The movie studios in Hollywood have shown movies with people burning books. From the Indiana Jones movie showing the Nazi’s burning books during World War II, to author Ray Bradbury’s story turned into the movie Fahrenheit 451, we noticed the banality of thought control. But wait a minute—is burning books all that bad? Well—yes and no!
There have been some big book burnings in history. The Bonfire of the Vanities, 1497, was a mass burning of books, including some master artworks by artist Botticelli. The Royal Library of Alexandria was burned to the ground by Julius Caesar. In Paris, 1842, Braille books were incinerated because officials at the Braille School for the Blind came to the conclusion that blind people might take away jobs from those who could see. As you can see that didn’t work because we still have blind people and braille books. How about the 1948 burning of comic books? Parents felt their kids were being corrupted by the violence in crime comics—so they had a bonfire in New York and West Virginia. Parents also felt Superman comics were altering their children’s minds with changing the laws of physics, strength and flying humans. It was bad for children’s minds and their imaginations—so they stoked the bonfire of comic books.
God told Jeremiah to write his words on a scroll. Because he was not allowed to go to the temple, Jeremiah asked his scribe, Baruch, to whom he had dictated the scroll to read it to the people gathered there. Baruch then read it to the officials, and finally Jehudi read it to the king himself. The Bible records two occasions where books were burned. One; King Jehoiakim of Judah burned the book of Jeremiah strip by strip as it was read to him.
“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”. Jeremiah 36:23
Don’t worry; God made sure that the book was rewritten by Jeremiah’s scribe Baruch, King Jehoiakim was punished, and the day was won. The king could not destroy the word of God. Today many people try to put God’s Word aside or say that it contains errors and therefore cannot be trusted. People may reject God’s Word, but they cannot destroy it. God’s Word will stand forever.
“Your word, O Lord, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens. Your faithfulness continues through all generations; you established the earth, and it endures. Your laws endure to this day, for all things serve you”. Psalm 119:89-91
The other instance where books were burned is recorded in Acts 19:19. A group of magicians at Ephesus, who were converted as a result of Paul’s preaching, brought their books of magic and sorcery and burned them publicly. Ephesus was a center for black magic and other occult practices. The people cooked up magical formulas to give them wealth, happiness, and success in marriage. Superstition and sorcery were commonplace. God clearly forbids such practices. Chapter 18 of Deuteronomy specifically states that there is to be no practicing of divination, no sorcery, no interpreting omens, no engaging in witchcraft, no casting of spells, or anyone consulting with spiritualists or consulting with the dead.
“Anyone who does these things is detestable to the Lord”. Deuteronomy 18:1
If you’re burning with a desire to read and know more—pick up a Bible. There’s one book that can never be in danger of being burned: The Lamb’s Book of Life. You must make sure that you name is in it!
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