Jeremiah 45:1-5 The word that Jeremiah the prophet spake unto Baruch the son of Neriah, when he had written these words in a book at the mouth of Jeremiah, in the fourth year of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah, saying, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto thee, O Baruch; Thou didst say, Woe is me now! for the LORD hath added grief to my sorrow; I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest. Thus shalt thou say unto him, The LORD saith thus; Behold, that which I have built will I break down, and that which I have planted I will pluck up, even this whole land. And seekest thou great things for thyself? seek them not: for, behold, I will bring evil upon all flesh, saith the LORD: but thy life will I give unto thee for a prey in all places whither thou goest.
This brief message is dated in the fourth year of the reign of Jehoiakim (605 B.C.). These words were spoken to Baruch after he recorded Jeremiah’s prophecies on a scroll. Baruch, Jeremiah’s faithful scribe, was forced by the king into seclusion with Jeremiah. This decision to do what was right in the eyes of The Lord made life uncomfortable for Baruch. Like Moses, Baruch endured affliction with the people of God as opposed to enjoying the temporal pleasures of sin for a season. Nevertheless, The Lord knows those that are His (2 Timothy 2:19), and He promises Baruch that He will spare his life for choosing to walk after the things of The Lord.
In verse 5 we learn once again that it is foolish to seek great things for yourself. (See Jesus’ words in Mark 8:36.) As a trained scribe, Baruch could have had quite a career and been financially successful. Instead, he invested his life in things of eternal value, the things of The Lord.
Consider, dear reader: What value is there in being the richest man in hell? What value is there in being the MVP in some sport in hell? What value is there in being the sexiest guy or girl in hell? May we choose to give ourselves to things of eternal value with our remaining days on earth.
