For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: "Do not be deceived by the prophets and diviners among you, and do not listen to the dreams you elicit from them. For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says:This phrase establishes the authority and divine origin of the message. "LORD of Hosts" emphasizes God's sovereignty and command over heavenly armies, underscoring His power and ability to fulfill His promises. "The God of Israel" reaffirms His covenant relationship with Israel, reminding the exiles in Babylon of their unique identity and God's ongoing commitment to them. This introduction is common in prophetic literature, asserting that the message is not from human origin but from God Himself, as seen in other prophetic books like Isaiah and Ezekiel. Do not be deceived by the prophets and diviners among you:
During the Babylonian exile, false prophets and diviners were prevalent, offering messages of false hope and quick deliverance. These figures often claimed to speak for God but were not sent by Him, as seen in the confrontation between Jeremiah and Hananiah in Jeremiah 28. The warning against deception highlights the importance of discernment and faithfulness to God's true word. In the broader biblical context, this echoes warnings against false prophets found in Deuteronomy 18:20-22 and later in the New Testament in Matthew 7:15. and do not listen to the dreams you elicit from them:
The phrase "dreams you elicit from them" suggests that the exiles were actively seeking out these false visions, perhaps out of desperation or impatience. Dreams were a common means of divine communication in the ancient Near East, but not all dreams were from God. This caution against relying on self-generated or manipulated dreams is a call to trust in God's timing and revelation. It reflects a broader biblical theme of testing the spirits and holding fast to what is true, as advised in 1 John 4:1. Persons / Places / Events 1. JeremiahA major prophet in the Old Testament, known for his messages of warning and hope to the people of Judah. 2. The LORD of HostsA title for God emphasizing His sovereignty and command over the heavenly armies. 3. The God of IsraelA reminder of God's covenant relationship with the people of Israel. 4. Prophets and DivinersIndividuals in ancient times who claimed to have special knowledge or messages from the divine, often leading people astray. 5. Exile in BabylonThe context of this passage, where the Israelites were living in captivity and facing false messages of hope and deliverance. Teaching Points Discernment in Spiritual MattersBelievers are called to exercise discernment and not be swayed by every spiritual claim or teaching. This requires a deep understanding of Scripture and reliance on the Holy Spirit. The Danger of False ProphetsFalse prophets can lead people away from God's truth. It's crucial to evaluate teachings against the Word of God and seek wisdom from mature believers. The Role of Dreams and VisionsWhile God can use dreams and visions, they must be tested against Scripture. Personal revelations should not contradict God's established Word. Trust in God's SovereigntyIn times of uncertainty, like the Babylonian exile, believers should trust in God's plan and timing rather than seeking quick fixes or false assurances. Community AccountabilityEngaging with a community of believers provides accountability and helps in discerning truth from deception. Bible Study Questions 1. How can we apply the principle of discernment in our daily lives when faced with various teachings and spiritual claims? 2. What are some modern-day examples of "prophets and diviners" that we should be cautious of, and how can we identify them? 3. How does understanding the historical context of the Babylonian exile enhance our interpretation of Jeremiah 29:8? 4. In what ways can we ensure that our dreams and personal revelations align with biblical truth? 5. How can we foster a community that encourages accountability and discernment in spiritual matters? Connections to Other Scriptures Deuteronomy 18:20-22Discusses the criteria for true and false prophets, emphasizing the importance of discerning God's true message. 1 John 4:1Encourages believers to test the spirits to see whether they are from God, as many false prophets have gone out into the world. Matthew 7:15-20Jesus warns about false prophets, describing them as wolves in sheep's clothing and teaching that they can be recognized by their fruits. People Ahab, Anathoth, David, Elasah, Eleasah, Gemariah, Hilkiah, Jeconiah, Jehoiada, Jeremiah, Kolaiah, Maaseiah, Nebuchadnezzar, Nebuchadrezzar, Shaphan, Shemaiah, Zedekiah, ZephaniahPlaces Anathoth, Babylon, Jerusalem, NehelamTopics Almighty, Armies, Attention, Beguile, Cause, Causing, Deceive, Diviners, Dream, Dreamed, Dreams, Encourage, Hearken, Hosts, Lift, Listen, Midst, Prophets, Readers, Says, Signs, Thay, Thus, Tricked, YourselvesDictionary of Bible Themes Jeremiah 29:8 6147 deceit, practice
8415 encouragement, examples
9130 future, the Jeremiah 29:4-14 4215 Babylon Jeremiah 29:8-9 1409 dream
5165 listening
7774 prophets, false Library Finding God
Ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart.' (Jeremiah xxix. 13.) The words of Jeremiah in their relation to God are very appropriate for men and women in whose hearts there is any longing after personal Holiness. Look at them: 'Ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart'. I like this word, because it turns our minds to the true and only source of light and life and power. We speak of seeking and getting the blessing; but, …
T. H. Howard—Standards of Life and ServiceThe Secret of Effectual Prayer
"What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye have received them, and ye shall have them."--MARK xi. 24. Here we have a summary of the teaching of our Lord Jesus on prayer. Nothing will so much help to convince us of the sin of our remissness in prayer, to discover its causes, and to give us courage to expect entire deliverance, as the careful study and then the believing acceptance of that teaching. The more heartily we enter into the mind of our blessed Lord, and set ourselves simply …
Andrew Murray—The Ministry of Intercession The Spirit of Prayer.
Text.--Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints, according to the will of God.--Romans viii. 26, 27. My last lecture but one was on the subject of Effectual Prayer; in which I observed that one of the most important attributes of effectual …
Charles Grandison Finney—Lectures on Revivals of Religion The Costliness of Prayer
"Lord, teach us to pray."--Luke xi. 1. "And ye shall seek Me, and find Me, when ye shall search for Me with all your heart."--Jer. xxix. 13. IN his fine book on Benefits, Seneca says that nothing is so costly to us as that is which we purchase by prayer. When we come on that hard-to-be-understood saying of his for the first time, we set it down as another of the well-known paradoxes of the Stoics. For He who is far more to us than all the Stoics taken together has said to us on the subject of prayer,--"Ask, …
Alexander Whyte—Lord Teach Us To Pray Putting God to Work
"For from of old men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen a God beside thee who worketh for him that waiteth for him."--Isaiah 64:4. The assertion voiced in the title given this chapter is but another way of declaring that God has of His own motion placed Himself under the law of prayer, and has obligated Himself to answer the prayers of men. He has ordained prayer as a means whereby He will do things through men as they pray, which He would not otherwise do. Prayer …
Edward M. Bounds—The Weapon of Prayer The Iranian Conquest
Drawn by Boudier, from the engraving in Coste and Flandin. The vignette, drawn by Faucher-Gudin, from a statuette in terra-cotta, found in Southern Russia, represents a young Scythian. The Iranian religions--Cyrus in Lydia and at Babylon: Cambyses in Egypt --Darius and the organisation of the empire. The Median empire is the least known of all those which held sway for a time over the destinies of a portion of Western Asia. The reason of this is not to be ascribed to the shortness of its duration: …
G. Maspero—History Of Egypt, Chaldaea, Syria, Babylonia, and Assyria, V 9 The Seventh Commandment
Thou shalt not commit adultery.' Exod 20: 14. God is a pure, holy spirit, and has an infinite antipathy against all uncleanness. In this commandment he has entered his caution against it; non moechaberis, Thou shalt not commit adultery.' The sum of this commandment is, The preservations of corporal purity. We must take heed of running on the rock of uncleanness, and so making shipwreck of our chastity. In this commandment there is something tacitly implied, and something expressly forbidden. 1. The …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments I Will Pray with the Spirit and with the Understanding Also-
OR, A DISCOURSE TOUCHING PRAYER; WHEREIN IS BRIEFLY DISCOVERED, 1. WHAT PRAYER IS. 2. WHAT IT IS TO PRAY WITH THE SPIRIT. 3. WHAT IT IS TO PRAY WITH THE SPIRIT AND WITH THE UNDERSTANDING ALSO. WRITTEN IN PRISON, 1662. PUBLISHED, 1663. "For we know not what we should pray for as we ought:--the Spirit--helpeth our infirmities" (Rom 8:26). ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. There is no subject of more solemn importance to human happiness than prayer. It is the only medium of intercourse with heaven. "It is …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 Jeremiah
The interest of the book of Jeremiah is unique. On the one hand, it is our most reliable and elaborate source for the long period of history which it covers; on the other, it presents us with prophecy in its most intensely human phase, manifesting itself through a strangely attractive personality that was subject to like doubts and passions with ourselves. At his call, in 626 B.C., he was young and inexperienced, i. 6, so that he cannot have been born earlier than 650. The political and religious …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Jeremiah 29:8 NIVJeremiah 29:8 NLTJeremiah 29:8 ESVJeremiah 29:8 NASBJeremiah 29:8 KJV
Jeremiah 29:8 Commentaries
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