Today’s passage: Jeremiah 28:1-17
Helpful thoughts:
- This chapter contains the account of Jeremiah’s interactions with one of Jerusalem’s false prophets.
- Hananiah prophesies a different message then that of Jeremiah.
- Jeremiah wishes Hananiah’s prophecy was true, but then reminds him that false prophets will be found out.
- God reveals Hananiah to be a false prophet through the ministry of Jeremiah…and through his death within the year.
Questions to consider:
- What was the theme of Hananiah’s “prophecy?” Why would it had sounded delightful to the people?
- Why would Hananiah’s false prophecy have brought bars or a yoke of iron? Besides wishful thinking, what was the great evil of Hananiah’s actions and also the evil of the people’s desire to hear things that sounded better to them than the truth?
- Is there ever anything that is actually better than what God is doing? What makes us think otherwise? When we decide our version of “truth” sounds better, what have we actually given to ourselves? What have we said to God? What room is left for the truth of the Gospel?