Jeremiah 23:28-29 The Message
28-29 “You prophets who do nothing but dream—
go ahead and tell your silly dreams.
But you prophets who have a message from me—
tell it truly and faithfully.
What does straw have in common with wheat?
Nothing else is like God’s Decree.
Isn’t my Message like fire?” God’s Decree.
“Isn’t it like a sledgehammer busting a rock?
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
In this ancient text, the Prophet Jeremiah uses two startling images to describe the Word of God.
It is like a fire and it is like a sledge hammer.
Both are images of power -almost of danger.
The point is that this Word of God, the Message of God is not to be treated lightly, or indifferently, but handled with extreme care.
In the context Jeremiah is preaching against false prophets.
And the warning in v28 is serious news for all preachers: “Let the one who has my word speak it faithfully.”
The analogy used here by Jeremiah of God’s Word being “like a hammer which shatters a rock” likely has the sense of the power of God’s Word in shattering and breaking up the hardness of our hearts.
John Gill, a Puritan writer commented on this passage,
“to which the heart of man may be compared, being hardened by sin, confirmed in it; destitute of spiritual life; stupid and senseless; stubborn and inflexible; on which no impressions are made, and is impenitent and inflexible; see (Zechariah 7:12); now the word of the Lord, in the hand of the Spirit, is a means of breaking such hard hearts.”
In a word, God’s Word breaks the rock of “SELF” into pieces, so God can shape, break apart, break down and then work His purposes out in our life, making it possible for us to be sculpted into usefulness for His own kingdom purposes.
I am sure we have all dealt with a hard heart and so need the hammer of God’s Word to do a major softening work in breaking down the hardness of our heart.
God’s Hammer Softens Our Hearts
Jeremiah 23:28-29 Amplified Bible
28 The prophet who has a dream may tell his dream; but he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat [for nourishment]?” says the Lord. 29 “Is not My word like fire [that consumes all that cannot endure the test]?” says the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks the [most stubborn] rock [in pieces]?
Have you heard of God’s indestructible hammer as described in Jeremiah 23:29?
If not, you may never have thought or been taught or preached to of God’s Word being like a powerful hammer.
The Old Testament often describes how at times, the Israelites hearts had hardened towards God.
Zechariah 7:12 explains, “They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by His Spirit through the earlier prophets. So the Lord Almighty was very angry.”
To have an adamant or hard heart describes a person who simply refuses to be persuaded, who is steadfast and unmovable or unshakeable in their thinking.
In Scripture, it refers to the spiritual condition of a person who is rebellious towards God’s law and His words.
By describing their heart condition as hard as flint, the hardest of stones and used to cut other rocks, meant their hearts were hardened to the point where they were too hard to receive God’s law, to be carved or to receive His words.
Yet God’s hammer, His Word, is able to judge the hardest of heart. It’s able to infiltrate into the deepest part of man’s heart and bring to light true motives, thoughts, and attitudes.
Can we imagine such a hammer, His hammer is able to break the unbreakable kind of rock, to utterly shatter man’s stubbornness and arrogance against God.
As Hebrews 4:12 describes, “For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”
R.C. Sproul writes, “God’s hammer smashes not just the icons of the world around us; it also smashes the idols of my heart. It is hard, heavy, even painful, precisely because of the love of the One who wields it. He has promised to forgive me for my hard heart but has also promised to soften it.”
Ezekiel 36:26 reveals God’s desire towards men, “I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and you a heart of flesh.”
Like a physical hammer shatters when hard swung, God’s hammer demolishes spiritual strongholds as 2 Corinthians 10:4 explains “The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds.”
With God’s hammer, as 2 Corinthians 10:5 describes, “We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”
God’s Word in Our Heart Comes Alive in Our Lives
There is power in the Word of God.
It is empowered with His living energy.
In the pages of Scripture, we read the story of life… life as God created it… life as God sustains it… life as God will forever reign over it.
All Scripture is inspired by God (2 Timothy 3:16).
Its origin is divine… originating in the mind of the all-wise and omniscient One.
It is Truth in its purest form.
The Holy Spirit gave God’s true and holy words to the authors of Scripture.
God’s Word has been cherished by believers throughout history.
We, too, are to treasure it as the very words of God for us personally.
By it we learn to grow in His love and grace.
“’Is not My word like fire?’ says the Lord, ‘And like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?’” – Jeremiah 23:29
How is God’s Word like fire?
Fire burns away the brush, the chaff in our lives.
All wrong thinking, beliefs, ideas, motives are set ablaze as we read God’s Word.
False doctrine is reduced to ashes as as we are correctly taught the truth, as we learn how to live the Truth (1 Corinthians 3:13).
Fire melts away the dross, the sin in our lives (Zechariah 13:9).
When silver is melted and the impurities burned away, it gleams and reflects light.
As we become more pure, more Christlike by applying God’s Word to our lives, we better reflect our Savior.
Fire gives light to open our eyes to our own unrighteousness (Romans 3:23).
We see how desperately we need a Savior.
God’s Word shows us how we are to live.
It enlightens our spiritual path (Psalm 119:105).
Through it, God reveals His will for our lives.
Fire radiates the warmth of God’s love for us.
In God’s Word we discover His undying love and faithfulness.
In its richness, we find His comfort and encouragement (Zephaniah 3:17).
Our faith is strengthened.
Fire sets a flame in our hearts for God.
Through His Word our spiritual zeal is ignited (Jeremiah 20:9).
We desire to share all that God has done for us. We long to tell the Good News of salvation in Christ to the lost.
How is God’s Word like a hammer?
A hammer breaks up the hardened, unhumble heart… a heart hardened by sin.
The Truth of God’s Word reveals our need for repentance.
Our hearts of stone crumble in the presence of our Redeemer (Ezekiel 36:26).
A hammer shatters all pride and stubbornness.
In God’s Word, we see how far we fall short of His holiness and perfection.
We read of our humble, loving Savior who was bruised and broken for us.
With broken and contrite hearts (Psalm 51:17), we seek to emulate Him.
A hammer smashes the worldliness in our lives.
God’s Word shows us how kingdom values contrast with worldly values.
It crushes our earthly, temporal desires.
We come to live life with God’s perspective… storing up heavenly, eternal treasures (Matthew 6:20).
A hammer destroys the evil in our lives.
God’s Word is the sword of the Spirit we use to resist the evil one (Ephesians 6:17).
The power of His Word demolishes the strongholds of the enemy (2 Corinthians 10:4).
Nothing can stand against His mighty Word.
“My word that comes from My mouth will not return to Me empty, but it will accomplish what I please and will prosper in what I send it to do.” – Isaiah 55:11
God reveals Himself to us through His Word.
His revelations give our finite minds a glimpse into all that is infinite… holy… eternal – we gain not just head knowledge but Spirit wisdom.
Anyone can read the Bible and gain information.
Yet only the divine inspiration and revelation of the Holy Spirit can take this information and cause transformation in our lives.
We begin to transform into the likeness of Christ from the inside out.
“Blessed are those who hear the word of God and follow it.” – Luke 11:28
In His Word, God not only gives us the guidelines for a life in His favor, protection and blessing.
He also promises to come alongside us personally through His Spirit, giving us the power and courage to live out His guidelines in our daily walk.
For when God’s mighty Word lives in our hearts, it comes alive in our lives.
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Living Word, Lord of wisdom, I sometimes, well, actually most times, I am finding understanding the Bible to be difficult. I know you want me to apply your word to my life. I thank you for giving me your word so I can grow in my relationship with you. Holy Spirit, Help me grasp what you want me to know as I read your revealed word. Open my eyes to see the wonderful truths in your instructions. Be my teacher, so I can learn to apply them, live and obey your word. Thank you for your wise advice. Amen.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 