In my morning reading, I read Jeremiah chapter 28. Jeremiah was the Lord’s prophet who warned the people of Judah and Jerusalem to turn from their evil ways and become obedient to God. After many warnings, the Lord told Jeremiah to tell the people that war, famine, and disease would consume their land and drive them under the rule of Babylon if they did not obey. During that time, there were also false prophets proclaiming peace instead of war. In this particular chapter, Hananiah was that false prophet. In front of the priests and people within the Temple, he claimed the Lord had said the captives of Babylon and the Temples’ treasures would be brought back to the land from Babylon within 2 years. He also claimed that the Lord said the yoke He had placed on the people’s necks would be broken. [Side note: in chapter 27, the Lord instructed Jeremiah to construct a yoke and place it on his neck with leather straps. So he was standing there with a yoke around his neck.] After Hananiah was done speaking, Jeremiah told him that he hoped his words were true. He actually challenged what he had said as the true prophets had warned the same things that Jeremiah had warned. Hananiah responded by taking the yoke from Jeremiah’s neck and breaking it before claiming the Lord would do the same with the yoke around the captives’ necks. After this incident, Jeremiah left the Temple. The Lord instructed Jeremiah to go back to Hananiah and deliver a message. God told Hananiah, via Jeremiah, that the yoke of wood that he had broken would be replaced with a yoke of iron; the people and animals would be under Babylon’s control; that he was not a true prophet and was leading the people astray; and as a result of his rebellion, he would die. Two months later, Hananiah died. Let’s Talk!
I want you to imagine Jeremiah standing in the Temple in front of the priests and people with that yoke around his neck. Imagine how he looked. Imagine what the people were thinking and saying about him. Despite all of that, I must note his obedience to God. He didn’t care how he looked or what the people would say. He just obeyed. Standing there with that yoke around his neck, he challenged a false prophet. In verse 10, we read that in response to being challenged, Hananiah took the yoke from Jeremiah’s neck and broke it before delivering another false prophesy. In verses 13 and 14, we read how the Lord sent Jeremiah back to Hananiah with a word that proved he was lying. In verses 15 through 17, we read that God judged Hananiah for leading the people astray.
I want to encourage you today to speak the words that the Lord gives you when He tells you to speak them. Many of us know God’s voice, but we are afraid that we will “get it wrong” or “look crazy”. When you hear His voice telling you to speak the words, BE OBEDIENT. Do not allow your mind and flesh to get into God’s way. Do not second guess His voice. There are many people who are sitting on words that the Lord commanded them to release to others. You do not need a stage or a microphone. You do not have to be in the church. You cannot worry about how the person will receive the Lord’s words. You cannot worry about all of the details as God and that person know them. I encourage you to be confident when you KNOW the Lord has spoken to you to release a word. I encourage you to release the word only if He tells you to release it. Not every word is meant to be released; sometimes, God just wants you to address that thing in your prayer time. Just as the situation with Jeremiah’s snd Hananiah, the word that God tells you to release may bring challenge to the recipient, release the words anyway. If you receive a negative response, only respond back if God tells you to. If He doesn’t tell you to, walk away just as Jeremiah did. God will avenge you when you are obedient to Him just as He did Jeremiah. Allow this to be a warning for those of you that are acting as Hananiah did. God is not pleased when you speak for yourself utilizing His name. He is not pleased when you lead His people astray. Do not speak in the name of the Lord KNOWING He has not given you any words to speak. Turn from your ways and to God.
Read, dissect, and meditate on the above mentioned scriptures. I invite you to engage by leaving a comment with your feedback from the posting or asking any questions that you may have. I look forward to engaging with you!
Real Talk with Keve 