What the Bible says about Warnings from God
(From Forerunner Commentary)
This is an example of the connection between idolatry and rain, saying that idols are powerless to control the heavens, yet it is an easy thing for God (see I Kings 18:20-46). The signs that we see (rain being given in due season or no rain being sent when it is necessary) can indeed be blessings or warnings from God. Only God is able to manipulate these things to these ends. We should not take these things lightly. Jeremiah's words here are very pointed.
Richard T. Ritenbaugh
The Two Witnesses (Part Six)Related Topics: God's Control of the Heavens | God's Manipulation of Events | Idolatry | Warnings from God
God told Jeremiah to make a number of wooden yokes for himself and for various neighboring kings. The yokes symbolized servitude to Nebuchadnezzar, and poor Jeremiah spent many days wearing a wooden yoke as an example. Through this visual aid, God was instructing Judah, and the other kingdoms, to submit to Babylonian rule. Even though doing so would be very humbling for Judah, it would be better for them than to resist Nebuchadnezzar, and thus God's will. He had already sent numerous prophets, with scores of warnings to repent and turn back to Him, and now the time of reckoning had arrived.
David C. Grabbe
Hananiah's ErrorRelated Topics: Babylonian Captivity | False Hope | False Prophecies | False Prophets | Hananiah's 'Prophecy' | Hananiah's Error | Ignoring Warnings | Resisting God's Will | Warnings from God | Wooden Yoke as Symbol