DEVOTION – DAY 195

Jeremiah 28:15-17 “God Will Not Be Mocked.”

 

Jer.28:15-17 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 you 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.

 

The background to this passage can be found in Jeremiah Chap.28. Hananiah was a false prophet. He told the people a message that they wanted to hear even though it was false. He prophesied that within two years, the Jewish exiles in Babylon would be able to return to their nation of Israel. They would also return all the temple articles that were taken by the Babylonians. Hananiah’s prophecy also contradicted Jeremiah’s prophecy that the Jewish exiles would not be able to return for seventy years (Jer.25:11-12). To the Jews, Hananiah’s prophecy was certainly more popular and encouraging to them than Jeremiah’s prophecy. But because Hananiah’s prophecy was false, God prophesied through Jeremiah that Hananiah would die shortly for misleading His people and causing them to doubt God. Just as Jeremiah had prophesied, within two months, Hananiah died. Hananiah, the false prophet who had prophesied the restoration of Israel within two years, himself died within two months.

 

From this passage, we learn that those who profess to speak on God’s behalf have a responsibility to speak with truth. This is because God will not be mocked and He will deal severely with those who falsely mislead His people. Today, just as in Jeremiah’s day, there are people who profess to speak for God. They will offer words that people want to hear. For example: There is the Shincheonji Church in South Korea. It was founded by Lee Man-hee. He taught his church members that he was the “teacher” that the New Testament was prophesying about. He also taught that the book of Revelation was written in parables that only he had the ability to decipher. His church’s members are taught to believe that only it’s members with the true faith will receive salvation at the time of final judgment. Those not counted will face judgment and destruction. This is not Biblical teaching. God will not be mocked.

 

In 2020, a 61 year-old member had Covid-19 and infected many of his church members. The church was found to be at the center of a major Covid-19 cluster. Not only were many members infected, they went on to infect thousands of others. This prompted a major outcry and more than a million people petitioned for the church to be investigated with a possibility of closing it down as a cult. The 90 year-old founder, Lee Man-hee was arrested and was fined for criminal breach of trust and was given a suspended prison sentence. The church is still under investigations.

 

Let us pray: Heavenly Father, please protect us against false prophets and help us to know your Word well so that we will have the wisdom to detect falsehoods when preached. We humbly ask this in the mighty name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

 

Questions

  1. What are some false teachings or doctrines that are common today that can easily mislead those who do not know the Bible well? Discuss.
  2. What are some steps you can take to protect yourself from false teachings?
  3. Why does God judge false prophets severely? Discuss.
  4. Read James 3:1. How does this verse warn those who teach God’s Word to others? Discuss.