"You have raised false confidence in this people!" Very often in history these words of Jeremiah could have been repeated to many rulers of nations. They could be repeated to many leaders in our own day. Anyone critical of the false pretences of leaders could profitably repeat these words. It was, however, a much more serious matter when they were uttered by Jeremiah to Hananiah: they cost the false prophet his life!

Jeremiah is very realistic when he speaks about "the prophet who prophesies peace". It is an easy matter to prophecy "war, woe and pestilence". Given the world as it is, these things will occur sooner or later. It is quite another matter to prophecy peace. Jeremiah had no hesitation in challenging Hananiah's prophecy of peace. He agreed with the wording of Hananiah's prophecy of peace, but only as a wish, a hope, a prayer. While a prayerful hope for peace should be a part of everyone's deepest yearnings, Jeremiah would certainly have agreed with the words of Isaiah which we read during July: "Salvation we have not achieved for the earth" As it is impossible for us to achieve salvation, so too with reference to peace. Jeremiah could have repeated Isaiah's words: "the inhabitants of the world cannot bring it forth".