What is the meaning of Jeremiah 36:15? Please sit down The officials’ polite invitation signals respect for God’s revealed word and a readiness to give it undivided attention. Their demeanor reminds us of moments when people paused everything to listen to Scripture—such as when Josiah heard the rediscovered Law and tore his robes in repentance (2 Kings 22:10–13) or when Ezra read to the returned exiles and “all the people were attentive” (Nehemiah 8:2–3). By asking Baruch to be seated, they create a setting of thoughtful, deliberate listening, showing that God’s message deserves an unhurried place in daily affairs. they said “They” are the royal officials listed in Jeremiah 36:12–14. • They had just heard of Baruch’s public reading at the temple and exercised their responsibility to verify the scroll’s contents. • Their initiative echoes the Bereans, who “received the word with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily” (Acts 17:11). • The episode illustrates Proverbs 18:13: leaders should listen fully before responding. God honors diligence that seeks firsthand knowledge of His Word before acting. and read it in our hearing Hearing is central to covenant life. Scripture often couples reading with hearing so that faith can arise (Romans 10:17). • Public proclamation was commanded by Moses for every seventh year (Deuteronomy 31:11–13) and practiced in the early church (1 Timothy 4:13; Revelation 1:3). • “Our hearing” suggests corporate accountability; once everyone has heard, no one can claim ignorance (John 15:22). • Inviting the Word into the ear gate prepares the heart—“Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts” (Hebrews 3:15). So Baruch read it in their hearing Baruch models faithful service: • He had already copied Jeremiah’s dictation with painstaking accuracy (Jeremiah 36:4). • Now he obeys a second time, reading without abridgment or embellishment (Jeremiah 36:8, 21). • His reliability illustrates 1 Corinthians 4:2—“it is required of stewards that they be found faithful.” The officials become accountable, and the chain of transmission from God to prophet to scribe to listener remains intact, underscoring the trustworthiness of Scripture. summary Jeremiah 36:15 captures a reverent transaction: leaders pause and invite the servant of God to sit, speak, and let the written word resound in their midst. Their courtesy, eagerness to hear, and Baruch’s obedient reading highlight three timeless truths: Scripture deserves respectful space, leaders bear responsibility to know it firsthand, and God’s messengers must relay it faithfully. The verse encourages every believer to create room, listen carefully, and respond obediently whenever God’s Word is opened. |
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