scroll. He refused to listen to them. Instead, he commanded his son and two other men to find Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet and arrest them.

I knew in my heart, though, that God would protect Baruch and Jeremiah...and was right. The king son's and his friends did not find them.

If the king doesn't change his mind, the whole country will suffer.

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1. Who is Jeremiah?
2. Who is Baruch?
3. Who is Jehudi?
4. What did the king do when Jehudi read the scrolls?
5. When Jehudi finished reading what did King Jehoiakim do?
6. Did King Jehoiakim find them?
7. What did King Jehoiakim do wrong?