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BARUCH: BUILDING A LEGACY IN A CRUMBLING WORLD

BARUCH: BUILDING A LEGACY IN A CRUMBLING WORLD. Lesson 13 for the 25 th of December, 2010. HISTORICAL CONTEXT. FINANCIAL CONTEXT. “Like cages full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; they have become rich and powerful and have grown fat and sleek.

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BARUCH: BUILDING A LEGACY IN A CRUMBLING WORLD

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  1. BARUCH: BUILDING A LEGACY IN A CRUMBLING WORLD Lesson 13 for the 25th of December, 2010

  2. HISTORICAL CONTEXT

  3. FINANCIAL CONTEXT “Like cages full of birds, their houses are full of deceit; they have become rich and powerful and have grown fat and sleek. Their evil deeds have no limit: they do not plead the case of the fatherless, to win it, they do not defend the rights of the poor” • Jeremiah, 5: 27-28 Things were going economically well for part of the people. They were becoming wealthier by exploiting the poor.

  4. POLITICAL CONTEXT • Judah was under the yoke of Babylon. There were two factions in politics: • One faction agreed with submitting to Babylon (Jeremiah, 36: 12) • The other faction supported the rebellion against Babylon(Jeremiah, 36: 24)

  5. RELIGIOUS CONTEXT Jeremiah had to tackle some prophets that prophesied the fall of Babylon and a national liberation, like Hananiah. The answer of the people to Jeremiah’s prophecies was: “We will not listen to the message you have spoken to us in the name of the Lord” (Jeremiah, 44: 16)

  6. THECALL OF BARUCH Jeremiah was called to the prophesying ministry when he was a very young priest in the reign of Josiah. He was banned from the Temple because of his messages in the reign of Jehoiakim. God ordered Jeremiah to write his messages in a scroll, so he called a scribe –Baruch– to be his hand and voice.

  7. WHOWASBARUCH? Baruch son of Neriah was the faithful secretary of Jeremiah. His mission was to write, to compile and to preserve the book known as “Jeremiah” in the Bible. His position as scribe and secretary of Jeremiah implied that he was very cultured. According to Josephus (Antiquities x. 9.1), Baruch was descendant of a very distinguished family in Judah. It seems that his brother was the main general of Zedekiah and go with him to Babylon. Baruch had a noble character and a strong influence, because the few people who wanted to run away to Egypt (the remnant) accused him of pressuring Jeremiah against them (Jeremiah, 43: 3). He was always faithful to Jeremiah. Barach went with him to Egypt when he was forced to go with the remnant of Judah (chap. 43: 5-7) Clay stamp; found near Jerusalem with the inscription: (belonging) to Berekhiahu son of Neriah the scribe

  8. “Many refuse to obey the truth through fear that they will lose their standing in the world. They allow the inconveniences in the pathway of truth to prevent them from following the Saviour. They do not realize that to reject truth means to lose eternal life. The heavenly intelligences watch with intense interest the struggle between tempter and tempted. It is a life-and-death question that is being settled” (E.G.W., “Review & Herald”, November 13 1900) CONSEQUENCES OF BARUCH’SWORK Baruch had a promising future as scribe of the court. Nonetheless, he became an exile because he stood faithful to the divine message.

  9. THEPROMISE Baruch was downhearted, so God encouraged him by sending a message with a promise. “This is what Jeremiah the prophet told Baruch son of Neriah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, after Baruch had written on a scroll the words Jeremiah was then dictating: “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to you, Baruch: You said, ‘Woe to me! The Lord has added sorrow to my pain; I am worn out with groaning and find no rest.'” The Lord said, "Say this to him: ‘This is what the Lord says: I will overthrow what I have built and uproot what I have planted, throughout the land. Should you then seek great things for yourself? Seek them not. For I will bring disaster on all people, declares the Lord, but wherever you go I will let you escape with your life”” Jeremiah, 45: 1-5

  10. Following God sometimes involves losing something we want or even going through sufferings. Let’s remember in anguish, despair or despondency times the glorious promises of eternal life, not the uncertain benefits of this ephemeral life. “Darkness and discouragement will sometimes come upon the soul, and threaten to overwhelm us; but we should not cast away our confidence. We must keep the eye fixed on Jesus, feeling or no feeling. We should seek to faithfully perform every known duty, and then calmly rest in the promises of God” E.G.W. (Messages to young people, cp. 30, pg. 111)

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