A Faithful Friend

A Faithful Friend

Q: Who wrote down the prophecies Jeremiah spoke to him?

• a. Daniel
• b. Baruch
• c. Ezra

The book of Jeremiah tells about the ministry of Jeremiah the prophet. Jeremiah reveals more about his life and his struggles than any of the other prophets. He was from the Hilkiah family of priests. God instructed Jeremiah not to marry and have children because of the coming judgment on God’s people in Judah.

Because of his messages of doom and judgment, Jeremiah wasn’t popular. He had few friends. His closest companion was his secretary, Baruch, who faithfully wrote down Jeremiah’s words. Baruch stayed with Jeremiah on the road to exile in Egypt. He was also probably responsible for putting the book of Jeremiah together.

Baruch isn’t as well known as Jeremiah, but he had abilities and knowledge that were important for assisting the prophet. Baruch not only wrote down Jeremiah’s words, he delivered the message to the Temple and to kings. He was with Jeremiah every step of the way.

Even though Baruch was a behind-the-scenes kind of guy, God cared about him as much as he cared about Jeremiah. Baruch handwrote each word out of Jeremiah’s mouth. If you look at the book of Jeremiah, you’ll see there are a lot of words. Yet when Baruch delivered the message God gave Jeremiah to King Jehoiakim, the king threw it into the fire on his hearth. Baruch’s work literally went up in flames.

Jeremiah 45 is God’s message to Baruch himself. Baruch is told to take his eyes off himself and look to God. Even though Baruch worked behind the scenes, he was as valuable in the Lord’s eyes as Jeremiah was.

For You

Whether you are the one up front or the behind-the-scenes person, you are valuable to God. He will use you to do the job he’s planned for you.

Answer: b

Jeremiah sent for Baruch son of Neriah, and as Jeremiah dictated all the prophecies that the LORD had given him, Baruch wrote them on a scroll.   Jeremiah 36:4

(The Whole Story: Jeremiah 36)