Chalk and Cheese

"The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; and he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat?" says the LORD. ²⁹ "Is not My word like a fire?" says the LORD, "and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?"

Jeremiah 23:28-29

There's a saying used in Australia to contrast two very different things:  "That's different as chalk and cheese!"  At a distance one might say they look similar, but a closer inspection reveals they are nothing alike.  Chalk is a form of limestone from the calcified remains of shells or algae.  Chalk has many practical uses, but is far from cheese which is edible and delicious.  They feel different when scratched with a fingernail.  The composition of chalk and cheese is a stark contrast.  If a simpleton wasn't sure which one was chalk or cheese, a simple bite test would quickly put an end to all doubt.

God revealed to the prophet Jeremiah the dreams of prophets with their fanciful interpretations and His word were as different as chalk and cheese, chaff to the wheat.  Chaff is the worthless husk threshed from the kernel which contains all the nutrients of grain.  After grain was harvested and threshed, tossing it in the breeze carried away the chaff and all that remained was wholesome food.  In Jeremiah's day there were a lot of people quite infatuated with sharing their dreams with others, claiming to have a "word" from the LORD.  It seems a majority of the time these supposed divine messages appealed to the desires of people and were contrary to God's revealed truth.  The people preferred a diet of chaff over the spiritual nutrition of God's word, but God told all who had His Word to keep speaking it faithfully regardless.  No matter how much chaff was blowing around, God's Word remained good and healthy.

God compared His Word to a fire no chaff could withstand:  in seconds a great amount of chaff would be turned to ash and blown away.  God had pronounced judgment on Jerusalem, and no amount of dreaming or interpretations would change the facts.  In due time the truth of what Jeremiah spoke would be made plain, though it was nearly rejected by all who heard it.  God said His Word was like a hammer which breaks the rock in pieces.  A hard rock can be broken by a well-directed stroke from a hammer, and God's Word is spiritual truth which shatters deceit and lies.  The rock has no means of defence as it rests in position held fast by gravity and dirt.  God's Word is active and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword which pierces hearts and reveals motives (Heb. 4:12).

If as person started a diet which consisted solely of chaff, they might be very pleased with the initial weight loss.  But before too long fatigue would set in, gnawing hunger, and unless nutritious food was eaten the body would waste away until death.  At the onset a new diet of dreams, visions, and interpretations today may be interesting and initially seem to be garnering the desired results, but like fad diets there can be a dangerous downside.  Metabolife was the rage in the States in the 90's until it was discovered the ephedra-based supplement was causing illness and many deaths.  Even as it is important to discern what is in the supplements or food we ingest, it is critical we never depart from the wholesome and powerful Word of God to sustain and guide us.  Chaff shouldn't be on the menu.  With wisdom granted by the Holy Spirit, we can know God and His Word.

God had strong words for prophets who stole His words to use as a springboard for their opinions in Jeremiah 23:30-32:  "Therefore behold, I am against the prophets," says the LORD, "who steal My words every one from his neighbour. ³¹ Behold, I am against the prophets," says the LORD, "who use their tongues and say, 'He says.' ³² Behold, I am against those who prophesy false dreams," says the LORD, "and tell them, and cause My people to err by their lies and by their recklessness. Yet I did not send them or command them; therefore they shall not profit this people at all," says the LORD."  There were self-proclaimed prophets in Jeremiah's day, and there are many today as well who exhibit lies and recklessness in the handling of God's Word.  Their chaff can be eaten but men will not prosper thereby:  it is God's Word which leads a person to Christ and establishes us in the true faith.  Man's word and God's Word are more different than chalk and cheese.