Cut It. Burn It. Silence It. It Still Stands. — Jeremiah 36:1–32

The recording, chapter markers and searchable transcript appear here once the Sunday video is available.

In this message

Access to truth is not the main issue in Jeremiah 36; submission to it is.
Cutting out what is uncomfortable is still a common way people resist God’s word.
God responds to defiance by publishing his word again, not by surrendering it.
Two kings heard God’s word and responded in opposite ways: one broken, one defiant.
God’s word outlasts every attempt to destroy it, and people are still accountable for how they respond to it.

The passage

The verses Lee stops on. Read Jeremiah 36 in full.

Jeremiah 36:1–3

1In the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2“Take a scroll and write on it all the words I have spoken to you concerning Israel, Judah and all the other nations from the time I began speaking to you in the reign of Josiah till now. 3Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about every disaster I plan to inflict on them, they will each turn from their wicked ways; then I will forgive their wickedness and their sin.”

the command to compile Jeremiah’s prophecies into a single scroll. “It came to pass in the fourth year of Jehoiakim” This was at or near the time of the first Babylonian invasion (605 BC) when Daniel and other captives were taken to Babylon.

Cut it. Burn it. Silence it. It still stands.

What we have seen

The practice of cutting God’s word continues.
Two Kings - both hear the word of the law..
this rewriting of Jeremiah’s scroll, the original having been burned, is emblematic of the act that none of the words of God can every really be destroyed (Ps 12;6-7; Math 24:35).

What is Jeremiah 36 about?

Jeremiah 36 is about God’s word being written down, read publicly, rejected by leaders, and then burned by the king. The chapter highlights that Jehoiakim’s problem was not confusion but defiance—he understood enough to hate what he heard. God then commands the words to be written again and published again. The burned scroll becomes proof that the word stands even when people try to destroy it.

Why did God have Jeremiah’s prophecies written on a scroll?

God had Jeremiah’s words compiled so the people would hear them and still have an opportunity to repent. The stated hope is that when they heard the words, they might turn from evil and God would forgive iniquity and sin. The scroll was not just record-keeping; it was a mercy move while there was still time. The issue was never whether the message could be delivered, but whether it would be received.

What does Jehoiakim cutting and burning the scroll mean?

Jehoiakim cutting and burning the scroll is a picture of deliberate resistance to God’s authority. The act happens column by column, as though he is deciding what to keep and what to destroy. The point is not that he failed to understand; the point is that he refused to submit. The chapter treats this as defiance, not ignorance.

How does Jeremiah 36 show people “cutting” God’s word today?

Cutting God’s word continues when people decide for themselves what parts of the Bible are true, what parts are “fairy-tale,” and what moral teachings should be discarded. Cutting also happens when someone keeps promises they like but deletes warnings they dislike. The same pattern shows up when the Bible is trimmed to fit a lifestyle instead of shaping it. The passage warns that rejection does not require a literal fire—ignoring confronting parts can be enough.

Why did only a few leaders protest the burning of the scroll?

Only three leaders protested because the people had become complacent and insensitive to God. The scene shows a court that can watch the word of God destroyed without trembling. The small number of protests reveals how far the culture had drifted. The moment exposes spiritual numbness as much as royal defiance.

What does it mean that God told Jeremiah to take another scroll and write it again?

God telling Jeremiah to take another scroll shows that human actions cannot cancel what God has spoken. Trapp is quoted as saying God’s word cannot be burnt any more than it can be bound. Henry Morris is quoted to the effect that even when the only copy was destroyed, God gave the words again, with additional words besides. The rewritten scroll makes the point that the parchment can burn while the word stands.

How is Jehoiakim different from Josiah in hearing God’s word?

Josiah responded to God’s word with fear of the Lord, tearing his garments in reverence, while Jehoiakim responded by cutting up the scroll. Josiah burned idols; Jehoiakim burned God’s word. The contrast is presented as two different postures: one broken by the word, the other defensive toward it. The passage presses the question of which response a listener will choose.

What does Jeremiah 36 say about whether God’s word can be destroyed?

God’s word cannot be destroyed even if copies of it are burned. Isaiah 40:8 is cited to underline that what God has spoken stands forever. Matthew 24:35 is cited to show that Jesus’ words will not pass away even when everything else does. Isaiah 55:11 is cited to show God’s word accomplishes what he sends it to do rather than returning empty.

What happened to Jehoiakim after he burned the scroll?

Jehoiakim did not secure a lasting dynasty, and his rule ended under God’s judgment. Jeremiah 36:30 is explained to mean that his son’s brief reign did not qualify as a stable sitting on David’s throne, and the line of mortal human kings descended from Solomon is described as finished. The chapter also includes the warning that Jehoiakim’s body would be dishonoured. The point drawn is that Jehoiakim was doomed, not the word of God.

What should someone do when God’s word confronts them?

God’s word should be met with repentance rather than resistance. The application presses a choice between a Josiah-like response (broken before God) and a Jehoiakim-like response (defensive cutting). The warning is that the word will not bend to a person; it will either soften through repentance or harden through resistance. The question is whether the Bible will save someone or stand as witness against them.

Where else scripture speaks

Every passage Lee reaches for. The ones he teaches from open here; the rest link out.

Passages picked up elsewhere in the series:

Jeremiah 7:26 — The Covenant is Broken
Matthew 24:35 — Unfaithful Israel, Continued.

Take this with you

In the end, the scroll burned.