How should we respond when God's word is presented to us, as in Jeremiah 36:21? The Scene in Jeremiah 36:21 “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 stood beside him.” (Jeremiah 36:21) Jehoiakim’s Tragic Reaction • 36:22-24 shows the king slicing the scroll and burning it, “yet … the king and his servants did not become afraid or tear their garments.” • His contempt illustrates the heart that refuses conviction, resists repentance, and silences the truth (cf. Proverbs 13:13). • The Lord’s verdict follows: “He shall have no one to sit on the throne of David” (36:30). Rejecting God’s word invites judgment. What Scripture Calls the Right Response • Reverent Fear and Humility – Josiah: “When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes” (2 Kings 22:11). – Isaiah 66:2: God looks “to the one who is humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at My word.” • Eager Reception – Acts 17:11: the Bereans “received the message with great eagerness.” – Mark 4:24: “Pay attention to what you hear.” • Examination and Understanding – Psalm 119:18: “Open my eyes that I may behold wondrous things out of Your law.” – 2 Timothy 2:15: “rightly handling the word of truth.” • Obedient Action – James 1:22: “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only.” – Luke 11:28: “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” • Preservation and Transmission – Jeremiah 36:32: Baruch rewrote the scroll “with many similar words added.” – Deuteronomy 6:6-7: “These words … shall be on your heart. Teach them diligently to your children.” Steps for Receiving God’s Word Today 1. Stop and Listen • Set aside distractions; give Scripture the king’s court hearing it deserves. 2. Yield the Heart • Pray for soft soil (Hosea 10:12); refuse Jehoiakim’s hardness. 3. Test and Verify • Compare teaching against the text (Acts 17:11). 4. Repent and Align • Where the word exposes sin, confess and change course (Psalm 119:59-60). 5. Act in Faith • Put commands into practice—service, forgiveness, witness, purity (John 13:17). 6. Guard and Share • Memorize (Psalm 119:11), discuss at home (Deuteronomy 6:7), pass on faithfully (2 Timothy 2:2). Living It Out • Scripture is “God-breathed … for conviction, for correction, and for training in righteousness” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Treat it as the King’s unalterable decree. • Every encounter with the Bible presents a choice: Jehoiakim’s fire or Josiah’s torn garments. Choose the posture that welcomes life, blessing, and transformation. |
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