Jeremiah 45:1 - Meaning and Application

How Baruch was used to write down Jeremiah’s prophecies and read them aloud is explained in chapter 36. There, we also learn how the king threatened him, issued orders to arrest him, and forced him to go into hiding. His narrow escape under God’s protection really belongs with that story, but because it concerns a private person, it is placed here near the end of the book, just as Paul’s letter to Philemon comes after his other letters.

Baruch was deeply upset when the king’s men searched for him and he had to hide. He cried, “Woe is me now!” (Jeremiah 45:3). He was a young man starting out in life, and he sincerely wanted to serve God and help Jeremiah. But when suffering came, he wanted to be spared from it. He was a capable scholar and likely expected honor and advancement. Instead, he was pushed aside and put in danger of prison, or worse, and that was a great disappointment.

When he read the scroll publicly, he probably hoped it would bring him respect and open doors. Instead, it brought him scorn and shame. So he felt crushed and said, in effect, “I am ruined. I will fall into my pursuers’ hands. I may be imprisoned, executed, or sent away. The Lord has added pain to my pain. After the sorrow of writing and reading about my nation’s ruin, I now have the sorrow of being treated like a criminal for doing right.” He felt too burdened to bear it. He could not settle his mind, and he saw no relief ahead.

Baruch was a good man, but this was his weakness. Young believers often react this way at first. They are like soldiers who have not yet seen real battle, and small hardships in God’s service feel very heavy. They faint at the first sign of trouble, which shows that their strength is still small (Proverbs 24:10), their faith is weak, and they are still like children who cry over every bruise or scare.

Even some of God’s best servants have been shaken when trouble appeared. They have been tempted to expect the worst and to burden themselves with gloomy thoughts more than they should. God notices these complaints, and he is displeased by them. Baruch should have been glad to suffer for such a good cause and in such good company. Instead, he was upset about his lot and spoke as if God had treated him harshly. He spoke in anger, as Moses once did when he spoke rashly and paid dearly for it. God keeps account of what we say, even when we speak in haste.

God corrected Baruch through Jeremiah. Jeremiah was troubled by Baruch’s distress and did not know quite how to answer him. He did not want to rebuke him, yet he knew Baruch needed correction. God then told Jeremiah what to say (Jeremiah 45:4). Jeremiah could see only the outside of the complaint, but God saw the heart. The problem came from Baruch’s own wrong desires. His expectations had been too high for this world, and that is why his trouble felt so sharp.

The troubles of this world would disturb us less if we did not flatter ourselves with hopes of its comfort and approval. It is our strong love for present advantages that makes us impatient when they are taken away. God showed Baruch that, at that time, it was foolish to expect wealth or honor in this world. The nation was like a ship sinking. Disaster was coming on Judah, a complete and sweeping ruin. God was tearing down what he had built and uprooting what he had planted, the whole land and the Jewish church and state. In such a time, Baruch should not have been seeking great things for himself.

It would have been like decorating your own cabin while the whole ship is going down. Could he expect to rise when everyone else was falling, or to be full when others were empty? It was wrong to seek personal gain above the public good, especially when the nation was in danger. This also applies to our life in this world. God’s providence is shaking and stripping things down. Everything here is uncertain and passing away, and we have no lasting city in this place. So what foolishness it is to chase great things for ourselves where nothing is sure and nothing lasts.

God also encouraged Baruch with a promise of safety. Though he would not be great, he would be kept alive. God said, “I will bring disaster on all flesh, on all nations, and on every rank of people, but I will give you your life as a prize of war” (Jeremiah 45:5). The word can also mean his soul. Baruch would be driven from place to place and would often be in danger, but he would escape. He would be saved, though sometimes only just barely, like something rescued from fire.

Life itself is a great mercy. We should count it that way because it gives us more time to honor God here and prepare for a better life to come. At times, especially when death seems near, life is a special gift and should make us thankful. While we have it, we should not complain if we are disappointed in the great things we hoped for. Is not life more than food?