· 23:30-32: “I am against the prophets,” says the LORD. What strong words. And why? Because they not only get their message from dreams; they also “steal My words every one from his neighbor.” What they preach, which they claim to be from the LORD, are words they have heard in the neighborhood. They are the common ideas one might hear in any group of men who are sitting around talking politics. How can we ever know the difference? One way is by the word of God, already given to us in Scripture. In Jeremiah’s day, the difference was between Jeremiah, a man approved by God, who spoke God’s word, and regular men who could only spout the common knowledge of the day. If a person claims to speak for God, he better be telling the truth, because God is against those who claim to speak for Him while only speaking for themselves.
o Paul dealt with this kind of thing in 2 Thess. 2:1-2. Someone sent a letter to the church claiming to speak for God. But their message was contrary to Paul who had been in the presence of Christ. Paul was given the message of the “mystery of God,” to share it with the Church (Eph. 3:1-13). What that revelation did was to make perfect sense out of the OT which Paul had studied. When this false teacher told the Thessalonians that the “day of the LORD” was already past, Paul knew from the OT that this was not true. Paul knew God’s plan for the “latter days” (cf. Jer. 23:20) and he understood. If your teaching of the NT is based on the belief that God did not mean what He said in the OT, literally, then you need to know that God is against you! The gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable (Rom. 11:29).
· 23:33-40: Thus, the conclusion of Jer. 23 is: quit claiming to speak for God if you have not been in the counsel of the LORD! It is amazing how things have not changed today from the way it was in Jeremiah’s day. The popular way to preach was to announce, “I am about to declare to you the oracle of the LORD.” The word “oracle” in this passage is literally the “burden” of the LORD. The message was a heavy one. God is going to pour out His wrath on adulterous, idolatrous Judah. That message is a “burden.” It is even a burden to the LORD. He does not delight in disciplining His chosen people (Lam. 3:33), people He chose because of His love for them and for Abraham (Deut. 7:6-8). Further, we need to remember that what God was doing in the day of Jeremiah did not originate with Jeremiah. God had warned His people, clear back in the beginning of the nation in the time of Moses, that continued disobedience would result His anger and fury (Lev. 26; Deut. 28,32). He was repeatedly gracious and merciful with Israel, but He always was true to His character (Ex. 34:6-7) and His word.
What we must have in our own day and time is preaching that is according to the word, from men who have stood in God’s counsel, rather than preaching that accommodates the sensibility of unbelievers who happen to drop in on our Church gatherings. Not as pleasing men, but God who tests our hearts (1 Th. 2:4). Not using flattering words, nor a cloak of covetousness, nor did we seek glory from men (1 Th. 2:5-6).
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