The Lord’s response to Jehoiakim's burning the scroll is to instruct Jeremiah to write the words again on a new scroll. This rewriting the scroll reminds the reader of how Moses had to write the Ten Commandments on new tablets of stone after Israel’s unfaithfulness led to Moses destroying the first tablets (Exodus 32:19: Exodus 34:1)1. Added to this new scroll is a word of judgment against Jehoiakim. Jehoiakim’s rejection of what the scroll said about his being handed over to the king of Babylon only made his judgment that much more certain. Part of the Lord’s judgment is that Jehoiakim would not have a descendant who will sit on the throne. Jehoiachin his son did rule but only for three months before he was taken into exile in Babylon where he died (2 Kings 24:8–9; Jeremiah 25:27–30). Jehoiakim will also be cast out to the heat by day and the frost by night.
There is a play on words in the Hebrew text. The king who sat at the fire throwing (the Hebrew word is hislik) the Lord’s word into it (Jeremiah 36:23 will be cast out
(the Hebrew word is huslak) by the Lord2. There is no historical record of Jehoiakim’s death. When the Babylonians arrive in Jerusalem in 597 BC, Jehoiakim is dead and Jehoiachin is already on the throne. Some have suggested that a pro-Babylonian party had Jehoiakim assassinated before the Babylonians arrived3. The judgment will extend beyond the king to his servants and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem. The Lord has spoken to them all through the reading of the scroll, but they would not hear.
The narrative ends with Baruch writing the new scroll while Jeremiah dictated. And many similar words were added to them.
These additional words could have been added when the new scroll was written and over time. A plain reading of the text suggests that Jeremiah is in control of these additions with the assistance of Baruch and possibly some others. This probably gives us insight into how the present book of Jeremiah came into existence4. But the real significance of this ending to Jeremiah 36:1–32 is that it is the Lord who has the final say, not Jehoiakim or the rebellious people of Judah. The Lord’s word, and therefore his plans and purposes, live on despite the disobedience of the king and the people.
28 “Take another scroll and write on it all the former words that were in the first scroll, which Jehoiakim the king of Judah has burned.