Jeremiah v Lying Prophets
Jeremiah is a man “…to whom the word of the Lord came” (1:2). Over a dozen times Jeremiah introduces his messages by writing, “The word of the Lord came to me, saying,…” (1:2). One of the main conflicts he faced was with the "lying prophets" of Judah who sought to counter his message of impending doom with messages that healed the hurt a little.
“Peace, Peace”
On several occasions Jeremiah characterizes the problems of Judah by quoting them. For example, in chapter six he quotes the false prophets who said, “‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace” (6:14). Jeremiah writes, “They have healed the wound of my people lightly” (6:14).
Later in the book, the lying prophets are characterized as saying things like, “It shall be well with you” and “No disaster shall come upon you” (23:17). This was to counter the effect of Jeremiah’s messages of calamity and judgment. The Lord of hosts said,
Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you, filing you with vain hope. They speak visions of their own minds, not from the mouth of the Lord (23:16).
“The Temple of the Lord”
In another place, Jeremiah writes, “Do not trust in these deceptive words: ‘This is the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord, the temple of the Lord’” (7:4). A few verses later, he explains,
Behold, you trust in deceptive words to no avail. Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, make offerings to Baal, and go after other gods that you have not know, and then come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, ‘We are delivered!’—only to go on doing all these abominations?
This reminds me of Paul’s observations concerning the hypocritical behavior of those in Romans 2:
Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. we know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who do such things. Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who do such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? (Keep reading 2:4-11).
The southern tribes of Israel assumed that they would escape the judgment of God against their abominations simply because of the Temple. It had become their lucky charm or talisman.
“I have dreamed”
Another problem relating to the prophets and priests is that they would characterize their messages as “The burden of the Lord” (23:34). Or they would say, “I have dreamed, I have dreamed!”
The Lord responded to these pseudo messengers of His, saying,
I did not send the prophets yet they ran; I did not speak to them, yet they prophesied (23:21).
On three occasions the useless words of lying prophets and priests are repeated:
Peace peace…
And,
The temple of the Lord; the temple of the Lord; the temple of the Lord (6:14)
And,
I have dreamed, I have dreamed! (23:25).
This sounds very much like the warning Jesus gave in the Sermon on the Mount. He was addressing pseudo religionists when He said,
Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many might works in your name?’ and then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’ (Matt. 7:21-23).
The “lying prophets” of Jeremiah’s day deceived a nation into believing they were receiving a comforting word from the Lord by saying things like, “I have dreamed, I have dreamed!” and by declaring their messages as “The burden of the Lord.” And because their lying visions were believed, calamity eventually struck the southern tribes of Israel. Their devastation is the theme of the five songs that make up the book of Lamentations.
The Lord told Jeremiah,
When one of this people, or a prophet or a priest asks you, ‘What is the burden of the Lord?’ you shall say to them, ‘You are the burden, and I will cast you off, declares the Lord.’ (23:33).
Why were the people so willing to believe a lie and to reject the truth?