Devotional Commentary to
Jeremiah 45
This chapter is very short.
The reason is that it is a personal chapter between God, Jeremiah and Baruch
the scribe of Jeremiah. It is an exhausting task to be a prophet for God but
very rewarding. It is equally an exhausting task to be a scribe or XEROX copier
for the same prophet. As long as the prophecies are about other countries and
people, it is easier to work since the conversation of God is always us and
them distinction. But, it was not so with them messages of Jeremiah. “Us” did
only include the faithful minority in Jeremiah’s days that included Gedaliah
and some others who stood with him and those who stood faithful amid those who
indulged in licentiousness, the “them”. The problem for young Baruch, is that
he desired to be someone great one day and all the hard labor formed part of his
future dream world. But, his future vision was shattered by all the messages of
Jeremiah. He became very depressed “weary with my sighing and I have found no
rest [the word NOAH]”. For those who do not know, the Assyrian bilingual
dictionary in the Library at Niniveh dating to 650 BCE reads that the synonym
for Sabbath is NOAH of the heart, “rest of the heart”. It is peace with God and
a spiritual relationship with Him. Baruch said that he is so shocked by all the
destructions God is going to bring over his society and country and this turn
of events mean that the Lord “has added grief to my pain” (verse 3). The year
is the fourth year of Jehoiakim in 605 BCE (verse 1).
Before one looks at the
message of God to Baruch through Jeremiah, it is worth looking at some other
aspect. Rabbis interpreted the words of Baruch differently. Abarbanel in 1508
said that Baruch is complaining because God did not give him the gift of prophecy.
This is non-biblical. No one dictates to God whom He must choose for His
instrumental functions. Rabbi Redak indicated that some said that the grief was
because he was not given the gift of prophecy and that the pain is because the
Jews were deriding him. Moses Maimonides in the Guide to the Perplexed Chapter
32 from Volume 2 indicated that Baruch was not fit for prophecy but some Rabbis
later did not like this idea of his. It appears that all of them may be on the
wrong track. Baruch is tired and in despair because of the velocity of the
message that will have existential realities for him affecting his own future
for a long time. 70 years is a long time for a scribe to find a new job in a
new country. Any young University student would sigh.
The seal of Baruch was found. Below is the seal as presented by Nahman Avigad, whom I met in the Israel Museum and visited in his house for some lemon juice from his good wife".
The Bulla of “belonging to
Baruchyahu the son of Neriyahu the scribe” [lbrkyhw bn nryhw hṣpr] was recognized in 1975 when it appeared
in the Antiquities market. The purchaser took it to Nahman Avigad and he
published the Bulla. It probably came from the “burnt house” which was
excavated by Yigael Shiloh. It is in the Israel Museum and is stamped on an
oval seal measuring 17-16 mm and by 13-11mm. In 1996 another one was found
almost identical. It had a fingerprint and Hershel Shanks of Biblical
Archaelogist suggested that it is the actual fingerprint of Baruch.
Is this not exciting. That
God’s Word is absolutely confirmed as true and what Jeremiah wrote is not a
concoction of propaganda but indeed by historical figures as mentioned. The
reliability of Jeremiah is appreciated.
Then came the message to the
despairing Baruch from the Lord through Jeremiah: Because young Baruch said “Woe
alas to me!” he must pay attention at the overall plan of God. God works with
schemes and a program of history that goes through corridors of generations
trying to save as many as He can amid evil lurking around every corner. So here
is God’s message. Baruch should not focus only on the immediate. He should
raise his eyes to the horizon of eschatology when: “What I have built I will
tear down, and what I have planted I will uproot, and it is all the earth”.
Some translations read “all
the land” but it is contested by Keil in Volume II 1889 page 172 and rightly
so. He explained verse 5 not in the context of exilic punishment but in
eschatological terms. “The destruction regards the whole earth… ‘and as regards
the whole earth, it is it,’” Keil further cited Ewald in paragraph 277 that
verse 5 “does not mean ‘ the whole land,’ but the whole earth’” and the reason
for this Keil and Ewald pointed out is the parallel in verse 5 “upon all flesh”
as in Jeremiah 25:31. Keil continued: “The
sentence is passed on all the earth, in accordance with the announcement made
in chap. xxv. 15 ff.” Keil is not
finished: “But when the judgment extends over the whole of humanity, an
individual man cannot ask for anything great. “’to seek for great things,’ i.e.
to ask for things which in general or under certain circumstances are
unattainable.” When the whole world is visited with judgment, an individual man
must not make great demands, but be content with saving his life.” Keil and
Ewald stand out hand in hand with historicism here holding hands with
Adventism.
God is telling Baruch that at
that time He is going to destroy not only Israel but the whole earth. What
value does the world have, what great vision is there to pursue on earth if one
loses your soul and is also destroyed that day at His Second Advent? At that time
the Resurrection will take place and the Lord will give Baruch the following: “I
will give you your soul as prey in all the places where you will go” (verse 5) which
is heavenly places and the universe unto eternity.
Dear God
Give also us our souls as
prey to enable us also to go in all places where we want to go. In Jesus Name.
Amen.