4/25/24

‭Jeremiah 36:3 Perhaps the house of Judah will hear all the calamity which I plan to bring on them, in order that every man will turn from his evil way; then I will forgive their iniquity and their sin.”

Jeremiah dictated a scroll to be read in the temple and in the hearing of all the people. All the Lord commanded was done. The scroll was taken and read. Everyone heard it then the scribes took it to King Jehoiakim. As they read it to him he cut it with a knife and had it thrown into the fire. He thought this would be the end but instead, God gave Jeremiah the words again to be dictated and add punishment of the King and his descendants.

Why did God give them the scroll of His words when He knew they would destroy them? God says "Perhaps the house of Judah will hear all the calamity which I plan to bring on them, in order that every man will turn from his evil way." This shows us God gives all men an opportunity to repent. I was asked the other day about a person who had never heard the word of God. Is this person going to hell when they die or will the parents be punished? The answer is yes. The parents will be punished for not showing their child Jesus. They will be held responsible for teaching them the false notion that there are things more important than God. However, once the child reaches the understanding of accountability they are responsible for crying out to God. Paul says in ‭Romans 1:20 ‬For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen, being understood through what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

We are all responsible once we understand accountability for our own salvation. However, make no mistake God gives us freedom and enough evidence of Him in creation so PERHAPS we will repent and seek Him. He says if they will turn to Me "then I will forgive their iniquity and their sin.” I remember reading of the missionary Jim Elliott as he attempted to witness to the Huaorani people. What grabbed my attention about this tribe of people was they had come up with a religious belief that mirrored many aspects of Christianity. They had done this by only what they saw in nature (God's invisible attributes, His eternal power and divine nature). I am confident, that from their fleshly desire and with an effort of Satan and his demons, they tried to fill the Christ-shaped hole inside of them with a shadow image. But as they sought, God provided His word through missionaries some of whom lost their earthly lives but others eventually evangelized these people. Just as our scripture text shows us. God will give any who seek Him an opportunity through His EVERLASTING WORD to repent and come to Him. King Jehoiakim attempted to destroy God's word but God brought it back with even more power. This is a picture of the Word that became flesh (JESUS). Don't ever doubt the effort of God to reach EVERYONE. Yet in the end, every individual has free will.

In your free will let Him use you to reach others with His Word (JESUS) so they might in their free will repent and be saved. Love Bro. Scott