What is the meaning of Jeremiah 28:15? Then the prophet Jeremiah said to the prophet Hananiah Jeremiah steps forward in the temple courtyard and publicly answers Hananiah’s earlier optimistic prophecy (Jeremiah 28:1–4). The moment reminds us of Elijah confronting the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:17–24) and of Micaiah speaking against Zedekiah son of Chenaanah (1 Kings 22:13–18). God often raises a lone, faithful voice to counter popular but false messages. Listen, Hananiah! Jeremiah’s call for attention is urgent and personal. He addresses Hananiah by name—twice in the verse—showing both gravity and compassion, much like Nathan addressing David, “You are the man!” (2 Samuel 12:7). A true servant of God confronts error directly yet still seeks repentance for the erring individual (Galatians 6:1). The LORD did not send you This blunt statement exposes the core issue: divine authorization. Deuteronomy 18:20–22 already warned that a prophet who speaks presumptuously “shall die.” Jeremiah echoes that standard (Jeremiah 23:21–22). Without the Lord’s commissioning, any “prophecy” is empty noise, no matter how appealing (Matthew 15:13–14). But you have persuaded this people False prophets rarely work in isolation; they influence crowds. Hananiah’s message of swift deliverance sounded hopeful, so Judah embraced it (2 Timothy 4:3–4). Jeremiah laments that the people, already under divine discipline, are now further misled (Jeremiah 5:30–31). Authority misused always endangers those who listen. To trust in a lie The heart of the sin is misplaced trust. Instead of repenting and submitting to God’s declared seventy-year exile (Jeremiah 25:11–12), the nation clings to a short-cut promise. Trusting a lie leads to tragic consequences—just as Adam and Eve believed the serpent (Genesis 3:1-6) and Israel believed the spies’ fearful report (Numbers 14:1-4). In love, God exposes the lie so His people might return to truth (John 8:31-32). summary Jeremiah 28:15 shows a faithful prophet courageously confronting a counterfeit message. He affirms that God alone authorizes true prophecy, warns that false promises seduce audiences, and stresses that believing lies brings judgment. The verse calls us to test every message against God’s revealed Word and to ground our hope only in what the Lord has truly spoken. |
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