Monday - Jeremiah 36 - Maybe

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SUALLY, this chapter would lead me to discuss the intervention of God in the affairs of men as seen in the preservation of the Holy Scriptures. King Jehoiakim and his servant Jehudi burned the book of Jeremiah (Jeremiah 36:23 & 27), but that had no effect on the permanence of God's words. God simply gave His words again to Jeremiah and had him dictate them again to Baruch the scribe. Nothing was lost. If this example doesn't give us a clear picture of the nature of inspiration, I don't know what will. Yet, this is not the thing that we focus on this time.

Notice the phrase "it may be" in Jeremiah 36:3 & 7, as it is used by both God and Jeremiah. The possibility of repentance and revival is one of the most exciting propositions anywhere in the Bible.  In fact, it is a primary theme throughout the Scriptures. Even though judgment had already been declared against Judah and Jerusalem, God still said "maybe" concerning their future. "Maybe they will repent? Maybe they will allow Me to clean them up? Warn them through the writing of My just decrees against them, and maybe they will listen this time?" Not that God didn't know how they would respond, but the option really was there, and it really was theirs. The offer and opportunity was indeed genuine.  They squandered this additional chance, but that doesn't mean that the chance wasn't real.