Easily Deceived?

In Jeremiah 28, we encounter a sobering moment in Israel’s history—a clash between truth and deception. Hananiah, a prophet who stood alongside Jeremiah in title but not in truth, boldly proclaimed, “Thus says the Lord,” in the house of God, in front of priests and people alike. His message was uplifting, promising peace and restoration within two years. It directly contradicted Jeremiah’s warnings of judgment and exile. Hananiah’s words were not just misleading—they were lies.

What’s striking is how convincing Hananiah sounded. His prophecy was more palatable, more hopeful, and far easier to accept than Jeremiah’s. But it wasn’t from God. In a dramatic act of defiance, Hananiah even broke the wooden yoke Jeremiah had been commanded by God to wear—a visual symbol of the coming Babylonian oppression. This wasn’t just disagreement; it was rebellion against the word of the Lord.

It makes you wonder:

Did Hananiah truly believe he was speaking for God?

Was he deceived by a lying spirit?

Or was he knowingly manipulating the people?

We may never know his motives, but we do know his fate—he was dead within two months. God had called His people to repentance through Jeremiah, but Hananiah preached a counterfeit gospel of comfort and false hope.

And today? The spirit of Hananiah is still among us.

There’s a “ministry” based in Alabama, led by a single man, drawing churches across the South into his lair. His website lacks a statement of faith. He speaks well, even mentions Jesus—just as Hananiah mentioned God. But dig deeper: he denies sin, rejects hell, dismisses the second coming, and proudly calls himself a deconstructionist. That term may sound trendy in today’s church culture—someone shedding old beliefs and embracing new ones—but it’s eerily familiar. Hananiah broke Jeremiah’s yoke in the name of freedom, and it cost him his life.

Let this be a warning.

1 Corinthians 3:18  “Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you thinks that he is wise in this age, he must become foolish, so that he may become wise.”

Discernment is not optional. Truth is not negotiable. And deception often wears the mask of inspiration.



Today get in that book God gave you to keep from being deceived! It’s up to you.



Blessings