QT 3 Aug 11, God's word cannot truly be burned

Jer 36:20-25 (NIV) After they put the scroll in the room of Elishama the secretary, they went to the king in the courtyard and reported everything to him. 21 The king sent Jehudi to get the scroll, and Jehudi brought it from the room of Elishama the secretary and read it to the king and all the officials standing beside him. 22 It was the ninth month and the king was sitting in the winter apartment, with a fire burning in the firepot in front of him. 23 Whenever Jehudi had read three or four columns of the scroll, the king cut them off with a scribe's knife and threw them into the firepot, until the entire scroll was burned in the fire. 24 The king and all his attendants who heard all these words showed no fear, nor did they tear their clothes. 25 Even though Elnathan, Delaiah and Gemariah urged the king not to burn the scroll, he would not listen to them.

NOTE:  Unfortunately, this is the attitude of many today toward the word of God.  If they could, those who disdain God would burn his word page by page in the fire and would show no fear.  Three advisors urged King Jehoiakim not to burn the scroll.  Why?  Because the king's actions show utter contempt for God's word.  It is as if, by burning the words, they lose their effectiveness.  If that was the case, why did the king even bother listening?  Listening, in a perverse sense, is actually an admission that there might be truth.  Destroying the words is an act of defiance that sets the person up against the idea of God.  Obviously, in the king's mind, he cannot be fighting against God, for that would be foolish.  The king has decided that God cannot exist, and that the words are not really God's word (or at least he hopes which is why he listens).  Even today, those who show the most defiance are not entirely sure of their own position.  They are watching, looking for reasons to disbelieve.  But in that very act, they are open to truth.  As believers, our best apologetic is the lives we live as followers of Jesus Christ.  Jesus set the example.  If we follow that example, not even burning our lives will remove the truth from the mind of the defiant listener/watcher.