Let's Examine the Scriptures Every Day 2021
Tuesday, July 20, 2021
There are companions ready to tear each other apart, but there is a friend who is more attached than a brother (Prov. 18:24).
If we've ever been hurt by someone, we may find it difficult to open up to others (Prov. 18:19). It may also appear that we do not have the time or energy to cultivate close friendships. But we must not give up. If we want our brothers to support us when trials come, we have to learn to trust them now with what we think and feel. This is key to making true friends (1 Pet. 1:22). Jesus showed that he trusted his friends by communicating freely with them (John 15:15). We can copy their example by talking to others about our joys, worries, and disappointments. On the other hand, we must listen carefully when someone speaks to us, because in this way we may see that they share our way of thinking and feeling, and that we have many goals in common. If we take the first step in having sincere and loving conversations, our friendships will grow closer (Prov. 27: 9). w19.11 4 pars. 8, 9
What did Jehovah tell Jeremiah to do, and why did this mission strengthen the friendship between Jeremiah and Baruch?
Jeremiah had boldly warned the Israelites of what would happen to Jerusalem (Jer. 25: 3). In a further attempt to motivate the people to repent, Jehovah told Jeremiah to write his warnings on a scroll (Jer. 36: 1-4). He and Baruch collaborated shoulder to shoulder probably for several months to carry out this task that God had entrusted to them. No doubt they had conversations during that time that strengthened their faith.
Why do we know that Baruch was a good friend of Jeremiah?
When it came time to reveal the contents of the scroll, Jeremiah entrusted this task to his friend Baruch (Jer. 36: 5, 6). This one was brave and fulfilled the dangerous mission. Can we imagine how proud Jeremiah must have been when his friend went to the temple courtyard and read the scroll before the people? (Jer. 36: 8-10). When the princes of Judah learned what Baruch had done, they ordered him to read the scroll to them (Jer. 36:14, 15). So they decided to tell King Jehoiakim what Jeremiah had said. With consideration, they gave Baruch some very timely advice: “Go and hide yourselves, you and Jeremiah; let no one know where they are ”(Jer. 36: 16-19).
How did Jeremiah and Baruch react to the opposition?
When King Jehoiakim heard what Jeremiah had written, he was so enraged that he burned the scroll and had the prophet and his secretary arrested. But Jeremiah was not scared. He took another scroll, gave it to Baruch, and dictated Jehovah's message to him. So Baruch wrote “all the words of the scroll that King Jehoiakim of Judah had burned in fire” (Jer. 36: 26-28, 32).
What is likely to have happened to Jeremiah and Baruch when they worked together?
Often times, a special bond is formed between people who live a test together. So when Jeremiah and Baruch rewrote together the scroll that wicked King Jehoiakim had burned, it stands to reason that their friendship grew stronger. What do we learn from these two faithful men?
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