Rend your hearts
Scripture References: Matthew 7:24, Jeremiah 36:1-3, 5-6, 8, 19-20, 22-24, 2 Kings 22:8-11, Joel 2:12-13a, 1 John 1:9
Introduction:
What is our response to sin? What is our response to the Word of God?
I’ve been reflecting on these questions a lot lately. Whether it is reflection during communion or my own personal prayer time, these questions get down to our response to the Word and the work of God. When I am confronted with my own sin, am I showing true repentance in response to what Christ has done for me? When I study the Word in my personal devotions, or when I hear the Word preached…Do I actually act on what I’ve read or what I’ve heard? In the words of our Savior…
24 “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. -Matthew 7:24 ESV
During my study through Jeremiah, one passage that really made me stop and reflect on these questions comes in chapter 36. King Jehoiakim is presented with a convicting Word from the Lord. Let’s see how he responds…
Devotional:
Judah (Israel’s southern kingdom) is on the brink of exile. God’s prophets have warned of this judgement time and time again – calling on Israel and their leaders to repent of their sin and idolatry and turn back to the Lord. Jeremiah had boldly and faithfully presented these warnings from the Lord, even to the point of speaking against the people in the temple itself (See Jeremiah 7 and 26).
Judah does not heed the Word of the Lord and instead they ban Jeremiah from the temple. However, we should never be surprised when we see God continue to make a way for His Word to be proclaimed…despite the best efforts of man to silence it.
“In the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “Take a scroll and write on it all the words that I have spoken to you against Israel and Judah and all the nations, from the day I spoke to you, from the days of Josiah until today. 3 It may be that the house of Judah will hear all the disaster that I intend to do to them, so that every one may turn from his evil way, and that I may forgive their iniquity and their sin.” -Jeremiah 36:1-3 ESV
God is giving Judah yet another chance to hear His Word and repent…even after they kick His own messenger out of His own house! So Jeremiah calls on his faithful scribe Baruch…
5 And Jeremiah ordered Baruch, saying, “I am banned from going to the house of the Lord, 6 so you are to go, and on a day of fasting in the hearing of all the people in the Lord’s house you shall read the words of the Lord from the scroll that you have written at my dictation. You shall read them also in the hearing of all the men of Judah who come out of their cities. -Jeremiah 36:5-6 ESV
Can you imagine being in Baruch’s shoes? Jeremiah is already banned from the temple. Many wanted him killed. Now Jeremiah is telling Baruch to go back to the temple at perhaps one of the busiest times (during fasting) where there will undoubtedly be a huge crowd, and read these Words to them once again! Baruch is facing the strong possibility of being banned himself, or worse – getting killed. Baruch’s response…he is a faithful servant.
8 And Baruch the son of Neriah did all that Jeremiah the prophet ordered him about reading from the scroll the words of the Lord in the Lord’s house. -Jeremiah 36:8 ESV
Well done good and faithful servant! Word spreads to some court officials who invite Baruch to read the scroll to them in person. Again, Baruch is faithful and reads the scroll in their presence. What is the response of these officials? It seems that they feel the weight and severity of these words…
19 Then the officials said to Baruch, “Go and hide, you and Jeremiah, and let no one know where you are.”
20 So they went into the court to the king, having put the scroll in the chamber of Elishama the secretary, and they reported all the words to the king. -Jeremiah 36:19-20 ESV
The officials know that King Jehoiakim must hear these words. They also know that there is a possibility he reacts in anger, putting both Baruch and Jeremiah in danger. One of these officials, Jehudi gets the nerve-wracking duty of reading the scroll before the king. Now comes the moment of truth. How does King Jehoiakim respond to the Word of the Lord?
22 It was the ninth month, and the king was sitting in the winter house, and there was a fire burning in the fire pot before him. 23 As Jehudi read three or four columns, the king would cut them off with a knife and throw them into the fire in the fire pot, until the entire scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the fire pot. 24 Yet neither the king nor any of his servants who heard all these words was afraid, nor did they tear their garments. -Jeremiah 36:22-24 ESV
Careless ignorance is bad enough…but what Jehoiakim does shows his outright rejection and disdain for the Word of the Lord. His response is not to repent and obey the Word of the Lord, but to destroy it. If you are looking for an example of prideful rejection towards the Word of the Lord in Scripture…it doesn’t get much worse than this. This is a futile act anyway, because later in the chapter, God just tells Jeremiah to write it down again. You can’t destroy the Word of God. It will be proclaimed whether we choose to accept it or not!
Now here’s where the ‘lights on my dashboard’ started going off, so to speak. Did you catch verse 24? “Yet neither the king nor any of his servants who heard all these words was afraid, nor did they tear their garments.” Why was it this verse in particular that caught my attention? We are reminded twice in this chapter who Jehoiakim is: “Jehoiakim the son of Josiah”
Are the wheels turning yet? Does this sound familiar?
King Josiah…Jehoiakim’s Father was presented with a strikingly similar situation. After years of sin and the unfaithful actions of his fathers, Josiah begins restoring the temple. During this restoration work, a discovery is made…
8 And Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the house of the Lord.” And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it. 9 And Shaphan the secretary came to the king, and reported to the king, “Your servants have emptied out the money that was found in the house and have delivered it into the hand of the workmen who have the oversight of the house of the Lord.” 10 Then Shaphan the secretary told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan read it before the king. -2 Kings 22:8-10 ESV
The forgotten, neglected book of the law is found. Shaphan the secretary reads it, and like our court officials in Jeremiah 36, he seems to think that this is pretty important and must be reported to the king. Now the moment of truth. How does King Josiah respond to the Word of the Lord?
11 When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes. -2 Kings 22:11 ESV
Josiah’s response is the complete opposite of Jehoiakim. Culturally, tearing one’s clothes is a visible act of grief and repentance. In this action, Josiah is expressing horror at sin, recognition of guilt, mourning over the judgements being proclaimed and humility before God. It is more than just a visible act, but it is followed by action as Josiah launches religious reforms to bring the nation back to God.
Both Father and Son (Josiah and Jehoiakim) had officials and servants who felt the message was urgent enough to deliver. Both had the Word read to them. Both ’heard’ the Word. What separated them? Their response.
Jehoiakim responds with rejection, disdain and pride…tearing up the Word of the Lord. Josiah responds with grief and repentance…tearing his clothes. We know this act of tearing his clothes was genuine since he followed it up with action…reflecting the words of the prophet Joel…
12 “Yet even now,” declares the Lord,
“return to me with all your heart,
with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning;
13 and rend your hearts and not your garments.” -Joel 2:12-13a ESV
Josiah was truly one who would rend (tear) his heart, and not just his garments. The outward expression showed an inward condition of the heart.
Takeaway
With these two stories and comparisons in mind, my challenge to all of us is to reflect on the two questions posed in the introduction:
What is our response to sin? What is our response to the Word of God?
Will we respond like the son (Jehoiakim) ignoring our sin and rejecting the Word? Or will we respond like the father (Josiah) in repentance of our sin, acting in obedience to the Word?
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” -1 John 1:9 ESV
Praise the Lord for this truth! Now what is our response?
Amen.
Sean Wagner