Jehoiakim Burns the Scroll of the Lord's Word
Rejecting God’s word does not eliminate its authority but reveals the hardness of the human heart.
Jeremiah 36:20-26 (BSB)
20 So the officials went to the king in the courtyard. And having stored the scroll in the chamber of Elishama the scribe, they reported everything to the king.
21 Then the king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and he took it from the chamber of Elishama the scribe. And Jehudi read it in the hearing of the king and all the officials who were standing beside him.
22 Since it was the ninth month, the king was sitting in his winter quarters with a fire burning before him.
23 And as soon as Jehudi had read three or four columns, Jehoiakim would cut them off with a scribe’s knife and throw them into the firepot, until the entire scroll had been consumed by the fire.
24 Yet in hearing all these words, the king and his servants did not become frightened or tear their garments.
25 Even though Elnathan, Delaiah, and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them.
26 Instead, the king commanded Jerahmeel, a son of the king, as well as Seraiah son of Azriel and Shelemiah son of Abdeel, to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet. But the LORD had hidden them.
What is the big idea of Jeremiah 36:20-26?
Rejecting God’s word does not eliminate its authority but reveals the hardness of the human heart.
How does Jeremiah 36:20-26 point to Christ?
Jehoiakim’s rejection of God’s word reflects humanity’s broader resistance to divine truth. The gospel reveals that while many reject God’s message, the word of Christ continues to call people to repentance and salvation.
How does Jeremiah 36:20-26 relate to the life and ministry of Jesus?
Just as Jehoiakim rejected Jeremiah’s message, many leaders rejected the words of Christ. Yet opposition could not prevent the fulfillment of God’s purposes through the gospel.
Authorial Intent
To record King Jehoiakim’s rejection of the prophetic scroll and his deliberate destruction of God’s written word.
Literary Context
This section forms the dramatic climax of the scroll narrative. After the officials hear the prophetic message and bring it to the king, Jehoiakim responds with direct hostility toward the word of the Lord.
Historical Context
King Jehoiakim reacts violently against Jeremiah’s prophetic scroll during a time of political instability and Babylonian pressure.
Chapter: Jeremiah 36
The Scroll Written, Read, Cut, Burned, and Written Again
Jehoiakim can cut and burn the scroll, but he cannot destroy the word of the LORD; the rejected word is rewritten, expanded, and fulfilled in judgment.