In our reading today, the LORD is rebuking the false prophets that were present in Jeremiah’s time. A false prophet is someone who says they have a message from the LORD but do not. The motive for giving a false prophecy is to cause someone to follow them rather than the LORD. This could be an issue of pride, greed, lust, or just plain wickedness.

The LORD challenges His ‘true messengers’ to speak forth every word that He gives them. God’s Word is true and righteous. In Hebrews we are told that the Word of God is living and powerful. God spoke to the prophets of Jeremiah’s day with messages of righteousness. The false prophets gave messages to appease people and to advance their own cause or position.

In the verse that precedes today’s God says that there is a difference between the words of the true and false prophets. The difference is described in the form of two questions. In the first the LORD asks, ‘Does not my word burn like fire?’ Fire is a picture of judgment and purification. To the wicked, God’s word speaks of impending judgment and a warning to turn from sin and to God. To the righteous fire speaks of purification. God’s word instructs the righteous how to be more righteous.

The second difference between the words of the true and false prophets is that the true word ‘Is…like a mighty hammer that smashes a rock to pieces.’ To the unbeliever the Word of God will smash down the defenses they place to keep God out of their lives. God doesn’t want us to use His Word like a hammer, beating people into submission. God’s Word offered humbly, gently, and with love is a hammer. Once in a person’s life it will smash the rocks that block the way to salvation.

In a believer’s life God’s Word acts as a hammer to break down the fortresses that we have allowed to exist in our lives. All of us have areas of unbelief or sin in our lives that God wants to work out of us. Some of those things are behind great walls of habit, fear, insecurity, or distrust that prevents us from surrendering that area fully to God. Only His Word has the power to break through to give us freedom from that bondage.

As modern believers God has given all of His word in the Bible. One of the last things that Jesus said to His disciples was that they should be ‘witnesses’ of Him to the rest of the world. As a believer you have been given a message to give to the world around you. That message found in the words of Scripture has the power to change your life and the lives of all those you come into contact with. Be a ‘true messenger’ and use it to bring people to their Savior. Jesus, teach us to cherish Your Word.

Read: Jeremiah 23:21-25:38; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-17; Psalm 84:1-12; Proverbs 25:15