Puppies and Roses
Scripture Reading: Jeremiah 28
The 28th chapter of Jeremiah is dedicated to the story of the prophet Hananiah. After Nebuchadnezzar had conquered Jerusalem and carried away captives and the treasures of the temple, Hananiah began preaching in the temple to the priests and people. His message was hopeful and encouraging. He predicted that within two years the captives would return, the treasures of the temple would be brought back, and the “yoke of the king of Babylon” would be broken.
To illustrate his message about the breaking of Nebuchadnezzar’s yoke, he took the wooden yoke Jeremiah was wearing from around his neck and snapped it in two. Why was Jeremiah wearing a yoke? Because he had been warning the people of the coming power of Babylon and the subduing of the Jewish people under them.
So, Hananiah and Jeremiah were preaching contradicting messages. Hananiah’s message was more popular. That is understandable. Who wouldn’t want what he said to be true? Jeremiah’s message of captivity and suffering was a bitter pill to swallow.
As a result, as Jeremiah said in verse 15, Hananiah “made this people trust in a lie.”
Be careful to avoid believing a message just because it makes you feel good. You might be trusting in a lie. Be discerning. Compare what you hear to the word of God. We all want life to be fuzzy puppies and sweet-smelling roses but be wary of puppies that grow up to be wolves and don’t forget the roses have thorns.
