Jeremiah 45, Message for Baruch

Baruch was the faithful assistant and scribe of Jeremiah for many years. He was with Jeremiah even when Jeremiah was forced to go with the Jews to Egypt. This prophecy was given early on in Jeremiah’s career when Jehoiakim was king in Israel. It was always dangerous to be a prophet in Israel, and because Baruch was transcribing Jeremiah’s messages, it was dangerous for him, too.

^45:1 When Baruch son of Neriah wrote on a scroll the words Jeremiah the prophet dictated in the fourth year of Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah, Jeremiah said this to Baruch: ² “This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says to you, Baruch: ³ You said, ‘Woe to me! Yahweh has added sorrow to my pain; I am worn out with groaning and find no rest.’ ⁴ But Yahweh has told me to say to you, ‘This is what Yahweh says: I will overthrow what I have built and uproot what I have planted, throughout the earth. ⁵ Should you then seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them. For I will bring disaster on all people, declares Yahweh, but wherever you go I will let you escape with your life.’”

We don’t know what sorrows and pains Baruch had suffered in his life, but he felt that God was only adding to those by having him record Jeremiah’s prophecies. His life was threatened along with Jeremiah’s by a king who didn’t want to hear what Yahweh had to say.

Yahweh’s message to Baruch is two-fold:

One, you should not seek great things for yourself.

The Expositor’s commentary tells us,

Baruch came from an influential family of noble birth. He was the grandson of Mahseiah (cf. 32:12), governor of Jerusalem in Josiah’s reign (cf. 2Ch 34:8). His brother had been chief chamberlain in the court of Zedekiah (cf. 51:59). He may have had hopes of attaining a high office or even of receiving the gift of prophecy.

Yahweh was in the process of uprooting Judah for her sins. What possible glory could Baruch have in Judah?

Two, Yahweh will protect you from being killed.

As we know, He did not prevent Baruch being taken, along with Jeremiah, to Egypt, but He did protect his life.

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Discussion Questions:

1. What fears have kept you from doing things you felt you should do?
2. Does God promise to keep us from all the things we fear if we serve Him?
3. Is God saying to Baruch that it is wrong to desire great things for himself?