Straw Man Words

God’s Word is full of wisdom and life, yet there are some who twist it for their own selfish gain or even claim certain non-Biblical texts are God’s truth. In the time of the prophet Jeremiah, false prophets were giving what they claimed was a word from the Lord. Through Jeremiah, God calls Israel to account for its many sins including those who attributed their own words to God.

Jeremiah 23:28 states: “The prophet who has a dream may relate his dream, but let him who has My word speak My word in truth. What does straw have in common with grain?” declares the LORD (NASB).” Comparing false truths to straw versus grain to God’s word is an apt analogy. Straw and chaff are used throughout the Bible as a reference to empty words and false truths — empty words easily blown about by the wind or quickly consumed by fire.

Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 3:12, “Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work.” Just look at that list of materials and think about what you are building your life on. Which ones will endure the fire of God’s judgement?

If you think of the grain as God’s word, it is a source of nourishment. Think of the smell of a loaf of fresh-baked bread coming out of the oven. It is the “sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him (2 Corinthians 2:14).” The fruit of God’s word, the grain, is life. “And the one on whom seed was sown on the good soil, this is the man who hears the word and understands it; who indeed bears fruit and brings forth, some a hundredfold, some sixty, and some thirty (Matthew 13:23).” God’s word is eternal life. It will nourish your soul. It is a solid foundation to build on. False truths, like straw and chaff, will not last.

Are they as straw before the wind, And like chaff which the storm carries away? – Job 21:18

His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” – Luke 3:17