The scribe (who chose to be a servant/messenger/recorder for the most unpopular prophet then) appeared suddenly in the Book of Prophet Jeremiah starting chapter 32 ending chapter 45. Chapter 45 (with only five verses)
was entirely about him. What an interesting and intriguing person of
record. He himself was a recorder of messages (including signs). He even
carried the messages he recorded to the audience as instructed. Was his role of any use in the spiritual realm? Definitely. He was even singled out by the unseen enemy as target. Here is his story in Biblical verses. (The notes of the watchman are in brackets after each sety of verses.)
Jeremiah 32:12 and I gave the purchase deed to Baruch the son of Neriah, son of Mahseiah, in the presence of Hanamel my uncle’s son, and in the presence of the witnesses who signed the purchase deed, before all the Jews who sat in the court of the prison. Jeremiah 32:13 “Then I charged Baruch before them, saying, Jeremiah 32:16 [ Jeremiah Prays for Understanding ] “Now when I had delivered the purchase deed to Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord, saying:
(Baruch appeared suddenly and undertook very important prophet act on behalf of prophet Jeremiah who was imprisoned.)
Jeremiah 36:4 Then Jeremiah called Baruch the son of Neriah; and Baruch wrote on a scroll of a book, at the instruction of Jeremiah, all the words of the Lord which He had spoken to him.
(Baruch’s key job was to write down accurately what Jeremiah had received from the Lord.
Jeremiah could not have paid him or given him any physical or even
social emoluments and amenities compared to other prophet employers who
were in the king’s favor and enjoyed prestigious and materially better
off status and positions. Baruch could
not have worked for things that others valued. What drove him? What was
he looking for when he chose to follow Jeremiah who was being persecuted
by all the powerful and important leaders of the nation then? What did
he see in that time of national crisis, chaos, confusion, insecurity and
strife? Indeed Jeremiah had not much to offer except words
from God. This scribe Baruch heard the words and believed. He was a man
of words. He was drawn to God’s spoken words. He was a man of
discernment. He discerned that the words were from God and not from man.
He was a man who hungered for God’s
words and sought out God’s words even at the time of impending
nationwide shaking and collapse.)
Jeremiah 36:5 And Jeremiah commanded Baruch, saying, “I am confined, I cannot go into the house of the Lord. Jeremiah 36:8 And
Baruch the son of Neriah did according to all that Jeremiah the prophet
commanded him, reading from the book the words of the Lord in the
Lord’s house. Jeremiah 36:10 Then Baruch
read from the book the words of Jeremiah in the house of the Lord, in
the chamber of Gemariah the son of Shaphan the scribe, in the upper
court at the entry of the New Gate of the Lord’s house, in the hearing of all the people.
(Baruch’s
second assignment: Represent faithfully the one who sent him -Jeremiah-
before the people, even before leaders and princes.He
was an educated man and knew the political and religious scenario then.
He knew Jeremiah was feared and hated by many and considered a national
threat. Yet he obeyed Jeremiah and went ahead and did exactly what
Jeremiah instructed him to do! Baruch was a courageous man. What gave
him the boldness? He knew whom he
believed. He knew the truth and the truth of God’s words had freed him
from the fear of men. The words of God set free the captive.)
Jeremiah 36:13 Then Michaiah declared to them all the words that he had heard when Baruch read the book in the hearing of the people.
Jeremiah 36:14 Therefore all the princes sent Jehudi the son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, to Baruch, saying, “Take in your hand the scroll from which you have read in the hearing of the people, and come.” So Baruch the son of Neriah took the scroll in his hand and came to them.
Jeremiah 36:15 And they said to him, “Sit down now, and read it in our hearing.” So Baruch read it in their hearing. Jeremiah 36:16 Now it happened, when they had heard all the words, that they looked in fear from one to another, and said to Baruch, “We will surely tell the king of all these words.”
Jeremiah 36:17 And they asked Baruch, saying, “Tell us now, how did you write all these words—at his instruction?” Jeremiah 36:18 So Baruch answered them, “He proclaimed with his mouth all these words to me, and I wrote them with ink in the book.”
Jeremiah 36:19 Then the princes said to Baruch, “Go and hide, you and Jeremiah; and let no one know where you are.”
(Baruch’s next assignment: Witnessing the exact words of God. Tell the truth as he had received. Be the vessel as he was called. The messenger on behalf of the messenger. The faithful and obedient disciple. The servant. It was indeed a life and death mission and testimony. Even the princes advised him and his master to go and hide immediately.)
Jeremiah 36:26 And the king commanded Jerahmeel the king’s son, Seraiah the son of Azriel, and Shelemiah the son of Abdeel, to seize Baruch the scribe and Jeremiah the prophet, but the Lord hid them.
(The enemy acted without hesitation. The Lord too.)
Jeremiah 36:27 [ Jeremiah Rewrites the Scroll ] Now after the king had burned the scroll with the words which Baruch had written at the instruction of Jeremiah, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying: Jeremiah 36:32 Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch the scribe, the son of Neriah, who wrote on it at the instruction of Jeremiah all
the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the
fire. And besides, there were added to them many similar words.
( Take note: the Lord God does not
stop what He had decreed. Burning of the original scroll in the physical
realm had no impact whatsoever in the spiritual realm. God’s plan
continued and more words were added! How awesome it must have appeared to Jeremiah the true prophet and Baruch the true servant of God!)
Jeremiah 43:3 But Baruch
the son of Neriah has set you against us, to deliver us into the hand
of the Chaldeans, that they may put us to death or carry us away captive
to Babylon.”
Jeremiah 43:6
men, women, children, the king’s daughters, and every person whom
Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of
Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet and Baruch the son of Neriah.
(The enemy wasted no time and continued with their false accusations and persecutions in the physical.)
Jeremiah 45:1 [ Assurance to Baruch ] The word that Jeremiah the prophet spoke to Baruch
the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the
instruction of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of
Josiah, king of Judah, saying, Jeremiah 45:2 “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to you, O Baruch
(The
words of the Lord continues in the spiritual. That counts. The words
have come to pass just as the Lord has spoken. It was worthwhile to
serve the Almighty and Living God! Both Jeremiah and Baruch knew and
indeed experienced. Today the same happens for all faithful servants of
God.)
