What is the meaning of Jeremiah 23:35? This is what each man is to say Jeremiah shifts the focus from false prophets to ordinary believers. God’s word is not the private domain of elite voices; every person is called to speak truthfully about what He has said. • The directive echoes Deuteronomy 6:6-7, where families are told to rehearse God’s commands “when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road.” • It also anticipates the New-Covenant promise that “they will all know Me” (Jeremiah 31:34). • Acts 17:11 commends the Bereans because “they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures daily,” modeling this same personal responsibility. to his friend and to his brother The arena for this faithful speech is everyday relationships—“friend” and “brother.” Truth is meant to circulate through community life, not remain abstract. • Malachi 3:16 depicts believers who “spoke with one another” and found the Lord listening. • In Matthew 18:20 Jesus assures, “where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I with them,” emphasizing that simple fellowship can become a setting for divine encounter. • Hebrews 10:24-25 calls us to “spur one another on toward love and good deeds… encouraging one another,” reinforcing the peer-to-peer dynamic Jeremiah envisions. ‘What has the LORD answered?’ The question assumes that someone has been praying, inquiring, or prophesying, and now seeks to verify the response. It invites careful confirmation rather than gullible acceptance. • 1 Samuel 3:9 shows Samuel saying, “Speak, LORD, for Your servant is listening,” modeling expectant yet humble listening. • 1 John 4:1 warns, “do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits,” mirroring the call to ask whether the Lord truly answered. • 1 Thessalonians 5:20-21: “Do not treat prophecies with contempt, but test everything; hold fast to what is good.” The standard is always God’s authentic reply. or ‘What has the LORD spoken?’ Parallel wording widens the inquiry from personal petitions (“answered”) to all divine revelation (“spoken”). The emphasis is on the objective word of the Lord, not subjective impressions. • Isaiah 55:11 promises that God’s word “will not return to Me empty,” underscoring its reliability. • John 12:49 Jesus states, “I have not spoken on My own authority; the Father who sent Me has commanded Me what to say,” showing even the Son grounding His message in the Father’s speech. • 2 Timothy 3:16 affirms, “All Scripture is God-breathed,” reminding us that the canonical word remains the benchmark against which any claim of revelation is measured. summary Jeremiah 23:35 redirects God’s people from sensational, self-appointed prophets back to simple, shared inquiry into the authentic word of the Lord. Every believer is charged to ask, in everyday relationships, “What has the LORD answered?” and “What has the LORD spoken?” This continual, communal testing fosters doctrinal purity, safeguards against deception, and keeps the focus on Scripture as the ultimate and trustworthy revelation of God. |
    |