Friday June 5, 2015

Read Jeremiah 23:9-40

Often in the past I’ve had to question a decision made by various Christian groups and upon asking them to explain their decision I have been confronted quite regularly with the standard response “God told me/us to do this.”  If, for example, you asked a Christian school or a Christian charity why they did something and received this reply, what would you say in response? How would you react?

Such an answer has no come back and stops any questioning of the decision made. Even worse, it puts the person asking the question into the sphere of unbeliever or God-doubter.

In Jeremiah’s day the prophets were doing a similar thing. They were prophesying lies and using the Word of God for their own ends and profit. Verse 10 shows the depths of the corruption.

         The prophets follow an evil course

         and use their power unjustly.

         11 “Both prophet and priest are godless;

         even in my temple I find their wickedness...

Verse 13-14 adds more detail to the picture for us

         13 Among the prophets of Samaria

         I saw this repulsive thing:

         They prophesied by Baal

         and led my people Israel astray.

         14 And among the prophets of Jerusalem

         I have seen something horrible:

         They commit adultery and live a lie.

         They strengthen the hands of evildoers,

         so that no one turns from his wickedness.

Through Jeremiah God confronts these lying prophets and describes them as being like Sodom and Gomorrah. These cities were so evil and vile that God destroyed them by raining down fire and sulphur upon them. He showed them no mercy (See Genesis 19).

These prophets in Jeremiah’s day had neither stood in the Lord’s presence nor had they heard His word.  As such, God spends most of chapter 23 describing the punishment that will come upon them. They had filled their heads and their hearts with delusions and lies and were speaking these to the people under the assumed authority of the Lord Himself. Punishment would be metered out by the Lord.

But as is expected with our God of mercy and grace He reaches out to the prophets one more time with His mercy and grace. Anyone who quips that the God of the Old Testament is not a God of Grace has probably never read the Old Testament and is clearly showing his/her ignorance.

Verse 22 oozes grace.

         22  But if they had stood in my council,

         they would have proclaimed my words to my people

         and would have turned them from their evil ways

         and from their evil deeds.

God still holds out His hand of grace to the world today and even to those who might be distorting the Word of God to their own ends or for their own justification. God’s grace is still being held out today but as the prophets of old found out, one day it will be too late.

Prayer:

Using today’s passage and the reading notes spend time in prayer.

Adoration:

Confession:

Thanks:

Supplication:

· Pray that God would be powerfully present among your congregation this weekend and that the Word would be faithfully and powerfully preached. Pray that God’s Word would challenge, rebuke, strengthen and encourage each individual as needed.

· Pray that your church would see great growth and conversions as the Word is proclaimed and lived out.

 Discussion Questions For Families and Groups

1. Why is God so upset with the prophets in Jerusalem? Why is it such a big deal?

2. What is the modern day equivalent?

3. If someone is prophesying or teaching lies in your church, what is the appropriate course of action?