Then the prophet Jeremiah said to Hananiah the prophet, “Listen, Hananiah! The Lord has not sent you, yet you have persuaded this nation to trust in lies. Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘I am about to remove you from the face of the earth. This very year you are going to die, because you have preached rebellion against the Lord.’” In the seventh month of that same year, Hananiah the prophet died.
– Jeremiah 28:15-17
Here in the Book of Jeremiah 28, Jeremiah confronts Hananiah with sobering words: “The Lord has not sent you, yet you have persuaded this nation to trust in lies.” Because Hananiah led the people into false confidence and rebellion against God, the Lord declared that he would die that very year – and he did.
Jeremiah had been warning Judah of coming judgment because they refused to repent and turn from their sin. His message was heavy but merciful. He was calling them back to obedience before it was too late. Hananiah, however, offered something far more appealing. He promised peace and quick deliverance. His words were comforting, confident, and exactly what the people wanted to hear. But they were not from God.
This passage reminds us how vital it is to discern between truth and error. False teaching isn’t new… there are still voices today that claim to speak for the Lord but focus more on pleasing people than proclaiming His Word. A message can sound hopeful and still be dangerously wrong.
Jeremiah wanted the people to repent, not to simply feel better about themselves. That’s true pastoral love. Lies may comfort for a moment, but they cannot save. When we trust in what’s false, we build our lives on something that cannot stand when leaned against.
So how do we tell the difference? We can’t afford to assume that every voice behind a pulpit is faithful simply because it sounds sincere. If we’re unfamiliar with Scripture, how will we recognize when something contradicts it?
Beloved, that is why we must read our Bibles and meditate on God’s Word, and pray for Him to grant us wisdom and discernment. The more we know the truth, the more clearly we’ll recognize a lie. Let us be people who love truth more than comfort, who welcome correction, and who test every message by Scripture. Our souls are too precious to place our trust in anything less.
“If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” – John 8:31-32
Former Blackout Artist 