Jeremiah 23 FSI - HEAR, O EARTH

> [!title|noicon] **Jeremiah 23 Notes** > [[Jeremiah 22 FSI|<Prev]]   \[[Jeremiah 24 FSI|Next>\]] > [[Jeremiah 23|Verse list view]] > [Jeremiah 23:1](Jeremiah%2023.md#^1) note > > This is an awful indictment. Certainly this was written in the context of the Jewish leaders -- the priests and scribes over Jerusalem during the time of Josiah, Jeconiah and so on. So how can this apply today? Don't we see in church after church there's a whole congregation sitting there, happy, singing all kinds of beautiful songs, bringing praise and glory to God? How can we say *they* are scattering the sheep of God's pasture? > > Again, in the spiritual application the shepherds and pastors are those who have been assigned the task of caring for the sheep of Christ's fold, namely, the congregations -- the people who are trusting those pastors, elders, deacons, theologians and Bible teachers, to direct them to Truth. So God is giving us His assessment here of how He looks at them. > > If you go to a substantial seminary today and speak with the professors there, they'll all say, "We've had some wonderful pastors come out of this seminary. We have some wonderful people who have become Bible teachers." You talk to the pastors and they'll say that they have some wonderful elders and deacons. But God is here giving *His* assessment, saying, "WOE be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!" And this is a general statement about the condition that exists within the local congregations. > > And as much as any pastor might believe that they are being faithful to the Word of God, their idea of salvation might be one in which we sincerely "accept" Christ of our free will. Or they may hold to an academic method of Bible interpretation rather than following the *Biblical* prescription to compare *spiritual things with spiritual*. And unless we follow the Bible prescription we'll never come to the Truth of the Bible, a false method of interpretation blinds us from Truth. Or they may believe God speaks through dreams, visions, tongues and other kinds of revelation today. But even with the Bible-based churches they have a human-devised gospel. And the pastor is the one that they all trust -- he has had all kinds of study, training and education under his belt, and he would never lie to them. So they're being told that they are a lovely congregation and all is well, they point out how people are giving their lovely confessions of faith, how they are growing and so on. But it's all a man-made effort. > > But they're being deluded according to what God is teaching us here. If they are destroying and scattering the sheep it means they are not bringing the true Gospel that brings eternal life in Christ. Rather, they are bringing some into greater damnation through their lies, through their false gospels, while the true sheep are being scattered away from them as we see in [verse 2](Jeremiah%2023.md#^2). ^jer23-1 > [Jeremiah 23:2](Jeremiah%2023.md#^2) note > > "Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people; Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away" -- In [verse 3](Jeremiah%2023.md#^3), God says, "I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither \****I***\* have driven them..." But in verse 2 God says that *they* (the pastors) have scattered and driven them away. > > Of course, from the perspective of the pastors, they are driving out the true believers because they are not faithful to the Word of God, so the true believers must leave. It is the fault of the pastors who are not bringing Truth. Yet God is also purposely driving them away from those who would seek to bring them into their false gospels that lead to eternal death. God protects His children by opening their spiritual eyes and ears to the Truth (see [Jn 10:1-14](John%2010.md)), driving them out from them so they also will be available to send forth the Truth outside of the congregations that are no longer faithful. And that is what God means in verse 3 that He will gather them into *their* folds. > > This is the beauty of the Bible in that it's not just for the learned, it's not just for the theologians and the pastors and teachers. Each person can read it for themselves as God guides them through His Word. This is why the Reformation occurred shortly after the printing press was invented and the Bible was translated into various languages -- all kinds of people could then read the Bible for themselves. They didn't have to rely on someone else who might wrongly represent what the Bible teaches. > > "...and have not visited them:" -- Many times when we see the word *visited* it's in the context of judgment as we'll see in a moment. Sometimes it's used in the context of salvation such as in [Psalm 106:4](Psalm%20106.md#^4), and that is the task of the pastor or priest who has a mandate to bring the Word of God. So this is the setting in which God is faulting them for not bringing the Biblical salvation plan, but their own kind of salvation plan that benefits themselves (cp [Eze 34:2](Ezekiel%2034.md#^2)). > > "...behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD." -- So God turns around and uses the word *visit* in the context of bringing judgment against the pastors for not visiting His people with the Gospel of salvation. And we'll see this again in [verse 12](Jeremiah%2023.md#^12) where God speaks of the year of their visitation, it's speaking of Christ coming in judgment against them. ^jer23-2 > [Jeremiah 23:3](Jeremiah%2023.md#^3) note > > Now God gives us a wonderful blessing. When the pastors have driven out the true believers because they have not brought the Word of God to them faithfully, and even God Himself has driven them out, He "will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase." And this is a great message of salvation for His people. They will be brought again into their own folds (ultimately in Heaven, brought back to their Shepherd, Christ), where there is Truth. To be fruitful and increase means they will possess the fruits of the Spirit and continue to witness to those out in the world. And this blessing continues into verse 4. > > "...and [I] will bring them *again* to their folds" -- Looking more closely into this phrase "and [I] bring them *again*," we could read this to refer to: a) when God brought the Jews back into the nation of Judah after the captivity, b) the church age as the Gospel goes forth into all the world after the destruction of the Jewish temple, and c) at the end of time after the destruction of the churches and congregations when the true believers are gathered together in preparation to be with Christ in Heaven, through the Scriptures alone. > > During the time of the Old and New Testament periods, while there were many who were part of the visible kingdom of God (Israel and Judah in the Old Testament, the churches and congregations in the New Testament), very few out of the whole actually became saved, as we read in [Romans 9:25](Romans%209.md#^25), [26](Romans%209.md#^26), [27](Romans%209.md#^27). God had promised that Israel would be as the sand of the sea, yet here He is saying only a remnant would actually be saved. And this applies also to the church age. Then in [Romans 9:28](Romans%209.md#^28) God speaks of the end of time when He will make a *short work*, and the word translated *work* here (in both instances) should actually be translated *word* -- it is speaking about the *Word of God*. And a *short* word is something that God accomplishes *very quickly*, it is a quick end. > > So in *our* day God is quickly sending forth His Word into the world and then the end will come. At some point there is a huge turning to God *outside* of the visible kingdom of God that we won't even know about -- it is God working through their hearts, through the Bible alone, that they become saved. See the Old Testament source for this passage, [Is 10:20](Isaiah%2010.md#^20), [21](Isaiah%2010.md#^21), [22](Isaiah%2010.md#^22), [23](Isaiah%2010.md#^23) which is speaking of the end of the world when the remnant that has escaped from Israel and Judah turn away from them and unto God Himself, as also seen through the rest of Isaiah 23. ^jer23-3 > [Jeremiah 23:4](Jeremiah%2023.md#^4) note > > "And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them:" -- God's salvation plan continues until the end even as He is finished with the local congregations that have fallen away from Truth. So the shepherds that God sets up over them to feed them will be the Word of God itself, Christ Himself Who is the Word. There is no longer any affiliation or identification with a denomination or congregation, they are only identified with the Bible alone as the Authority and Christ alone as their Shepherd and King. > > "...and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD." -- The true believers, which God is speaking about here, shall no longer fear nor be dismayed by the false teachings that they have been fed by the shepherds, they are no longer under any danger of the wrath of God once they have been driven out. Of course, this does not mean that someone who is not saved but leaves a congregation automatically becomes saved. But it does put them in a position where they are not locked in to the false teachings that they have been fed any longer. > > The word translated *lacking* is again the word translated *visited* and *visit* in [verse 2](Jeremiah%2023.md#^2). So this should be rendered, "neither shall they be *visited*" -- and in this context it means that they shall not be visited by the wrath of God. God will make sure that His people are saved, that they are spared from the judgment of God because Christ has paid for their sins. And that's exactly why they have been driven out from the pastors who refused to feed the flock and who are under the judgment of God. It is totally a spiritual situation that exists between Christ and the believers because God has saved them. No longer will they be falsely told they're saved because they have become baptized, or because they have made a beautiful confession of faith, or because they are a faithful member of some congregation. ^jer23-4 > [Jeremiah 23:5](Jeremiah%2023.md#^5) note > > In one sense this points to the beginning of the church age. God appointed the time when Christ would come to establish the New Covenant of salvation and we would actually understand that Christ has paid for the sins of His people. He visited this earth, went back to Heaven and poured out His Holy Spirit. God has raised unto David a righteous Branch, Who is Christ, the Son of David. > > But when we look at the language of this verse very carefully, it points particularly to *our* day. For example, [Isaiah 4:1](Isaiah%204.md#^1) speaks of the time when seven women, who represent the churches and congregations of our time, eat their *own* bread and wear their *own* apparel but are called by the Name of Christ in order to hide their reproach. They are simply going by the name "Christian" in order to have some kind of legitimacy. And then in [Isaiah 4:2](Isaiah%204.md#^2) we read that *in that day the Branch* (that is, Christ), *shall be beautiful and glorious*, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for the remnant that are *escaped from Israel.* And they are escaped from Israel in that they have escaped the wrath of God which has come upon the churches and congregations (the spiritual Israel) for going astray. They are the ones, as [Isaiah 4:3](Isaiah%204.md#^3) declares, who are left in (spiritual) Zion and remain in (spiritual) Jerusalem -- they remain in the eternal, heavenly city -- because they are saved. They shall be called holy because they are among the written in Jerusalem (in the Lamb's Book of Life) because God has provided salvation for them. > > Another example of this is seen by extension beginning in [Isaiah 28:1](Isaiah%2028.md#^1), [2](Isaiah%2028.md#^2), [3](Isaiah%2028.md#^3), [4](Isaiah%2028.md#^4), which again points to the falling away and destruction of the churches and congregations in our day as God brings judgment upon Ephraim, whose glory has faded. And then in [verse 5](Isaiah%2028.md#^5) of that chapter we read how *in that day*, the LORD of hosts shall be *for a crown of glory and for a diadem of beauty until the residue of His people.* And this is parallel to what we just read in [Isaiah 4:2](Isaiah%204.md#^2) concerning the Branch, that He shall be beautiful and glorious in that day. It is the same message, you see, how Christ will be the Righteous Branch, He shall be glory and beauty for the remnant of His people as God's judgment comes at the end of the world. > > So returning to Jeremiah 23:5, when God raises unto David a righteous Branch -- Christ the King who reigns and prospers and executes judgment and justice in the earth -- it is focused more directly on our day. > > This phrase "execute judgment and justice *in the earth*" is found also in [Jeremiah 33:15](Jeremiah%2033.md#^15) (where the same Hebrew word translated *earth* in Jeremiah 23:5 is translated *land*). And the earth or the land is speaking about *the world* (whereas in [Ps 99:4](Psalm%2099.md#^4), where it says *in Jacob*, it has to do with the local congregations). [Psalm 98:9](Psalm%2098.md#^9) speaks of God judging the earth, that is, the world with righteouness and the people with equity. In using the word equity, we see that the purpose of judging is to balance the scales of justice: when someone sins they are guilty and must bear the penalty of God's wrath. > > So in Jeremiah 23:5, where He speaks of executing judgment and justice *in the earth* He is speaking of the whole world. So God has in view here the judgment that comes upon the entire world. > > Now the role of a King is to do judgment and justice -- he makes the law and brings about justice. In [Jeremiah 22:3](Jeremiah%2022.md#^3) we see the very same words translated *judgment and righteousness* -- it is the expectation of the true Gospel that brings salvation to some and judgment to others. And that is what Christ is doing in the world as He brings salvation and judgment. ^jer23-5 > [Jeremiah 23:6](Jeremiah%2023.md#^6) note > > "In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely:" -- As we've seen in the previous verses, this is right at the end as Christ is coming in judgment upon the churches and upon the world. And here He says Judah shall be saved and Israel shall dwell safely. This has to do with the fact that there is no longer any visible kingdom of God in existence in God's sight anymore. There are only the true believers who live under the Authority of the Bible alone. As God's Word goes out into the world saving His people, there are the elect and non-elect only, and if you're saved you are dwelling securely with Christ. There is no more institutional representation of the kingdom of God on earth that can fail as there has been during the Old and New Testaments. They are gone insofar as God is concerned, He is finished with them. There are only the true believers living scattered throughout the world until Christ gathers them together to meet Him in the air. And so, it is no longer just a *remnant* of Judah and Israel that are saved as when they represented the visible kingdom of God on earth, now only the true elect are Judah and Israel. > > "...and this *is* his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS." -- The LORD God is our Righteousness, He has taken the judgment for ALL of Judah and Israel who are now made up only of the elect people of God whose sins He has covered. We find this also in [Jeremiah 33:16](Jeremiah%2033.md#^16) where we read that *Judah and Jerusalem* are called *The LORD our righteousness*. How can *she* be called this? It is because she is the bride and body of Christ -- when we become saved we are the recipients of that righteousness, we are totally identified with Christ, we are in Christ and He dwells in us -- there is this intimacy that exists between the true believers and the Lord Jesus Christ. So Judah and Jerusalem in Jeremiah 33:16 is speaking of only the true believers, of those who are elect only, not a visible representation of the kingdom of God on earth in which only a remnant are saved as has existed during the Old and New Testament periods. > > So this verse is speaking of those beautiful days very near the end when all of this will happen ([Jer 23:20b](Jeremiah%2023.md#^20)). It is a shaft of beautiful sunshine in the morass of all the ugly things God has been saying concerning the bad shepherds and so on in this chapter (and which starts again in [verse 9](Jeremiah%2023.md#^9)). Now He is pointing to that wonderful time when He continues saving, He is making a "short word" ([Ro 8:28](Romans%209.md#^28)) through His Word outside any kind of institution to mar His Name, through the pure Word of the Gospel. And they become His glorious people who are safe and secure in Christ, the beautiful and glorious Branch. ^jer23-6 > [Jeremiah 23:7](Jeremiah%2023.md#^7), [8](Jeremiah%2023.md#^8) note > > As determined in the previous verses, verses 7 and 8 of Jeremiah 23 also apply to our day. As we saw in [verse 3](Jeremiah%2023.md#^3) where God will gather the remnant of His flock *out of all countries where HE had driven them,* here in [verse 8](Jeremiah%2023.md#^8) He speaks of bringing up and leading the seed of the house of Israel *from all countries where HE had driven them*. And this *driving out* comports with God's command in the Bible for the true believers to come out of the churches and congregations at the end so that they have been scattered into all the countries. If we understand [verses 2](Jeremiah%2023.md#^2) and [3](Jeremiah%2023.md#^3) together, we see that as the false pastors have driven out the true believers when they ceased to bring Truth from the Bible, God also is driving them out to keep them safe from those pastors. God is using those false pastors as the vehicle or the means through which He Himself has driven them out. And yet, God gathers them together into the spiritual land or house of God -- into the eternal, invisible kingdom of God in the process. > > [Jeremiah 23:7](Jeremiah%2023.md#^7) is spoken about in [Exodus 20:2](Exodus%2020.md#^2), where God speaks of bringing the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, the house of bondage. And spiritually that represents our salvation when we are delivered from the kingdom of Satan and bondage to sin and brought into the kingdom of Christ. Before salvation we're under the wrath of God and the tyranny of Satan (typified by Egypt and Pharaoh of Egypt) heading for eternal death. But once we have become saved we are freed from that bondage unto eternal life with Christ. So during the Old and New Testament periods God is using this deliverance from Egypt as a figure of salvation. > > But then in [Jeremiah 23:8](Jeremiah%2023.md#^8) God speaks of bringing up and leading the seed of the house of Israel *out of the north country* rather than from Egypt. And the north country refers to *Babylon* because it follows the scattering of the believers from the churches into the world. Babylon also in a spiritual sense represents the world, the kingdom of Satan. And now it is out of captivity in Babylon that God brings us into His true, eternal kingdom. The *seed of Israel* here points to the elect of God, all who are in Christ ([Ps 22:23](Psalm%2022.md#^23); [Gal 3:29](Galatians%203.md#^29)). So we have now been driven out of the land of Canaan, out of Jerusalem, to escape the judgment of God there ([verses 2](Jeremiah%2023.md#^2), [3](Jeremiah%2023.md#^3); [Jer 21:8](Jeremiah%2021.md#^8), [9](Jeremiah%2021.md#^9), [10](Jeremiah%2021.md#^10); [Mk 13:14](Mark%2013.md#^14)), and *into* the north country (Babylon) as typified by the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem into Babylon. And now it is from the kingdom of Babylon that we are then brought into the eternal kingdom of God. ^jer23-7-8 > [Jeremiah 23:9](Jeremiah%2023.md#^9) note > > Here we find a break in the continuity of what God has been saying previously. > > "Mine heart within me is broken because of the prophets" -- Some teach that Christ's died of a broken heart when He paid for our sins, and they cite [Psalm 69:9](Psalm%2069.md#^9), [20](Psalm%2069.md#^20), [21](Psalm%2069.md#^21). This passage indicates the enormous suffering of Christ as He suffered the wrath of God for our sins as they were laid upon Him, and He became alienated from the human race altogether. Christ did not die of a broken heart, of course -- it is a figure of speech meaning to be utterly crushed, to be entirely devastated before God. In [Psalm 51:17](Psalm%2051.md#^17) we find that a broken heart indicates that we become nothing in our sight, we are utterly emptied of ourselves, we cannot depend upon ourselves a bit for our salvation. We cannot have any trust whatsoever in our personal righteousness or think that we deserve something from God or are somehow entitled to the mercy of God because He has created us. We are entitled only to the wrath of God because of our sins and we must come before Him utterly crushed and realize there's no way that God *should* save us. And then God says that Christ has come *to heal the brokenhearted* which indicates that we have become saved ([Lk 4:18](Luke%204.md#^18)). > > So Jeremiah here in verse 9 is speaking as a *picture* of those who are under the wrath of God. His heart is broken, he is utterly deserving of the wrath of God, his bones shake, he is like a drunken man overcome with wine "because of the LORD, and because of the words of his holiness." And the words of God's holiness tell us that we are under the wrath of God because of our sins. The consequence of sin is eternal damnation and God's infinite integrity demands this and judgment *will* come upon the unsaved. > > So as Jeremiah is called upon to bring God's message, just as we are called to bring the Gospel in our day, our hearts are broken and we are absolutely crushed (broken-hearted) -- because on the one hand we see the absolute holiness of God and the fact He is *going* to bring judgment, and on the other hand we see our friends and loved ones who go their own way -- they don't want the Bible, they don't want to know more and more from God's Word. So they are in denial while following their churches and their doctrines and don't want to be troubled that they may be trusting in something that isn't faithful to the Word of God. And this is all *because of the prophets* that have forsaken God, as we see here in [verse 9](Jeremiah%2023.md#^9) and again in verses [11](Jeremiah%2023.md#^11) and [15](Jeremiah%2023.md#^15) that both prophet and priest have become profane in the house of God, sending it forth into all the land. ^jer23-9 > [Jeremiah 23:10](Jeremiah%2023.md#^10), [11](Jeremiah%2023.md#^11), [12](Jeremiah%2023.md#^12), [13](Jeremiah%2023.md#^13) note > > In verses 10-13, God isn't pointing to the kings, political entities and sociologists as profane. It is the prophets and priests who are profane, those who should be setting the spiritual and moral tone for the world. It is those who have been given the Word of God, which is the perfect Standard of morality and spirituality. They are the ones who have not been faithful. And so God brings evil upon them for their ways, they are under the judgment of God. > > We see in verse 13 that God first speaks of the prophets in Samaria, which was the nation of Israel to the north. Then when we get to verses 14-15 God points to the prophets in Jerusalem of Judah. ^jer23-10-13 > [Jeremiah 23:14](Jeremiah%2023.md#^14) note > > "I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery" -- Remember that Jerusalem is a picture of the visible kingdom of God that represents the local congregations during the New Testament period. And the prophets commit adultery, they walk in lies, which spiritually represents how they are steeped in sin and moral decay. > > "...and walk in lies:" -- Now this doesn't mean they have stopped quoting from the Bible and teaching from it on a surface level. But they mix in their doctrines and ideas and select certain verses without comparing Scripture with Scripture, teaching things that they want in order to support themselves in their falsehoods. And in the process they declare, "Thus saith the Lord." They are thus walking in lies. And when they are not altogether faithful to the Word of God, it is a lie. They have a human-made salvation and gospel program that isn't from the Bible alone. And this is God's indictment against all of the congregations. > > "...they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none does return from his wickedness:" -- Think of an obvious example where some churches teach that someone can be a "carnal Christian" where they have become saved but Christ hasn't actually become Lord of their life. And a lot of that stems from the fact that these pastors and teachers want more people to come in and to give their tithes, they aren't truly concerned for the spiritual welfare of the congregants. They even set up certain projects and set goals they must meet that require a certain amount of funds to come in. Of course, the whole idea of carnal Christianity militates against the teaching of the Bible that we have been given a new, resurrected soul in which we have an ongoing desire to do the will of God more and more. And this is a constant -- it isn't just there on one day or a few days of the week. Whenever we sin, we feel terrible about it because we've become a true believer. > > This also applies when pastors and teachers declare that people are safe and secure in Christ because they have been baptized in water, or they've made a beautiful confession of faith so they've been accepted into the congregation as a member in full communion. They're led to believe they're now in the kingdom, they're safe and secure already. But the nature of the true believer is to have an ongoing, intense delight in the Word of God ([Ps 1:1](Psalm%201.md#^1), [2](Psalm%201.md#^2)). So this false peace prevents people from turning from their wickedness because they do not understand Truth, they do not really understand the nature of their sins so they don't have the slightest sense of their guilt and of God's wrath upon them. > > "...they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah." -- Their spiritual adultery is profane to the point God says they are as Sodom and Gomorrah to Him, a reference to the cities God destroyed by fire from heaven for their lewdness and wickedness as he rescued Lot and his 2 daughters from the destruction. Sodom and Gomorrah were the cesspool of sexual wickedness, so we might think of them as being as low as you can get. But they weren't quite as low as you can get just yet. > > In [Ezekiel 16:3](Ezekiel%2016.md#^3) God makes a statement about *Jerusalem*, the capital of Judea, saying, "Thy birth and thy nativity *is* of the land of Canaan; thy father *was* an Amorite, and thy mother an Hittite." Now, *Abraham* was the progenitor of the nation of Israel and Judah, and Sarah, Abraham's wife, was the half-sister of Abraham. But here God is saying their father was an *Amorite* rather than Abraham, and their mother a *Hittite*. So God is saying that their birth and nativity was from the world where there is no relationship with God. And God indicates in verses [4](Ezekiel%2016.md#^4) and [5](Ezekiel%2016.md#^5) of Ezekiel 16 that from the birth Jerusalem was a nothing, they were worthless and no one cared for them. Then in [Ezekiel 16:6](Ezekiel%2016.md#^6), [7](Ezekiel%2016.md#^7), [8](Ezekiel%2016.md#^8) God speaks of how He lavished His marvelous love on Jerusalem. And this is just as we are -- we originally come from out of the world, and God then makes us to become identified with Himself through His Word. > > But then in [Ezekiel 16:14](Ezekiel%2016.md#^14), [15](Ezekiel%2016.md#^15) we find that Jerusalem, in all of her beauty and perfection through God's comeliness and righteousness, played the harlot and committed adultery with all that passed by, just as we are reading about here in Jeremiah 23 where God says they have become as Sodom and as the inhabitants of Gomorrah to Him. > > The sad story is, God has done all of this wonderful work. But the human race instead says, "Look how great I am. Look what I have done." And that is a path that always leads to failure. Any time we trust in ourselves and in what we have done, or how smart we are or how we have believed this or done that -- we have set ourselves up for disaster. We can't take credit for *anything* before God. The only reason any good ever comes out of our lives is because God works in us to will and to do of His good pleasure ([Ph'p 2:13](Philippians%202.md#^13)). We must only glorify Him, not ourselves, in all things, we must only look to Christ as our everything. > > Then as you continue reading through Ezekiel 16 we find all kinds of ugliness as a result of Jerusalem's spiritual adulteries. God uses language that they aren't just being adulterous in order to desperately earn some money, as you might expect from a typical harlot, but that they love it so much they actually pay to commit their adulteries ([Eze 16:32](Ezekiel%2016.md#^32), [33](Ezekiel%2016.md#^33)). Then God begins to tell them what is the result of all of this sin, that they will come under His judgment ([Eze 16:35](Ezekiel%2016.md#^35), [36](Ezekiel%2016.md#^36), [37](Ezekiel%2016.md#^37), [38](Ezekiel%2016.md#^38)). In your personal time it would be good to read this entire chapter to get the whole picture. > > When we get down to [Ezekiel 16:44](Ezekiel%2016.md#^44), [45](Ezekiel%2016.md#^45), notice God reiterates what we read in [verse 3](Ezekiel%2016.md#^3) how their (Jerusalem's) father was an Amorite and their mother a Hittite. So God is returning to this theme from earlier in the chapter. Then in [Ezekiel 16:46](Ezekiel%2016.md#^46) God says the elder sister of Jerusalem is Samaria and her daughters, and her younger sister is Sodom and her daughters. This points to when Abraham lived in the land of Canaan and Lot resided in the land of Sodom. Then comes the indictment in [Ezekiel 16:47](Ezekiel%2016.md#^47), [48](Ezekiel%2016.md#^48) -- God declares that Jerusalem has corrupted her ways *even more than Samaria and Sodom.* And remember, Jerusalem points to the churches and congregations of our day. So when we see the sins of Israel and Judah in their day, and when we see the sins of Sodom, it isn't even as bad as it is in the churches and congregations today ([Eze 16:51](Ezekiel%2016.md#^51), [52](Ezekiel%2016.md#^52) -- God says that the sisters, Samaria and Sodom, are more righteous in comparison to the sins that Jerusalem is committing. Compare [Mt 11:23](Matthew%2011.md#^23), [24](Matthew%2011.md#^24). The wickedness of the church age is so great that they make Sodom appear more righteous. See also [Heb 2:2](Hebrews%202.md#^2), [3](Hebrews%202.md#^3) -- we have the whole Bible today which they did not have, so we are more accountable.). This is one reason why Christ warns us to "*Remember Lot's wife*" ([Lk 17:32](Luke%2017.md#^32)). > > In the next several verses, [Ezekiel 16:53](Ezekiel%2016.md#^53), [54](Ezekiel%2016.md#^54), [55](Ezekiel%2016.md#^55), God isn't speaking of a time of future salvation for them as we might expect when we read the phrase "I will bring again the captivity" of Samaria, Sodom and Jerusalem. In this case God is saying they will bear their own shame -- they are being returned to their *former estate* that we read about in [verses 3](Ezekiel%2016.md#^3), [4](Ezekiel%2016.md#^4), [5](Ezekiel%2016.md#^5) and [45](Ezekiel%2016.md#^45) -- that they are a family of Amorites and Hittites, they are of the world that is under the wrath of God where no one cares for them. So, sadly, this isn't a ray of hope as though somehow they might finally repent and become saved. > > But yet then in [Ezekiel 16:60](Ezekiel%2016.md#^60), [61](Ezekiel%2016.md#^61), [62](Ezekiel%2016.md#^62), [63](Ezekiel%2016.md#^63), in spite of all the ugly language of Ezekiel 16, God's *elective* program still stands. While the church age will come to an end, even as the Old Testament age of Israel and Judah came to an end, within them there is a remnant that will come out and become saved. And this will happen when God is pacified, or atoned, for all that they have done, which emphasizes that His righteousness has been vindicated and His justice done in the judgment of the churches at the end. But for the remnant who have come out they are indeed saved by and through the Lord Jesus Christ. But for the local congregations, no, there is no hope for them as a divine organization any longer. > > In [Isaiah 1:1](Isaiah%201.md#^1) we find another Word concerning Judah and Jerusalem, and in [verse 10](Isaiah%201.md#^10) God calls them Sodom and Gomorrah. Then in [Revelation 11:8](Revelation%2011.md#^8), when the 2 witnesses are killed, we find where God calls the churches and the congregations Sodom and Egypt. Christ was crucified in Jerusalem, a type of the churches during the New Testament, but God is calling them Sodom and Egypt here. > > "...none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah." -- Returning to Jeremiah 23:14 with this reference to Sodom and the inhabitants of Gomorrah, it is a proof of everything we have been saying above. Has there been any hope for Sodom and Gomorrah? Is there any possibility they could have ever turned to God? There was none. But there was a tiny remnant that did come out: Lot and his 2 daughters, just 3 people. It was God's *purpose* (3) that even though Sodom was completely wiped out, yet God's elective purposes stood for these 3 people who typify all who have come out of the local congregations because they are the elect of God. ^jer23-14 > [Jeremiah 23:15](Jeremiah%2023.md#^15) note > > "Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets; Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall:" -- Wormwood and gall signify that which is *poisonous*, that which will kill. It's picked up in [Revelation 8:10](Revelation%208.md#^10), [11](Revelation%208.md#^11) where the Gospel (typified by the rivers and fountains of waters) are turned bitter. And the *third part* normally represents God's people ([Zech 13:9](Zechariah%2013.md#^9)), but here they are killed as they are under the judgment of God and are fed the poison of wormwood, just as we see here in Jeremiah 23:15. This reminds us of when the local churches and congregations follow a humanly-devised hermeneutic to interpret the Bible which they will not give up for the biblical prescription to compare spiritual things with spiritual. It keeps them in complete blindness against these very warnings that we are reading here because they presume it simply ends with the historical setting and cannot see how they spiritually point to our day. ^jer23-15 > [Jeremiah 23:16](Jeremiah%2023.md#^16) note > > This is a grievous charge that God is making. Remember all of the prophets of Baal that existed during the time of Ahab and Jezebel that were on Mount Carmel, while Elijah stood alone. One against 450. And when God is speaking of those in the local congregations, they are in the same situation. They speak a vision from their own heart and not from the Bible, not from the Mouth of the Lord. > > Think of some notable Christian leaders who are highly respected today. They have *apparently* been really used of God to send forth the Gospel. And there's no scandal connected with them -- they're very decent, moral men who have conducted themselves with great integrity in many ways. And all kinds of people hang onto their words, they really believe that they have the Truth. And when we examine their words carefully and they're saying, "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life," or, "Tonight you can make the decision to become a child of God," it might sound like that's wonderful news. It's coming from this holy man who has a marvelous reputation and is applauded in so many circles in the Christian world -- so it must be true, he must certainly be a real student of the Bible like everyone says. > > And so it's left to us when we'll make this decision. Maybe *someday*, once our lives settle down and we've accomplished all that we want for ourselves, THEN we'll hunker down and make this decision and accept the Lord Jesus Christ and become saved. "Oh, what a joy," they think. But it's all vanity, they make you vain. And the word vain means *empty*, there's no value there. And what's worse is that sets you up for judgment, thinking you can simply get this matter of salvation settled sometime before you die based on your timing and on your feelings and actions. And all kinds of people listen to these false pronouncements, to these lies. They're claiming, "Thus saith the Lord," and the Lord has not said this. We cannot sugar-coat just how bad this is. They are falsely claiming to have an anointing from God but are leaving people completely empty based on their lovely words of comfort that have no basis in Scripture. It has nothing to do with what the Bible says, they are speaking a vision of their own heart. And we'll see this underscored again in [verse 17](Jeremiah%2023.md#^17). > > In [Isaiah 46:10](Isaiah%2046.md#^10) we see that God declares the end from the beginning. So here in Jeremiah 23 He's already declaring the very thing that we see today in the local congregations. ^jer23-16 > [Jeremiah 23:17](Jeremiah%2023.md#^17) note > > Here you have all these dear people who are happily going along, meeting together in their congregations and smiling and singing beautiful songs, and all is well because they think they are God's people -- they've accepted the Lord Jesus Christ, they've made their confession of faith, they've been baptized in water which is the final seal of all this, so they are happy. So they don't speak about any evil that may come upon them, they don't speak of God's judgment, and there's no fear of judgment day. They don't need to learn anymore about the nature of salvation or dig deeper into the Word of God and check out their doctrines because they have their confessions, theologians, seminaries, church fathers and pastors who have done all of this for them. ^jer23-17 > [Jeremiah 23:18](Jeremiah%2023.md#^18) note > > God asks the rhetorical question, "Who has paid attention to, who has heeded God's Word?" The sad fact is, these priests, prophets, evangelists and preachers have *not* heard the Word of God, God has not given them spiritual ears and He has not sent them because they have *not* stood in His counsel ([vv21](Jeremiah%2023.md#^21), [22](Jeremiah%2023.md#^22)). Had God indeed given them spiritual ears then they would have an intense desire to teach the whole Word of God. But they're simply teaching what they think they hear or what they want to see or perceive in the Word of God that fits the imaginations, desires and thinking of their own heart. > > As we ponder this verse, think about this: We live in this world and we're *so* busy with *all* of the cares of this life -- we're making a living and we're involved in our job and our pursuit of happiness. We think about vacations, how to invest our money, what kind of automobile we should buy or clothes to wear, sending our children to school or what school they should attend. Or we're thinking about our problems with our boss and so on. We have a multitude of things that beset us all around all the time. Then you go into the Bible and start reading very carefully. And suddenly you're reading things about sin and the wrath of God and how God looks upon the local congregations -- all very serious matters. Then we realize that everything in this world is really very unimportant in comparison. And then we hear of someone who dies of cancer, or someone else suddenly dies in an accident, and yet someone else who has another serious problem of some kind. So we think, "What is this life really about?" And until we get into the Word of God and it becomes the Lifeline of our life, where we truly come to a point of thinking about how we can live more faithfully before God, THEN we've come to what is *really* important. We, too, have many problems and eventually we will also die, and what then? We thus want to seek the counsel of the Counselor ([Is 9:6](Isaiah%209.md#^6)). > > A lot of people realize they should read the Bible, so they set aside 15-30 minutes to dutifully read the Bible which they think is a healthy activity. But their mind doesn't really ponder the words. And that doesn't really help us at all. There must be a sense in our minds of what this Word is -- where we are spending time at the feet of the Lord Jesus. We go into His Presence and tremble at His Word because He is the Judge of all the earth. And this is how He speaks to us. We all must understand this is how He speaks to *me*. And even when we don't understand what's being said, we keep reading carefully and we can ask Him questions in prayer, in His very Presence at His feet before the Word of God. And when we come into greater understanding we then pray for greater obedience to Him. He is our Perfect Counselor so we want to listen to what He has to say and read through the Word how God deals with sin and with us and so on. So it matters very seriously where we get our counsel from. Our counsel must come from the *whole* Bible, from the Word of God ([2 Ti 3:16](2%20Timothy%203.md#^16), [17](2%20Timothy%203.md#^17)) with an attitude that we need to be taught of the Lord, not with our own preconceived notions. We do not trust our own minds but come before the Bible recognizing we truly know very little, needing correction from God's Word as God opens our spiritual ears to hear the Truth if God has saved us. > > The consequence of not carefully heeding the Word of God is found in the next 2 verses, [verses 19](Jeremiah%2023.md#^19), [20](Jeremiah%2023.md#^20). ^jer23-18 > [Jeremiah 23:19](Jeremiah%2023.md#^19) note > > This is the consequence of not carefully heeding the Word of God, as introduced in [verse 18](Jeremiah%2023.md#^18). Sin and turning away from God leads to judgment. In this verse and in [verse 20](Jeremiah%2023.md#^20) we read about God's fury and anger -- it is God's wrath against sin. God isn't just looking at the rebellion of the human race and is unhappy. Sin brings the awful fury and anger of God ([Heb 12:29](Hebrews%2012.md#^29)). And it goes forth like a grievous whirlwind that will fall upon the head of the wicked. It is utter destruction. When there is a tornado or a hurricane it gives us a small example of what God is speaking about -- there is great destruction left in its wake. ^jer23-19 > [Jeremiah 23:20](Jeremiah%2023.md#^20) note > > "The anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the thoughts of his heart:" -- This is an absolute *commitment* of God. His anger will not end until He has executed and performed the thoughts of His heart. This is *going* to happen and it *will* be completed. God isn't going to muff it, He isn't going to go halfway into it and change His mind -- it is all settled. > > "...in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly." -- The word translated *perfectly* is a word that means *with understanding*. So this could be translated "you shall consider or understand it with understanding." The term *latter days* indicates the *very end*. God's judgment like a whirlwind comes in the very last days up to the last day, or judgment day, itself. And the true believers will understand what is happening as that day approaches and as it arrives. Until the time of the end the details have been sealed up so that it is understood more and more (and mostly) as we approach the end ([Dan 12:9](Daniel%2012.md#^9), [10](Daniel%2012.md#^10)). > > There are a few verses where God uses this phrase *latter days, last days or latter end* that we can review. In [Isaiah 2:2](Isaiah%202.md#^2), [3](Isaiah%202.md#^3), [4](Isaiah%202.md#^4), God speaks about the salvation of many people right near the end of time as individuals come into the eternal body of believers (the kingdom of God, call the Mountain of the Lord's House here) from all over the world (see also [Micah 4:1](Micah%204.md#^1), [2](Micah%204.md#^2), [3](Micah%204.md#^3) ... [10](Micah%204.md#^10)). It is right near the end, as judgment is falling upon the churches and the world and we are approaching judgment day itself, that God nevertheless saves many out of it directly through His Word, the Bible. > > We see the enormous assault of Satan against the churches in the latter days, more directly related to what we're reading here in Jeremiah 23, in [Ezekiel 38:15](Ezekiel%2038.md#^15), [38](Ezekiel%2038.md#^16) (compare that with [Rev 20:7](Revelation%2020.md#^7), [8](Revelation%2020.md#^8), [9](Revelation%2020.md#^9), [10](Revelation%2020.md#^10)). It is the final confrontation that is going on between Satan's forces and the true believers. > > So when we read this phrase *latter days* we know that it is talking about *our day today*. ^jer23-20 > [Jeremiah 23:21](Jeremiah%2023.md#^21) note > > "I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran:" -- [Psalm 147:15](Psalm%20147.md#^15) helps to explain this. God's Word, His commandment, runs very swiftly. And to *run swiftly* means there is a *haste* to send out the Gospel. It has to get out there as rapidly as possible. And in our day, with modern communications and such, we can speak the Gospel into a microphone or on the internet and almost instantly it's all over the world. So we know that the final harvest can be sent out into the world in a very short period of time. > > In [Esther 8:10](Esther%208.md#^10), [11](Esther%208.md#^11) ... [13](Esther%208.md#^13), [14](Esther%208.md#^14) there was a message that had to be *hastened* out into all the kingdom. And the *posts* in those verses is a word that actually means *runners*. So the runners hastened to send forth the king's message into all the kingdom in a great big hurry. And this spiritually points to the fact that the King, the Lord Jesus Christ, has a message -- the Gospel -- that needs to go out in a big hurry. There is a haste, there is a pressure on us to get the Gospel out and to blanket the world with it. But it must be the *true* Gospel, it cannot be falsehood. > > But here in Jeremiah 23:21, we read about these *false* prophets that God did not send. And they also *ran*, they also hasted. And when you hear all kinds of religious messages through radio or TV or on the internet today, what do you *normally* hear or see? Normally it is altogether a false gospel. They have no understanding of the biblical statement concerning the nature of salvation. And they are also running, they are trying the *best* they can to reach as many people as quickly as possible with their false ideas, exactly as God speaks about here. > > "...I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied." -- Those who come with a gospel that is not altogether faithful to the Word of God are not sent by Christ. They are sent by their own effort under the power of Satan to circumvent Truth, to provide a substitute gospel so that people won't actually come to the Lord Jesus Christ, but to come to Satan *thinking* they are coming to the Lord Jesus Christ. ^jer23-21 > [Jeremiah 23:22](Jeremiah%2023.md#^22) note > > God is still speaking about the false prophets that He did not send, to whom He did not speak ([v21](Jeremiah%2023.md#^21)). And in this verse God is teaching us why the churches have been so ineffective. In order to become saved, the Bible must be available *and* the Holy Spirit must apply the Word of God to the hearts of those He plans to save. Now when Bible teachers, pastors, elders, theologians and priests misrepresent what the verses are saying, they are neutralizing or negating what the Bible teaches. So what finally comes into the minds of those they teach is contrary to the Word of God. But when the Bible is faithfully presented, God uses that to build the setting for the application of the Bible to the life of that individual. > > Now it is true that someone could read the Bible for themselves and come to Truth in spite of wrong teaching, particularly for the elect of God. But it's very rare that that happens. Those who are really listening to the Truth of the Bible are typically driven out in that case because they cause a commotion for their disagreement, it stirs up the unease of those who are in the leadership or teaching positions, and even amongst others in the congregation that go along with the wrong teaching. And for those who remain in the churches when Truth is no longer being presented, it's because they are comfortable there, they trust in their human authorities. So if the pastor or Bible teacher is not bringing Truth, it isn't an environment where God is going to save many people. The elect who stand for Truth will come out by virtue of that Truth. > > So here in Jeremiah 23:22, God is saying if they had stood in His counsel, really bringing the Truth of the Bible, then He would work through that to save many people in the congregation. Of course, God has the master Plan so that in the end it works out in accordance with the will of God. But this is the program. It isn't just that someone has the Bible. The next thing is "Who is guiding them into the Bible." In God's divine plan of sending out the Gospel, the ideal environment is that someone has the Bible *and* has a teacher who is faithful to the Word of God. And this is why it's so important to continue sending forth the Gospel outside of the churches and congregations as they have fallen astray from Truth. > > In [Mark 4:10](Mark%204.md#^10), [11](Mark%204.md#^11), [12](Mark%204.md#^12) ... [34](Mark%204.md#^34) we find that Christ spoke in parables and in a parable He did not speak. But when He was alone with His disciples, He explained the parables. And the purpose of speaking in parables is to keep the non-elect in unbelief. If God does not plan to save someone, He does not allow them to come close to understanding the Truth of the Bible, He leaves them in their unbelief. So the ideal situation in which God is speaking in parables is that the parables are explained so that we understand the spiritual meaning, and through this He saves a great multitude. And today God has put the pieces in place where He has opened our spiritual eyes and there is an environment where many people have the Bible but can also be given Biblical explanation by those who know where the Truth is. And this sets an environment where there is a lot more fruit outside of the churches and congregations as the Gospel is sent forth by the true believers. > > This is why it's so sad that people rest so heavily on their church and church doctrines. They are happy with what they have learned and really don't want to learn more from the Bible anymore, they believe they have the complete record of all that the Bible teaches and even deny that God continues to reveal Truth in our day. They have been deceived into believing that the Reformation or some other high water mark was the pinnacle of Truth and that they must rest on what has been discovered during the church age as their protection. And thus they are just being set up for damnation because their trust is no longer fully in the Word of God, even though they believe that it is all based on the Word. ^jer23-22 > [Jeremiah 23:23](Jeremiah%2023.md#^23), [24](Jeremiah%2023.md#^24), [25](Jeremiah%2023.md#^25) note > > The point that God is making in these verses is that any Bible teacher, theologian, pastor and so on -- *whatever* they are teaching, God hears *every word*. These teachers and elders who profess to be anointed with a call to be the servants of God are under that kind of scrutiny. And this is true also for any true believer or person who witnesses to their neighbor, we want to make certain that what we teach is *faithful* to the Word of God because God is listening. God is deeply concerned about those who claim their witness is coming from the Bible, He is listening very carefully and we must answer to what we are saying. > > "I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed." -- We first think about those in charismatic circles where they commonly claim to have dreams from God that are completely outside of the Bible. But God isn't limiting this verse to just the charismatic churches, but is speaking of all of the local congregations. > > God gives us more understanding of this, where He is speaking about Ariel (another name for Jerusalem) under His judgment, in [Isaiah 29:1](Isaiah%2029.md#^1) ... [6](Isaiah%2029.md#^6), [7](Isaiah%2029.md#^7), [8](Isaiah%2029.md#^8). So it's like a man who is dying of starvation. Literally he is in deep trouble. But finally in a stupor he falls asleep. And he has the most magnificent dream: He's sitting at a banquet table that's laden with wonderful food and he is able to eat and eat and eat. He is just feasting at that table. But then he wakes up and finds he is still starving. It was all a dream. Or another man is dying of thirst, he's just desperate for a drink of water. And finally he falls asleep and begins to dream of being around a pool of beautiful, clear water. And he just drinks and drinks and everything seems perfect. But then he wakes up and finds he's just as thirsty as ever. It's talking about those who, in their own imaginations, in their thinking, they imagine that God has given them Truth. They're convicted they have the Truth so they come boldly to their congregations, "I have a conviction, I have a strong sense, I have a feeling that this what I'm telling you is absolutely true so you can trust me altogether." He's thinking all is well when nothing has changed at all -- he's bringing a gospel that is not faithful to the Word of God. So God says they are bringing lies, what they are declaring comes from their own imagination while they're dying of spiritual hunger, while in their minds they really think they have the answer (as we'll see again in [verse 26](Jeremiah%2023.md#^26)). It's like a dream. ^jer23-23-25 > [Jeremiah 23:26](Jeremiah%2023.md#^26) note > > God comes to them very flatly here that they are prophesying lies. We can't trust our feelings, we can't trust our conviction or our sense of some kind. We can't trust *anything* about ourselves. Our minds are corrupted by our own physical inabilities and by our sinful nature -- and these prophets aren't saved at all so even more in their whole personality they are out of contact with God and yet they've convinced themselves that they have the Truth. That's why they can't understand this teaching from the book of Jeremiah because it doesn't agree with their mind that has been conditioned by their own imaginations and their own desires. They are prophesying lies out of the deceit of their own heart. And thus there are so many tares who might outwardly appear to be a true child of God and they are not saved at all, so they will prophesy lies out of their own heart. ^jer23-26 > [Jeremiah 23:27](Jeremiah%2023.md#^27) note > > "Which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbor" -- These pastors, these prophets, as they come with a man-made gospel, with their own plan of salvation by saying you can do this or that and be saved tonight, or that you're not to look for the spiritual meaning in the Bible -- what they are really doing is saying, "Don't trust what the Bible says, we already have theologians who have done all the work. And don't think that you, in your pride, have better understanding than they do." So they cut off the possibility for asking serious questions about what the Bible teaches, they don't want others to really get into the Bible but to just trust them. > > "...as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal." -- Notice that this has been happening all along, from the time of the fathers, even from the beginning. For example, wrong Hermeneutics have been applied almost from the very beginning and the churches have had to live with that all this time as near as we can tell from church history. And that was an enormous defect that they've struggled with in the congregations. And to worship Baal is a figure of going after other gods. ^jer23-27 > [Jeremiah 23:28](Jeremiah%2023.md#^28) note > > "The prophet that has a dream, let him tell a dream" -- Ok, God allows these pastors, teachers, prophets and so on to go ahead and to tell the imaginations of their own hearts -- their convictions, their feelings, their intuitions, whatever they believe is Truth. God is saying, "Let them do that" ... > > "...and he that has my word, let him speak my word faithfully." -- If we are a true witness for the Lord Jesus Christ, we're not going to be searching our minds for Truth, we'll be searching the Word of God alone. Of course, we'll frequently find that we've taught something incorrectly and have had to make correction in order to be more faithful to the Bible. But we must be faithful to the Word of God. > > "What *is* the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD." -- God is setting up the two side-by-side -- the dreams of the pastors and Bible teachers who teach the imaginations of their hearts over against the grand, wonderful, powerful Word of God. Is there any comparison? Yes, it's like the chaff to the wheat. The chaff is nothing, the wind blows it away, it has no value as compared to the wheat. These teachings of the minds, imaginations, thinking and desires of the Bible teachers who are not faithfully following the Word of God have no value at all. And worse, it brings terrible death to those who listen to it. ^jer23-28 > [Jeremiah 23:29](Jeremiah%2023.md#^29) note > > God's Word is *powerful* -- like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces. But there's more to it than that. This word *rock* is found in other places in the Bible. For example, it speaks about Moses striking or speaking to the rock in the wilderness and water came flowing out of it ([Ex 17:6](Exodus%2017.md#^6); [Nu 20:8](Numbers%2020.md#^8)). And what caused the rock to produce water? The Word of God. And Who is the Rock? The Lord Jesus ([Ro 9:33](Romans%209.md#^33); [1 Cor 10:4](1%20Corinthians%2010.md#^4)). You see, in God's divine providence and in His whole program of salvation, the Word of God, the Law of God, decreed that the Lord Jesus Christ was to be broken -- He was to take upon Himself the sins of those who are to become saved. It was the will of God that He was to be the Savior. And from this the water of the Gospel comes flowing forth ([Jn 4:14](John%204.md#^14)). And all of this was a power that is beyond measure, that it would cause almighty God to endure the wrath of God for our sins. That is the hammer that breaks the rock in pieces, it is the very power of the Word of God. And it is that same power of the Word of God that will judge the unsaved of the world and bring them into damnation for their sins, the wages of sin is death ([Ro 6:23](Romans%206.md#^23)) so they will be punished with the wrath of God. And this cannot be negated, it cannot be changed or set aside any more than when Christ was punished for *our* sins He absolutely had to go through with it in order for us to become saved ([Mk 14:36](Mark%2014.md#^36)). > > So whenever someone is unfaithful to the Word of God we could just shudder. They are dealing with the hammer that broke the rock, they are toying with the almighty power of God to do what God plans to do! ^jer23-29 > [Jeremiah 23:30](Jeremiah%2023.md#^30) note > > The Word of God *normally* goes to people with minds that can reason and think on some level. This isn't always the case but that isn't addressed here. They could be very young children or very old people with various levels of intelligence, with some ability to understand. And it is possible that someone can read the Word of God and that Satan can snatch it away. For example, say that someone with average intelligence is reading the Bible, and they're wondering what a verse means. Then a pastor or Bible teacher explains that verse in a way that is contrary to the Bible -- something that is just altogether different than what God intended. And this is actually quite easy to do because we must compare Scripture with Scripture and can only come to Truth as God gives us understanding, so if that isn't happening properly then they can come to a faulty conclusion. > > So this person has a question about a passage, but then the verses are immediately explained in such a way that is contrary to the Word of God -- it means that the words of God have been *stolen* from them. In that situation the pastor or Bible teacher has substituted their own words in place of God's Word. They are making that verse or passage say something it is not saying. And this is what frequently happens in the local congregations. This is parallel to what is implied in [verse 22](Jeremiah%2023.md#^22) that they have not stood in God's counsel nor caused His people to hear His Words, they have turned them away from the Truth. And this is *stealing* the Words of God from the local congregations according to their established authority, as they empty the verses of their meaning. ^jer23-30 > [Jeremiah 23:31](Jeremiah%2023.md#^31) note > > This verse reiterates what we read in [verse 30](Jeremiah%2023.md#^30) where God is against these prophets who claim to bring the Word of God, saying, "He says," when God has *not* declared what they are teaching ([v21b](Jeremiah%2023.md#^21); [Eze 13:7](Ezekiel%2013.md#^7)). ^jer23-31 > [Jeremiah 23:32](Jeremiah%2023.md#^32) note > > "Behold, I *am* against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness" -- The word *lightness* can be explained looking at [Zephaniah 3:3](Zephaniah%203.md#^3), [4](Zephaniah%203.md#^4) which is yet again teaching the same thing we find here in Jeremiah 23. Her prophets are *light and treacherous* persons, they are absolutely not to be trusted when it comes to God's Word. > > Study in progress 11.2025. > > ^jer23-32 Tags: #Old_Testament #Jeremiah #Gods_judgment_on_His_people #FSI