Scripture Reading(s)
Jeremiah 23:23-29
23:23 Am I a God near by, says the LORD, and not a God far off?
23:24 Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them? says the LORD. Do I not fill heaven and earth? says the LORD.
23:25 I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name, saying, “I have dreamed, I have dreamed!”
23:26 How long? Will the hearts of the prophets ever turn back–those who prophesy lies, and who prophesy the deceit of their own heart?
23:27 They plan to make my people forget my name by their dreams that they tell one another, just as their ancestors forgot my name for Baal.
23:28 Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let the one who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? says the LORD.
23:29 Is not my word like fire, says the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?
Reflections
We live in an era where the authenticity and genuine message of the Gospel is being challenged and disregarded as lies. Christianity is not an accepted faith and it is constantly being met with false idols and ideas that attempt to replace God and all who He is.
God knows and sees all. He is not blinded to the worlds lies that are being told in attempt to derail His name. God’s presence is constantly being made known to us. Verse 24 completely encompasses that thought. All of creation speaks to who He is. There is no where on this earth that we can go to hide from Him.
The point of this passage is to speak to the fact that our God is powerful and in control of all things. There is no religion, thought or belief that can ever match to who God is. There is a strong warning to those who are constantly attempting to disregard the message of the Gospel and those who are faced with it. As it states in verse 29, His word is like a fire and it is powerful to move in ways that we can never accomplish. God wants to use us to spread His word in a powerful way. Let us constantly hold fast to God’s word and the truth of His word and not back down when we are challenged by other beliefs and ideologies.
Psalm 119:105 ” Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”
We are often led astray from the Lord. At times it’s of our own doing. Other times it’s because we trusted someone we should not be trusting. In Jeremiah 23 God is upset at how easily His people are led astray by the words and visions given by false prophets. But even more critical than tuning the false prophets away, His people must keep His word and proclaim it faithfully. It is the standard by which all prophets and visions should be measured by.
Moreover, the loss of God’s Word leads to lost people. When Josiah had discovered the scrolls in the temple the people of God had been lost for hundreds of years. They had neglected and forgotten God’s commands. We must remember each day to keep God’s Word active in our lives.
Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let the one who has my word speak my word faithfully. (Jeremiah 23:28)