Day 222: Jeremiah 34-37

Summary

The Bible Dept. Podcast: Day 222 – Exploring Jeremiah Chapters 34-37

Release Date: August 10, 2025

Welcome to Day 222 of The Bible Dept. podcast, hosted by Dr. Manny Arango of ARMA Courses. In this episode, Dr. Arango delves deep into Jeremiah chapters 34 through 37, offering listeners a comprehensive understanding of these pivotal passages. This summary captures the essence of the discussions, insights, and conclusions presented, making it accessible and engaging for both regular listeners and newcomers.

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Introduction to Jeremiah 34-37

Dr. Manny Arango begins by setting the stage for the day's reading, focusing on Jeremiah chapters 34 to 37. He emphasizes the importance of context, promising to provide not only historical and cultural insights but also "nerdy nuggets" and "timeless truths" that bridge ancient scripture with contemporary life.

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Contextual Overview

Jeremiah Chapter 34: The Second Babylonian Siege (586 BC)

• Historical Background: Dr. Arango explains that chapter 34 is set during the second Babylonian siege of Jerusalem in 586 BC, a period marked by intense conflict leading to the city's eventual destruction and the temple's ruin.
• Previous Sieges: He briefly touches upon the first siege in 597 BC, during which King Jehoiakim died, and his son Jehoiachin ascended the throne, ultimately surrendering to Nebuchadnezzar. This initial exile saw figures like Ezekiel and Daniel being taken into captivity.

Jeremiah Chapter 35: Revisiting Jehoiakim’s Reign (605 BC)

• Timeline Jump: The narrative shifts back to 605 BC, during King Jehoiakim's reign. Dr. Arango clarifies the sequence of Judah's last five kings: Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin, and Zedekiah.
• Exilic Context: This period marks Judah's transition from Assyrian to Babylonian vassalage following the Babylonians' victory over the Assyrians at Carchemish.

Jeremiah Chapter 36: The Scroll and Its Destruction (605 BC)

• Divine Commission: In the fourth year of Jehoiakim's reign, Jeremiah receives a divine command to write all his prophecies concerning Israel, Judah, and other nations onto a scroll.
• Baruch’s Role: Jeremiah appoints Baruch, his scribe, to document these revelations, even amidst growing persecution.

Jeremiah Chapter 37: Lulls in the Siege and Egyptian Intervention (586 BC)

• Siege Dynamics: Returning to the present of 586 BC, the narrative describes a temporary pause in the Babylonian siege due to Egypt's mobilization to aid Judah.
• Zedekiah’s Decisions: King Zedekiah's reliance on Egypt, despite previous admonitions to trust in Yahweh, sets the stage for further conflict and eventual failure.

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Deep Dive into Chapter 36: The Burning of the Scroll

A significant portion of the episode focuses on Jeremiah chapter 36, where Dr. Arango explores the dramatic events surrounding the burning of the scroll:

• Public Reading: Baruch publicly reads Jeremiah's scroll to the people of Judah, urging them to repent and turn back to Yahweh.

• King Jehoiakim’s Reaction: As the scroll is being read, King Jehoiakim, visibly enraged, "cut off" portions of the scroll with a scribe's knife, ultimately casting it into the fire ([16:05] Unknown Host).

• Divine Directive: Despite the destruction, God commands Jeremiah to write a new scroll, reiterating and expanding upon the original messages, including prophecies about Jehoiakim's downfall.

• Compilation of Scrolls: Dr. Arango highlights that the Book of Jeremiah is a compilation of multiple scrolls written during different periods, akin to creating a playlist from various albums. This non-linear structure explains the shifts in timeline within the chapters.

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Insights and Reflections

The Power of the Written Word

• Enduring Legacy: Dr. Arango draws parallels between Baruch’s meticulous documentation and the enduring nature of written words. He emphasizes that while physical documents can be destroyed, the ideas and truths they contain can survive and inspire future generations.

• Cultural Censorship: Referencing the movie Fahrenheit 451, he illustrates the dangers of book burning and the loss of knowledge, likening it to Jehoiakim's attempt to suppress Jeremiah's prophecies.

Role of Collaboration in Ministry

• Baruch’s Dedication: Highlighting Baruch as an "unsung hero," Dr. Arango underscores the importance of teamwork in ministry. Without Baruch’s faithful recording, the profound messages of Jeremiah would have been lost.

Wars of Ideas vs. Wars of Swords

• Quote Integration: Dr. Arango passionately states, "Wars are not fought with swords, they’re fought with a pen." ([15:08] Unknown Host). He elaborates that while physical battles can be won or lost, the battle of ideas is ongoing and has a lasting impact on society and faith.

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Notable Quotes with Attribution

1. On the Endurance of Ideas:

   "Wars are not fought with swords, they’re fought with a pen."
   — Unknown Host at 15:08

2. On the Importance of Writing Down Divine Revelations:

   "If you have ideas that are worth spreading, then you better get serious about writing your ideas down."
   — Unknown Host at 15:26

3. On Genuine Repentance vs. Bribing God:

   "Am I truly repentant or am I trying to bribe God and manipulate God and change the outcome of my scenario instead of just focusing on changing me?"
   — Unknown Host at 25:01

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Timeless Truth: Genuine Repentance

Dr. Arango concludes the episode by presenting a profound "timeless truth" derived from the readings:

Repentance Is Not Negotiation

• Repentance vs. Bribery: He differentiates between genuine repentance and attempts to "bribe" God, as exemplified by King Zedekiah’s actions. True repentance involves a heartfelt transformation and alignment with God's desires, not merely a tactical move to avert consequences.

• Inner Transformation: Emphasizing that repentance is about changing the heart and not just modifying behavior, Dr. Arango urges listeners to introspect and assess whether their repentance is authentic or motivated by a desire to escape repercussions.

• Personal Reflection: He challenges listeners to evaluate their own lives, asking hard questions about the sincerity of their repentance and the depth of their relationship with God.

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Conclusion

In this episode of The Bible Dept., Dr. Manny Arango masterfully navigates the complexities of Jeremiah chapters 34-37, offering listeners a rich tapestry of historical context, theological insights, and practical applications. By weaving together detailed exegesis with relatable anecdotes and thought-provoking questions, Dr. Arango not only illuminates the ancient texts but also bridges them to the modern Christian’s walk of faith.

Whether you're deepening your understanding of Jeremiah or embarking on your biblical journey, this episode serves as a valuable guide to comprehending the profound messages contained within these chapters. As Dr. Arango aptly puts it, "Wars are not fought with swords, they’re fought with a pen," reminding us of the enduring power of words and ideas in shaping our lives and faith.

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Join Us Tomorrow!

Stay committed to your Bible reading journey as Dr. Arango continues to unpack Jeremiah chapters 38-41 in the next episode. Whether you're maintaining a daily streak or reigniting your study habits, The Bible Dept. is here to support and inspire your connection with Scripture.

Peace and blessings!

Transcript

[Unknown Host]

Hey, Bible nerds.

[Dr. Manny Arango]

This is Dr. Manny Arango and I'm your host for the Bible department podcast.

[Unknown Host]

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[Dr. Manny Arango]

This podcast follows a Bible reading plan we created to help you read the.

[Unknown Host]

Entire Bible in a year. You can head to the show notes.

[Dr. Manny Arango]

Or thebibledepartment.com to download our reading plan.

[Unknown Host]

And join the journey.

[Dr. Manny Arango]

Let's be honest, a lot of us.

[Unknown Host]

Are still treating digital ministry like it's.

[Dr. Manny Arango]

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[Unknown Host]

Welcome to day 222. We are in the book of Jeremiah. We've got chapters 34, 35, 36 and 37. Today, man, today's reading is great, actually. We're gonna get to know how the book of Jeremiah even came to be, which is, I think, really cool. It's a nerdy thing to be excited about, but I'm a nerd and I think that's awesome. And you're a nerd too, which is why you are watching this episode. If you have done the reading today, then everything I'm gonna say is gonna make total sense. If you haven't done the reading today, stop the audio, pause the video, actually do the reading. It's only four short chapters. Nothing super complicated happening in the reading today. So get the reading done and then everything that I'm gonna say is gonna make total sense. Let's jump right into context. And like always, we're going to start start off with context clues and then I'm going to give you nerdy nuggets. And we're going to always leave off with the timeless truth. Because the goal is not to fill our brains with a bunch of history. The goal is to fill our hearts with love. For God. So we're always going to make it relevant to our lives. So let's jump into some context clues. All right, in true, typical Jeremiah fashion, we're going to have multiple context for the four chapters. So actually going to spend a little bit extra time talking about context. And then I probably won't give you a nerdy nugget for each chapter. We'll probably do less nerdy nuggets, more context. So let's jump into context, okay, for Jeremiah, chapter 34, and I'll give you context for chapter 34, chapter 35, chapter 36, and chapter 37. Okay, so for Jeremiah, chapter 34, the context is the second Babylonian siege of Jerusalem. So actually, same context from yesterday's reading of the second Babylonian siege of Jerusalem. Now, some of you may be wondering, second siege, when was the first siege? Okay, the second siege is the final siege, the one that ends in 586 BC and the one that ends with Jerusalem being totally demolished, the temple being destroyed, and everybody getting carted off in exile. Okay? But There was a first siege, an initial siege in 597 B.C. this is the siege where Jehoiakim dies during that first siege, and his son Jehoiachin, or Jeconiah becomes king and surrenders to Nebuchadnezzar. And there's. That's the exile where Ezekiel goes off in exile. Okay, so there's the exile where Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego go off into exile, and then there's the exile where Ezekiel goes off in exile. And then there's the final exile where it's over, like, and that's 586bc okay, so the context for yesterday's content and the very first chapter of today's content is the second Babylonian siege of Jerusalem, which would be 586 BC okay, chapter 35, Jeremiah, chapter 35. This is where I want to help, okay, because the timeline jumps back to Jehoiakim's reign. Okay, so we're in 586 B.C. and then we're going to go back into the past. So remember, the last five kings of Judah are Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, who's the first siege? Okay, Jehoiachin and then Zedekiah. So we go from Zedekiah all the way back to Jehoiakim as we go from chapter 34 to chapter 35, so the context is going to change. And then Jeremiah, chapter 36, verse 1 to 8 tells us that this is set in the fourth year of Jehoiakim and chapter 36, verses 9 to 32 actually tell us that this is in the fifth year of the ninth month of Jehoiakim's reign. This would put the writing of the scroll in around 605 or just after Nebuchadnezzar had claimed Judah as his own. 605 is when the Babylonians defeat the Assyrians at Carchemish, and Judah goes from being an Assyrian vassal to a Babylonian vassal. Very, very, very important history, very important context for us to understand the book of Jeremiah and for us to understand a lot of the prophets, but definitely for us to understand the book of Jeremiah. All right, when we get to chapter 36, this context is gonna make a ton of sense. But it means that the public reading and then the subsequent burning of the scroll of Jeremiah could then be placed around 605, around or 604 BC chapter 34 is 586 BC and then by the time we get to chapter 35, we're back up into 605 BC okay, so we're going back in time. Okay, last chapter 37, chapter 37, we're going back forward in history again. Okay, so we're going to start in 586. We're going to move back all the way to 605 for two chapters and then back to 586 BC for. For the last chapter. So Jeremiah 37 takes place during the Allul in the siege after the Babylonians discover that the Egyptian army has mobilized to help Judah. And we'll talk about that when we get to Jeremiah 37. So I just kind of want to help orient you to the fact that we're in the present, then we go back to the past, and then we go up to the present again. I don't know if you've ever watched a movie with, like, a flashback, but whenever me and my wife watch movies that have flashbacks, she always gets disoriented. She's like, is that the past? Is it the present? I'm like, the makeup's different. What are you talking about? The clothes are different. The person fell asleep. They're dreaming. But hey, if you're anything like my wife and you get confused with the Bible going, you know, from the present to the future to the past, I'm here to help you get oriented. So Jeremiah 34, in 586 BC Jeremiah 35 and 36, we're back all the way in 605 BC and then Jeremiah 37, we're back in 586 B.C. but it's a particular moment where there's a lull in the siege. Egypt is actually going to try to come help Judah because Zedekiah does not trust in Yahweh. He still trusts in Egypt, and that whole plan is going to drastically fail. But while there's a lull in the seeds, there are some events that are gonna take place and we'll get into it in a minute. All right, let's transition into some nerdy nuggets. Hopefully that's enough context for you to really understand and orient yourself as you're reading Jeremiah, chapter 34, 35, 36 and 37. All right, Jeremiah chapter 34. While the Babylonians are besieging the city of Jerusalem and Zedekiah attempted to get on Yahweh's good side, okay, this is actually gonna become the foundation for our timeless truth at the end of the episode. So pay attention. Zedekiah is wanting to get on Yahweh's good side, so he releases all the slaves in the city of Jerusalem. Now, according to Deuteronomy, chapter 15, verses 12 to 15, Israelites could have fellow Israelite slaves, usually because of economic hardship, but it was only for a limited time. They could only be enslaved for six years. And on the seventh year, they had to be released and given more compens and given some compensation. It appears, however, that this rule, that this Sabbath for slaves or this jubilee year for slaves was never actually implemented. That it was never followed or practiced. Zedekiah, then, I mean, talk about a belated happy birthday. Okay? After hundreds of years since they actually got the book of Deuteronomy or got this law, Zedekiah goes, hey, let's follow that guideline. Let the slaves go, let's release them in an attempt to get Yahweh to help us. But when the Babylonians left to fight, fight Egypt, this is going to happen. In chapter 37, Zedekiah went back on his word and the slave's new found freedom was taken from them. Okay, so we'll get into that when we tackle our timeless truth. Let's get into Jeremiah 36, because this is the part of the reading today that excites me the most.

[Unknown Guest]

I don't know if it's just me.

[Unknown Host]

But I love a good backstory.

[Unknown Guest]

All right?

[Unknown Host]

And I love when a book is going to tell me its own backstory. Okay, so chapter 36, verse 1.

[Unknown Guest]

In the fourth year of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, King of Judah, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord. Take a scroll and write on it.

[Unknown Host]

All the words I've spoken to you concerning Israel, Judah and all the other.

[Unknown Guest]

Nations from the time I began speaking to you in the reign of Josiah till now.

[Unknown Host]

Okay, so it's important to know when is that now? That now is 605bc so from the time of Josiah, from the time of Josiah until now, now is not the previous chapter, actually. So now would be 605bc so the reason I spent all that time helping you understand that chapter 34 is 586 B.C. but by the time we get to chapter 36, we're back in 605 B.C. is because the original scroll of Isaiah would not have included chapter 34. Okay, the original scroll of Isaiah. What gets originally written in chapter 36 is going to tell us exactly. What gets written is done being written.

[Unknown Guest]

In the time of Jehoiakim.

[Unknown Host]

Remember, the last five kings of Judah are Josiah, Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim, Jehoiachin and Zedekiah. So nothing from the reigns of Zedekiah and Jehoiachin had been written yet. So the original scroll of Jeremiah is Probably Jeremiah chapter 1 to Jeremiah chapter 20 and Jeremiah 25, which means Jeremiah chapter 45 to 51 is a whole separate scroll. Jeremiah chapter 30, 33 is an entirely different scroll. So what we have in the book of Jeremiah is a compilation. It's as if someone took, you know, like every Michael Jackson album and created a playlist out of those albums. Okay. It's. It's not as if the reason of the book of Jeremiah goes from 605 BC back to 586 BC back to 601 BC and then 582. It's like the reason that that's happening is because the person compiling the book of Jeremiah is taking a scroll that is from chapter one of chapter 20, a scroll that has chapter 25, a scroll that's just chapter 30 to 33. Multiple different scrolls, and they're combining all these works together. Okay, let's see what happens. So verse 4.

[Unknown Guest]

So Jeremiah called Baruch.

[Unknown Host]

I think the right pronunciation is actually Baruch. It may be Baruch, though.

[Unknown Guest]

Baruch. I like Baruch son of Neriah. And while Jeremiah dictated all the words the Lord had spoken to him, Baruch wrote them on the scroll. Then Jeremiah told Baruch, I'm restricted. I'm not allowed to go to the Lord's temple.

[Unknown Host]

So. So you go. Because remember, Jeremiah is being persecuted. He can't go to the temple. He's already given a temple sermon. That did not go well. Okay. People are very, very upset with Jeremiah. He's scared he's going to get arrested.

[Unknown Guest]

So Baruch goes down to the temple on a day of fasting and read to the people from the scroll the words of the Lord that you wrote as I dictated.

[Unknown Host]

Read.

[Unknown Guest]

Read them to all the people of Judah who come in from their towns. Perhaps they will bring their petition before the Lord and will each turn back from their wicked ways. For the anger and wrath pronounced against his people by the Lord is great. Baruch did everything Jeremiah the prophet told him to do. And at the Lord's temple, he read the words of the Lord from the scroll.

[Unknown Host]

This is probably Jeremiah chapter 1 and chapter 20 and chapter 25.

[Unknown Guest]

In the ninth month of the fifth year of Jehoiakim, son of Josiah, king of Judah, a time of fasting before the Lord was proclaimed for all the people in Jerusalem and those who came from the town of Judah. And Baruch is going to read everything.

[Unknown Host]

Okay, this is not going to go well. Okay.

[Unknown Guest]

It's going to say this.

[Unknown Host]

All the.

[Unknown Guest]

Down, verse 14. All the officials sent Jehudai, son of Nathaniah, sorry, Nathaniah the son of Shelemiah, the son of Cushai, to say to Baruch, bring the scroll from which you have read to the people and come. So Baruch son of Neriah went to them with a scroll in his hand. They said to him, sit down, please, and read it to us. So Baruch read it to them.

[Unknown Host]

So he read it in public. Now he has to read it in private to the leaders because they want.

[Unknown Guest]

To know what he's saying. They looked at each other in fear and said to Baruch, we must report all these words to the king. Then they asked Baruch, tell us, how did you come to write all this? Did Jeremiah dictate it? Yes, Baruch replied. He dictated all these words to me and I wrote them in ink on the scroll. Then the officials said to Baruch, you and Jeremiah go and hide. Don't let anybody know where you are. After they put the scroll in the room. Verse. I'm actually going to skip down to verse 22. It was the ninth month, and the king was sitting in his winter apartment with a fire burning in the fire part in front of him. When Jehudi had read three or four columns of the scroll, the king cut.

[Unknown Host]

Them off with the scribe's knife and.

[Unknown Guest]

Threw them into the fire pot until the entire scroll was burned in the fire.

[Unknown Host]

So now all of Baruch's work is burned, okay, destroyed.

[Unknown Guest]

And now verse 27. After the king burned the scroll containing the words that Baruch had written. At Jeremiah's dictation, the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. Take another scroll and write on it all the words that were on the first scroll which Jehoiakim, King of Judah, burned up. Also, tell Jehoiakim, king of Judah, this is what the Lord says. You burned that scroll and said, why did you write on it that the king of Babylon would certainly come and destroy this land and wipe from it both man and beast. Therefore, this is what the Lord says about Jehoiakim, King of Judah. He will have no one to sit on the throne of David. His body will be thrown out and exposed to the heat by day and in the frost by night. I will punish him and his children and his attendants for their wickedness. I will bring on them and those living in Jerusalem and the people of Judah every disaster I pronounce against them because they have not listened. So Jeremiah took another scroll and gave.

[Unknown Host]

It to the scribe, Baruch, son of Neriah.

[Unknown Guest]

And as Jeremiah dictated, Baruch wrote again.

[Unknown Host]

On it all the words of the.

[Unknown Guest]

Scroll that Jehoiakim, King of Judah, had burned in the fire.

[Unknown Host]

And.

[Unknown Guest]

And many more words were added to them.

[Unknown Host]

And guess what the many more words are? The many more words are chapter 31 to 33, chapters 41 of chapter 41 to 50 to 51. I mean, a lot got added. So original Jeremiah is chapter one of chapter 20 and chapter 25. That is what got burned, okay, By Jehoiakim. And because Jehoiakim. Why does Jehoiakim burn it? That's also a great question. I'm so glad you asked. He burned it. Because what Jeremiah is saying is treason. Treason. I know. For the past couple days, I've been saying, oh, it's unpatriotic. It's not patriotic. That's not strong enough language. It's treason. Jeremiah, a Jewish man is prophesying and spreading this information amongst the people that the king of Babylon is going to come to Jerusalem and punish every single inhabitant of Jerusalem for their idolatry and their injustice and their wickedness. And the king is like, this is treason. You are going against the word of the political agenda of Israel, of Judah. Absolutely not. You are banned. Your scribe is banned. Burn the scroll. And burning books is not a new thing. Okay? Jehoiakim is like, burn the books. But this isn't our timeless truth. But it's a good nugget to say more wars are fought with a pen than with a sword. It means that you can kill whoever you want to kill, but ideas will never die. People will die. Humans will die. You can kill people all you want, but guess what? Words. Words don't die. And so actually, if you've got an axe to grind, and if you've got ideas that you want to spread, then you better get out your laptop or get out a pen and you better write. And I remember going to my friend Andrew Damasio's office when me and my wife were struggling with infertility. And he had all of his dad's books and he had them in leather bound cases and he was so proud of his dad's writing. And I made a commitment that day that I was gonna be a writer, that I was gonna be somebody who wrote that. My sermons will only reach the people that are in the room or the people watching on YouTube. But books are able to reach people that you've never met or that you don't even know. And so I started writing letters to my son when he was an infant. I remember writing letters to my son when he was a newborn. I started writing a book. Book manuscripts for books, writing papers for school. I just got something in me that said I'm gonna be a writer. And Jeremiah dictates all these words to a scribe named Baruch. And he's the unsung hero, to be totally honest, because not only does he write all this stuff down, but then it gets burned by Jehoiakim and Baruch is willing to write it all again. And man, my unsung hero award for the day not doesn't just go to Jeremiah, but it goes to Baruch. Because great ministry is done in teams. And without Baruch, we don't have the book of Jeremiah. Without someone who's willing to just sit there and listen to Jeremiah talk and write everything down, we don't have the book of Jeremiah. And guess who seemed like they were the big bad king in 605 BC? Jehoiakim. I'm able to burn this. I'm able to put you in prison. I'm able to cut off the words with a knife. But guess who's who's got the last laugh? Jeremiah's got the last laugh. Because we're not sitting here reading the book of Jehoiakim, we're sitting here reading the book of Jeremiah. Because wars are not fought with swords, they're fought with a pen. So if you have ideas that are worth spreading, then you better get serious about writing your ideas down. There's so many times where I felt Like, I got an idea from the Lord, but I didn't write it down fast enough. And that's me not being a good steward over the thoughts, the revelation, the ideas that God's given. What I love is that Jeremiah wasn't thinking to write any of this stuff down, but because he had a great teammate named Baruch, it did get written down and it did get preserved. And we do get to read it. And because we get to read it, we get to understand the character and the nature of God. The. And I know that feels like a timeless truth, but it's not a timeless truth. But it's a nugget. It's a timeless nugget. I know, I do. Nerdy nuggets and timeless truths, but that's a timeless little nugget. Okay? If there's a gift that God's given you to write or God's given you a message, then you need to get the discipline that's necessary so you can write that stuff down. Because wars are not fought with the sword. Wars are fought with a pen. We can burn. There's this really cool movie. I actually don't remember the name of it. Michael B. Jordan is in the movie. And it's a movie where they burn books. There are actually no more books. And there's this colony of people that they have books. And when the main character finally reaches this colony, they're like, do you want to see the books? And they're like, yeah, no one has ever seen books. And then they point him to a little child and it's like, I thought you were going to show me a book. And this kid has dedicated his life to memorizing and every word from every major piece of literature in history. And, man, as soon as I saw and then heard this kid talking, I just went, oh, God, Lord, if I just thought about my wife who smuggled Bibles into China. And although you're not able to have physical Bibles, they'll get a page of the Scriptures, they'll memorize the page, and they'll turn the page back in at church and somebody else will be able to to get that page. The movie is called Fahrenheit 451 and it's actually a solid movie. Books have been banned. Everybody, like, literally there are no books. But there's this kid who's the embodiment of all the books. And I remember thinking to myself, man, I wanna be that person, man. If Bibles were to disappear today, if Logos was to shut down today, how much of God's Word. Have I committed to memory how much of his word is in my heart? If you were here from yesterday, we talked about bleeding Bible, man. I want to be the kind of person that bleeds Bible. I want the word of God to be in my heart. I want it to be in my heart like a fire. I'm weary of holding it in. Indeed, I cannot. All right, let's get to our timeless truth and let's end the episode. Let's land the plane.

[Unknown Guest]

Family, the wait is over.

[Dr. Manny Arango]

My brand new book, Crushing Chaos is out now and available everywhere.

[Unknown Host]

Books are sold. Literally. Today I walked into a Barnes and Noble and I signed a bunch of copies at a physical location. So you can grab this book at a physical Barnes and Noble or you.

[Dr. Manny Arango]

Can go to a Books a Million or Amazon or anywhere books are sold and grab a copy. If you enjoy reading the Bible from an ancient perspective, if you understand that the beauty of scripture is actually knowing it in context, then you'll love this book. And if there's any chaos in your personal life, I think that reading the Bible from an ancient perspective can actually help to crush the chaos in your life.

[Unknown Host]

I think this book is going to be a New York Times bestseller. I really do. I think we wrote a good one.

[Dr. Manny Arango]

I think you should get a copy today. All right, back to the episode.

[Unknown Host]

The release of the slaves is quite a challenging story. Okay, so we're going all the way back to chapter 34, when Zedekiah releases the slaves. So he releases the slaves, and he needed help from Yahweh and so offered him something in return. He would obey Yahweh's laws that he had ignored for so long. But this was not repentance. It was not turning back to the Torah. This was Zedekiah being good so that he could get what he wanted from Yahweh. And this is the difference between repentance and bribing God. Okay? God cannot be bribed. Zedekiah is attempting to bribe God. Hey, God, I need something from you. So let me find a law that I haven't been obeying and. And let me obey it. And by obeying it, I'm gonna now get favor with you. And if you think that works, that does not work. That is called spiritual manipulation. That is called haggling with God. That's called bribing God. And God cannot be bribed. However, God does want you to actually repent. And repentance means regardless of the consequences. I repent. This is why sometimes I get a little annoyed when people are like, oh, man, I got pregnant and, you know, I got a. I got pregnant out of wedlock. And we make. We make a big deal of people getting pregnant out of wedlock. I'm like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. There's a whole bunch of people having sex and not getting pregnant. And that's sin, too. But because there's no consequence attached to it, then there's no repentance. And real repentance is not to do away with a consequence. The consequence. This is why it matters whether or not somebody got caught in sin and so they're confessing or whether or not somebody is confessing because they feel guilty about what they did. One person is trying to mitigate the consequences, and one person is genuinely repentant before God. So we have to be careful that the consequences don't make us repent. But the fact that, man, I feel the conviction of the Holy Spirit, that that makes me repent. And the sin is not getting pregnant. The sin is having sex out of God's covenant of marriage. And so often the church or religious institutions focus so heavily on the consequences of our sin that we don't actually get to the root cause, which is your heart is not aligned with God's heart. And repentance is not trying to avoid consequences. Repentance is not bribing God. Repentance is turning your heart and saying, God, I wanna love the things that you love. I wanna hate the things that you hate. And I'm not just trying to change my behavior or modify my behavior. I'm trying to change my heart so that I would actually desire what you desire and I will avoid sin. And because you changed me from the inside out, Zedekiah's not the only person who tries to bribe God. We try to bribe God all the time. And I want you to ask yourself a hard question. Am I truly repentant or am I trying to bribe God and manipulate God and change the outcome of my scenario instead of just focusing on changing me? That is our timeless truth for the day. And I will see you tomorrow. Tomorrow we got Jeremiah chapters 38, 39, 40, and 41. Man, if you're on a streak, I'm proud of you. Even if you're not, I'm proud of you. I love you. And I'll see you right here tomorrow as we keep on studying this amazing book called Jeremiah. Love you guys. See you tomorrow. Peace.

[Dr. Manny Arango]

Thanks so much for joining us on the Bible Department podcast. You can find us online and learn more about the show. At thebibledepartment.com and on Instagram. Hebibledepartment if you enjoyed this episode and want to dive deeper into the Bible, you can get free access to our library of [e-mail] we'll see you back here tomorrow.