The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1892-02-17
JEHOIAKIM'S FOLLY.
LESSON VII, FIRST QUARTER INTER-
NATIONAL SERIES, FEB. 81.

memory Verses, p. 23-GOlden Text
Heb. iii, 15-Commentary by the Rev.
ID. NJ. Stearns.
10 "Then said the princes unto Baruch,
Go hide thee thou and jeremiah, and let
no man know where We be-" Baruch was
Jeremiah's scribe, and had just been read
ing in the ears of the people, in the Lords
house, upon the fasting day, the words of
the Lord, which he had written from the
mouth of jeremiah oversees 6, s.. The Lord
gave these words TO jeremiah in the hope
that the people might turn and be for
given oversees 3, y, for He is ever seeking TO
save. Baruch having read to the people is
sent for to read the words to the princes,
which, having heard, they are afraid, in
quire further, and then give counsel as in
this verse, being friendly to the prophet.
20. "And they went in to the king and
told all the words in the ears of the king"
Jehoiakim was the son of Josiah the good
king, but was very different from his ia
Their. He was preceded by his brother Je-
hoahaz. who reigned only three months,
and was then carried captive into Egypt
Oh Chron. xxXvi, 10.
81. $50 the king sent Jehudi to fetch the
roll, and Jehudi read it in the ears of the
king, and in the ears of ali the princes"
This is the will of God, that kings, princes,
and people in all the world should hear
His word. This is the responsibility of all
who have the word, that they should give
1t or read it to others; and if we are only
willing He viii set before us open doors.
All results are with Him. He will see to it.
% NOW the king sat in the winter
house in the ninth month, and there was a
fire on the hearth burning before him"
Winter and summer houses, and houses Of
ivory, are spoken of to indicate the luxury
and self indulgence of the people (Amos iii,
l5). If the fasting day of verse was the
fast of atonement, in the seventh month
Oev. xvi, 29), then some little time lover q
month"; elapsed between Baruch's first
reading and this reading before the king.
%. HE cut it with the penknife and cast
it into the fire that was on the hearth, UNI
til all the roll was consumed in the fire
that was on the hearth" This was his
treatment of the word of the God of Israel
upon whose throne he sat q Chron, xxx.
23) and whose representative he ought to
have been. Contrast his fathers treat,
ment OF the word of God Oh Kings xxi, H.
And yet Jehoiakim did not do worse than
the professors and preachers of our day
who in the name of higher criticism" or
science" or something else, penknife the
Bible, cutting out what they please, refus-
ing us anything supernatural, and assur-
ing us that even Jesus Christ was not an
infallible authority in all things. All such
had better heed Isa. viii, 20, r. V.
"a. "Yet they were not afraid, nor rent
their garments" And no more are these
unbelieving critics of our times, who are
thus fastening on to their own destruc-
tion and leading multftudes with them.
%. Nevertheless Elnathan made inter-
cession to the king that he would not burn
the roll, but he would not hear them" If
any one Will not receive the truth God
will let them believe lie QI Thess. ii,
1919, but fearful will be the result Chap
ter xiii, 15-l0. Elnathan and the others
did well to plead for the word, even though
they pleaded in vain. God will not for
get it.
26. But the king commanded to take
Baruch, the scribe and Jeremiah, the
prophet, but the Lord hid them" Not
only did he not fear to destroy the Word of
the Lord, but he feared not to kill his
servants also if he could but lay hands on
them. Rebellion fearfully hardens the
heart. How safe are those whom God
hides; see how securely He hid Elijah
| Il Kings xviii, 10). Compare Ps. xvii, 5;
xxi, Z, and give good heed to Zeph ii,
3; Luke xxi, So that you may rejoice in
Col iii, 3.
%. "Then the word of the Lord came to
jeremiah after that the king had burned
the roll" The Lord had seen it all and
observed it; He had now more work for
jeremiah and knew just where to find
him. The prophet had only to hold him
self ready for anything that Jehovah
might require, either to appear or be hid
den, to speak or be quiet, to do or to suffer-
%. "Take thee again another roll, and
write it in all the former words that were
! in the first roll" In verse 30 it is said
that many more words were added. 1t is
impossible to destroy the word of God
All efforts to do so have only increased the
number Of copies. The Bible has been
compared to a man who has been shot and
! hung and drowned and burned in the
! fire and scattered to the winds, and yet IN
some wonderful way is more alive than
ever.
90. "Thus saith the Lord, Thou hast
burned this roll, saying, Why hast thou
written therein, saying" The king hated
the book because it told of coming judg-
ment; so the Bible is now hated by many
because it tells of lake of fire for the I'M
| godly, and of everlasting punishment, and
of coming judgments. But though many
may penknife these these things out Of
their Bibles, and hate those who preach
them yet the facts stand.
80, 81. Therefore thus saith the Lord of
Jehoiakim, king of Judah, will punish
| him, and his seed. and his servants, for
their iniquity, but they hearkened not"
| His miserable death and wretched treat
ment of his body, with evils upon his
seed and kingdom are here foretold, and
all came to pass. The believer not only
! has a redeemed soul now, but will have a
redeemed body, too, just like the body
his Lord, and shall sit with Him on His
throne. and no evil can befan him Il John
iii, 2, 3; Phil. iii, 20, 81; Rev. iii, 81; Ps.
xci, g. 10). But the prospect before the I'M
believer is as indescribably awful as the
other is glorious. (See / ThesS. i, 7-10;
Math. XIV, Al; Rev. xiv, Oily God has
| provided salvation for all and is not will
! ing that any should perish, but how shall
any escape who neglect so great salvation?
And what fearful responsibility rests upon
all who in any way add to or diminish the
word of God (Rev. xxi, 49, 10; Deut. iv,
2; xii, 80; Prov. Xxx, O.. With many today
| the whole book of Revelation is completely
set aside, and preachers tell their hearers
not to read it; whereas in this book all the
other books of the Bible end and meet, and
in it is the consummation of all preyiou
prophecy. 1t is the only book of all the
sixty-six that contains a special blessing
upon reader and nearer (Rey. i, 81. myself
have Eeard one of the most popular preach
ers and Bible teachers of today say that he