In today's episode of Word for Word: The Bible, we read Jeremiah chapters 36 through 38. Jeremiah has Baruch write down all his prophecies on a scroll, but when King Jehoiakim hears it read he slices off column after column and feeds it to the fire. God's response is simply to have it written again, with more added. As the siege tightens, a desperate Zedekiah keeps asking for a word and the answer never changes—surrender and live. For saying it, Jeremiah is dropped into a muddy cistern. Join Kevin Mooneyhan for a word that outlasts the fire.
Episode Overview
What happens when someone tries to destroy God's word? Today we read Jeremiah chapters 36 through 38. Jeremiah dictates all his prophecies to Baruch, who writes them on a scroll and reads them publicly. When the scroll reaches King Jehoiakim, he sits by his winter fire and cuts off column after column as it is read, burning the whole thing piece by piece. God's response is almost understated: write it again, and add more. The page can be burned; the word cannot.
As the siege tightens, a desperate King Zedekiah keeps sending for Jeremiah, asking privately for a word from God, and the answer never changes—surrender to Babylon and live. For saying so, Jeremiah is accused of desertion, beaten, imprisoned, and finally lowered into a muddy cistern to die, only to be rescued by Ebed-Melech, a foreign official who speaks up for him. Through all of it Jeremiah keeps saying the same thing, unheeded but unshaken.
Key Themes
• A scroll dictated and read aloud
• A king who burns what he will not hear
• The word rewritten and expanded
• Surrender and live, repeated to a fearful king
• Rescue from the cistern by an outsider
In This Episode You'll Discover
• How Baruch's scroll came to be written
• What Jehoiakim does when he hears it
• Why Zedekiah keeps asking in secret
• Who risks his standing to save Jeremiah
• The major lesson: God's word cannot be silenced by burning the page
Today's Scripture:
Jeremiah 36–38
About the Podcast
Word for Word: The Bible is a chronological Bible study podcast hosted by Kevin Mooneyhan that takes listeners through the entire Bible one chapter at a time. Each episode combines Scripture reading, historical context, theological insight, and practical application to help listeners understand God's Word and grow in their faith.