In the book of Jeremiah we find the prophet being commanded by the Lord in Ch. 36:2-3 to write down the words that God had spoken to him in a book that through the reading of those words the people might turn from their evil ways. Jeremiah did exactly what the Lord commanded him. This book, with its condemnation of Israel and Judah, eventually ended up being read in the presence of king Jehoiakim. After just a few pages had been read, the king became so infuriated he cut the book into pieces with a penknife and threw the pages into the fire. This account is found in Ch. 36:20-24. The concluding verse of that passage notes of the king and his court, “Yet they were not afraid nor rent their garments.” Certainly a sad state of affairs when the leaders of the people so violently reject the word of God that they become enraged at its reading and seek to destroy it.

Many today are concerned that our leaders have rejected God’s word in a similar fashion. No, we do not see them cutting up the scriptures and casting them into the fire, but rather we see in the laws they enact and the lifestyles they embrace actions that speak just as loudly regarding their attitude toward the word of God as those of king Jehoiakim. Because of this apparent forsaking of the precepts of God by many of our leaders, some have come to fear for the future of the church and our freedom to worship and teach the truth as we do now. Well that very concern should cause each of us to strengthen our faith in the Lord and, as many before us have done, serve the Lord our God regardless of the consequences that may come our way.

But consider what occurred following king Jehoiakim’s book burning. In Ch. 36:32 we see that Jeremiah took another book and wrote all the words the Lord had spoken to him and added many more besides those. The king’s rejection of the word did not stop its proclamation. The powerful may reject it, those in authority may oppose it, but the word of God continues to work for good in the lives of men.

Many years after the life of the prophet Jeremiah, we find the account of the Apostle Peter’s sermon on the day of Pentecost in Acts 2. Following the crowds plea of “Men and brethren, what shall we do?” we find Peter answering that question in v.38. The results are seen in v.41, “Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.” The word of God cannot be thwarted by a king’s knife. They cannot be burned by any leader of man, legislated away by any government, or declared archaic by changes in societal norms. Those have all occurred before but the word of the Lord continues to be proclaimed and accepted by good and honest hearts.

So where is religion headed? Well that depends on us. Just as Jeremiah and the prophets suffered rejection and often punishment for preaching of the word, we should be prepared for the same treatment. Just as Jesus demonstrated in speaking the words of the Father regardless of the consequences, we must follow that same example. And just as Peter overcame the ridicule of the crowd on Pentecost to proclaim the good news that saves men’s souls, we must have that same courage knowing that our efforts to teach and live by God’s word will ultimately lead to an eternal home with God, not only for us but for those who hear us.

Religion, as it has been described in the Bible, is all about the people. The greatest obstacle to where religion is heading in our time is the same as it has been in the past. The people must know God’s word. Many today “have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge” (Rom. 10:2). Many “know God, but glorify him not as God” (Rom. 1:21). Some are “tossed to and fro, and carried about by every wind of doctrine.” People have been this way in the past and these problems still exist today. How have these difficulties been overcome in the past? By the word of God being “heard among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also” (II Tim. 2:2). By heeding the exhortation to “study to show thyself approved unto God”(I Tim. 2:15). By “desir(ing) that ye might be filled with the knowledge of His will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” That is the future of religion just as it has been since the days of Jeremiah.

Where is religion headed? It all depends on you.

—Victor White