Jeremiah Chapter 28
Jeremiah 28 talks about Hananiah, a prophet who made God’s people trust in a lie (Jeremiah 28:15) and spoke a vision of his own heart rather than the mouth of the Lord (Jeremiah 23:16). Despite the various times that God had conveyed his impending judgment, Hananiah prophesied otherwise.
God had declared that ‘the whole land shall be a desolation and an astonishment, and these nations shall serve the king of Babylon seventy years’ (Jeremiah 25:11). It was neither easy for Jeremiah to deliver the message nor for the people to accept it. Therefore, false prophet like Hananiah chose to tell lies and to say things that were somewhat easier to swallow.
Hananiah claimed that God had broken the yoke of the king of Babylon and gave the promise of bringing back the vessels of the Lord’s house and also the captives (Jeremiah 28:2-4).
Regardless of what these false prophets said, we know Whose plan would in the end prevail. We also know the same ending that these false prophets such as Hananiah and Pashur (Jeremiah 20) had. God would be the One to impute judgment against them (Jeremiah 28:16).
In our lives today, God had also in various ways conveyed His messages to us. Are we willing to wholeheartedly listen to the entirety of His messages? Or are we selectively hearing ‘easy’ messages? Regardless of what God wants to convey to us, be it a gentle reminder or a stern rebuke, let us take comfort from knowing that,
“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope”
Jeremiah 29:11
Therefore, let us learn to listen and accept His plan in our lives rather than choosing to believe in our own ways.
