Near the end of the kingdom of Judah, the word of the Lord came to the prophet Jeremiah and he was told to put all the accusations against Israel in Judah into a scroll. The hope of the Lord was that the people in Judah would hear about all the wrong things that were done, which offended God, and that they would repent before it was too late. The scroll was dictated by Jeremiah and written by the hand of Baruch, who was a scribe. After being read in the temple, the scroll was taken to king Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah (Jeremiah 36:1-4, 16).
To say the least, Jehoiakim did not appreciate the things that were written on the scroll. He did not like that God was criticizing his practices, nor did he like that God was telling him through Jeremiah that the Babylonians were going to invade and conquer Judah if they did not repent. Jehoiakim made a choice to ignore and disbelieve the prophecies of Jeremiah. In objection to the scroll, the king cut it up and threw it into the fire (Jeremiah 36:23).
It is interesting to wonder how many times in the many years since this event that others have tried to cut out the parts of God’s word that they did not want to hear, and metaphorically cast God’s word into the fire. Many have a tendency to approach religion as if it were a buffet table. They take what they like, but ignore or cut out those parts of scripture that do not agree with their lifestyle.
In the case of Jehoiakim, he was not successful in ignoring God. God commanded Jeremiah to write another scroll, so God’s word was not to be defeated or destroyed. Additionally, Jehoiakim’s son lost the path to the throne, and Jehoiakim’s body found no rest after death by not receiving a proper burial (Jeremiah 36:27-30). For a king, this is a grievous insult. Let us think for a moment about what our fate will be if we attempt to do the same as Jehoiakim. We cannot ignore God’s will if we want to lay hold of eternal life. If we want rest after our physical death, we must adhere to the entirety of God’s law for us (Matthew 7:21ff). To cut away the parts of the scroll we don’t personally like is to cut away our own soul.
Is it acceptable for each of us to do that which is right in our own sight? Are we free to make our own rules for what is right and wrong? Toward the latter section of the book of Judges, we find that there are two phrases that that are oft repeated for emphasis. The first of these is a reminder that there was no king in Israel in those days, and the second is that everyone did what was right in their own sight (Judges 17:6; 18:1; 19:1; 21:25). In these examples we can find the answer to our questions.
Americans across the country are beginning to gather in coffee shops, local burger joints, and neighborhood hangouts and discussing who our next president will be. Those in Iowa, New Hampshire, and other early primary states have made, or are making their choices now. We see it as a great privilege within our political system that we are allowed to choose our choice candidate to be our next leader. While democracy in politics and government is a great system, we must be sure to recognize that we do not get to choose when it comes to the one who is our ultimate ruler.
When things go wrong it seems that the one thing we never run short of is blame. Just take the Cleveland Browns, for instance. When things go wrong in Cleveland, as they often do, everyone looks for who is to blame for this year’s fiasco. From the ownership, to the general manager, to the head coach, to the assistants, to whomever played the most games at quarterback that year there is always plenty of blame to go around.
According to horoscope.com for a certain day, my outlook says, “A close friend or your partner could propose an impromptu trip and you might decide to go. You’re restless for adventure. . .” Many people may read that and become excited and think that they are going on a grand adventure! However, do the stars actually know anything about my destiny for today?
There is a song that we sing in our assemblies that speaks of being resolved no longer to linger, charmed by the world’s delight. Instead, the song says that I will hasten to Him. It is a song about being resolute in leaving the world’s charms behind and pressing on to be with the Lord. As we look out upon another year ending and a new one just beginning, what resolutions are we making for the New Year? What are we leaving behind in 2015, and what are we pressing on towards?
Have you ever wondered just why Jesus came to earth, especially at this time of the year when the world is thinking about Him? Consider for a moment what Jesus already knew before He ever left heaven. He knew that men would seek to kill Him as a toddler (Mat. 2:16). He knew that He would not be received by His own people (John 1:10-11). He knew that He would be rejected by men (Isaiah 53:3-5). He knew that He would be put to death on the cross, not for any wrong that He had done, but for the sins of mankind (Isaiah 53:9; 2 Pet. 2:22-25). And, yet, He came anyway. Why?
In the twelfth year of the reign of King Ahasuerus of Persia, Haman, the king’s right hand man, issued a decree that in eleven months all of the Jews within the Persian Empire were to be executed. Haman was looking to wipe out the Jews because Mordecai, a Jew living in the Persian capital of Shushan, refused to bow down to him. The decree was sealed with the king’s signet ring, which he had given to Haman. This meant that the decree carried the authority of the king, and under Persian law it could not be rescinded (Esther 3:7-12).
salvation's path 