Thursday, March 11 2010
Jeremiah 28
Verse of the Week: V17 “So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.”
1. The Popular Prophet
V3 “Within two full years will I bring again into this place all the vessels of the LORD’s house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place, and carried them to Babylon.”
Everyone likes to be popular and even the preachers will compromise the truth in order to be popular and grow his church. People prefer to hear comforting lies than painful truth. The prophet Hananiah in order to please his king falsely preached that God shall return all the vessels of the Lord’s house which were taken away by the Babylonians. Instead of preaching repentance and turning to God, he preached a false sense of security and hope.
2 Timothy 4:3-4 “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.”
2. The Unpopular Prophet
V14 “For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; I have put a yoke of iron upon the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they shall serve him: and I have given him the beasts of the field also.”
Alas, the truth hurts as prophet Jeremiah truthfully preached the bad news that the King of Judah and his people shall serve under the rule of King Nebuchadnezzar. The King of Judah and his people hated Jeremiah for the truth. Though Jeremiah was unpopular with his king and his people he could sleep peacefully as the truth of God shall set him free!
John 8:31-32 “Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on Him, If you continue in My Word, then are ye My disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
3. The Grave Consequence
V17 “So Hananiah the prophet died the same year in the seventh month.”
Every sin has its grave consequences and God took the life of Hananiah because he lied against God’s truth in order to be popular and to please his king and his people!
Galatians 1:9-10 “And we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed. For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.”
Prayer of the Week
Dearest God, please help me to please You and You only.
