We all want to hear what we want to hear. Whether it’s good news or bad news. In Jeremiah’s time people just wanted to her, “peace.”. In our time people just want to hear “bad/danger/scary.”. It’s also kind of like when someone has had a terrible accident and people come out in droves saying the person will be healed. They might be and it’s good to have faith and hope, but it must be based truly on the word of the Lord.
But back to Jeremiah. Well actually Hananaiah.
Hananiah was actually a prophet as well. But he had a different message than Jeremiah. He said God was going to destroy the yoke of Babylon from the Israelites and the people and goods taken into exile would be returned. He declared all this would happen in two years time.
Then with that he broke the stick that held the yoke together on Jeremiah and set him free.
Jeremiah response was, “ “Amen! May the Lord do so! May the Lord fulfill the words you have prophesied by bringing the articles of the Lord’s house and all the exiles back to this place from Babylon” (v. 6). Clearly this was sarcasm or Jeremiah’s actually desire even though he knew differently.
Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah that while Hananiah broke the wood yoke over Jeremiah, the Lord would put on an iron yoke and all the nations would serve Babylon for a season. And because Hananiah prophesied lies, Hananiah would pass away that year.
Two months later Hananiah died. His prophecy never came to pass as well.
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First thing reading this I again thought of YouTube prophets. So many out there proclaiming things that have not come to pass. And yet people still run to them like ants to honey to get the next “prophetic word of the Lord.”.
I also think of Joseph Smith. He prophesied the world would come to an end in 56 years. We’re still here. There were other things too.
There’s such a desire in us to hear what we want to hear that we project it as the “lord,” but this is not safe or wise. We should take these things with great humility. That’s why I have such a visceral reaction when I hear YouTube prophets say, “God told me…”
It’s also important that we know the Word and that the people we are around and serve also know well the Word. Not just the Word but also the Spirit that gives us discernment when something untrue is spoken. We need these or we will be lead astray and not respond accordingly.
