The Book of Baruch is an ancient text thought to have been written by Baruch, the secretary and friend of Jeremiah. Although it’s not included in the Bible, it was included in the Septuagint, which is a Greek version of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) that includes the Apocrypha. The Septuagint was originally made for Greek-speaking Jews in Egypt 200 years before Yahshua was born, and was the first ever translation of the Bible.
In the English translation we read, “The stars shined in their watches, and rejoiced; when He calleth them, they say, Here we be; and so with cheerfulness they shewed light unto Him that made them…For sun, moon, and stars being bright, and sent to do their offices, are obedient” [Book of Baruch 3:34; 6:60]. Isn’t that a lovely picture? We can learn all kinds of lessons from the stars. For instance, I have a pretty beaker inscribed, “Good friends are like stars, we may not always see them, but we know they are always there.”
What can we learn from the Book of Baruch? Are we ‘shining cheerfully’? “If we are not in the place we would have chosen, do we shine with gladness there,” asks Amy Carmichael, “or do we grumble inwardly, if not outwardly, and wish things were different?” It’s easy to feel that if we’re only grumbling inside it doesn’t count, isn’t it?
The sun, moon and stars have been in place for millennia, and are so consistent, astrologers know exactly where they’ll be at any given time. They shine for Yahweh, and at His command. Can He depend on me like that? ‘Obedience’ is a shunned word, an unpopular concept, these days. However, the Bible is full of references to it, overflowing with promises for those who are obedient. Even Yahshua had to learn obedience, but “…once made perfect, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him” [Hebrews 5:8-9].
May Yahweh “make us all obedient like His sun and moon and stars, and help us to shine gladly to Him who made us” [Amy Carmichael].
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1 timothy 3:16 NIV - Beyond all question, the mystery from - Bible Gateway
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