Baruch, Confidant to Jeremiah

Baruch was confidant and secretary to Jeremiah, the weeping prophet (Jeremiah 9:1).  Judgment had come to the people of Judah because of their sinfulness and Jeremiah's prophecies, understandably, were extremely unpopular.   Jeremiah's faithful proclamation of God's message earned him the scorn of those in power.  He was beaten, thrown in prison and banned from the temple.  Knowing the difficulty of Jeremiah's situation, one might imagine that Baruch would have been wise to stay out of it.  After all, as a scribe he was an extremely learned man and most likely from a distinguished family.  Some have even surmised that Baruch had royal blood and a promising future ahead.  So when Jeremiah asked him to record God's words and read them aloud at the temple, no one would have blamed Baruch for saying, "no, thanks."  Yet Scripture records the truth:  "Baruch wrote on a scroll at the dictation of Jeremiah all the words of the Lord and did according to all that Jeremiah the prophet commanded him.  Baruch honored God despite the consequences, which were many.  His hopes and dreams were shattered.  He was brave, but not invulnerable.  At one point, he acknowledged a moment of severe pain, sorrow and despair.  Baruch was a person like your or me.  His story is also an example of God's absolute reliability, a fact demonstrate by the scribe's survival through the Babylonian invasions as promised (Jeremiah 43).  Some Jewish tradition even hold that after he spent time in Egypt, he was eventually taken to Babylon, where he became Ezra's teacher.  Baruch's life was fruitful despite his circumstances.  Always remember, whatever we do in obedience to God endures, regardless of how difficult or hopeless the situation may seem.  There are higher callings than pursuing greatness for ourselves.