Jeremiah 27:8-15: a reflection

God tells his people, through Jeremiah, to accept the hard thing he has appointed, submitting to the yoke and living, rather than believing the prophets who promise an easier way that is false. Bring your necks under the yoke of the king of Babylon, and serve him, and live, God says; why will you die? Don't listen to the words of the prophets who say you shall not serve the king of Babylon, for they prophesy a lie to you. God had appointed a hard discipline for his people: they were to submit to the yoke of Babylon for a time. It was not what they wanted to hear. And there were prophets who told them otherwise, promising that they would not have to serve Babylon, that an easier way was coming. But those prophets spoke a lie; and to believe them, rather than accept the hard thing God had appointed, would lead to ruin. This shows accepting the hard thing God appoints rather than believing a false, easier way. Accept the hard thing God appoints, rather than a false, easier way. Beware those who promise an easier path that is not from God. Submitting to God's discipline can be the path to life. The comforting lie leads to ruin; the hard truth leads to life.

Notice the choice God set before his people. He had appointed a hard discipline: for their sin, they were to submit to the yoke of Babylon for a time. This was hard and unwelcome; no one wants to submit to such a thing. And so there were prophets ready to tell the people what they wanted to hear: that they would not have to serve Babylon, that this hard thing would not come upon them, that an easier way lay ahead. But God says plainly: those prophets prophesy a lie; do not listen to them. The truth was that submitting to the yoke, the hard thing God had appointed, was actually the path to life; while believing the comforting lie and resisting would lead to death. This holds a searching lesson. There are times when God appoints for us a hard thing, a discipline, a difficult providence, a hard path we must walk, which we would rather avoid. And in such times, there is often a strong pull toward those, or those thoughts, that promise us an easier way: that we need not accept the hard thing, that a more comfortable path is available. But not every promise of an easier way is from God; some are false, comforting lies that lead to ruin. Sometimes the hard thing God has appointed, accepted and submitted to, is actually the path to life; while grasping at a false, easier way leads to worse. We do well to accept the hard thing God appoints, rather than believing those who promise an easier way that is not from him. Accept the hard thing God appoints, rather than grasping at a false, easier way. Beware those who promise you an easier path that is not from God. Submitting to God's hard discipline can be the very path to life. Do not let a comforting lie draw you from the hard truth that leads to life.

That is worth taking to heart, for we do well to accept the hard thing God appoints rather than believe a false, easier way, as God told his people to submit to the yoke and live. We can grasp at those who promise an easier path; but God said those prophets prophesied a lie, and that submitting to the hard thing was the way to life. Accept it. When God appoints a hard thing, do not grasp at a false, easier way promised by others; accept the hard thing, which may be the path to life, rather than believing a comforting lie. Accept the hard thing God appoints, submitting to it rather than grasping at a false, easier way promised by others, since the hard thing God appoints may be the path to life while the comforting lie leads to ruin, as God told his people through Jeremiah to accept the hard thing he had appointed by submitting to the yoke and living rather than believing the prophets who promised an easier way that was false, saying to bring their necks under the yoke and serve and live and not to listen to the prophets who said they would not serve Babylon since they prophesied a lie; for God had appointed a hard discipline that his people submit to the yoke of Babylon for a time, which was not what they wanted to hear, and there were prophets who told them otherwise and promised an easier way, but those prophets spoke a lie, and to believe them rather than accept the hard thing God had appointed would lead to ruin, which holds a searching lesson, since there are times when God appoints for us a hard thing, a discipline or difficult providence or hard path we would rather avoid, and in such times there is often a strong pull toward those or those thoughts that promise us an easier way, but not every promise of an easier way is from God, some being false comforting lies that lead to ruin, and sometimes the hard thing God has appointed, accepted and submitted to, is actually the path to life while grasping at a false easier way leads to worse, so that we do well to accept the hard thing God appoints.