May 9, 2010
Message to Baruch
Text: Jeremiah 45
Proposition: What is the message to Baruch?
Introduction
Baruch was Jeremiah’s friend and scribe. He wrote the original book of Jeremiah. In Jeremiah 36 you can read about the book that Baruch had written at Jeremiah’s dictation. To write the book probably took several hours. It is a little over 39 typed single space pages. It would take me about 18 hours to hand write what Baruch wrote. (This includes Jeremiah 1 through 36 and 46 minus chapters 21, 27, 28, 29, 32, and 34. This is 25,963 words divided by 24 words per minute.) Baruch wrote the book and then he waited according to Jeremiah’s instructions to go to the House of the Lord and read the book on a fast day in the hearing of all the people. On the appointed day Baruch read the book. A man named Micaiah heard what Baruch had written. He went to the scribes and the officials in the kings house and told them what he had heard. They wanted to have the scroll read to them. So they summoned Baruch and he read it to them. The officials said, “We will report all these words to the king. Go hide yourself and Jeremiah.” The officials told the king what they had heard, but they didn’t take the scroll with them. The king sent Jehudi to get the scroll. Jehudi read 3 or 4 columns of the scroll and King Jehoiakim took the scroll, cut it in pieces and burned it in the fire. Then he sent men to seize Baruch and Jeremiah the prophet.
The king burned up all of Baruch’s work. The king and his servants were not afraid when they heard these words.
From chapter 45 it looks like Baruch was hoping that his book would bring about a great revival in Judah. He wasn’t thinking that he would be running for his life and be rejected by the people. He was feeling sorry for himself.
He said, “Ah. Woe is me! For the Lord has added sorrow to my pain; I am weary with my groaning and have found no rest.”
I. No pity parties (Why do we have pity parties?)
A. Life is full of trouble
1. Job 14:1-2
2. Jeremiah and Baruch had plenty of trouble. They had to hide to avoid being killed by the king. The people didn’t like their message and Nebuchadnezzar was coming to destroy Judah and Jerusalem.
3. Later Baruch would be accused of inciting Jeremiah against the remnant left in Judah. They wanted to go to Egypt. They asked Jeremiah to pray and ask God what to do. Ten days later he gave them an answer. Jeremiah said, “Stay in Judea. Don’t go to Egypt.” They said, “You are lying. Baruch is inciting you against us.” The people hauled Jeremiah and Baruch off to Egypt with them.
4. God didn’t promise Baruch that his life would get easier and he would have more luxury. He said, “You will have your life as booty.” He could expect more of the same.
B. We think we deserve better
1. Baruch didn’t think he should have to hide in order to save his life. He should have been thankful that God kept Jehoiakim from finding them.
2. Jeremiah 36:26
3. God could have let him be like Uriah
4. Jeremiah 26:20-23
5. Baruch should have counted his blessings that he was alive.
6. Many times we are like Baruch. We think our life is so hard. Nobody knows all the troubles that we have and nobody cares.
7. We say, “Why me, Lord? Why do I have all this trouble?”
8. We should count our blessings instead of think of how hard our life is. If we are having a pity party it only gets worse when we think of how much harder our life is than other peoples. If we think about how much God has blessed us with we quit feeling sorry for ourselves and our attitude will be better.
C. We didn’t get our way
1. Baruch didn’t get his way. He was seeking great things for himself. He thought the people would repent when they heard the book he had written.
2. When people don’t get their way they feel sorry for themselves.
3. Jonah felt sorry for himself
4. Jonah 4:1-11
5. Jonah should have been happy. Thousands of people repented because of his preaching, but they were Assyrians. Jonah hated Assyrians. He didn’t want them to repent. He wanted God to destroy them.
6. Ninevah repented and the plant died that gave him shade so he wanted to die. Life was miserable.
7. People commit suicide because life didn’t go the way they wanted. They have a pity party. They are selfish and they want the pity of other people. Many times they don’t really want to die they just want attention and pity.
8. One man had multiple sclerosis. His nephew was tired of him threatening to commit suicide and wanting to die. His nephew is not one to show much pity for anyone. His nephew got up and brought him a pistol held it to his uncle’s head and said, “I’ll hold the gun all you have to do is pull the trigger.” The man said, “I don’t want to do that.” His nephew said, “All right then I don’t want to hear anymore talk about wanting to die.” He wanted attention and pity.
D. We are worried about tomorrow
1. Matthew 6:34
2. If I am worried about tomorrow I am going to say, “Ah woe is me.” I can’t handle it.
3. If you do what you are supposed to today tomorrow will take care of itself. I can prepare for tomorrow today, but if all I do is worry today I am going to have trouble tomorrow. Worrying drains you of energy and clouds your thinking. Take care of your troubles today and tomorrow’s troubles tomorrow.
II. God will destroy what he builds (Why does God destroy what he builds?)
A. He can always make something again.
1. Baruch made another copy of the book that Jehoiakim burned. He probably guarded this copy so he wouldn’t have to make another one.
2. Jeremiah 18:1-10
3. God had spent hundreds of years making Israel a nation. He had a lot of time invested in them. They rebelled against him. Now he was going to destroy them and start over.
B. Men are sinful
1. God made the creation. He destroyed everything, but Noah, his family and the animals on the ark
2. Someday he will destroy the earth with fire.
3. II Peter 3:9-12
4. God’s patience is not forever. He will destroy those who ignore him. Even if He many years invested in them.
5. We are not indispensable in God’s plan. He is happy to use us if we do his will, but if we don’t we will become objects of his wrath.
III. Control your ambitions (Why do we need to control our ambitions?)
A. Baruch was seeking great things for himself. God said, “Don’t seek them.”
1. Baruch was a scribe. He was an educated man. He wanted more out of life than he was getting. He thought when he read the scroll people would hold him in high regard. They would appreciate him. Maybe he would be able to sell some copies of his book and make some money.
2. Jeremiah 51:58-64 Baruch’s brother was Seraiah. He was a quartermaster or chamberlain. He was in charge of where the king would spent the night when he was traveling and when he was at home.
3. Instead his book was burned. The people didn’t repent, and the king wanted to kill him.
4. How could Baruch expect great things for himself when his people were going to be destroyed? He had written and read what he had written. The sword, famine, and pestilence were coming on his people. It would be wrong to seek great things for himself.
5. He should consider himself fortunate to be alive.
6. Baruch didn’t attain to great status, but he had an important role. He wrote the words down for the book of Jeremiah. He isn’t very well known.
a. My brother’s name is Baruch. When he was a little boy people thought he didn’t know how to say his name. They would say Barak, Brach and all kinds of things. He would say, “No, Baruch.” When they read his name over the intercom at school they usually pronounced it wrong. They would say my name correctly, Nathan Rhea. Then they would say his name, Brach Reea.
b. Baruch isn’t a well known name. It wasn’t in God’s plan for him to be a great leader or a great prophet. He needed to be content with the role that God had for him.
B. We need to be content with the role that God has for us.
1. If he has great things for us to do wonderful
2. If we are insignificant and unknown let him use us there.
3. If we are going to have an ambition in life have a biblical one
4. II Corinthians 5:9, be pleasing to the Lord. Seeking great things is not pleasing to the Lord. That is the boastful pride of life.
5. I Thessalonians 4:9-11
a. Leading a quiet life is to be our ambition. There is enough trouble in this life without adding to it.
b. Selfish Ambition is a good way to have lots of trouble in life.
c. James 3:14-15
Conclusion
Baruch was frustrated with his place in life. He wanted greater things. He wanted to have a great position like his brother. He wanted high rank and respectability. Instead he had to run for his life. It wasn’t in God’s plan for him to be someone rich famous and popular.
Many times we are like Baruch. We want things to be going our way all the time. We want our version of success, not God’s version of success. If we are where God wants us then we are a success. If we are alive and have our needs satisfied we are to be content. Don’t seek great things for ourselves. Seek great things for God.
Make it our ambition to lead a quiet life. When you seek great things for yourself you are asking for trouble. | 
