Who's Voice Are You Listening To?

Whose Voice are you Listening To?

Sunbury GMC 6/22/2022

Emmanuel Home 5/22/2024

Sunbury GMC 5/22/2024

Scripture: Jeremiah 28

Today, we are going to take a peek into history. In the year 626 B.C. two prophets gave different prophecies. Two religious guides told two different stories about what the Lord was planning. Of course, only one of them could have the correct message. Only one had a message from the Lord. Those listening had to decide who to listen to. That is the thought for today. A simple question. Whose voice are you listening to?

It was a dark day in Israel’s history. They were captives to the mighty Babylon. They were idolaters, worshiping baal. Even the defeat and captivity which had come as a result of their disobedient idolatry had not lead them to repentance, but sent them further down an idolatrous path.

Nebuchadnezzar had taken the best and brightest, crushed the militaries, and ravaged the country, and set up puppet governments over the various regions. The defeat was not so recent as to leave the people hopeless, a little time had passed and the puppet governors enjoyed only a limited sense of power and control which they certainly wished to expand.

It is in this backdrop that two prophets find themselves together at the house of the Lord preparing to prophecy.

28:1 And it came to pass the same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, and in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, which was of Gibeon, spake unto me in the house of the Lord, in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying,

2 Thus speaketh the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying, I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon.

3 Within two full years will I bring again into this place all the vessels of the Lord’s house, that Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place, and carried them to Babylon:

4 And I will bring again to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah, that went into Babylon, saith the Lord: for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon. [1]

Jeremiah listened in surprised silence to his fellow prophet. He was angry, and he was sad. He was confused and for a moment doubtful. The message Jeremiah believed he had just received from the Lord and was preparing to deliver was not the message Hananiah had just proclaimed. As the crowd rejoiced Jeremiah stood uncertainly. He must say something, yet what if he were wrong? Hananiah too was prophet, and prophets should not contradict each other publically. They stood as representatives of God. They could not be bickering or they would reflect poorly upon God. Yet Hananiah was wrong.

Jeremiah, with an ox yoke around his neck as part of the illustration God had instructed him to use in his prophecy, stepped forward and raised his hands asking for the attention of the people. The rejoicing paused as the people waited to hear more encouragement from God.

5 Then the prophet Jeremiah said unto the prophet Hananiah in the presence of the priests, and in the presence of all the people that stood in the house of the LORD,

6 Even the prophet Jeremiah said, Amen: the LORD do so: the LORD perform thy words which thou hast prophesied, to bring again the vessels of the LORD’s house, and all that is carried away captive, from Babylon into this place.

7 Nevertheless hear thou now this word that I speak in thine ears, and in the ears of all the people;

8 The prophets that have been before me and before thee of old prophesied both against many countries, and against great kingdoms, of war, and of evil, and of pestilence.

9 The prophet which prophesieth of peace, when the word of the prophet shall come to pass, then shall the prophet be known, that the LORD hath truly sent him.

Jeremiah had done his best to not cause direct controversy, yet he could not let a lie go unchallenged. Hananiah was not satisfied to be challenged. He doubled down, quickly stepping forward beside Jeremiah and quieting the murmuring crowd.

10 Then Hananiah the prophet took the yoke from off the prophet Jeremiah’s neck, and brake it.

11 And Hananiah spake in the presence of all the people, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Even so will I break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all nations within the space of two full years.

Jeremiah had done his duty and could do no more without causing great controversy. He did not want to cause controversy and detract from the glory of God so he left. As Jeremiah departed God’s voice spoke again to him.

13 Go and tell Hananiah, saying, Thus saith the LORD; Thou hast broken the yokes of wood; but thou shalt make for them yokes of iron.

14 For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; I have put a yoke of iron upon the neck of all these nations, that they may serve Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon; and they shall serve him: and I have given him the beasts of the field also.

Jeremiah turned back and saw Hananiah exiting the stage thronged by rejoicing people. Jeremiah’s voice rang out with an authority not his own.

15 Then said the prophet Jeremiah unto Hananiah the prophet, Hear now, Hananiah; The LORD hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie.

16 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth: this year thou shalt die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the LORD.

Jeremiah shivered as he finished speaking. He turned and quickly departed leaving behind him a stunned crowd and an ashen Hananiah. The challenge was set. Would Hananiah die or would independence be won?

Two months later, at the funeral of Hananiah the false prophet there remained no doubt about whose voice to listen to. The uncomfortable voice of Jeremiah spoke truth. Independence would not be won, submitting to the rule of Nebuchadnezzar was the best course of action.

In this story two prophets told two different stories. In your life many voices clamor for attention. In the story Jeremiah’s prophecy (which he received from the Lord in Chapter 27 and delivered in Chapter 29) was not what people wanted to hear. Yet it was not delivered with Jeremiah’s authority, but with God’s. Hananiah delivered his prophecy as though it were God’s and told the people exactly what they wanted to hear.

The voices that you hear directing you, guiding you, disturbing you, or comforting you, do they speak truth uncomfortable though it may be, or do they speak pleasant lies? Are you listening to what you want to hear or what God is bringing before you?

There are times when we do not know the source of a voice, yet often, if we slow down, if we consider the scripurality of a message, if we pray and carefully consider God’s voice many times becomes clear. God is not the author of confusion. God may at time bring disquiet into a life to lead them from where they are into the next step yet God is the God of peace. The Holy Spirit is called the Comforter. That voice of sadness, of loneliness, of anger, of frustration, that is not God’s voice. When we listen to God’s voice and obey it we will be filled with Love and not hate. With Joy and not depression, with peace and not turmoil, with longsuffering instead of impatience, with goodness instead of evil, with faith instead of doubt, with meekness instead of arrogance and with temperance and self-control instead of being controlled by fleshly desires. God’s voice is there, guiding, encouraging, comforting, strengthening, chastising, leading and loving. But there are other voices that try to distract. The voice of our own inability, our own circumstance, our own disappointment, or our own failures. There is also the voice of the tempter bringing confusion and doubt and trying to overthrow or entrap us in whatever way we are vulnerable. The direction of our life is determined by who’s voice we listen to. If we to ourselves we will be foolish and self centered. If we listen to the tempter we will likely be complacent and satisfied with failure. We will be weak and confused and disappointed in God and in ourselves. But if we listen to the voice of God, He will lead us and guide us in the paths that we should go. He will strengthen us in our weakness. Encourage us in our doubt, comfort us in our sorrow, chastise us in our error, He will lead us to Heaven and Love uys all the way. So, I ask you tonight one simple question. Whose voice are you listening to?

[1] The Holy Bible: King James Version, Electronic Edition of the 1900 Authorized Version. (Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc., 2009), Je 28:1–4.