Jeremiah 36:6
so you are to go to the house of the LORD on a day of fasting, and in the hearing of the people you are to read the words of the LORD from the scroll you have written at my dictation. Read them in the hearing of all the people of Judah who are coming from their cities.
so you are to go to the house of the LORD on a day of fasting,

The house of the LORD was the temple in Jerusalem, where Judah gathered for worship. A proclaimed fast called the nation to humble itself before God in a time of danger, grief, or repentance. The setting gave Baruch’s reading particular urgency before an assembled people seeking the LORD.

Jol 1:14 Consecrate a fast; proclaim a solemn assembly!…
2Ch 20:3 Jehoshaphat was alarmed and set his face to seek the LORD.…
Ezr 8:21 And there by the Ahava Canal I proclaimed a fast…

and in the hearing of the people

God’s warning was to be heard publicly, not confined to Jerusalem’s leaders or priests. The gathering placed the nation under direct responsibility for its response to the word God had given.

Deu 31:11-13 when all Israel comes before the LORD your God…
Jos 8:35 There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded…
Neh 8:2-3 On the first day of the seventh month, Ezra the priest…

you are to read the words of the LORD from the scroll you have written at my dictation.

Jeremiah had dictated the LORD’s words to Baruch, who recorded them on a scroll. Though Jeremiah could not appear at the temple, the written message carried the same divine authority and preserved God’s warning accurately.

Jer 30:2 This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says…
Exo 24:4 And Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD.…
Exo 34:27 The LORD also said to Moses, “Write down these words,…

Read them in the hearing of all the people of Judah who are coming from their cities.

People from throughout Judah would come to Jerusalem for the fast, providing an opportunity for the warning to reach the wider nation. God’s call to repentance extended to all Judah, whose coming judgment would affect every city and household.

2Ch 34:30 And he went up to the house of the LORD with all the people…
2Ki 23:2 And he went up to the house of the LORD with all the people…
2Ch 30:5-6 So they established a decree to circulate a proclamation…

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jeremiah
A prophet called by God to deliver His messages to the people of Judah, often facing opposition and persecution.

2. Baruch
The scribe and faithful companion of Jeremiah, tasked with writing down the words of the LORD as dictated by Jeremiah.

3. The House of the LORD
Refers to the temple in Jerusalem, a central place of worship and gathering for the people of Judah.

4. Day of Fasting
A time set aside for repentance, prayer, and seeking God, often marked by abstaining from food.

5. The People of Judah
The audience for the reading of the scroll, representing the nation that had turned away from God and was facing impending judgment.
Teaching Points
The Power of God's Word
God's Word, when read and heard, has the power to convict, transform, and guide His people. Just as Baruch read the scroll to the people, we should prioritize the public reading and teaching of Scripture in our communities.

The Role of Obedience
Baruch's obedience to Jeremiah's instructions is a model for us. We are called to faithfully carry out God's commands, even when it may be challenging or unpopular.

The Importance of Repentance
The setting of a day of fasting underscores the need for repentance. True repentance involves turning away from sin and turning towards God, seeking His mercy and forgiveness.

Community and Accountability
The gathering of the people of Judah to hear the Word highlights the importance of community in our spiritual lives. We are called to gather together, hold each other accountable, and encourage one another in our walk with God.

The Urgency of the Message
The urgency with which Jeremiah and Baruch delivered God's message serves as a reminder of the urgency with which we should share the Gospel. The time to respond to God's call is now.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the role of Baruch as a scribe and messenger challenge us in our own responsibility to share God's Word with others?

2. In what ways can we incorporate the public reading of Scripture into our personal and communal worship practices today?

3. Reflect on a time when you experienced the power of God's Word in your life. How did it lead to transformation or change?

4. How can we ensure that our times of fasting and prayer are genuine and aligned with God's desires, as described in Isaiah 58?

5. What steps can we take to foster a sense of urgency in sharing the Gospel with those around us, following the example of Jeremiah and Baruch?
Connections to Other Scriptures
2 Kings 22-23
The account of King Josiah's reforms after the Book of the Law was found and read, highlighting the power of God's Word to bring about repentance and change.

Nehemiah 8
The public reading of the Law by Ezra, which led to a revival among the people, demonstrating the importance of hearing and understanding God's Word.

Isaiah 58
Discusses true fasting, emphasizing that it should be accompanied by genuine repentance and a heart turned towards God, aligning with the context of Jeremiah 36:6.
Symbolism of a FastN. L. Frothingham.Jeremiah 36:6
Things New and OldD. Young Jeremiah 36:6
Vicarious Ministry in Holy ThingsA.F. Muir Jeremiah 36:1-8
Hearers of God's WordS. Conway Jeremiah 36:1-32
God's Servant ImprisonedE. Davies, D. D.Jeremiah 36:4-7
Jeremiah in PrisonHomilistJeremiah 36:4-7
The Utility of Holy ScriptureJohn Trapp.Jeremiah 36:4-7
People
Abdeel, Achbor, Azriel, Baruch, Cushi, David, Delaiah, Elishama, Elnathan, Gemariah, Hammelech, Hananiah, Jehoiakim, Jehudi, Jerahmeel, Jeremiah, Josiah, Micah, Micaiah, Michaiah, Neriah, Nethaniah, Seraiah, Shaphan, Shelemiah, Shemaiah, Zedekiah
Places
Babylon, Jerusalem, New Gate
Topics
Book, Cities, Dictated, Dictation, Ears, Entered, Fast, Fast-day, Fasting, Hast, Hearing, Judah, Lord's, Mouth, Reading, Roll, Scroll, Towns, Written, Wrote
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Jeremiah 36:4-32

     5514   scribes

Jeremiah 36:5-6

     5794   asceticism

Jeremiah 36:6-8

     5175   reading

Library
Jeremiah's Roll Burned and Reproduced
'Then took Jeremiah another roll, and gave it to Baruch ... who wrote therein ... all the words of the book which Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire, and there were added besides unto them many like words.'--JER. xxxvi. 32. This story brings us into the presence of the long death agony of the Jewish monarchy. The wretched Jehoiakim, the last king but two who reigned in Jerusalem, was put on the throne by the King of Egypt, as his tributary, and used by him as a buffer to bear the brunt
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Growth of the Old Testament Prophetic Histories
[Sidenote: Analogies between the influences that produced the two Testaments] Very similar influences were at work in producing and shaping both the Old and the New Testaments; only in the history of the older Scriptures still other forces can be distinguished. Moreover, the Old Testament contains a much greater variety of literature. It is also significant that, while some of the New Testament books began to be canonized less than a century after they were written, there is clear evidence that
Charles Foster Kent—The Origin & Permanent Value of the Old Testament

On the Interpretation of Scripture
IT is a strange, though familiar fact, that great differences of opinion exist respecting the Interpretation of Scripture. All Christians receive the Old and New Testament as sacred writings, but they are not agreed about the meaning which they attribute to them. The book itself remains as at the first; the commentators seem rather to reflect the changing atmosphere of the world or of the Church. Different individuals or bodies of Christians have a different point of view, to which their interpretation
Frederick Temple—Essays and Reviews: The Education of the World

The Secret of Its Greatness
[Illustration: (drop cap G) The Great Pyramid] God always chooses the right kind of people to do His work. Not only so, He always gives to those whom He chooses just the sort of life which will best prepare them for the work He will one day call them to do. That is why God put it into the heart of Pharaoh's daughter to bring up Moses as her own son in the Egyptian palace. The most important part of Moses' training was that his heart should be right with God, and therefore he was allowed to remain
Mildred Duff—The Bible in its Making

The Essay which Brings up the Rear in this Very Guilty Volume is from The...
The Essay which brings up the rear in this very guilty volume is from the pen of the "Rev. Benjamin Jowett, M.A., [Fellow and Tutor of Balliol College, and] Regius Professor of Greek in the University of Oxford,"--"a gentleman whose high personal character and general respectability seem to give a weight to his words, which assuredly they do not carry of themselves [143] ." His performance is entitled "On the Interpretation of Scripture:" being, in reality, nothing else but a laborious denial of
John William Burgon—Inspiration and Interpretation

Jeremiah
The interest of the book of Jeremiah is unique. On the one hand, it is our most reliable and elaborate source for the long period of history which it covers; on the other, it presents us with prophecy in its most intensely human phase, manifesting itself through a strangely attractive personality that was subject to like doubts and passions with ourselves. At his call, in 626 B.C., he was young and inexperienced, i. 6, so that he cannot have been born earlier than 650. The political and religious
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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