Reading
SAA Notes
Hananiah the prophet is in God’s firing line. His name means God has been gracious! When people today tell us The Lord revealed to me this or that, we can tell the truth of the matter by judging via the Scriptures. Anything contrary to the plain teaching of the Bible is untrustworthy.
SJA Notes
* Lord God, keep our ears single for Your word, for the truth of Your word, and filter out what is not truth.
“Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.”
How the words of the prophet Hananiah seem to be uplifting, such vigour and force, words for good!
Imagine hearing them at that time, the great and terrible Babylon looming over the country, having already taken so much.
How gracious and powerful Hananiah presents himself. He takes the yoke God had Jeremiah make and breaks it, speaking more words of comfort for the people.
You can imagine the theatre and pageantry in this scene.
And yet it is all empty words, noise and vane breath, lies and more lies.
The quote above from Hananiah is a lie.
God did not tell him he had broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.
What is a truth here for us today?
We have God’s word. Anything else is dust and air.
* All-Knowing God,
Please write Your word on our hearts today so that we might _know_ You and what You say. So that we might walk in obedience to You, even when it is hard, as Jeremiah did.
You have plans for us, plans for good and not evil, plans that give us a future and a hope.
Thank You Lord – How great You are!
Amen.