By Mary Vee
Jeremiah 52, II Kings 25
From Barach's Chronicle
My name is Barach, I am the scribe for the prophet Jeremiah.
Jeremiah was taken as prisoner to Egypt along with many other Jews. I am not sure if he is still alive.
I am including this last detail to close off Jeremiah's book.
Word has come to me that Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon has died. He ruled his empire for forty-five years. During his reign he and his army invaded Jerusalem and took many prisoners, including the king, Jehoiachin.
Jehoiachin was an evil king and had taught the people of Judah to worship other gods even in the short three months he ruled. The Almighty allowed the take over of Judah as a punishment to the nation for worshipping other gods. Jehoiachin was put in a prison. The punishment, according to the Word spoken by Jeremiah and other prophets, was to be seventy years. Thirty seven years have passed so far.
The new king of Babylon is Nebuchadnezzar's son, Evil-Merodach - although I must add here that the Babylonians call him Amel-Marduk.
Apparently Evil-Merodach knew King Jehoiachin. Some Jews said that during the time Nebuchadnezzar lived in the fields with the animals, Evil-Merodach ruled the empire. When Nebuchadnezzar returned to the palace, he became upset with some of the things his son, Evil-Merodach did. Nebuchadnezzar threw his son in prison as a punishment. There, according to the Jews, he met and spent time with Jehoiachin.
Other Jews said Evil-Merodach learned about the Jewish faith and the Almighty from Daniel who worked in the palace.
I'm not sure exactly why Evil-Merodach had respect for Jehoiachin, but he released him from his sentence on the twenty-fifth day of the twelfth month. Our calendar was different from your calendar today. So it wasn't really December 25th at the time.
The servants helped Jehoiachin change his clothes, bathe, and groom before going to the new king of Babylon two days later. Evil-Merodach spoke kindly to Jehoiachin and gave him a seat of honor higher than those of the other kings who were with him in Babylon.
Evil-Merodach kept Jehoiachin in his circle, allowing him to eat at his table. Day by day, Evil-Merodach also gave Jehoiachin an allowance to buy what he wanted as long as he lived.
It seems God had given this gift to Jehoiachin showing that although we may have miserable days, God will always care for those who worship Him. So, maybe during Jehoiachin's time in prison, he remembered how to worship God and God alone.
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1. How long did Nebuchadnezzar reign?
2. Who took Nebuchadnezzar's place?
3. Who did the new king release from prison?
4. What else did he do for this person?
By Mary Vee
Jeremiah 36
From Jehudi's Journal
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?
By Mary Vee
Jeremiah 36
From Baruch's Journal
Jeremiah the prophet hired me to write down the words that the Lord had spoken to him.
We spent many days working on this project.
As I cleaned up my work space, Jeremiah said, "I am not allowed to go to the Lord's temple. The king won't let me go there. You must go for me.
"Me?"
"Yes. Go to the house of the Lord on a day of fasting and read to the people from these scrolls. Read the whole thing to them. Maybe if they hear these words they will turn from their wicked ways. God is very angry with them and has promised a great punishment. This can all stop if the people will only say they are sorry and turn from doing bad."
I have lived in this land a long time working as a scribe, and in truth, I can't see the people wanting to change. Not that they couldn't. They simply won't.
Still, I would love to be wrong. So I did as Jeremiah asked.
The next day of fast would be in the ninth month of the fifth year of king Jehoiakim, son of the great king Josiah. Jehoiakim was not a good king. He worshiped idols and encouraged the people to do the same.
I packed my things and walked to the Lord's temple on that day of fast and went inside to read the words from the scroll that the Lord had given Jeremiah. People came from all over Judah to the temple for the celebration.
I went to Gemariah's room which was in the upper courtyard at the entrance of the New Gate of the temple. There I unrolled the scroll and read every word as Jeremiah asked me to.
Michaiah heard all the words from the scroll then went down to the secretary's room in the royal palace. All the officials were there. "Listen carefully. Baruch has read words from God as told to the prophet Jeremiah."
"Where is he?"
"He's still at the temple."
One of the men turned to Jehudi. "Bring Baruch and the scroll here."
Jehudi ran to Gemariah's room where I was sitting. "Baruch, you have been summoned to bring your scroll to the officials."
I agreed to go with them. When I arrived at their meeting, the officials asked me to sit down with them and read the words from the scroll. I of course did as they asked.
As I finished the words I looked up at their faces. They all seemed afraid. "We must report these words to the king. Tell us, how did you come to write all this. Did Jeremiah dictate it?"
"Yes, he told me all these words and I wrote them here on this scroll."
"You and Jeremiah must go and hide at once. Don't let anyone know where you are."
I left the scroll with the officials and ran back to Jeremiah. I'm not sure what the problem is, but I will be hiding like the officials said to do.
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1. Where did Jeremiah tell Baruch to go?
2. What did Baruch do there?
3. What did the officials want?
4. What were the officials afraid of?
5. What did they tell Baruch to do?
By Mary Vee
Jeremiah 36, 45
From Jeremiah's Journal
My name is Jeremiah. I am a prophet, chosen by God to bring His message to the people.
I have been God's messenger for twenty-three years, telling the people of Israel and Judah and other nations what God has said. I started during the time of Josiah's reign. His son, a wicked king, is now on the throne.
For the most part, the people have not listened to any of God's commands to turn from their wicked ways. They still worship idols and go about doing whatever they please.
God, the great Almighty One still loves them and wants to give them every opportunity to learn and change their ways. So if my voice did not convince the people, maybe the words written on a scroll will.
He asked me to record all the messages I have delivered for the last twenty-three years. Of course He doesn't expect me to remember all of them exactly as He spoke them. He will help me remember.
I hired a scribe to help me. His name is Baruch.
Baruch sat at a table and wrote the words I dictated. He did a great job, even making sure the words were correct by reading them back to me.
We worked long hours, rising early in the morning and working late in the evening. For months we kept up this pace.
The day we finished, Baruch said, "I'm so tired. My back hurts and my hands are sore. I don't think I could have written much more."
God heard his complaints and gave me a message for him: "Baruch, God says He will overthrow the land. Do you have the right to want great things for yourself? Stop asking for the easy life. This I will give you, though, since you have helped Jeremiah, you can escape all of what is to come and make a new home. I will let you escape with your life."
All God wants us to do is to worship Him. And we should. He has given us all we have and has loved us so very much.
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1. Jeremiah started as a prophet when ________ was king.
2. Jeremiah has been a prophet, giving the people God's messages for ______ years.
3. God ask Jeremiah to record _________
4. Jeremiah asked ___________ to help him.
5. Why did the scribe complain?
6. What did God promise the scribe?
