Jeremiah 23:9–40

The prophets in Jeremiah's time included some of the very best, though there were also some of the worst. These worse ones moved among God's people, yet they "prophesied by Baal and went after things that do not profit" (Jer. 2:8). "The prophets prophesy falsely" (Jer. 5:31), and yet they used the Lord's name, though He "did not send them" (Jer. 14:15). Therefore "by sword and famine those prophets shall be consumed." Jeremiah's heart was broken within him because of these prophets (Jer. 23:9). Adultery, lying, profanity, false dreaming, recklessness, and lewdness marked them. They had sunk so low that they were "like Sodom" (Jer. 23:14).

In his service Jeremiah kept meeting false prophets. They contradicted his message and denied that the Lord had sent him. This was his constant difficulty, and he felt it most of all, because of the state of heart it showed in them. So he says, "My heart is broken within me," and this is because of the prophets. He also says, "All my bones shake." And let the reader carefully note that it was because he was thinking of the coming judgment… He mourned over their condition, and he saw no escape for them, because of the LORD and the words of His holiness. In other words, under a ministry of law, he had only one message for these sinners: unrelieved judgment.

Jeremiah next reproached the prophets (23:9, 16). Instead of passing the Word of the Lord on to their hearers, "they speak visions of their own minds." They should have stood in the council of God and made His people hear His Word (v. 22). Instead, they go out with their own thoughts. How dangerous is the unfaithfulness that twists, or even falsifies, God's message by mixing in one's own opinions. "I did not send the prophets, yet they ran; I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied" (v. 21).

It is painful but useful to trace how religious corruption grows. It does not come from outside, but from within. Outward temptation, it seems, could never have brought the people of Judah to rebel so boldly. Corrupt prophets and a corrupt priesthood did that. They held on to certain ordinances of God, but not in the power of God. They held them in the form that human wisdom had put in their place, and that is what blinded them.

Judgment has already been pronounced. It is ready to fall on Christendom, which hates, despises, and often persecutes Christ's true witnesses. Do we mourn rather than rejoice? Are we distressed rather than condemning? … Tears over the ruin, and grace and pity toward those who have gone astray, reach the hearts of the Lord's sheep caught up in it. The most righteous criticism does not.

Turning now to the apostle Paul, we see that the holiness of God rests on his soul too. He thinks of people who, through unbelief, do not know what the blood of Christ has done. He remembers, as Jeremiah did, that they could never stand such a test. But instead of announcing judgment, as the prophet did under the order of his own day, he writes as a man in the day of grace: "knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others."

Jeremiah had a woe for the shepherds, along with the assurance of a true Shepherd who was coming, even Jehovah-Tsidkenu as He shall be called. Meanwhile he had to denounce the prophets and priests (vv. 9-40), when hypocrisy had gone out into all the land.

Verses 9-14. The prophet is overwhelmed because of the wicked prophets, because wickedness was found in the LORD's house. The false prophets of Samaria had led the people into idolatry, and the prophets of Judah were guilty of all kinds of immoralities. Like priests, like people; they all became to the Lord as Sodom, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem like Gomorrah.

The sad truth is that Israel was married to Jehovah, as the prophets remind the people (Isa. 54; Jer. 3). So their unfaithfulness is branded, not like the Babylon of the New Testament as prostitution, but as adultery (so in Hosea 3 and elsewhere). Yet His grace may one day deal with Israel, not as a guilty widow, but as a woman forsaken and a wife of youth.

The earth at large, as we well know, suffers everywhere because of the sin of man. It suffers both by the desolation that sin itself produces and by the judgments that come upon it from God. So the places of highest privilege may necessarily become the places of most marked desolation.

"And then" — mark the sure and solemn consequences — "the LORD's wrath is kindled against you, and He shuts up the heaven, so that there is no rain, and the land does not yield its fruit, and you perish quickly from the good land that the LORD gives you." What barrenness and desolation there must be when heaven is shut up! No refreshing showers coming down, no dewdrops falling, no communication between heaven and earth.

Jeremiah next reproached the prophets (23:9,16). Instead of passing on the Word of the Lord to their hearers, "They speak a vision of their own heart." They should stand in the council of God and cause His people to hear His Word (v.22), but they go out according to their own thoughts. How dangerous is that unfaithfulness, which twists or even falsifies the message of God's Word by bringing in one's own opinions. "I did not send these prophets, yet they ran; I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied" (v.21).

He says, "My heart within me is broken because of the prophets." He also says, "All my bones shake." Note that it was because he thought of the coming judgment. He goes on, "I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine has overcome, because of the LORD, and because of the words of His holiness." He mourned over their condition, and he saw no escape for them, because of Jehovah and the words of His holiness. Under a ministry of law, the message he had to proclaim to these sinners could only be one of unrelieved judgment.

Shiloh was the place where the tent of worship was first set up in the land. What was Shiloh now? God had profaned it. And God would do the very same thing where the ark now stood, in the sanctuary at Jerusalem. It is impossible for God to bind Himself to keep up an empty form. He would no longer support a beautiful picture of His truth while the people and the priests were, in His eyes, the most offensive evil under the sun. God had granted the Jewish people and their priests great truth, great blessing, or at the very least great privileges. The greater the gift, the greater the wickedness of their insults to His holiness in His own temple.

As to the priests, we see a picture which, sadly, is only too common all through the Bible. "Both prophet and priest are profane; yes, in My house I have found their wickedness, says the Lord. Therefore their way shall be to them as slippery ways in the darkness" (Jer. 23:11-12). "The priests did not say, Where is the Lord? and those who handle the law did not know Me" (Jer. 2:8). Pashhur, like Jeremiah, was of the priestly family. His sin brought judgment upon him, as is recorded in Jeremiah 20. He is a striking example.

Verses 9-14. The prophet is overwhelmed because of the wicked prophets, and because there was wickedness in the LORD's house. The false prophets of Samaria had led the people into idolatry. The prophets of Judah were guilty of all kinds of immorality. Like priests, like people. To the Lord they all became like Sodom, and the people of Jerusalem like Gomorrah.

So he says, "My heart within me is broken because of the prophets." He also says, "All my bones shake." Note that it was because he thought of the coming judgment. He goes on, "I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine has overcome, because of the Lord, and because of the words of His holiness. For the land is full of adulterers … both prophet and priest are profane," and so on. He mourned over their condition, and he saw no escape for them, because of Jehovah and the words of His holiness.

What can stain "the way of the truth" more deeply than the loose living, in whatever form, of these approved teachers? Jeremiah's writings show us most fully the prophets prophesying lies and the priests turning a blind eye to the evil so that they could rule.

"Judgment must begin at the house of God" (1 Peter 4:17). We see it in the symbolic history of the churches in Revelation 2 and 3. God will judge corrupt Christendom no less than He judged corrupt Judaism… When the truth is twisted and real godliness is gone, what can come but judgment from God? That is even more true if the false thing carries His holy Name.

As to the priests, we are shown a picture which, sadly, is only too common all through the Bible. "Both prophet and priest are profane; yes, in My house I have found their wickedness, says the Lord. Therefore their way shall be to them like slippery paths in the darkness" (Jer. 23:11-12). "The priests did not say, Where is the Lord? and those who handle the law did not know Me" (Jer. 2:8). Pashur, like Jeremiah, was of the priestly family. His sin brought judgment upon him, as recorded in Jeremiah 20. He is a striking example.

The prophet is overwhelmed because of the wicked prophets, because wickedness was found in the Lord's house. The false prophets of Samaria had led the people into idolatry, and the prophets of Judah were guilty of all kinds of immoralities. Like priests, like people; they all became to the Lord as Sodom, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem like Gomorrah.

So it is always. In righteous government our sin soon becomes our chastening and the world's sorrow. What our blindness built on as rock turns out to be quicksand — the plaything of waves and winds in the swift-coming day of visitation. The path of unbelief is a rapid descent when the heart hardens itself against a direct warning of the Lord. And the greater the profession of godliness before, the deeper the fall.

The wicked have their "path." This figure of speech is a familiar one: life is like a way. Living our lives is therefore like walking a path. The path of the wicked is the order of life the wicked live. It is to be avoided at all cost. It leads into the darkness of night, where stumbling is certain sooner or later.

The path through the desert must be rough, and it is well that it is so. Any right-minded person would rather be set in a rough way than in a "slippery" one. The Lord sees that we need to be put through roughness and hardness. It is not only so that we may find the rest at the end sweeter. It is also so that we may be better trained and fitted for the place we are yet to occupy.

He mourned over their condition, and he saw no escape for them, because of Jehovah and the words of His holiness. In other words, under a ministry of law, the message he had to preach to these sinners could only be one of judgment without relief. (See vv. 12-40.) Turning now to the apostle Paul, we shall see that he also had the holiness of God working on his soul... But instead of announcing judgment, as the prophet did in keeping with the age he served in, he writes as one in the day of grace.

There was absurdity in the prophets of Samaria, who served idols. There was filthiness in the prophets of Jerusalem, when hypocrisy had gone out into all the land. So the LORD of hosts commanded His people not to listen to those prophets. They made the people empty, speaking a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD... The LORD, who fills heaven and earth, was not unheeding but marked those who prophesied lies in His name.

Verses 9-14. The prophet is overwhelmed by the wicked prophets, because there was wickedness in the LORD's house. The false prophets of Samaria had led the people into idolatry. The prophets of Judah were guilty of every kind of immorality. Like priests, like people; they all became to the Lord as Sodom, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem like Gomorrah.

The prophets in Jeremiah's time included some of the very best, though there were also some of the worst. These last ones, though moving among God's people, "prophesied by Baal, and walked after things that do not profit" (Jer. 2:8); "The prophets prophesied falsely" (Jer. 5:31), and yet used the Lord's name, though He "sent them not" (Jer. 14:15). So "by sword and famine shall those prophets be consumed." These prophets broke Jeremiah's heart.

Jeremiah next reproached the prophets (23:9,16). They do not give their hearers the Word of the Lord. "They speak a vision of their own heart." They do not stand in the council of God and make His people hear His Word (v.22). They go out according to their own thoughts. That unfaithfulness is dangerous. It warps, or even falsifies, the message of God's Word by bringing in one's own opinions.

It is painful but profitable to trace the progress of religious corruption; it arises not from outside, but from within. It seems no outside temptation could have made the people of Judah rebel so boldly. Their own corrupt prophets and priests did that.

Responsibility is increased by position and privilege... Instead of guiding the people rightly, they caused many to stumble. Whenever leaders go astray, the results are more serious, because they have more influence, for good and for evil... A private Christian who falls into error or immorality has influence only on his own circle. But if a well-known teacher in the Church leaves the way of truth, he often draws thousands after him into his own evil path.

There was absurdity in the idolatrous prophets of Samaria. There was filthiness in the prophets of Jerusalem, when hypocrisy had spread through all the land. So the Lord of hosts commanded His people not to listen to these prophets. They made the people empty. They spoke a vision of their own heart, not a word from the mouth of the Lord… They had no authority at all. If they had made His people hear His words, they would have turned them from their evil way.

Verses 9-14. The prophet is overwhelmed because of the wicked prophets, because wickedness was found in the Lord's house. The false prophets of Samaria had led the people into idolatry, and the prophets of Judah were guilty of all kinds of immoralities. Like priests, like people; they all became to the Lord as Sodom, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem like Gomorrah.

Adultery, lying, profanity, false dreaming, lightness, and lewdness marked these men. They had become so debased that they were "as Sodom" (Jer. 23:14). "Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, declares the LORD" (Jer. 23:30).

"Both prophet and priest are profane; yes, in My house I have found their wickedness, says the Lord. Therefore their way shall be to them like slippery ways in the darkness" (Jer. 23:11-12).

When the people of God go wrong, there is always the spirit of false prophecy which would make them believe that all goes well. Men in authority do not like to be discouraged: see the opposition to Jeremiah in Jerusalem. The false prophet helps this along. He keeps the conscience from turning back to God, who would use discipline to bring the conscience into direct contact with Him.

"An appalling and horrible thing has happened in the land: the prophets prophesy falsely, and the priests rule at their direction; My people love to have it so" (Jer. 5:30-31).

However grievous the sins of Sodom were, and the sins of the ten tribes, they were nothing next to the excesses of the city of Jerusalem. Grieving over the sins of Jerusalem, the Lord said, "Your sister Sodom and her daughters have not done as you and your daughters have done… Samaria has not committed half your sins. You have committed more abominations than they" (Ezek. 16:48, 51).

Yet there was a remnant true to God in the middle of the evil. The Lord called to His servants, whom He had appointed to carry out His judgments on the guilty city: "Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it" (Ezek. 9:4). Lot and his daughters were spared from the doom of Sodom: God had His remnant in Jerusalem, marked by Him to escape His consuming judgment.

Preach with a good conscience. Keep a clear conscience. A man who does not live carefully cannot rebuke others boldly. He must speak softly, for fear of waking his own guilty conscience. An unholy life in the preacher will either stop his mouth from rebuking, or stop the people's ears from listening.

There was absurdity in the idolatrous prophets of Samaria. There was filthiness in the prophets of Jerusalem, when hypocrisy had gone out into all the land. So the LORD of hosts commanded His people not to listen to these prophets. They made the people empty, speaking a vision of their own heart, and not from the mouth of the Lord.

This occurs in Scripture only in a figurative sense. Scripture compares turning to idolatry to a root that bears gall and wormwood, Deuteronomy 29:18. Because of the wickedness of His people, God said He would feed them with wormwood, and give them water of gall to drink, Jeremiah 9:15; Jeremiah 23:15. Jeremiah, mourning over the condition of Israel, compared it to being drunk with wormwood, Lamentations 3:15, 19. At the sounding of the third trumpet in Revelation, a star named Wormwood fell from heaven. A third of the waters turned to wormwood, and many men died from them. The moral sources of life will become destructive.

Verses 15-32. They will be fed with wormwood and will have to drink gall. Because of their false message of peace (verses 17, 18), the whirlwind of divine judgment will fall on them and on the head of the wicked. They prophesied lies in the name of Jehovah; they were prophets of the deceit of their own heart. They tried to make the people forget the Name of Jehovah.

Their sins were glaring, and committed where sin is most hateful and offensive. So God would have had to deny Himself if He had not brought His people down to the dust and scattered them to the ends of the earth. It was "because of the sins of her prophets, the iniquities of her priests, who have shed the blood of the just in her midst." The greater the privilege in having such servants of Jehovah, the more distressing that they should pollute His name and people.

Some very bitter or poisonous plant, not certainly identified. The word stands for "bitterness." God gave His judgements to them as water of gall to drink, Jeremiah 8:14; Jeremiah 9:15; Jeremiah 23:15. Gall was mixed with the sour wine, or vinegar, that the Roman soldiers drank, and given to men about to be crucified. The purpose, it is now thought, was to make them less sensitive to the torture. It was offered to the Lord, but refused, Psalm 69:21; Matthew 27:34.

In Jeremiah's writings we find the fullest picture: prophets prophesying lies, and priests going along with the evil so as to rule. "And my people love to have it so; and what will you do in the end?" says the true prophet in his anguish. But throughout Jewish history we see the same principle, from the beginning to the crisis in our Lord's day. God's vengeance is still more terrible on the false teachers. For their greed and well-turned words, they have all along drawn the mass of people away from the truth.

Such are described as speaking "a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord." Jer. 23:16. There were three that opposed Jeremiah to his face — Hananiah, Ahab, and Zedekiah... In the New Testament the Lord, early in His ministry, warned His hearers to beware of false prophets, Matt. 7:15; and in the church, the spirits are to be tested, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. 1 John 4:1. They were and are Satan's counterfeits of the prophets of God, and their purpose is, on the principle of imitation, to neutralise the word of God.

Instead of passing on the Word of the Lord to their hearers, "They speak a vision of their own heart." They do not stand in the council of God and make His people hear His Word (v.22). They go out with their own thoughts instead. How dangerous is that unfaithfulness! It twists or even falsifies the message of God's Word by mixing in one's own opinions. "I did not send these prophets, yet they ran; I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied" (v.21).

So the LORD of hosts commanded His people not to listen to these prophets, who were making them empty. They spoke a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord. Peace, and no evil, they cried — while a whirlwind of the LORD had gone out in fury, to fall heavily on the head of the wicked. They had no authority at all. If they had made His people hear His words, they would have turned them from their evil way.

The LORD, who fills heaven and earth, was not ignoring this. He took note of those who prophesied lies in His name. If they had His word, let them speak it faithfully.

It was more popular to prophesy smooth things and deceits. Nothing is so dear to the human heart as having God's approval on its own desires. And so came the popularity of the prophets who would say, "Thus says the Lord," when the Lord had not spoken. We should not think that these prophets were always inventing lies. What they did was corrupt the word of God and make it suit man's taste (2 Cor. 2:17). They had to copy the wording of the real prophets, and yet in the end they only produced their own empty speculations.

If ministry is real, it brings God directly to the conscience through the Word. What is false stands between God and the conscience.

So the Lord of hosts commanded His people not to listen to these prophets. They were making the people empty, speaking a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord. Peace, and no evil, they cried, when a whirlwind from the Lord had gone out in fury, to fall heavily on the head of the wicked. They had no authority at all. If they had caused His people to hear His words, they would have turned them from their evil way.

False prophets appeared in large numbers at various times in Israel's history: Ahab had "about four hundred" of them. Such are described as speaking "a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord." Jer. 23:16. Three of them opposed Jeremiah to his face — Hananiah, Ahab, and Zedekiah. They were, and still are, Satan's counterfeits of the prophets of God, and their aim is, by imitation, to cancel out the word of God.

It is always a mark of false prophecies that in a day of evil they promised prosperity. When the people of God have departed from Him, false prophets prophesy smooth things. They have their glowing dreams of progress and of the spread of the Lord's work and blessing. The coming of great things and pleasant things is their unchanging message. A true prophet, by contrast, in the day of evil warns of the coming of the Lord to judge the ungodly.

When the people of God go wrong, there is always the spirit of false prophecy that would make them believe all is well. Men in authority do not want to be discouraged. The false prophet helps with this. He keeps the conscience from turning back to God, who would use chastening to bring the conscience into direct contact with Him. The spirit of falsehood would persuade them that they are very happy. Those who call them blessed are the misleaders. Those who are so called, and believe them, are swallowed up.

He asks, "Who has stood in the counsel of the Lord?" Failure has always been a matter of standing in the truth.

There is no shortage of those who prophesy smooth things. In Jeremiah's day some said "Peace, peace" while the Lord's sword hung over the land. We have similar false prophets among us today. If we believe them, the upheavals going on in every area are the birth pangs of a new and better day. All who speak like this are deceivers of men's souls. More to the point are Isaiah's words: "The wicked are like the tossing sea; for it cannot be quiet, and its waters toss up mire and dirt. There is no peace, says my God, for the wicked."

Never cover a cracked wall with whitewash, saying, Peace! peace! when there is no peace. Never hurry a soul into confession. Never treat sin lightly. Preach truth as well as grace. Emphasise repentance.

Jeremiah next rebuked the prophets (23:9,16). Instead of bringing their hearers the Word of the Lord, "they speak visions of their own minds." Instead of standing in the council of God and making His people hear His Word (v.22), they go out with their own thoughts. How dangerous is the unfaithfulness that twists God's Word, or even makes it false, by mixing in one's own opinions. "I did not send the prophets, yet they ran; I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied" (v.21).

So the LORD of hosts commanded His people not to listen to the prophets who filled them with empty hopes, speaking a vision of their own heart and not from the mouth of the Lord. "Peace, and no harm," they cried — while a storm from the LORD had already gone out in fury, to fall hard on the head of the wicked. They had no authority at all. If they had made His people hear His words, they would have turned them from their evil way. The LORD, who fills heaven and earth, was not ignoring it. He took note of those who prophesied lies in His name.

From verse 9 we have a solemn charge against the prophets who did not stand in the truth. Fleshly living, unreal activity, frivolity and lying marked them, though they spoke in the name of the Lord. He asks, "Who has stood in the counsel of the Lord?"… Standing in the truth is where failure has always come. Ephesians 6 says, "having done all, to stand firm" — and that in the face of unseen powers of darkness.

His secret is with those who fear the Lord. God does not make His mind and the secret of His ways known to all His children, and He does not bring them all into the closeness of friendship — the world far less. Every child of God has the same standing in grace, and enjoys the same life, relationship and favour. But not all enjoy the same closeness with Him. To know the mind of God, one thing is needed. It is not outward standing, or correct position, or deep learning in Scripture, but a spirit and a life soaked in the fear of God.

The false prophets, the godless priests, and all the other dreamers put forward their words to deceive; but the Lord stands by His own words. How? Why should people pay attention to His word? On what ground? On its own power. "What has straw in common with wheat?" (verse 28). Food value decides.

It is one thing to say a certain amount of true things. It is quite another to be the living channel between the very heart of God and the souls of God's people. This second thing, and this alone, is true ministry… Nothing is sadder or more shameful than listening to a man who is plainly drawing on his own poor and thin resources, or dealing in second-hand truth and borrowed thoughts. Far better for such a man to be silent — better for his hearers, better for himself.

They cried, "Peace, and no evil!" But look: a whirlwind of Jehovah has gone out in fury, to fall heavily on the head of the wicked. They had no authority from Him. If they had made His people hear His words, they would have turned them from their evil way.

The whirlwind is often referred to in the Old Testament as one of the means used by God in His judgements on the earth.

From verse 9 we have a serious charge against the prophets who did not stand in the truth. They were marked by fleshly living, empty activity, carelessness and lying, though they spoke in the name of the Lord. He asks, "Who has stood in the counsel of the Lord?"

Jehovah, who filled heaven and earth, was not ignoring them. He took note of those who prophesied lies in His name. If they had His word, let them speak it faithfully.

Because of their false message of peace, the whirlwind of divine judgment will fall upon them and upon the head of the wicked. They prophesied lies in the name of Jehovah; they were prophets of the deceit of their own heart. They tried to make the people forget the Name of Jehovah. This is still the work of apostate teachers today. They speak out of the deceit of their hearts, they prophesy lies, and they aim at the Name which is above every Name.

It is always a mark of false prophecies that in a day of evil they promised prosperity. When the people of God have departed from Him, false prophets prophesy smooth things. They have their glowing dreams of progress, and of the spread of the Lord's work and blessing... A true prophet, on the contrary, in the day of evil warns of the coming of the Lord to judge the ungodly.

Many places in the Old Testament speak of the same thing (see Jeremiah 23:16-21). The expression "the latter days" takes us right on to the end. No doubt such things existed in the prophet's days, but the passage looks forward to a yet future day.

The history of God's earthly people shows His ways of discipline, with nations and with people alike. God always has our profit in view. We see this again in the prophecy of Jeremiah: "The anger of the LORD will not turn back until He has executed and accomplished the intents of His heart. In the latter days you will understand it clearly."

Jehovah of hosts commanded His people not to listen to these prophets, who made them empty. They spoke a vision from their own heart, not from the mouth of the Lord. Peace, and no evil, they cried — while a whirlwind from Jehovah has gone out in fury, to fall hard on the head of the wicked. They had no authority at all. Had they made His people hear His words, they would have turned them from their evil way.

They gave a false message of peace (verses 17, 18). So the whirlwind of divine judgment will fall on them and on the head of the wicked. They prophesied lies in the name of Jehovah; they were prophets of the deceit of their own heart. They tried to make the people forget the Name of Jehovah. This is still the work of apostate teachers today. They speak out of the deceit of their hearts. They prophesy lies. They take aim at the Name which is above every name.

It may be surprising to read of the heart when the Lord carries out His anger. But have we not often heard that there is a heart behind the hand? The verse above teaches this. It also tells us more. In the latter days Israel will look back and understand God's ways with them, above all His love for them.

It is at the completion of the predicted judgments on the wicked, both in Israel and among the nations, which prophecy treats so fully. … "At the same time, says the Lord, I will be the God of all the families of Israel, and they shall be my people." Can anything be more explicit and decisive than this?

"The last," or "latter days," is an expression with a very distinct prophetic connection. It occurs just 14 times (Genesis 49:1; Numbers 24:14; Deuteronomy 4:30; Isaiah 2:2; Jeremiah 23:20; Jeremiah 30:24; Daniel 2:28; Hosea 3:5; Micah 4:1, and others). In all of them the reference is to the closing scenes of Jacob's time of trouble and the setting up of the Millennial kingdom. A study of the context of these passages will show it.

Many places in the Old Testament speak of the same thing (see Jeremiah 23:16-21). The expression "the latter days" takes us right on to the end. No doubt such things existed in the prophet's days, but the passage looks forward to a day still future.

This verse reminds us of the 12th chapter of Hebrews. There we Christians stand under the Father's disciplining hand. How often the apostle's words have been an encouragement: "For the Lord disciplines the one he loves" (Hebrews 12:6). They seem to line up with the "heart" in the verse quoted above. "For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it" (Hebrews 12:11). In the latter days Israel will consider their years of suffering perfectly. In the same way, may our trials train us, so that we find they have truly been for our good.

The Lord had to say of those who professed to serve Him, "I did not send the prophets, yet they ran." Plenty of activity — yet the Lord had not sent them there. His will should have been enough for them. They claimed to be His servants. Yet they did their own will, dreamed their own dreams, chose their own messages, and in truth "forsook God who made" them. God made them for what? Surely to be the instrument of His will, the vessel of His pleasure, the witness to His Name.

They do not pass on the Word of the Lord to their hearers. "They speak a vision of their own heart." They should stand in the council of God and cause His people to hear His Word (v. 22). Instead, they go out according to their own thoughts. How dangerous is that unfaithfulness! It warps or even falsifies the message of God's Word by bringing in one's own opinions.

They cried peace and no evil, while a whirlwind from the Lord had gone out in fury, to fall heavily on the head of the wicked. They had no authority at all. If they had caused His people to hear His words, they would have turned them from their evil way. The Lord fills heaven and earth. He was not ignoring them. He marked those who prophesied lies in His name. If they had His word, let them speak it faithfully.

From verse 9 we have a solemn charge against the prophets who did not stand in the truth. Carnality, unreal activity, lightness and lying marked them, though they spoke in the name of the Lord. He asks, "Who has stood in the counsel of the Lord?" Failure has always come at this one point: standing in the truth.

God alone could make, and fit, and send a prophet. Sadly, the Lord had to say of some, "I did not send them, yet they ran." They were unholy intruders into the field of prophecy, just as others intruded into the priesthood. All such brought down on themselves the judgment of God.

We must be able, through grace, to prove in our ministry that we are sent. I do not believe in anyone being self-sent. I do not believe in self-appointed servants. That kind of thing is just as bad as people-made ministers, if not worse. One of the most miserable beings in this world is a man-made minister. But it is far worse for a man to hold no commission except from himself. That is the worst of all — it is consecrated self-will.

We need to have our eye on God alone. If He sends us, all is well; then we may gladly go without a fear or a question. But woe to the one who runs unsent. The Lord had to say of other prophets, "I did not send the prophets, yet they ran." Let us beware of such work done in the name of the Lord! We all need to take the warning home to ourselves.

It is for the believer to know the truth which sanctifies him, and to stand in it. From verse 9 we have a solemn indictment against the prophets who did not stand in the truth. They were worldly, their activity was unreal, they took holy things lightly, and they lied — yet they spoke in the name of the Lord. He asks who among them has stood in the council of the Lord. If they had stood there, and had made His people hear His words, they would have turned them from their evil way. Failure has always come at just this point: standing in the truth.

They had no authority at all. If they had made His people hear His words, they would have turned them from their evil way. The Lord, who fills heaven and earth, was not indifferent; He took note of those who prophesied lies in His name. If they had His word, let them speak it faithfully.

Instead of standing in the council of God and causing His people to hear His Word (v. 22), they go forth according to their own thoughts. Unfaithfulness like this is dangerous. It twists the message of God's Word, or even falsifies it, by bringing in one's own opinions.

When the word of God really enters our souls, it produces a moral effect, and it does so by its own force, because it is the word of God. It commands, and more than that, it causes repentance. It passes the sentence of death on man in his natural state. It makes the sinner bow to that sentence... So repentance comes, and the sinner turns to God.

The king of Nineveh led the way in the humbling he called for, and he added that everyone was to turn from his evil way and from the violence in his hands. Then we read that God saw their works, and that they turned from their evil way. How very sad it is to see God's people Israel, who were just as evil as the Ninevites but with less excuse, since they had more light, reject God's offers of mercy and refuse to turn from their evil ways.

Nowadays we hear people talk about having a call to the ministry, tied to this or that group, and the call is supposed to be from the Lord. But it is more often from a congregation of unconverted men, and the man called is anything but a child of God. Yet since they take this place, the Lord holds them responsible for the position.

Never cover a cracked wall with whitewash, saying, Peace, peace, when there is no peace. Never hurry a soul into confession. Never treat sin lightly. Preach truth as well as grace. Emphasize repentance.

Instead of passing on the Word of the Lord to their hearers, "They speak visions of their own minds." They should have stood in the council of God and made His people hear His Word (v.22). Instead they go out according to their own thoughts. How dangerous is that unfaithfulness! It twists or even falsifies the message of God's Word by bringing in one's own opinions.

Jehovah filled heaven and earth. He was not indifferent: He took note of those who prophesied lies in His name. If they had His word, let them speak it faithfully.

God, who bounds everything else, is Himself without bounds. He sets bounds to the sea: "Thus far shall you come, and no farther." He sets bounds to the angels; they, like the cherubim, move and stand at His appointment (Ezek. 10:16). But He is infinite, without bounds. He who can span the heavens and weigh the earth in scales must be infinite (Isa. 40:22). "Do I not fill heaven and earth?" (Jer. 23:24). The humble heart is His throne, as regards His gracious presence (Isa. 57:15); and heaven is His throne, as regards His glorious presence (Isa. 66:1); and yet neither of these thrones will hold Him, for the highest heaven cannot contain Him.

As to omnipresence, God has no more to do with space than with time. He has created all things in a way we can grasp. In this creation nothing escapes Him. He is, morally speaking, omnipresent. He is not of it, or in it, but pervades it. He is "through all"! He upholds everything, as He creates everything.

Jeremiah might well say, "Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the LORD." The thief and the perjurer might flatter themselves that their wrongdoing was unknown. They had managed to cover it from every human eye. They might even be mixing with their neighbours without a known stain on their character. They might have gone further and said, "The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive."

From the moment God redeemed Israel out of Egypt to be His people, He had made known His desire to dwell among them. Yet under the conditions that then existed He had to veil Himself in fire and cloud and awesome majesty. Man had to keep his distance. This was so with Moses, and with Aaron and his sons. It was so with Solomon too. He finished the Temple, and yet the priests could not enter, for the glory of the Lord filled the House. It was nearness in one sense, but distance in another.

We open the New Testament, and all is changed. At once we meet JESUS, who is EMMANUEL, which means, "God with us." Here we have something entirely new. He who once dwelt in the devouring fire on Sinai was now among men in perfect manhood and in lowly grace. The One who is light, and who dwells in unapproachable light, had now appeared. He softened the piercing rays of His glory so that human eyes could take them in.

All these things give sad proof of how little we live, move and have our being in the presence of God. If we could only keep in mind that God hears us and sees us! He hears our every word. He sees our every thought and every way. How differently we would carry ourselves! What holy watchfulness we would keep over our thoughts, our tempers and our tongues!

Jeremiah next reproached the prophets (23:9,16). Instead of passing on the Word of the Lord to their hearers, "they speak visions of their own minds." They should have stood in the council of God and made His people hear His Word (v.22). Instead they go out according to their own thoughts. How dangerous is that unfaithfulness! It twists or even falsifies the message of God's Word by bringing in one's own opinions. "I did not send the prophets, yet they ran; I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied" (v.21).

The thief and the man who swears falsely might flatter themselves that their sin was unknown. They think they have covered it from every human eye. They might even mix with their neighbours without a known stain on their character. They might have gone further and said, "The LORD does not see; the God of Jacob does not perceive." But "He who planted the ear, does he not hear? He who formed the eye, does he not see?" (Psalm 94:7, 9.) Sooner or later this verse warns all such people that their false security will be shaken.

The very thing God is dealing with us ALL about is the thought, "no eye will see me." A man can care about his character before people while not caring what God thinks. A man who would not cheat other people is cheating God all the time. We cannot, in reality; He knows it all.

God, who sets bounds to everything else, is Himself without bounds. He sets bounds to the sea: "Thus far shall you come, and no farther." He sets bounds to the angels; they, like the cherubim, move and stand at His appointment (Ezek. 10:16). But He is infinite, without bounds. He who can span the heavens, and weigh the earth in scales, must be infinite (Isa. 40:22). "Do I not fill heaven and earth?" (Jer. 23:24). The humble heart is His throne, as regards His gracious presence (Isa. 57:15). Heaven is His throne, as regards His glorious presence (Isa. 66:1). Yet neither of these thrones will hold Him, for the heaven of heavens cannot contain Him.

In omnipresence there is the presence of God in every place. If it be heaven, He is there; it is His home. And earth: "Do not I fill heaven and earth? says the Lord" (Jer. 23:24). "Hell is naked before Him" (Job 26:6; Psalm 139:8). God is everywhere: He fills all places at all times. He fills space, earth, sea, and land. He fills our homes; with Him there can be no in and out, nor above and beneath.

After all, dear friends, is it not a blessed thing to know that nothing can escape either the hand or eye of God? What a comfort that He discerns every thought of our hearts that would hinder blessing, or dim communion with Himself! Some secret evil may be working in my heart while I stay unaware of it. It may be one of the ten thousand things that, if indulged, would hinder the enjoyment of God. Well, God sends some circumstance that shows me the evil, so that it can be put away.

Failure at all times has been about standing in the truth. Ephesians 6 says, "having done all, TO STAND FIRM," and that is in the face of unseen powers of darkness. Let us remember the word of the prophet, and we shall be strong to stand in the truth: "Can a man hide himself in secret places so that I cannot see him? declares the LORD. Do I not fill heaven and earth? declares the LORD" (v. 24). We are to be strong in Him, not in ourselves; not in self-confidence, but in the Lord.

They had no authority at all. If they had made His people hear His words, they would have turned them from their evil way. The Lord, who fills heaven and earth, was not inattentive, but noted those who prophesied lies in His name. If they had His word, let them speak it faithfully.

It was more popular to prophesy smooth things and lies. Nothing is so dear to the human heart as having God's approval on its own desires. That is why the prophets who would say, "Thus says the Lord," when the Lord had not spoken, were so popular. These prophets were not always inventing lies. They corrupted the word of God and made it suit man's taste.

They prophesied lies in the name of the Lord; they were prophets of the deceit of their own heart. They tried to make the people forget the Name of the Lord. This is still the work of teachers who have abandoned the truth. They speak out of the deceit of their hearts, they prophesy lies, and they aim at the Name which is above every Name. How different the word of the Lord is from the idle dreams of these false prophets! Three times the Lord declares that He is against these prophets.

This testimony of the Lord against the prophets increased as the falling away set in. The nearer the ruin came — and this is how His grace works — the more testimony He raised about it. But as God multiplied His witnesses, the prophets of the people multiplied too.

The false prophets, the godless priests, and all the other dreamers put forward their words to deceive. But the Lord stands by His own words. Why should anyone pay attention to His word? On one ground: its own power. "What is the chaff to the wheat?" Food value decides.

Preach the truth. Take care not to give your own dreams and fancies in God's name. All is chaff except the pure word of God. Oh, do not stamp God's image on your own coin!

Such dreamers are grouped with false prophets. Possibly it was a hypnotic state that evil spirits could use, with the aim of turning the people from the Lord to idolatry. Even if what they prophesied came true, the people must not listen to them: God allowed it as a test, to prove whether Israel loved the Lord. Deuteronomy 13:1-5. We have the same caution in the New Testament about the gospel and the confession of Jesus Christ come in flesh. Galatians 1:8-9; 1 John 4:1.

But the weight of that influence was quickly turned against God. It was more popular to prophesy smooth things and lies. Nothing is so dear to the human heart as having God's approval for its own desires. That is why the prophets who would say, "Thus says the Lord," when the Lord had not spoken, were so popular. We should not suppose these prophets were always inventing lies. They corrupted the word of God and made it suit man's taste (2 Cor. 2:17). They had to copy the real prophets in many of their phrases. Yet in the end they produced only their own empty ideas.

They prophesied lies in the name of the Lord; they were prophets of the deceit of their own heart. They tried to make the people forget the Name of the Lord. That is still the work today of teachers who have abandoned the faith. They speak out of the deceit of their hearts, they prophesy lies, and they aim at the Name which is above every name. How different the word of the Lord is from the idle dreams of these false prophets.

Such dreamers are classed with false prophets. It may have been a hypnotic state that evil spirits could use, with the aim of turning the people from the Lord to idolatry. Even if what they prophesied came true, no one was to listen to them on that account. God allowed the test to prove whether Israel loved the Lord (Deut. 13:1-5). The New Testament gives us the same caution about the gospel and about confessing that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh (Gal. 1:8-9; 1 John 4:1). In Jer. 27:9 the dreamers are grouped with diviners.

Instead of passing on the Word of the Lord to their hearers, "They speak a vision of their own heart." They should have stood in the council of God and made His people hear His Word (v.22). Instead they go out with their own thoughts. How dangerous is that unfaithfulness! It twists, or even falsifies, the message of God's Word by bringing in a person's own opinions.

The false prophets, the ungodly priests, and all the other dreamers put forward their words to deceive. But the Lord stands by His own words. How? Why should they pay attention to it? On what ground? On the power it has in itself. "What is the chaff to the wheat?" (verse 28). Food value decides.

I have never read a tradition that was not obviously chaff. I have never read a thought that came from man that was not worthless in the things of God. Give me something of God, and the moment my faith lays hold of the mind of God I have the wheat. In other words, the truth of God is not a matter of historical research. It is something that suits a plain man much better, and right away. What would become of the poor and the simple if they had to make long investigations to find out what the word of God was?

Jehovah of hosts therefore commanded His people not to listen to the prophets who made them empty. These men spoke a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord. Peace, and no evil, they cried; when a whirlwind of Jehovah has gone out in fury, to fall heavily on the head of the wicked. They had no authority at all. If they had caused His people to hear His words, they would have turned them from their evil way. Jehovah, who fills heaven and earth, marked those who prophesied lies in His name. If they had His word, let them speak it faithfully.

The false prophets, the profane priests, and all the other dreamers brought forward their words to deceive. But the Lord stands by His own utterances. And how? Why should they take heed to it? On what ground? On its own intrinsic power. "What is the chaff to the wheat?" (verse 28). Nutritive value decides.

There is one excellent way of meeting a man when he is hungry. Give him a piece of bread, and he knows it is bread. He may never have seen that kind of bread before, and may never have tasted it, but he is convinced it is bread. Give him a piece of board, and he knows this is not bread. By human learning a man may be very ignorant. Yet God guards even the simplest of His people with a practical test. "What is chaff to the wheat?" The truth of God always commends itself to the consciences of those who hear it.

Preach the truth. Take care not to give your own dreams and fancies in God's name. All is chaff except the pure word of God. Oh, do not stamp God's image on your own coin! We live in high-flown times. Many people are not content with truths that lie plainly in the Scriptures. To please their restless tastes, some have refined their notions so high that they have flown out of sight of the Scripture. Without realising it, they have run themselves and others into dangerous errors. Do not make experiments on the souls of people by delivering what is doubtful. Better to feed people with sound doctrine, even if it is a plain meal. The exotic dish may hit on a wild gourd that brings death into their pot.

When teaching stops being definite, it stops being powerful; for it stops being truth that is taught. All truth is definite, or it stops being truth. Teaching that swerves from this may not stop being exciting or attractive, but it stops building people up. The man who deals out truth that is uncertain and undefined first takes the chaff for the wheat himself. Then he works the same deception on others. Every teacher who is in earnest has a plain duty: to present truth in the plainest, most unadorned dress, and to unfold it in words that ordinary minds can follow.

They talk to us about a human element in inspiration. They speak of the divine truth and of the human instrument that carried it, as though truth and error were mixed together. Then, to use the illustration of a popular preacher, you would have to take your winnowing fan and fan the chaff out of the wheat. No, God's precious word is pure grain; there is no chaff there. It is the fan that separates the precious from the vile in our lives, ways and hearts, but man cannot judge it.

Sometimes those who should speak and give out what they have of real profit are silent. To such the word is: "let him who has my word speak my word faithfully" (Jer. 23:28).

They prophesied lies in the name of Jehovah; they were prophets of the deceit of their own heart. They tried to make the people forget the Name of Jehovah. Teachers who have abandoned the truth still do this work today. They speak out of the deceit of their hearts. They prophesy lies. They attack the Name that is above every name. How different is the word of the Lord from the idle dreams of these false prophets. "Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?" (verse 29). Three times the Lord declares He is against these prophets (verses 30-32).

The false prophets, the godless priests, and all the other dreamers brought forward their words to deceive. But the Lord stands by His own words. And how? Why should they take heed to it? On what ground? On its own intrinsic power. "What is the chaff to the wheat?" (verse 28). Nutritive value decides.

There is one very good way of meeting a man when he is hungry. Give him a piece of bread, and he knows perfectly well it is bread. He may never have seen that kind of bread before, and may never have tasted it, but he is convinced it is bread. Give him a piece of board, and he knows this is not bread. So, by the standards of human learning, a man may know almost nothing. Yet God guards even the simplest of His people with a practical test. "What is chaff to the wheat?" The truth of God always commends itself to the consciences of those who hear it.

The heart of man is hard towards God by nature... Jeremiah 23:29 likens God's Word to a hammer. The jailer at Philippi needed the hammer when Paul and Silas first dealt with him. King Josiah did not. His heart was already tender.

As I read, I said to myself: No one on earth knows me as I know myself. But the Author of this Book knows me far better than I know myself. I felt that God was speaking. I found myself under His all-seeing eye, and I fell at His feet. The hammer of His Word had broken the hard rock to pieces.

Jeremiah 23:28-29 compares the word to wheat. Strangely, it also compares it to fire and to a hammer breaking the rock in pieces. God can use His word to feed or to break hard hearts!

He was the target of constant mockery. They watched for him to stumble, so he would gladly have kept silent. But the word of Jehovah was like fire in his bones... We understand how at such times the word in us is too strong to be shut up in our heart.

It would be unfaithfulness and dishonesty, as well as a real breach of love, not to say what the Lord says. To modify or alter it would be dishonest. "Let him who has My word speak My word faithfully," He Himself says.

So the Lord of hosts commanded His people not to listen to the prophets who made them empty. Those prophets spoke a vision of their own heart, not words from the mouth of the Lord. Peace, and no evil, they cried, when a whirlwind of the Lord has gone out in fury, to fall heavily on the head of the wicked. They had no authority at all. If they had made His people hear His words, they would have turned them from their evil way. The Lord, who filled heaven and earth, was not indifferent; He marked those who prophesied lies in His name. If they had His word, let them speak it faithfully.

It was more popular to prophesy smooth and deceitful things. Nothing is so dear to the human heart as having God's approval for its own desires. That is why people loved the prophets who said, "Thus says the Lord," when the Lord had not spoken. These prophets were not always inventing lies. They corrupted the word of God and made it suit man's taste (2 Corinthians 2:17). They had to imitate the real prophets in many of their expressions. Yet in the end they only produced their own empty speculations.

They prophesied lies in the name of the Lord; they were prophets of the deceit of their own heart. They tried to make the people forget the name of the Lord. The same is true today of teachers who have abandoned the faith. They speak out of the deceit of their hearts, they prophesy lies, and they take aim at the Name that is above every name. How different is the word of the Lord from the idle dreams of these false prophets. Three times the Lord declares He is against these prophets (verses 30-32).

And this book, like every work of God, shows itself for what it is. It is its own witness. "Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?" All other words stand in contrast — all words or writings that are not His. Of them the Lord says, "What is the chaff to the wheat?" (Jeremiah 23).

They should have stood in the council of God and made His people hear His word (v. 22). Instead, they go out according to their own thoughts. How dangerous is that unfaithfulness! It twists, or even falsifies, the message of God's word by bringing in one's own opinions. "I did not send the prophets, yet they ran; I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied" (v. 21).

To talk about Him from what others say is to misrepresent Him, and to damage the soul of the speaker. To trade with what others write is dishonesty. To take the place of an "ambassador" without being long in His company is to be false to the One you claim to represent.

It was more popular to prophesy smooth things and lies. Nothing is so dear to the human heart as having God's approval for its own desires. That is why people loved the prophets who would say, "Thus says the Lord," when the Lord had not spoken. We should not think these prophets were always inventing lies. Instead, they corrupted the word of God and made it suit man's taste (2 Cor. 2:17). They had to copy many of the real prophets' expressions. Yet in the end they only produced their own empty speculations.

God had to say of men who claimed to serve Him, "I did not send the prophets, yet they ran" (Jer. 23:21). Plenty of activity — yet the Lord had not sent them there. His will should have satisfied them. So they claimed to be His servants, but they did their own will. They dreamed their own dreams and chose their own messages. In truth they "forsook God who made" them.

The Lord of hosts commanded His people not to listen to the prophets who made them empty — men speaking a vision of their own heart, not from the mouth of the Lord. No one authorised these men. If they had made His people hear His words, they would have turned them from their evil way. The Lord, who fills heaven and earth, was not unaware but took note of those who prophesied lies in His name. If they had His word, let them speak it faithfully.

The false prophets, the profane priests, and all the other dreamers brought forward their words to deceive. But the Lord stands by His own words. How? Why should they pay attention to it? On what ground? On its own inherent power. "What is the chaff to the wheat?" (verse 28). Nutritional value decides.

I have never read a tradition that was not obviously chaff. I have never read a thought that came from man that was not worthless in the things of God. Give me something of God, and the moment my faith takes hold of the mind of God I have the wheat. In other words, the truth of God is not merely a question of historical investigation. What would become of the poor and the simple if they had to run long investigations to find out what the word of God was?

Every man who prophesies out of his own heart is a false prophet, a blind leader of the blind. He speaks his own mind, and his preaching and teaching does not follow the word of God. What the Lord said through Ezekiel is true of all of them: "They have seen false visions and lying divinations. They say, 'Declares the LORD,' when the LORD has not sent them." They are self-called and self-sent.

Suppose someone comes with a fresh revelation, some new truth that is not in the Bible. We must judge him and his message by the standard of Scripture and reject them completely. False prophets come with great pretensions, high-sounding words and a pious manner. But they cannot stand the searching power of the word of God.

They had no authority at all. If they had made His people hear His words, they would have turned them from their evil way. The Lord, who fills heaven and earth, was not ignoring it; He took note of those who prophesied lies in His name. If they had His word, let them speak it faithfully. … The Lord would forsake them. He would cast prophet, priest, and people out of His presence. He would bring on them a lasting reproach and a shame that would never be forgotten.

"I did not send the prophets, yet they ran" had to be said of those who claimed to serve Him. Plenty of activity, yet they were not sent there by the Lord, whose will should have satisfied them. So they claimed to be His servants. Yet they did their own will, dreamed their own dreams, chose their own messages, and in truth forsook the God who made them.

It was more popular to prophesy smooth things and deceptions. Nothing is so dear to the human heart as having God's approval on its own desires. That is why prophets who would say, "Thus says the Lord," when the Lord had not spoken, were so popular. We should not suppose that these prophets were always inventing lies. They corrupted the word of God and made it fit man's taste. They had to copy the real prophets in many of their expressions, and yet in the end produced only their own empty speculations.

If people gave these things proper attention, we would not have so many running unsent. So many rush into areas of ministry they were never designed for. Let everyone who stands up to preach, teach, encourage, or serve in any way ask a serious question. Is he truly fitted, taught and sent by God? If not, God will not own his work, and it will not be a blessing to people. The sooner he stops, the better — for himself, and for those on whom he has been laying the heavy burden of listening to him.

Preach the truth. Take care about giving your own dreams and fancies in God's name. Everything is chaff except the pure word of God. Do not stamp God's image on your own coin! … Do not make experiments on people's souls by delivering what is doubtful. It is better to feed people with sound doctrine, even if it is a plain meal. That is better than serving some exotic dish and hitting on a wild gourd that brings death into their pot.

There was no protection from these teachers in turning to another approved and recognised class of teachers. The teachers who mark the falling away would themselves be approved and recognised in the eyes of men. The only way to meet the difficulty and escape the trap would be personal faithfulness. In Israel, only the person who followed the Lord fully had the moral ability to tell the difference. He alone could tell the wheat from the chaff — the prophet of the Lord from the prophet of his own heart.

Besides the common use of this word, it occurs at the start of several prophecies, such as "The burden of Babylon," "the burden of Moab" (Isaiah 13:1; 15:1, and so on). Scholars do not agree on the force of the Hebrew word massa here. Its natural meaning would be "a judgment that lies heavy on the people," but some take it to mean "an oracle or sentence pronounced against them." The word also occurs in Jeremiah 23:33-38, where it is "the burden of the LORD." The false prophets were not to use this expression, as if they had a message from God. If they did, it would bring judgment on them.

The word burden carries the thought of a weight that is hard to bear, for God is bringing His displeasure to bear on mankind, and He intends people to feel it.

Verses 33-40. If they ask the question, "What is the burden of the LORD?" the answer is to be, "I will cast you off." The burden, or word of the Lord, is not to be mentioned again to them. They will be utterly forgotten and forsaken, with everlasting reproach and perpetual shame on them.

From verse 33 to the end of the chapter we see that the people, the prophet and the priest are all alike walking in vanity and not in the truth. They use the Name of the Lord in vain. So the Lord says, "I will utterly forget you, and I will forsake you." He would cast them out of His sight and make them a lasting shame (vv. 39-40).

The weight of that influence was quickly turned against God. It was more popular to prophesy smooth things and deceits, and nothing is so dear to the human heart as to have God's approval for its own desires. That is why the prophets were popular who would say, "Thus says the LORD," when the LORD had not spoken. We should not suppose that these prophets were always inventing lies, but they corrupted the word of God and made it suit man's taste (2 Corinthians 2:17). They had to imitate many of the expressions of the real prophets, and yet in the end they only produced their own empty speculations.

The fitting burden now was that the LORD would forsake them. No one was to mention the burden of the LORD any more, for every man's word would be his own burden. He would cast out prophet, priest and people from His presence, and bring on them a lasting reproach and a perpetual shame that would not be forgotten.

To someone with a "burden of the LORD" resting on his soul, no time would be unsuitable. Like Jeremiah, he would find that the Word was in his heart like a burning fire, and he would grow weary with holding back, and would not be able to stop (Jeremiah 23:38; 20:9).

Apart from its ordinary use, this word stands at the start of several prophecies, such as "The burden of Babylon" and "the burden of Moab" (Isaiah 13:1; Isaiah 15:1, and others). Scholars do not agree on the force of massa in these places. Its natural meaning would be "a judgement that lies heavy on the people." But some take it to mean "an oracle or sentence pronounced against them." The word also occurs in Jeremiah 23:33-38, where it is "the burden of the Lord." The false prophets were not to use this expression, as if they had a message from God. If they did, it would bring judgement on them.

So we find God's special witnesses speaking against the prophets in the middle of the apostasy just as much as against the priests. The two go together. But the prophets seem to have taken a bigger part in pushing the apostasy forward, and so the real prophets of the Lord speak to them more often. This testimony of the Lord against the prophets grew as the apostasy set in. The nearer the ruin came (such is the way of His grace), the more testimony He raised about it. But as God multiplied His witnesses, the prophets of the people multiplied too.

It was very sad that God should have to speak to His people like this. "The prophet, and the priest, and the people" were all marked by departure from Him. So the Lord has to say to them, "For you have perverted the words of the living God, of the Lord of hosts our God" (Jeremiah 23:34-36).

But the weight of the prophets' influence soon turned against God. It was more popular to prophesy smooth things and lies. Nothing is so dear to the human heart as having God's approval on its own desires. So the popular prophets were the ones who would say, "Thus says the Lord," when the Lord had not spoken. We should not suppose that these prophets were always inventing lies. But they corrupted the word of God and made it fit man's taste (2 Corinthians 2:17). They had to copy many of the real prophets' expressions. Yet in the end they only produced their own empty speculations.

The burden now due to them was this: Jehovah would forsake them. They were not to mention the burden of Jehovah any more, for every man's word should be his burden. He would cast out prophet, priest and people from His presence. He would bring on them an everlasting reproach and a lasting shame that no one would forget.

They prophesied lies in the name of Jehovah; they were prophets of the deceit of their own heart. They tried to make the people forget the Name of Jehovah. This is still the work of teachers today who have turned away from the truth. They speak out of the deceit of their hearts. They prophesy lies, and they take aim at the Name which is above every Name.

So in Jeremiah 23 we have their general and solemn judgment, but not without the vision of sovereign mercy when the Son of David shall arise. How refreshing to read such words in the middle of the moral horrors we have had before us!

The real burden now was that the LORD would forsake them. They were not to speak of "the burden of the LORD" any more, because every man's own word would be his burden. He would cast prophet, priest, and people out of His presence. He would bring on them everlasting disgrace, and a lasting shame that would never be forgotten.

If they ask, "What is the burden of the LORD?" the answer is to be, "I will cast you off." The burden, or word of the Lord, will not be mentioned to them again.

From verse 33 to the end of the chapter, the people, the prophet and the priest are all walking in vanity and not in the truth. They use the Name of the Lord in vain. So the Lord says, "I will utterly forget you, and I will forsake you."

It was very sad that God had to speak to His people this way. "The prophet, and the priest, and the people" were all marked by departure from Him. So the Lord has to say to them, "You have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God" (Jer. 23:34-36). Israel had been the special objects of God's care, and He had done His wonderful works among them. Even so, they turned from the living and true God to serve the idols of the nations.

Give a hungry man a piece of bread, and he knows well that it is bread. He may never have seen that sort of bread before, and may never have tasted it, but he is sure it is bread. Give him a piece of board, and he knows this is not bread. By human learning a man may know very little. Yet God guards even the simplest of His people with a practical test. "What is chaff to the wheat?" The truth of God always commends itself to the consciences of those who hear it.

Take that enormous claim of the Bible, "Thus says the LORD," repeated over and over again. Now, did the Lord say it, or did He not? If He did say it, then to treat anything He said as merely human writing is sheer blasphemy. If He did not say it, then to talk of anyone drawing comfort or inspiration from such deceitful words is to recommend a very silly, sentimental — not to say immoral — religion.

"If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God." According to this, no one should ever speak unless he is fully sure that he is giving out God's mind and message, suited to that time and those souls. If people felt this as they should, would it not stop a great many from speaking? And there is no reason to fear that silence in such a case would be a real loss to the church of God.

Apart from its ordinary use, this word appears at the start of several prophecies, such as "the burden of Babylon" and "the burden of Moab." Scholars do not agree on the force of massa in such places. Its natural meaning would be "a judgement that lies heavy on the people." Some take it to mean "an oracle or sentence pronounced against them." The word also occurs in Jeremiah 23:33-38, where it is "the burden of the Lord." The false prophets were not to use this expression, as if they had a message from God. If they did, it would bring judgement on them. The same word is translated "prophecy" in Proverbs 30:1 and 31:1.

It was more popular to prophesy smooth things and deceits. Nothing is so dear to the human heart as having God's approval for its own sinful desires. So prophets who would say, "Thus says the Lord," when the Lord had not spoken, became popular. We should not suppose that these prophets were always inventing lies. But they corrupted the word of God and made it suit man's taste (2 Cor. 2:17). They had to copy many of the real prophets' expressions, yet in the end they only produced their own empty ideas.

Instead of passing the Word of the Lord to their hearers, "They speak a vision of their own heart." They do not stand in the council of God and cause His people to hear His Word (v. 22). They go out according to their own thoughts instead. How dangerous is that unfaithfulness! It brings in one's own opinions, and so warps or even falsifies the message of God's Word. "I did not send these prophets, yet they ran; I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied" (v. 21).

How very sad it was that God should have to speak to His people in this way. "The prophet, and the priest, and the people" were all marked by turning away from Him. So the Lord has to say to them, "You pervert the words of the living God, the LORD of hosts, our God" (Jer. 23:34-36). They had been the special objects of God's care, and He had done His wonderful works among them. Yet Israel had turned from the living and true God to serve the idols of the nations. Is it any wonder that God, in His righteous rule, allowed the nations to take them captive?

The due burden now was that the LORD would forsake them. They were not to mention the burden of the LORD any more, for every man's word should be his burden. He would cast out prophet, priest, and people from His presence. He would bring on them an everlasting reproach, and a lasting shame that would not be forgotten.

To one who had a "burden of the LORD" resting on his soul, no time would be the wrong time. Like Jeremiah, he would find that the Word was in his heart as a burning fire. He would be weary with holding it in, and he would not be able to stay (Jer. 23:38; 20:9).

Besides the common use of this word, it occurs at the start of several prophecies. Examples are "The burden of Babylon" and "the burden of Moab" (Isaiah 13:1; Isaiah 15:1). Scholars do not agree about the force of massa in such places. Its natural meaning would be "a judgment that lies heavy on the people." But some take its meaning to be "an oracle or sentence pronounced against them." The word also occurs in Jeremiah 23:33-38, where it is "the burden of the Lord." The false prophets were not to use this expression, as if they had a message from God. If they did, it should bring judgment upon them.

The burden they now deserved was this: Jehovah would forsake them. They were to speak of "the burden of Jehovah" no more, for every man's word should be his own burden. He would cast out prophet, priest and people from His presence. He would bring on them an everlasting reproach, and a lasting shame that would not be forgotten.

How very sad it was that God should have to speak like this to His people. "The prophet, and the priest, and the people" were all marked by departure from Him. So the Lord has to say to them, "For you have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God" (Jeremiah 23:34-36). Israel had been the special object of God's care, and He had done His wonderful works among them. Despite that, Israel had turned from the living and true God to serve the idols of the nations.

The later part of this chapter again presses the value of the word of Jehovah very strongly, and in an interesting way. The false prophets, the profane priests, and all the other dreamers brought forward their words to deceive, but the Lord stands by His own utterances. And how? Why should they take heed to it? On what ground? On its own intrinsic power. "What is the chaff to the wheat?" Nutritive value decides.

God had to say of men who professed to serve Him, "I have not sent these prophets ... yet they ran" (Jeremiah 23:21). Much activity, yet the Lord had not sent them there, and His will should have satisfied them. So while they claimed to be His servants, they did their own will. They dreamed their own dreams and chose their own messages.

If they ask the question, "What is the burden of the LORD?" the answer is to be, "I will cast you off." The burden, or word of the Lord, is not to be mentioned again to them. They will be utterly forgotten and forsaken, with everlasting reproach and perpetual shame upon them.

That Jehovah would forsake them was the due burden now, and the burden of Jehovah was not to be mentioned any more; for every man's word should be his burden.

How very sad it was that God should have to speak this way to His people. "The prophet, and the priest, and the people" were all marked by departure from Him. So the Lord has to say to them, "For you have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God." Israel had been the special object of God's care, and He had done His wonderful works among them. Yet they had turned from the living and true God to serve the idols of the nations.

If He sends us, all is well; then we may gladly go without a fear or a question; but woe to the one who runs unsent. The Lord had to say of other prophets: "I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran; I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied" (Jer. 23:21). Let us beware of such work done in the name of the Lord! We all need to take the warning home to ourselves.

Much activity, yet not sent there by the Lord, whose will should have contented them. So while professing to be His servants, they did their own will, dreamed their own dreams, chose their own messages, and in truth "forsook God who made" them.

Man had taken God's ordinance into his own keeping — he had an institution of his own for supplying what God alone could supply effectively. So we find the prophets testified against by God's special witnesses in the middle of the apostasy just as much as the priests were... The Lord's testimony against the prophets grew as the apostasy set in. The nearer the ruin came, the more testimony He raised about it — such is the way of His grace.

All times were to be alike to Timothy; he must never break off his work; he must always watch for a chance to fulfil his calling. To anyone with a "burden of the LORD" resting on his soul, no time would be unsuitable. Like Jeremiah, he would find the Word in his heart as a burning fire. He would be weary with holding it in, and could not stop (Jer. 23:38; 20:9).

Besides the common use of this word, it occurs at the beginning of several prophecies, as "the burden of Babylon," "the burden of Moab" (Isaiah 13:1; 15:1, etc.). Scholars do not agree on the force of massa in such places. Its natural meaning would be "a judgment that lies heavy on the people," but some take it to mean "an oracle or sentence pronounced against them." The word also occurs in Jeremiah 23:33-38, where it is "the burden of the LORD." The false prophets were not to use this expression, as if they had a message from God. If they did, it would bring judgment on them.

The fitting burden now was that the LORD would forsake them. They were not to mention the burden of the LORD any more, for every man's word would be his burden. He would cast out prophet, priest, and people from His presence. He would bring on them an everlasting reproach, and a perpetual shame which would not be forgotten.

From verse 33 to the end of the chapter we see that the people, the prophet and the priest are all alike walking in vanity and not in the truth. They use the Name of the Lord in vain; therefore the Lord says, "I will utterly forget you, and I will forsake you." They should be cast out of His sight, and be a perpetual shame (vv. 39-40).

"I have not sent these prophets," had to be said of those who professed to serve Him, "yet they ran." Much activity, yet not sent there by the Lord, whose will should have contented them. So while professing to be His servants, they did their own will, dreamed their own dreams, chose their own messages, and in truth "forsook God who made" them.

They prophesied lies in the name of the LORD; they were prophets of the deceit of their own heart. They tried to make the people forget the Name of the LORD. Such is still today the work of apostate teachers, who speak out of the deceit of their hearts, who prophesy lies and who aim at the Name which is above every name.

They had no authority at all. If they had caused His people to hear His words, they would have turned them from their evil way. The LORD, who fills heaven and earth, was watching, and He marked those who prophesied lies in His name. If they had His word, let them speak it faithfully.

Jeremiah 24, the last of our section, shows by the sign of the two baskets of figs that a remnant shall be preserved, though the rest as bad figs are utterly rejected... Even in the land of the Chaldeans the eyes of the Lord are on them for good. They should be restored again, too, and established in the land of Israel; but better than the best of the land, they should know the Lord; and better than returning to the place, they should return to Him.