"Jubilant at the glory of God"

“For God will guide Israel in joy by the light of his glory with his mercy and integrity for escort.” (Baruch 5:9)

Baruch was the scribe of Jeremiah who he sent into difficult situations to read prophesy before the leaders when Jeremiah was held in prison. He, along with Jeremiah, experienced tremendous persecution. In Jer. 36, he watched the king Jehoiakim burn the scroll piece by piece as he read it.

Jeremiah tells him in Jer. 45:2-5 when he was feeling faint, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, to you, O Baruch:

'You said, 'Woe is me now! For the Lord has added grief to my sorrow. I fainted in my sighing, and I find no rest.'

Thus you shall say to him, 'Thus says the Lord:

'Behold, what I have built I will break down, and what I have planted I will pluck up, that is, this whole land. And do you seek great things for yourself? Do not seek them; for behold, I will bring adversity on all flesh,' says the Lord. 'But I will give your life to you as a prize in all places, wherever you go.''”

Baruch longed for something much deeper than the world could give him – an intimate friendship with God.

He, along with Jeremiah interceded for the deliverance of the people of Israel. He cries out to the Lord in Baruch 3:1-7, “Almighty Lord, God of Israel, soul in anguish, a troubled heart now cries to you: Listen and have pity, Lord, for we have sinned in your sight. You sit enthroned for ever, while we perish continually. Almighty Lord, God of Israel, hear the prayer of the dead of Israel, of the sons of those who have sinned against you and have not listened to the voice of the Lord their God, hence the disasters that have seized us. Do not call to mind the misdeeds of our ancestors, but remember instead your power and your name. You are indeed the Lord our God and we long to praise you, Lord, since you have put respect for you in our hearts to encourage us to call on your name. We long to praise you in our exile, for we have emptied our hearts of the evil inclinations of your ancestors who sinned against you....”

Baruch experienced the same punishment as everyone else -exile. Yet he does not expect special privileges or treatment for his service to God or faithfulness. Instead, after faithfully serving God and enduring persecution on His behalf, he receives the same treatment as the people. Baruch does not become offended or feel entitled to certain treatment, instead he identifies himself with the people and empties himself of sin. He cries out to the Lord on his and the people's behalf.

Baruch means “blessed.” It was a name that comes from the word “Berakhah” which is a Jewish blessing or thanksgiving recited. One source notes, “The function of a berakhah is to acknowledge God as the source of all blessing. Berakhot also have an educational function to transform a variety of everyday actions and occurrences into religious experiences designed to increase awareness of God at all times.” [1]

Baruch was someone who, like many of the patriarchs, continually gave his life away as a blessing to others.  He was so filled with God that he was pouring forth His goodness and life everywhere he went.   He was filled with the fullness of the life of God to overflowing.

Ann Voskamp in her book, One Thousand Gifts, writes of this fullness of life she calls "eucharisteo." She notes that its fullness is found in "gratitude for the blessings that expresses itself by becoming the blessing."  In giving away and pouring out our lives in thank offerings to God, "our lives become the very blessings we have received." [2]

It is in this place of generously pouring our lives out to others around us in thanksgiving without expecting something in return, that we find the greatest freedom and joy.   All becomes worship.

Ann Voskamp writes, “When the eyes of the heart focus on God, and the hands on always washing the feet of Jesus alone – the bones, they sing joy, and the work returns to its purest state: eucharisteo. The work becomes worship, a liturgy of thankfulness.” [3]

Baruch gave away His life expecting nothing in return. It is in this place of loving others with the gifts we have and out of thanksgiving in our hearts that we truly live. As Bob Goff notes, living and loving are one in the same. [4]

We are to freely give as we have freely received. And in the same way that giving freely in generosity brings joy and contentment, holding on, grasping for blessings, competing, and looking out solely for our own gain brings dissatisfaction and depression. We can never get enough, gain enough or succeed enough to fill us.

Sometimes, it is much more subtle. Our love has hooks in it. We give to others 'freely'' but we really expect to get something in return. We expect those we bless to appreciate us or maybe even return the favor.

Ever been there? I find myself doing this more often than I would like to admit. I give, but then when I am not appreciated, respected, or valued, I become discouraged and less motivated. I expect the giver to value what I have given to them and I am upset when they don't. Too often my giving has hooks.

As we give with hidden expectations, we loose our joy. The joy is in giving freely without expectation out of the abundance of what we have received freely. The greatest joy stealer, as noted by Ann Voskamp, is when we begin to feel others owe us for our pains or we expect something from them in return. [5]

Sometimes this can be a struggle with expecting something from God too. Like special privileges or being treated a certain way because of our faithful service to him. Like Jacob, we say in our heart that if he blesses us, we will give Him our worship in return.

Lord, forgive me where my giving has had any hooks in it. I long to be able to freely give without any account or expectations. Fill us to overflowing and give us freedom to pour out our gifts to all who come across our path. We long to fully worship you in everything we do. 

 

1. Wikipedia. Berakhah. Located at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Berakhah. Last Accessed: 9/4/13.

2-3, 5.   Voskamp, Ann.  One Thousand Gifts....

4.  Goff, Bob.   Love Does.