Jeremiah 23:9 says, Mine heart within me is broken because of the prophets; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome, because of the LORD, and because of the words of his holiness. Jeremiah spoke of his great sorrow and confusion at the persecution he received from the false prophets. Verse ten adds, For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and their force is not right. Jeremiah said that because of the wickedness of those who were supposed to be God's people, especially the priests and religious leaders, that the land itself was no longer being blessed by God. We today should not expect to be able to turn away from God and have Him still bless our land. Verse eleven declares, For both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the LORD. God said that both the prophet and the priest were profane and that He had found their wickedness in His house, the temple. They not only profaned God in their everyday life but even when they were in the temple to represent Him. Verse twelve adds, Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith the LORD. God said that their evil was going to lead them to fall since their way would be like a slippery way in the darkness. When we do not follow God's guidance, we are on a slippery slope to destruction. Verse thirteen continues, And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err. God said the prophets of Judah and Jerusalem had become like the prophets of Samaria, who had been destroyed for proclaiming Baal instead of God. These prophets were attributing to God the same things that were said of Baal by the prophets of Samaria. We cannot allow anything other than God's word to be proclaimed as followers of Christ if we are going to be successful in our spiritual life. Verse fourteen proclaims, I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah. God said that these priests were no better than the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. We cannot just attach God's name to something that we believe and expect Him to bless it if it is not in accordance with His will. Verse fifteen adds, Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets; Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land. God said that the prophets of Jerusalem were going to be punished, because not only had they turned away from God, but they were leading the people of Israel to do so as well. Verse sixteen declares, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD. have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings. God told the people of Judah to not follow the teachings of the prophets, because they led people away from God. We must be careful today that we do not follow false teachers, and even more importantly that we do not proclaim false teachings in the name of God. Verse seventeen adds, They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you. God said that these priests were proclaiming false promises of peace an d prosperity and that no evil would come to the people. Verse eighteen asks, For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it? God basically asked which of these prophets and priests had actually sought His counsel in what they were saying. If we are going to proclaim God's word, we must first know what His word really says and seek the guidance of the Holy Spirit to understand it. Verse nineteen adds, Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD is gone forth in fury, even a grievous whirlwind: it shall fall grievously upon the head of the wicked. God said that His judgment was going to be like a whirlwind. These false prophets were proclaiming peace was going to continue, but God said that His judgment was going to like a destructive whirlwind. Verse twenty declares, The anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the thoughts of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly. God's judgment was certain, just as it is today on those who will not accept Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord. Verse twenty-one adds, I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. God said these false prophets were not sent by Him nor did they represent Him. Verse twenty-two continues, But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings. God said that had the prophets and priests been following His word that they would have turned from their evil ways. So must we today. Verse twenty-three asks, Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off? God asked if they thought that He was a God afar off, not involved in the everyday aspects of their lives. God is always at work in His world today. Verse twenty-four adds, Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD. God asked if the people thought that there was a place where they could hide from God. We may fool the world about what we believe, but we will never fool God. Verse twenty-five declares, I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed. God then said that He had heard the prophets prophesy in His name claiming t have a vision from God. We need to be wary of anyone who claims to have had a vision from God that is contrary to God's word.
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