Colorado possesses a long history of mining. Enduring long winters and brutal conditions, men searched for gold and silver. A handful made a fortune, while the rest moved on after the mines played out. No one cleaned up after themselves, and as you drive around Colorado today you’ll see evidence of old mines, especially the tailings of stone expelled from the shafts. Boring holes into solid rock took strong backs, sturdy picks, and plenty of dynamite.

Bringing the wrong tools to break rock solid hearts, prophets in Jeremiah’s day shared their dreams. These teachers boldly lied and spread deceit in the name of God. They believed in themselves, but failed to believe in God. Instead of teaching from the Scriptures they taught opinions, leading their king and nation astray.

The Lord excoriated these so-called prophets for their failure to produce words of meaning and consequence. A prophet speaks for God, and the words of God arrive with power. God spoke through Jeremiah: Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let him who has my word speak my word faithfully…Is not my word like fire, declares the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces? 

The divinations of these soothsayers dripped from their mouths like saliva from a madman. In contrast, God’s truth comes on like fire, scorching away lies and deceptions. The Scriptures pound folly like dynamite blasting a tunnel into a mountain.

In the Bible we discover words like a sledgehammer. Run the ideas and philosophies of our day through a good pounding. What emerges, that which lines of with the truth of Scripture, is worthy of our time and attention. Sweep up the broken shards and toss them in the garbage. In a world filled with talk, invest in energetic, dynamic, life-giving words—Words like a hammer.

Jeremiah 23:28-29

Photo by MATHEW RUPP