Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-06-03
SABBATH SCHOOL LESSON
Golden Text: 'The Word Of God
Shall Stand Forever" lisa. 40:8.
for June 4-Jeremiah So
BY DIR. MARI ON MICH. HULL

Golden Text: "The Word Of God
Shall Stand Forever" lisa. 1913.
Four years after the events Of our
last lesson the Egyptian king was
completely routed in the battle of
Carmechish by Nebuchadnezzar, king
of Babylon. About a year later
Nebuchadnezzar invaded Palestine.
1t was probably news of his ap-
proach that made Jehoiakim call a
| special fast in the ninth month Oe-
| cember) of the fifth year of his
reign. 1t was on the occasion of
this fast that Baruch appeared with
| the roll.
During the preceding year Jere-
miah had been busily engaged dictat-
! ing to his secretary, Baruch ben
| Neriah, according to the direct COM
mandment Of God, all the words He
had spoken through jeremiah con-
corning Judah and Jerusalem, and
| the nations round about them. Cod S
purpose as stated to jeremiah was
| that perhaps Judah might repent
and turn from their evil ways, and
thus He would not have to bring
upon them all the things He had
spoken. This work was just fin
ished when the special fast was call
| ed, for writing was q slow process
| in those days. The roll which
Baruch had completed contained
nearly all of what we now have of
| the life and works Of jeremiah in
the book by his name.
The Reading of the Roll
jeremiah realized that the time OF
| the fast was an appropriate time
to give this to the people, for they
! would be softened by the defeat OF
Necho at Carmechish and the pres
ent invasion Of Nebuchadnezzar and
| therefore be in a more receptive
and responsive mood. For some rea-
son he could not go in person. He
| told Baruch, I am shut up. You go
| therefore and read in the ears OF
: all the people all the words Of this
book.
Why he was "shut upY is hard to
say. He was not imprisoned at that
time. for the king sent to have him
arrested and could not find him. He
may have been sick and unable to
go, or he may have been advised
by his friends that it would be in
expedient for him to expose himself
again to the anger Of Jewish mob.
So he sent Baruch.
There were three readings of the
roll. Baruch, from the window of
the rooms occupied by Gemariah ben
| Sh&phan, one of the kings officers,
and. therefore, under his moral pro-
lection, read it to all the worship
pers gathered in the court below.
When Michaiah, the officers son,
heard it, he ran down into the cabt-
net room where his father and sew
eral other leaders were in confer
| ence. They had probably gathered
to discuss their nations situation
should NehuchadnezZar reach Jeru-
salem; they probably had inside In
formation that was not known to
the people as a whole.
Michaiah's message about the book
was of peculiar interest to them at
this time, therefore, and so they
sent Jehudi to bring Baruch and the
book into their presence; and then
they had Baruch read it to them.
| This was the second reading. It pro-
duced a profound impression on
them, in view Of their present situa-
ton. They felt the responsibility too
| great to keep it from the king. But
they wanted to be sure Of it's origin
before they took another step, so
they asked Baruch most particularly
| how he happened to write it. His
| answer was very straight It had
not been done from memory. This
was the order-God had spoken to
jeremiah; jeremiah had dictated it
to him; he had written it down in
ink as jeremiah dictated it. They
were satisfied.
! They knew, however, that after
Jeremiah's experience five years be-
| fore, it would be dangerous for him
to be found, and they felt that
| Baruch would probably share the
same treatment. So they hid the
book, and advised that jeremiah and
Baruch go and hide where no one
| would know.
The Burning of the Book
They presented themselves before
| the king and told him what they had
| heard. He sent Jehudi to fetch it and
read it to him. This was the third
reading.
Jehoiakim knew the effect the
reading of the law OF Moses had had
| upon his godly father ten years be.
fore; he was, therefore, all the more
| to blame for his conduct now, He
was sitting before a brazier heated
with burning charcoal, and when
three or four columns of the roll
| had been read he took his penknife,
cut them in pieces and threw them
| on the fire and saw the sheepskin
| parchment shrivel to a crisp. This
was repeated again and again, in
spite of the entreaties of Elnathan
and Delaiah and Gemariah. But the
| astonishing thing is that all of the
princes and councillors about him
were so hardened in heart that thew
weres not afraid nor affected by the
| terrible doom the book foretold.
| When the last column had been
| burned, Jehoiakim sent three men
to arrest jeremiah and Baruch. but
they could not be found-the Lord
| had hidden them.
| When jeremiah learned the facts.
he had another message from God
| telling him to write all those words
again, and also another word of
doom against JehoiaKim for what
he had done in refusing to hear and
| heed the words of Jehovah. This
jeremiah did and added to it other
messages, the whole Of which is our
book today.