Burning Bibles
It was reported between the dates of August 1st thru 3rd, 2020 by multiple news outlets, that Bibles were being burned during the riots taking place in Portland, Oregon by the Black Lives Matter activist group (so-called). The videos that emerged from this event showcased individuals warming themselves by the evading flames of the fire that were consuming the truest words ever penned by human hands: the Bible. This event, no doubt, sends shivers up the spines of those who love God's word, to whom the word of the Lord is sweeter than honey (Psalm 119:103), to whom it is more precious than gold (Psalm 19:10), and through which our souls are satisfied as with fat and rich food (Psalm 63:5) . . . like a moist heavy cream pound cake and a perfectly pan-seared ribeye served in a bowl of melted butter . . . mmmm . . . that may seem silly, but that is the picture we are given of the satisfaction we receive from God’s word (and for the vegans out there, think of a big piece of avocado toast)!
What we see in America, and what is unusually obvious on this occasion, is an overt, outlandish display of hatred toward God, our Savior Jesus Christ, and His Church; a disdain and unruly abhorrence of all that God is and what the word of God stands for. It is odd, that the texts of other religions were not set ablaze, but for those who know Christ, this is not unfounded. The word of God has power (2 Corinthians 10:4; Romans 1:16; Romans 10:17; Hebrews 4:12) because it displays the truth about the world, our nature, God’s holiness, how we ought to live, and the only way to be at peace with God. This is a stream of thought that is absolutely repugnant in our day to those who have suppressed the knowledge of God (Romans 1:21-25), followed after their fleshly lusts, and cast aside the truth of the Creator (Romans 1:25). These men and women display that they have no fear of the one true God, who is their God whether they acknowledge it or not! He is their Sovereign, and rules and reigns over their lives regardless of what they believe (Matthew 28:18; Matthew 11:27; Psalm 2:6-9; 1 Corinthians 15:27). They display that they worship and serve the god of their invention (whatever that may be) and wish to destroy the true God through whom they have their being (Acts 17:28).
This, however, is nothing new. We observe in Jeremiah 36 a situation very similar to what we are seeing in our nation. The Lord spoke to Jeremiah, instructed him to take a scroll, and write all that the Lord had spoken to him against Israel, Judah, and all the nations. This was to warn (again) God’s people of the coming destruction so that they might turn from their evil and be forgiven. Baruch wrote down all that Jeremiah said, brought the scroll to the house of the Lord and the men of Judah, and read it aloud all the words of the Lord. This occasion led to many of the officials hearing the words of the scroll and the text says, “When they heard all the words, they turned one to another in fear. And they said to Baruch, ‘We must report all these words to the king’" (Jeremiah 36:16). They may have had some fear of the Lord and the calamity to come, but their fear was also because they would now need to tell them to King Jehoiakim. And this is where we see the resemblance of today. Jeremiah 36:23-24 says:
“As Jehudi read three or four columns, the king would cut them off with a knife and throw them into the fire in the fire pot, until the entire scroll was consumed in the fire that was in the fire pot. Yet neither the king nor any of his servants who heard all these words was afraid, nor did they tear their garments.”
This is a staggering response to the word of the Lord. This is nothing short of the height of pride and heedlessness of God’s word. This story makes my skin crawl, for I know what the Lord would do to me if I were to be so flippant with his word and his power. What is worse, Jehoiakim’s father, Josiah, was a man who loved the Lord. In 2 Kings 22, we witness a proper response to the word of the Lord being read:
“When the king heard the words of the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes. And the king commanded Hilkiah the priest, and Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Achbor the son of Micaiah, and Shaphan the secretary, and Asaiah the king's servant, saying, Go, inquire of the LORD for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that has been found. For great is the wrath of the LORD that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not obeyed the words of this book, to do according to all that is written concerning us.”
Rather than burning Bibles, our nation needs to tear its clothes and turn back to the Lord, otherwise what they do to those Bibles, the Lord will do to them.
Nevertheless, Jehoiakim burned the Bible too. He heard the word of the Lord, opposed it, cut it up, and burned it. It is odd, however, what the thought process must be behind those who do such things. They are trying to escape God’s word, thinking that if it disintegrates in the fire and floats off into the heavens, they will be free from what the Lord has declared. They are afraid that their deeds will be exposed for what they really are (John 3:20). This is what Jehoiakim did and this is what the rioters in Portland were doing. They were running from God, portraying a lack of fear with their actions, all the while feeling the terror of his mighty hand upon them in their hearts.
What ought we to do then? Well, for one, we must know that evil men have attempted to destroy God’s word throughout history, yet God has always prevailed in preserving it and keeping it for his people. We should take comfort in that. Secondly, we must be praying for these men and women to repent of their wickedness and turn to the God that they are running from. Thirdly, we - the church - must be a prophetic voice like Jeremiah declaring “thus says the Lord . . . ” and call the nation to kiss the Son and repent of its wickedness. Fourthly, we must read God’s word, memorize it, meditate on it, and always be ready to give an account for the hope that is in us. Evil men rise up, but the word of the Lord will always prevail.
“A voice says, ‘Cry!’ And I said, ‘What shall I cry?’ All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever” (Is. 40:6-8).
