Jeremiah #35: The frightening ministry of false prophets Jer 23:9-15
Looking at matters in the light of Christ’s royal power and coming kingdom, always places them in their correct perspective. In these verses Jeremiah evidences the impact of the truth of King Jesus’ reign had upon his view of the plethora of false prophets that were around him and competing for the attention of the people.
I THE IMPACT A CONSIDERATION OF THE FALSE PROPHETS MADE.
His thoughts on this subject made a deep personal impression. This was not a matter to be carelessly dismissed!
- It broke his heart.
- It caused him great fear and alarm. He is left shaken indeed!
- He is rendered stupefied like a drunk man. He is rendered almost senseless by this consideration. A drunk man becomes insensitive, even immune, to all other things but the effect of the wine. Jeremiah was so under the impact/effect of his thoughts on this subject that he could consider nothing else.
II THE PARTICULAR CONSIDERATIONS THAT SO AFFECTED HIM.
There are three things that work together in the prophet’s mind to cause this violent reaction.
- The prophets. Clearly, from the context it is those men who styled themselves the messengers of God but were not. He develops at length a description of their ministry in the eyes of God.
- The Lord Himself. Here we get close to the very heart of the matter. What these men were, viewed in the light of God Himself, was deeply disturbing. God-consciousness and a knowledge of God will always cause a sense of alarm when considering men whose ministry evidences the fact that they are not the servants of God. Proponents of error become more disturbing the more we know God.
- The words of His holiness. The knowledge and experience of God’s word that Jeremiah had led him to be alarmed by the presence and work of these false teachers. Note how he focuses upon the concept of God’s holiness. Against the backdrop of the holiness of God, false prophets should make us shake with fear. This was the message that these liars were perverting and ignoring.
- A particular aspect of the message of God, v12, 15. God had pronounced wrath on these men. Jeremiah trembled at the fact!
III HE WAS GRIEVED BY THE EFFECT OF THEIR MINISTRY ON THE LAND.
Cp v10-11, 13-15.
- Source. It is clear that the advance of apostasy that he witnessed in the land is traceable back to the ministry of these men. Cp v13, 15. This source is traced back to another spirit that energized these men, v13. Such men enter the cause of God and spoil it. Cp 2Cor11:2-4.
- The religious institutions of the day had been profaned, v11. The house of God itself had been contaminated with the wickedness of these false prophets.
- The personal character of these men, v14. Here are striking words indeed! Cp 2Pet 2:1, 14
- Their ministry was such as to encourage sin’s development! Cp v14.