The Progressive West Virginian. [volume] (Williamson, W. Va.) 1911-1913, 1911-08-10

-
c. 626. the 18th year OF Josiah. till the
destruction OF Jerusalem, r. G. 56s
Jehoiakim reigned II years. B. c. COS
s9T
Jeremiah's book was written b. c. 604.
The Fast day. ninth month of B. c. 603.'
Jehoiakim burns the book soon after the
fast
PLACE.-Jerusalem The Temple courts
and the kings palace.
Ncbuchadnezzar beseging Jerusalem.
LIST year.
Daniel carried away captive.
Jeremiah under disfavor
Jehoiakim an unwise king.
For twenty years jeremiah bad
been trying. by oral teachings. to per
suade the nation to repent and turn
to God, but the people and their rul-
ers had been deaf to his warnings.
As last resort, in the fourth year
of Jehoiakim, the Lord commanded
the prophet to write down the sub
stance of his exhortations. and thus
to focus them in one mighty blow
upon the consciences of king and PEG
pie. Moreover. for some reason Jere-
miah was shut up, restrained from
public utterance, being probably for
hidden by the authorities to preach;
SO that for the time the written word
was the only way by which Jeremiah
could reach the ears OF the people.
The chosen amanuensis was Bar
uch. the son of Neriah, scribe. The
book was not like ours, but was a
roll Of parchment, consisting of sew
eral skins sewed together. the edges
cut even, and the whole rolled on
wooden rods fastened at each end so
that the parchment could be rolled
from one to the other. The writing
was arranged in columns, each like
the page OF a book 1t must have
taken Baruch some months to have
written down such prophecies as
jeremiah wished to have read. and
which constituted considerable part
of the present book of jeremiah.
jeremiah sent Baruch to the tenn
pie to read the book to the assem-
bled crowds. 1t was wintry day.
Baruch went up into the chamber Of
a friendly noble, over a new gateway
opening both ways into the inner and
outer courts. There, from the win
dow or balcony of the chamber, or
from the platform or pillar on which
the kings had stood on solemn occa-
sions. he recited the long alienation
OF lament and inyective to the vast
congregation. Reading in this way
was almost the only way by which
the people could become acquainted
with the word of God. Few could
read And copies Of the law cost a
small fortune.
The king sent Jehudi, one of his
officers, to fetch the roll so that Je-
hoiakim might learn its contents at
fret hand and not from hearsay. The
king sat in the winter house.
1t seems probable that after Jehudi
had read three or four columes, the
king snatched the roll from his hands
and, taking the knife used for sharp
ening the scribe's pens, cut up the
roll himself, and cast 1t into the fire.
Some think that only the first portion
was read. when all the roll was con-
sumed in the fire. But Professor Ben
nett says that the Hebrew implies
that at the end of every three or four
columns the king put out his hand for
the roll, cut away the portion read,
threw 1t on the fire, and handed the
remainder back to Jehudi, repeating
the process
The king commanded the arrest OF
Baruch the scribe and jeremiah. But
the Lord hid them. by means of some
unknown providence and guidance;
or, as usual, by the use of means In.
spired by God. Shutting the eyes
does not ward off the lightning's
stroke. Fools, that think that by
wringing the neck of the growing
cock they can proven. the coming OF
the morning.
When the word of the Lord came
The book was destroyed, but its con.
tents and its truths lived Take
thee another roll. and write in
It," Jeremiah knew what he had said
before. and God gave him further
revelations. Professor Brown thinks
that Baruch's second roll contained
the first seventeen chapters of our
Jeremiah. Thou shalt say to Jehoia-
kim that the prophecies should GER
tainly come true"
Because while they heard the warn
lngs, they hearkened not. This i'm
plies that they might have been saved
from the threatened evil. II they had
repented. as In the case OF Nineyeh
under Jonah's preaching. Otherwise
here would have been no use In warn
Ing them. The warnings were for the
themselves.
Attempts to destroy the Bible have
been made. When men are forbidden
to read 1t, and everything Is done to
prevent its circulation. The frontis-
piece Of Wycliffe's Bible represents
the fire OF true Christianity against
which its enemies, Satan and infidel.
Ity. are blowing with all their might,
trying to put 1t out: but the more
they put themselves out of breath.
the more brightly the fire burns
Ingersolls prophecy. twenty, six
years ago. was that In ten years The
Bible will not be read" The fact is
that vastly more Bibles are issued
every year than when that prophecy
was uttered. and in more languages.
More than 100000 Bibles are issued
every year In more than 470 different
languages and In hundreds OF styles
at prices from rs cents to $50 Mere
copies of the Bible are sold annually
than Of the 100 best sellers" COM
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