“Fire and Hammer”
Scripture reading for August 8: Jeremiah 21-25
“Let the prophet who has a dream tell his dream, but let the one who has My Word speak it faithfully. for what has straw to do with grain?” declares the Lord. “Is not My Word like fire,” declares the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?” Jeremiah 23:28-29
As young Christians, we attended a church that learned Scripture through the worship songs. A lady named Laura, playing an autoharp, taught us worship from her King James Bible. One of the songs was from these verses in Jeremiah. It was a catchy tune and my younger son Marshal picked it up and was always singing it. It is interesting to note that Marshal is preaching God’s Word today!
Jeremiah had to deliver some hard messages to his own peers in the ministry of that day. He spoke a Word to the shepherds of that day, accusing them of scattering the sheep and destroying them. (Jeremiah 23:1-3) The shepherds were the kings of Judah, and he warned them repeatedly of coming woe and trouble, but few appreciated his warnings! (Jeremiah 22:11-12) He declared God, Himself, would raise up a ‘righteous Branch’ from the line of David who would restore justice and save the nation. (Jeremiah 23:5-6) This righteous King would bring God’s people out of captivity in the lands where they would be scattered and bring them into their own land. (Jeremiah 23:7-8)
The godless priests and prophets were the cause of the people going astray. They committed adultery and lived a lie. They prophesied by Baal, the false idol of the Canaanites and led the people astray.(Jeremiah 23:13-14) They told people who were living in sin and stubbornness that they would have peace when God’s Word said they would have trouble. (Jeremiah 23:16-17)
Jeremiah understood the Word of God as a Fire. As fire would burn out the dross to refine the metal and burn up the chaff, so it would refine God’s people. Jeremiah saw God’s Word as being a Hammer that could shatter solid rock. Hardened hearts would be broken by this Hammer. Jeremiah’s heart was broken and his bones trembled at the thought of God’s holy Words and their supernatural power. (Jeremiah 23:9)
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