2 Chronicles 36:1-91Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz the son of Josiah, and made him king in his father's stead in Jerusalem. 2Jehoahaz was twenty and three years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months in Jerusalem. 3And the king of Egypt put him down at Jerusalem, and condemned the land in an hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. 4And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, and turned his name to Jehoiakim. And Necho took Jehoahaz his brother, and carried him to Egypt. 5Jehoiakim was twenty and five years old when he began to reign, and he reigned eleven years in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord his God. 6Against him came up Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and bound him in fetters, to carry him to Babylon. 7Nebuchadnezzar also carried of the vessels of the house of the Lord to Babylon, and put them in his temple at Babylon. 8Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim, and his abominations which he did, and that which was found in him, behold, they are written in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah: and Jehoiachin his son reigned in his stead. 9Jehoiachin was eight years old when he began to reign, and he reigned three months and ten days in Jerusalem: and he did that which was evil in the sight of the Lord. (2 Chronicles 36:1‑9)
The next two kings in Jerusalem were sons of the good king Josiah, but it is sad to know they were wicked young men. The first son ruled only three months, then was taken captive by the king of Egypt, who gave the rule to his brother, and called him, Je-hoi-a-kim.
God sent men often to tell this king the right ways, but he would not change, and many people also were doing great evil. One day the prophet, Jeremiah, stood in the court of the temple and told the people that God would send sorrow unless they turned front the wickedness. Even the priests in the temple were disobeying God, and instead of being sorry for their sins when they heard God’s Words, they took hold of Jeremiah and said to him, “Thou shalt sorely die.”
But there were some of the chief princes who knew what Jeremiah had said, was from God, and they saved him front the angry ones, hunt he was later shut in prison.
Three years after that while Jeremiah was shut up, God told him to write all the words He had told him for his people since in the days of king Josiah, that they might again hear and turn from their sins. A man named Baruch wrote with ink on a roll all the words as Jeremiah told him, so it must have been a large roll when done.
Baruch took the roll to the temple of God, and read it aloud to the people gathered there. Then the princes heard of it and sent for Baruch to come and read to them. When they heard the words they were afraid for the troubles to come, and were also afraid the king would hurt Baruch and Jeremiah, and said for them to keep hidden.
Next, the princes went to tell the king the words of the roll, but left the roll safe in the room.
The king had not gone to the temple of God, but was in his own house. It was winter and he was sitting by the fireplace with his friends, when the men came and told him what had been read from the roll He sent a man to bring the roll and read it to him. The roll was brought and when a part had been read, the king took a knife and began to cut the roll and to throw what he cut into the fire, and kept on cutting until he had burned the whole roll!
Three of the men present begged not to do so, but the rest did not show care. Then the king sent to have Jeremiah and Baruch taken, and no doubt would have killed them, but the Lord hid them.
Do you think the king could stop the punishment to come, by burning the roll with God’s Words? No, God waited a few years more for this king to repent. Then He let a great king come and make him captive and bind him with chains.
And God kept a copy of His Words in spite of the wicked king, for He told Jeremiah to give all the words again to Baruch and for him to write them again. and other words were added. So all were kept safe, and we now have the words in our Bibles, these many years after. Another prophet who for a time escaped to Egypt was brought back and killed by this king.
ML 10/08/1939