Prophets preach lies
and priests hire on as their assistants.
And my people love it. They eat it up!
But what will you do when it’s time to pick up the pieces?
Jeremiah 5:31
Observation: Jeremiah, full of the words of the Lord, is going into detail in his warnings to Judah about their impending destruction. The people have rebelled against the Lord's ways, and this is one of those ways ... they have false prophets pronouncing things that are not of the Lord, then supported by priests who declare teaching for their own good, and all the people "eat it up". They not only listen and believe, but they find these lies align to the way they wish the world were ordered, and thus cling to it as truth, failing to test the prophets and priestly teachings for accuracy based on the word of the Lord.
This is a group conspiracy against the Lord, and the nature of the conspiracy is this ... everyone seeks to have the Lord say and teach exactly what they want to hear - in a manner that justifies their desires - and rejects anything that the Lord is actually saying.
Application: I was thinking on this again yesterday, about certain Christians I know who are so deeply engaged in the words of false prophets. These false prophets declare words over topics ranging from current politics, to personal health matters, to today's weather, and other Christians use these words to justify decisions in their lives. Again, they don't so much use them to make choices, but rather to justify that which they were already hoping to do or to be true. There is an element of spiritualism to it, with "believers" seeking the false prophesy that will uphold their own false understanding, then using these circular falsehoods to justify it all.
I have been having thoughts about my role in our church, wondering about how perhaps I should be engaging with others. I feel a push to become one of the "older men" of the church who gently guides and corrects people, and this is one of the topics on my heart. However, I fear my desire to correct such people may not be from God, but just the way my mind works. Becoming a hypocritical legalist would be the worst thing possible. That said, this topic of false prophets, and especially the way some Christians are so bought into them, is on my heart for a reason.
Prayer: Lord, I am an older man of the church, but I am not wise. I worry that my thoughts are just that, my thoughts, and not yours. Please stay my heart in matters where you are not leading me, but also give me knowledge and wisdom to pronounce your word when you give it to me. Amen.
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