Jeremiah;- Bad prophets (ch23)

The prophets of Israel were like the journalists of modern times. Only a minority were idealistic servants of truth. Inasmuch as the calling had become a profession, those who made a living out of it were tempted to avoid telling the people anything which the people did not want to hear. They would earn their bread-and-butter with encouraging messages, promising that God would always protect his people unconditionally, and denouncing any competing messages warning of judgement.

Jeremiah has spent a couple of chapters on a collection of messages about the faults of the kings. In ch23, he provides another collection about the faults of the false prophets.

Jeremiah seems to be speaking for himself in v9 when he says “My heart is broken within me… I am like a drunken man… because of the Lord and because of his holy words”. The word is being forced out of Jeremiah with such urgency that it is tearing him apart. The cause is that the land is full of spiritual adulterers. The resulting curse on the land is drying up the pastures (the drought has been mentioned in previous chapters). “Their might is not right”.

From v11, the Lord himself is speaking directly. “Both prophet and priest are ungodly; even in my house I have found their wickedness.” Therefore he will make their “way” like slippery paths in the darkness, and he will bring evil upon them.

He draws a comparison (vv13-14). The prophets of Samaria were bad enough, because they prophesied by Baal and led the people astray into other gods. But the prophets of Jerusalem are worse. They themselves, in person, are committing adultery and walking in lies. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, by telling them that they will not be punished, so that nobody bothers to repent. So the whole city has become like Sodom and Gomorrah.

V15 “I will feed them with wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink”.
Two cross-references need to be made here.
Firstly, being made to drink potentially poisoned water is the the test for adultery applied to a wife under suspicion (Numbers ch5). The metaphor is appropriate to the image of Israel as an “unfaithful wife”, especially since he has been accusing the prophets themselves of being adulterous.
Secondly, wormwood is notorious for poisoning the waters of the earth in Revelation ch8, an event which has exactly the same symbolic implications.

Vv16-17. He explains to the “public” why they should not be listening to these prophets. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord. They say “it shall be well with you” and “no evil shall come upon you” to people who despise the word of the Lord and follow their own hearts. It isn’t clear whether these are general assurances being given in public speeches, or whether they are “confessing” and reassuring people in private conversation.

The problem is that none of them (vv18-22) have “stood in the council of the Lord”. They have not perceived or listened to his word. In New Testament terms, they have not been anointed with the holy Spirit. The Lord did not speak to these prophets or send them, but they prophesied anyway. If they had really “stood in my council”, they would have proclaimed the kind of message which would turn people away from their evil ways instead of encouraging them.

At first glance, we might wonder how vv19-20 fit into this. The answer is that here is the message which these prophets should have been hearing, and which they fail to deliver;
“Wrath has gone forth, a whirling tempest; it will burst upon the head of the wicked”.
The anger of the Lord will not turn back until he has accomplished what he intends.
“In the latter days you will understand it clearly.”

I'm a bad prophet. I am going to exploit getting coffee at five dollars and sixty seven cemts a can at IGA with the coupon. We got six already to stock back up and we are getting three more tomorrow when we are by the store there, my prophecy is that with the lack of rainfall and some places having flooding in Brazil, coffee is going to go up to thirteen bucks a can in the stores...it is already at eleven bucks a can when not on sale.

Bad greedy profit I am.

OT: kings and rulers wanted to hear positive messages and rewarded prophets that gave them same.

NT: people in the last days will not accept sound doctrine, wanting their ears tickled.

human nature doesn't change.

The Jeremiahs and Ezekiels that proclaim unpopular truths will be recognized as dutiful watchmen when judged.