Baruch: Helper And Friend

Serving – December 2015 – Grace & Truth Magazine

BARUCH
Helper And Friend

“Behold, that which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up, even this whole land. And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the Lord: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest.” —Jeremiah 45:4-5 KJV

We see here a man for whom everything he held dear was collapsing into chaos. At one time his family held high office under a godly king, Josiah. Since that king of Judah died, the family fortunes had declined and the nation was being ruled by a short succession of weak and foolish men. Those who held to the values of good king Josiah were not popular with the ruling elite.

The law of God was despised and the voice of the prophet Jeremiah, Baruch’s friend, went unheeded. Jeremiah called for the rulers of Judah to submit to God and the approaching Babylonian army. Only in this way could the destruction and captivity of the nation be avoided. We can imagine the king’s advisors mocking God’s spokesman and those with him. They may even have pointed out, as if Jeremiah did not know, that Babylon was the seat of all idolatry and perversion.

Constant Servant For God And His Word
Through all the ages godly men and women who have stood up for the truth have been rejected and despised. Many have felt as if the whole world were against them. Very few of the prophets were respected public figures to whom the people listened. When we stand up for the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ we must expect to be mocked, ridiculed and disliked. The Lord Jesus gave this warning, “Wherefore, behold, I send unto you prophets, and wise men, and scribes: and some of them you shall kill and crucify; and some of them shall you scourge in your synagogues, and persecute them from city to city” (Mt. 23:34).

In the tenth year of King Zedekiah, Jeremiah issued a warning to the king and his government that they should submit to the Babylonians. The prophecy included a message of hope for the king and the nation, but it was unheeded and Jeremiah was put in prison by order of Zedekiah.

The message was accompanied by the symbolic gesture of Jeremiah’s purchase of his cousin Hanameel’s field. This demonstrated the assurance God had given to Jeremiah. By buying the field according to Jewish law and custom he showed that he believed the word of God – He would eventually restore Israel to her own land. Before witnesses, this transaction was recorded and ratified by Baruch, who was acting as Jeremiah’s lawyer and scribe. It was a fairly public gesture to reassure the people concerning God’s mercy and His plan to restore Israel (Jer. 32:1-16,36-38,43-44).

By many, this act must have been seen as utter folly. Sadly the world’s wisdom always considers God’s Word as foolishness (1 Cor. 1:18-21). God cannot lie and He will never let us down or be deceived if we believe what He says in His Word.

Courage To Complete The Task
Scribes in those days were not the only ones capable of reading and writing. The ancient Hebrew culture was highly literate. Baruch, considering the place his family had once held in society, was trained in law as well as in the Jewish religion. In this capacity, we see him recording the words which God gave Jeremiah to speak.

Rather than chronological, the Holy Spirit had the incidents written in moral order. The reading of the words of Jeremiah before the high officials of the government was a message of judgment, not hope. We see how God at first dealt gently with His people. Then when they were adamant in their rebellion, His message became more threatening. “Therefore thus says the Lord of Jehoiakim king of Judah; He shall have none to sit upon the throne of David: and his dead body shall be cast out ... And I will punish his seed and his servants for their iniquity” (See Jeremiah 36:1-24,27-32).

We must admire the courage of Baruch. He was already reckoned as a criminal and a traitor, yet he dared to write at the prophet’s dictation and then to take the scroll and read it in the hearing of the highest in the land. The king burned it. Did the king really imagine that he could erase God’s words? His words stand for eternity! We wonder at the depths of human folly, yet we are of the same frail flesh and are equally capable of similar folly unless we keep close to God.

The words of God by Jeremiah could not be burned. Jeremiah took another roll and Baruch, his patient friend, rewrote as the prophet directed – though possibly in fear of his life or loss of liberty. God had chosen well, as He always does. The stalwart lawyer and scribe completed the task.

Challenges For Us
There are other characteristics of Baruch that we may well admire and copy. He was not ashamed to play “second fiddle” to Jeremiah, if indeed that is what he was. Many of us might see it this way for ourselves and disdain to serve any man. We are often arrogant and set ourselves higher than we should. Baruch had his gifts. A trained lawyer, he was thoroughly read in the law of Israel and could communicate well. He did not have the prophet’s gift or calling, but God is sovereign in the tasks He gives His own.

We ought to remember the words of Paul when he encountered the Lord Jesus on the road to Damascus: “Who art thou, Lord?” and “What wilt Thou have me to do?” (Acts 9:5-6). Both Jeremiah and Baruch were men of a similar mind. There was no rivalry or jealousy between them – both were content to exercise their own gift without looking with envy at the other.

At the end of the story the men of violence were planning to go to Egypt. Jeremiah warned them not to, but even though they had sought his advice and to know God’s will, they insisted on going. They accused Jeremiah of lying to them and then charged Baruch with influencing Jeremiah: “Baruch son of Neriah setteth thee on against us, for to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they might put us to death” (Jer. 43:3). We must allow God’s strength to sustain us, realizing that we are His ambassadors in a hostile territory (2 Cor. 5:20; Eph. 6:20).

Man is fickle, subject to emotional whims and changes of mind. What a contrast to follow the book of Jeremiah through and see the constancy and consistency of the prophet and his friends. In particular, we notice how dignified and humble Baruch was as he carried out his work. May we too, whatever the world thinks of us, carry out the tasks He has assigned to you and me with humility and God-given wisdom. Let us remember the words of the Lord Jesus: ”Ye shall be hated of all men for My name’s sake ... Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before before My Father” (Mt. 10:22,32).

By Roger Penney