When You Finish Reading This Book
“When you finish reading this book, tie a stone to it and cast it into the midst of the Euphrates.”
Finishing a book is always an accomplishment. Some books are longer than others. Some are more difficult to read. Some are very technical. In all reading there is the tacit acknowledgment that some books are worth it and others are not. We have all read good books and bad books, books well written and others poorly written. We take note of the good books and the bad ones. Some poorly written books we finish because the material was important. In the same way, a well written book can transform material that you might initially turn away from or put down into something worthwhile. Reading is both necessary and fundamental. Without the ability to read, a person is at an immense disadvantage. Writing also goes hand in hand with reading. The more we read, the better our writing will be. There is a connection between what is read and what is written.
First of all, whatever is read had to have been written. Writing implies some form of reading in terms of research and study. Writing on an impulse also implies some background material existing somewhere. We make use of that material which is either stored mentally or located somewhere physically.
Second, whatever is read has an intended audience. It is written for someone. There is a particular audience in mind. That audience may be small or large, educated or not, wealthy or poor, general or specific. There are also many factors attributed to an audience, either intended by the author or not.
Third, whatever is read is intended to be understood. No one writes a book with the express purpose of not having the audience understand what is written. Writing has purpose. It intends to convey information, and it intends for that information to be well received. So we must acknowledge the correlation between reading and writing. Now in our text, the prophet Jeremiah has written something. In Jeremiah 51:60, we are told that Jeremiah “wrote in a book all the disaster that should come upon Babylon…” His audience lives in Babylon. Jeremiah is in Jerusalem. Jeremiah 51 is a long chapter about the demise of Babylon. That would be good news for any captive going to Babylon and for any exile in Babylon.
It is important to remember that on three occasions Babylon has come up against Judah and Jerusalem. These occurred in 604, 597 and 586 B.C. respectively. Daniel went into captivity in 604 B.C. Ezekiel in 597 B.C., and finally the nation at large is taken into captivity in 586 B.C. The last king of Judah, Zedekiah, has seen his sons killed by Nebuchadnezzar, has had his eyes put out, and now is being led away to Babylon in chains (2 Kings 25:7). Second Chronicles 36 tells us that Zedekiah did not humble himself before Jeremiah the prophet when Jeremiah told him what God said (36:12). He did evil in God’s sight (vs. 12). He stiffened his neck and hardened his heart against turning to the Lord (vs. 13). He gave approval to the officers of the priests who polluted the temple of God (vs. 14). They followed the abominations of the nations (vs. 14). They mocked the messengers of God, despising God’s words to them, scoffing at his prophets (vs. 16). God’s wrath burned against them until there was no remedy for deliverance (vs. 16).
Jeremiah places his book (Jer. 51:60) into the hands of a man called Seraiah, who was the quartermaster (vs. 59 – the quartermaster takes care of the king and his comforts). This man was going to Babylon with King Zedekiah (vs. 60). They are going to Babylon during the fourth year of Zedekiah’s reign (ca. 594/3 B.C.), probably to give an answer for Zedekiah’s suspicious part in an uprising against Nebuchadnezzar, and possibly for failing to submit to the Lord’s plan regarding Judah (see Jer. 27, 28).
Seraiah was the brother of Baruch, who was Jeremiah’s secretary (Jer. 32:12; 36:4). Baruch not only wrote for Jeremiah, but also read the words that Jeremiah had dictated to him to the people (36:10-18). Seraiah is told by Jeremiah to do a strange thing when he gets to Babylon. He is to read all the words in Jeremiah’s book (vv. 61, 62), and then he is to tie a stone to the book and throw the book into the Euphrates River (vs. 63).
This was designed by God to be an illustration of what God was going to do in the future to Babylon. God often used graphic portrayals either by object or by using the prophets themselves. Babylon’s destruction and fall would take place in 538 B.C. by Cyrus the Persian. The stone tied to the book would lend weight to the book so that it sank never to rise again. Verse 64 explains this picture, “thus shall Babylon sink, to rise no more, because of the disaster that I (God) am bringing upon her…”
We are not told to whom Seraiah actually read the book. It is probably intended to be read in the hearing of the exiles, but quite possibly before the King and his officials. We know that at the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple in 586 BC that Jeremiah was already known to Nebuchadnezzar and instruction was given regarding his safety. His life was spared (Jer. 39:11-14). Seraiah was also to tell his audience, in verse 62, that God’s intended judgment written in the book would mean the desolation of Babylon forever. So Seraiah acts as preacher communicating God’s truth.
God always intends in his Word to bring about response and change. God always looks upon repentance with favor. The Ninevites repented at Jonah’s preaching and God spared them (Jon. 3:6-10). Nebuchadnezzar responded to Daniel’s message to him about his pride after he was greatly humbled by God (Dan. 4:28-37). Babylon would do well to listen to God, but she will not. God’s judgments will come upon her, just as they had come upon Israel (in 722 B.C.) and upon Judah in (586 BC). The lesson is clear: when God speaks to us we should listen. God has spoken to us, not only in the pages of Holy Scripture, but also in the person of his Son, our Lord Jesus Christ (Heb. 1:1-3). Do we listen to Jesus? Do we listen to the Word of God?
We shall be responsible and accountable for the privilege of being able to read God’s Word. Make every effort to read the Scriptures. You do not know when you will not be able to. We should be like starving people who can never get enough food. We should be like thirsty people who can never get enough water. Keep eating and drinking. God’s Word will never run dry on you. God’s Word will never fail to satisfy you. God meant his Word to be read and listened to and obeyed. To not read it is like throwing it into the river. If we despise God’s Word, we shall rue our sinfulness, and grieve that we did not make a better effort to read. John Bunyan wrote, “if you will not read, then leave it alone. Some love the meat and some love the bone.” Any scrap (if I can call it that and do so carefully) will do from God’s hand. Anything from the Master’s table is worth it, even the crumbs. So feed yourself by reading God’s Word. Don’t let it go into the river.