Jeremiah: Ambitious Scribe 13/11/2021

Are you looking for great things for yourself? Do not look for such things. For I, the Lord, affirm that I am about to bring disaster on all humanity. But I will allow you to escape with your life wherever you go.”(Jeremiah 45:5 NET) Very few people have heard of anyone called Baruch. He passed out of this life without achieving celebrity status. In today's society very few Bible characters are well known as is demonstrated by the ignorance of participants in TV quiz shows whenever there is a question on the Bible. Even regular readers of the Bible might never have heard of Jeremiah's scribe - a man by the name of Baruch. Jeremiah did not have many friends and his scribe Baruch was someone he could rely on. Jeremiah had discovered that being faithful to God and preaching the message God had given him made him unpopular with his compatriots. Even the people of his own village and his own family joined the ranks of the anti-Jeremiah camp. But Jeremiah could count on the loyalty of this individual - a person about whom we know very little. Reading through the 52 chapters of Jeremiah we might form a generally good opinion of this man, Baruch - if chapter 45 had not been penned. Baruch was complaining about his circumstances and the way things were not working out in his life the way he wanted them to. ‘Woe is me! For the Lord has added sorrow to my pain. I am weary with my groaning, and I find no rest. (Jeremiah 45:3) God knows, however, what is really troubling Baruch. He is suffering from unfulfilled ambition. This chapter reveals a flaw in his character - a desire for greatness for himself. This is not in any way unusual in the present day judging by the cult of celebrity and the way that people would make huge sacrifices in order to become famous. Baruch's motives for his loyalty to God and to Jeremiah were ambivalent. As well as genuine faithfulness to God, Baruch seemed to have this desire for prominence and for fame. In this respect, he is not unusual. In the New Testament we meet a character by the name of Diotrephes whom John describes as "Diotrephes, who loves to be first among them," (3 John 1:9 NET). In today's society, celebrities are worshipped. A whole industry has developed around so-called celebrities promoting their achievements and publicising their lifestyle and even rejoicing in their weaknesses. This same culture has also invaded church circles to the extent that certain speakers and musicians attract huge audiences. We need to be careful that our motives for serving the Lord are not compromised by any desire for prominence. Paul stated clearly that God's purpose is that Christ will have "pre-eminence" or the first place in everything (Colossians 1:18). So this means that we should be content with taking a lowly place as long as the Lord is exalted and worshipped. Humility is not a natural characteristic of our thinking or our culture. Our sinful nature craves for prominence and popularity. Without the working of the Holy Spirit we will constantly strive for celebrity status rather than following John the Baptist's maxim, "He must increase, but I [must] decrease." - John 3:30 (KJV). The NET Bible renders this verse as follows: "He must become more important while I become less important” (John 3:30 NET). God knows our true motives for service. He was not hoodwinked by Baruch's conscientious service. God saw through the energy and dedication and uncovered the real motivation for Baruch's service. God's assessment is what really matters. We often make our judgements of people's motives from a misguided perspective. God is more interested in why we are serving Him than in the service we perform. We put people on a pedestal because of their gift or their achievements. God is interested in the real person beneath all the trappings and veneer. Samuel was a prophet of God and a man who lived for God but he made a very wrong assessment of David's older brother in his search for a king for Israel. God had to remind him of the divine perspective. But the Lord said to Samuel, “Don’t be impressed by his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. God does not view things the way men do. People look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7 NET)

At the judgement seat of Christ, the Lord will make a proper assessment of our lives and our motives (the hidden things of darkness) will be revealed.

So then, do not judge anything before the time. Wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the motives of hearts. Then each will receive recognition from God. (1 Corinthians 4:5 NET)

In that day there will be many surprises: some believers who have been acclaimed as great men and women of God will be surpassed by the many unassuming, disregarded Christians who lived their lives in obscurity. From a very personal point of view, I can think of many dear Christian sisters in the church I grew up in who made a huge influence in my life (especially my dear mother who was a very quiet, shy, unassuming lady but she loved the Lord and served him selflessly). It will be very interesting to see how God rectifies the great recognition imbalance where some Christians are revered on earth and others are largely ignored.

[Picture by Taylor Wilcox on Unsplash]