For the last few days, I have been thinking a lot about Jeremiah 36 and Jehoiakim’s attitude towards God’s Word. We read:
Whenever Jehudi had read three or four columns of the scroll, the king cut them off with a scribe’s knife and threw them into the firepot, until the entire scroll was burned in the fire. The king and all his attendants who heard all these words showed no fear, nor did they tear their clothes.
Jeremiah 36:23-24
Surely we aren’t as arrogant and defiant of God’s Word like Jehoiakim? Come on! He used God’s Word as kindling and didn’t show any remorse. But let’s slow down and think about it for a second. Aren’t we following in the footsteps of Jehoiakim when we hear God’s Word and chose to ignore it? When we censor Scripture? I know lots of people who are selective about what parts of Scripture they believe and obey. It’s easy for people to censor the things they don’t like. It can be anything from God’s righteous judgement to Hell to sexual sin and so forth. Pick what you like and discard the rest.
But we can’t pick and choose. God’s Word is to be taken as a whole and obeyed accordingly. We need to have a better attitude than Jehoiakim, when it comes to God’s Word.
What do people think?
