I am using the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Jeremiah 28-30.

    At the end of yesterday’s passage, Jeremiah had employed another one of his metaphors. He had put on a wooden yoke to indicate that the Kingdom of Judah, and many of the surrounding nations would be bound to serve the king of Babylon. Another prophet, Hananiah, contradicted Jeremiah’s prophecy and said that God would break the yoke of the king of Babylon. Jeremiah exclaimed that he desired for Hananiah to be correct, however, the prophets who preceded the two of them had all prophesied war and destruction. Therefore, the burden of proof was on any prophet who prophesied peace. Hananiah then broke the yoke which Jeremiah was wearing, and repeated his prophecy that God would likewise break the yoke which Babylon had put on the people of Jerusalem. Jeremiah did not immediately respond to this confrontation, and thus escalate it. He went on his way. Later he prophesied that Hananiah was lying and offered as support for his statement the prediction that Hananiah would die before the year was out. Which happened just as Jeremiah had predicted.
    There are two key elements here for us today. When the prophet who disagreed with him began to physically interfere with his message, Jeremiah did not respond in kind. He went on his way and allowed the situation to de-escalate. Second, the burden of proof rests on those who claim that God is not calling us to repentance. Jeremiah’s message was that we had better change our ways because terrible times are coming. Hananiah’s message was that there is no need to change, God is going to come to our rescue as we are. When things are bad and there are more storm clouds on the horizon, our default should be to examine ourselves and look for the sin in our life from which we need to repent.

    Later, Jeremiah wrote a letter to the exiles living in, or near, Babylon. His message was one of hope, but not the message they wanted to hear. They wanted to hear that Jerusalem was going to throw off Babylonian control and they would soon be able to go home. They had plenty of people among them willing to tell them that such was the word from God. Jeremiah told them that they would not soon be returning to Jerusalem. However, Jeremiah also told that that if they were faithful and lived their lives patiently serving God where He had put them, God would look out for them. Jeremiah’s message to them is one for those who seek to serve God in all ages:

For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

IF we seek God with our whole heart, with our entire being, we will find Him.