A.     Jeremiah and Baruch Read Jeremiah 36:1-10,

1. In 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.

3. Perhaps when the people of Judah hear about every disaster I plan to inflict on them, each of them will turn from his wicked way; then I will forgive their wickedness and their sin."

4. So Jeremiah called Baruch son of Neriah, and while Jeremiah dictated

5. Then Jeremiah told Baruch, "I am restricted; I cannot go to the LORD's temple.

6.       So you go to the house of the LORD on a day of fasting and read to the people from the scroll the words of the LORD that you wrote as I dictated. Read them to all the people of Judah who come in from their towns.

7.       Perhaps they will bring their petition before the LORD, and each will turn from his wicked ways, for the anger and wrath pronounced against this people by the LORD are great."

8.       Baruch son of Neriah did everything Jeremiah the prophet told him to do; at the LORD's temple he read the words of the LORD from the scroll.

9.       In the ninth month of the fifth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, a time of fasting before the LORD was proclaimed for all the people in Jerusalem and those who had come from the towns of Judah.

10.  From the room of Gemariah son of Shaphan the secretary, which was in the upper courtyard at the entrance of the New Gate of the temple, Baruch read to all the people at the LORD's temple the words of Jeremiah from the scroll.

Jehoiakim, king of Judah, Burns Jeremiah’s Scroll, this happened in the summer of 605 B.C., shortly after Nebuchadnezzar’s victory over the Egyptian army at Carchemish.  Baruch was Jeremiah’s scribe, writing was often done on Parchment or papyri those sheets together became scrolls. Paper is a rather late invention, developed by the Chinese in AD 105.

Baruch went to a room that opened on to the courtyard of the temple and read the scroll, which must have taken a lengthy time. Jeremiah hoped that when the people heard the scroll they would repent of their wicked ways. Thus, God’s anger would be turned away and the city saved.

B. A 2^nd Reading to Fearful Officials:  Jeremiah 36:11-19,

11. When Micaiah son of Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, heard all the words of the LORD from the scroll,
12. he went down to the secretary's room in the royal palace, where all the officials were sitting: Elishama the secretary, Delaiah son of Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Acbor, Gemariah son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah, and all the other officials.
13. After Micaiah told them everything he had heard Baruch read to the people from the scroll,
14. all the officials sent Jehudi son of Nethaniah, the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushi, to say to Baruch, "Bring the scroll from which you have read to the people and come." So Baruch son of Neriah went to them with the scroll in his hand.
15. They said to him, "Sit down, please, and read it to us." So Baruch read it to them.
16. .When they heard all these words, they looked at each other in fear and said to Baruch, "We must report all these words to the king."
17. Then they asked Baruch, "Tell us, how did you come to write all this? Did Jeremiah dictate it?"
18. "Yes," Baruch replied, "he dictated all these words to me, and I wrote them in ink on the scroll."
19. Then the officials said to Baruch, "You and Jeremiah　go and hide. Don't let anyone know where you are."

God’s words are warning people. At times they are upsetting for what they called people to acknowledge their sins, repent, and change their lifestyles. When Micaiah told the officials what Baruch had read at the temple they were upset; The prophecies of Jeremiah were not words of comfort, but warned of coming disaster; Then they sent for Baruch so that he could read the scroll to them and verify that they were Jeremiah’s very words. When he finished, they knew that their next obligation was to tell the king about the prophecies of destruction.

However, they had not finished the work that God had given them. So it was with Jeremiah and Baruch. They were told to hide because the king would probably have them executed. And they did.

C. Rewriting the Words of God: Jeremiah 36:27-28, 32

27 After the king burned the scroll containing the words that Baruch had written at Jeremiah's dictation, the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah:

28 "Take another scroll and write on it all the words that were on the first scroll, which Jehoiakim king of Judah burned up.

32 So Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to the scribe Baruch son of Neriah, and as Jeremiah dictated, Baruch wrote on it all the words of the scroll that Jehoiakim king of Judah had burned in the fire. And many similar words were added to them。

When a column was read to the king, he took a knife, cut the column off, and burned it. By so doing, he thought that he had nullified the threats on the scroll. What his decision actually did was to seal the fate of the city and country. Less than 20 years later Jerusalem was taken, the city burned, and the people were exiled.

After the king burned the scroll Jeremiah dictated again the words to Baruch, who wrote them in another scroll; Jeremiah’s ministry was not finished. He spoke the words of God during the reigns of the next two kings and after the city fell to the Babylonians. Baruch added these words to the scroll and thus preserved God’s words for us today.

Question: Think about the special relationships you have with other people. What makes these relationships so meaningful in your life?

D. Conclusion: The ultimate sign of a true friend is his/her willingness to take the risk of total honesty and be completely candid. Jeremiah was that kind of friend to Baruch.

1. 耶利米和巴錄：讀                                   耶利米書36: 1-10,

1. 猶大王、約西亞的兒子約雅敬第四年、耶和華的話臨到耶利米說、
2. 你取一書卷、將我對你說攻擊以色列、和猶大、並各國的一切話、從我對你說話的那日、就是從約西亞的日子起、直到今日、都寫在其上．
3. 或者猶大家聽見我想要降與他們的一切災禍、各人就回頭離開惡道、我好赦免他們的罪孽和罪惡。
4. 所以耶利米召了尼利亞的兒子巴錄來、巴錄就從耶利米口中、將耶和華對耶利米所說的一切話寫在書卷上。
5. 耶利米吩咐巴錄說、我被拘管、不能進耶和華的殿．
6. 所以你要去、趁禁食的日子、在耶和華殿中、將耶和華的話、就是你從我口中所寫在書卷上的話、念給百姓和一切從猶大城邑出來的人聽．
7. 或者他們在耶和華面前懇求、各人回頭離開惡道．因為耶和華向這百姓所說要發的怒氣和忿怒是大的。
8. 尼利亞的兒子巴錄就照先知耶利米一切所吩咐的去行、在耶和華的殿中、從書上念耶和華的話。
9. 猶大王、約西亞的兒子約雅敬第五年九月、耶路撒冷的眾民、和那從猶大城邑來到耶路撒冷的眾民、在耶和華面前宣告禁食的日子。
10. 巴錄就在耶和華殿的上院、耶和華殿的新門口、沙番的兒子文士基瑪利雅的屋內、念書上耶利米的話給眾民聽。

約雅敬王就燒毀耶利米的書卷：三十六章發生在公元前605年的夏天，即尼布甲尼撒王在迦基米施行一役擊敗埃及軍隊不久之後。巴錄是耶利米的文士 (書記)，當時的人用羊皮紙 (Parchment), 蒲草紙 (papyri) 寫或記錄文字，縫黏成卷。到AD 105年後中國人才發明了紙。

巴錄在殿的亭院，讀那他所聽寫的書卷許久，耶利米盼望人民聽讀後會認罪悔改，如此，上帝將不生氣，這城市將被保存。

2. 第二次向恐懼的官員們讀:                 耶利米書36:11-19,

11. 沙番的孫子基瑪利雅的兒子米該亞、聽見書上耶和華的一切話、
12. 他就下到王宮、進入文士的屋子．眾首領、就是文士以利沙瑪、示瑪雅的兒子第萊雅、亞革波的兒子以利拿單、沙番的兒子基瑪利雅、哈拿尼雅的兒子西底家、和其餘的首領、都坐在那裡。
13. 於是米該亞對他們述說他所聽見的一切話、就是巴錄向百姓念那書的時候所聽見的。
14. 眾首領就打發古示的曾孫示利米雅的孫子尼探雅的兒子猶底到巴錄那裡、對他說、你將所念給百姓聽的書卷拿在手中、到我們這裡來．尼利亞的兒子巴錄就手拿書卷、來到他們那裡。
15. 他們對他說、請你坐下、念給我們聽．巴錄就念給他們聽。
16.  他們聽見這一切話就害怕、面面相觀、對巴錄說、我們必須將這一切話告訴王。
17. 他們問巴錄說、請你告訴我們、你怎樣從他口中寫這一切話呢。
18. 巴錄回答說、他用口向我說這一切話、我就用筆墨寫在書上。
19. 眾首領對巴錄說、你和耶利米要去藏起來．不可叫人知道你們在那裡。

上帝的話在警告子民，但當時人民不高興去認罪、悔改、和改變他們的生活方式。 當米該亞 告訴那些官員們 有關巴錄文士在殿所讀的，他們都生氣了。先知耶利米的話聽來不舒服，但是警告未來的危機，耶利米的話被巴錄文士讀之。當巴錄讀完後，他們知道必告訴王上有關於毀滅的預言。

可是，上帝給耶利米和巴錄的工作未完成，他們被警告躲藏，因為王上會處決他們。  

。約雅敬王聽一段就取刀切了那段並燒了，這樣作王以為已取消這卷了。他實際作了封死國家和城市之命運，不到二十年耶路撒冷被拿，城市被燒，百姓被逐了。

約雅敬王燒了那段卷，先知耶利米再重讀上帝的話給巴錄寫在另一卷上；耶利米的職務並未完成。他繼續寫下兩個王傳達上帝的話，直到城市輸給巴比倫尼亞人 (亞洲一古國)；巴錄加寫這些字在卷上，以至於存了上帝的話給我們至今。

問題：想一想您與其他人的特殊關係。在您的生命中甚麼事造成這關係含義深長呢？

D. 結論：真正朋友的最終情狀是他或她不論任何危機以完全誠實之態度都可去作。耶利米是巴錄的真正朋友。