Jeremiah 23:18-24 – Accord due reverence to God and His Word.

Jeremiah 23:18-24 seriously questioned the prophecies of the false prophets. What they prophesied had clearly shown that they did not understand God. It showed that they had not been instructed by God and were not acquainted with His ways. The evidence of their falsehood was clear in their messages. There was incongruency between their word of false hope and peace, and God’s wrath and impending judgment. Their messages indicated the very opposite of what God would soon be doing. For the impending judgment of God had already started brewing. It would soon descend on the wicked like the swirling tempest of a great storm, one that would be unstoppable till it had brought about all the wreckages in its path.

Verse 22 implies that the messages of the false prophets were obviously untrue. If they were true, they would have disapproved of what the people were doing and would proclaim God’s impending judgment to turn them away from their sin and wickedness.  Yet what they were saying had encouraged the people to remain in sin. The folly of the false prophets would be detected when they acted as if God could not hear or see their questionable activities. Verses 23-24 tell us that God is not only all-seeing but also all-knowing. He knows everything from beginning to end. Nothing is ever hidden from His all-seeing eye.

Here we see why it is important to evaluate every prophecy we hear with the word of God. A true prophecy is always consistent with the whole counsel of God. A God-inspired prophecy will always come to pass. It is important that all who serve God and are called to share His messages must ensure that the Biblical passage is sharing are accurately exegeted and rightly and appropriately applied.

Remember the vision Jeremiah saw in chapter one verses 11-12 and what God said to Him. God alerted him to the blossoming of almond trees and asked the prophet “What do you see, Jeremiah?” He answered saying, “I see a rod of an almond tree.” What Jeremiah saw was the budding of an almond rod. The reason God pointed to the blossoming almond tree was to send His message in a way that would be humanly comprehensible. God was using the blossoming almond tree to point to a spiritual lesson to Jeremiah and to us. God commended him for answering correctly before He reveal to him the significance of the blossoming almond tree. His message to Jeremiah and to us is: He Himself is watching over His word to bring it to pass. God never says anything that He will not bring to pass. Whether positive or negative, a blessing or a curse, whatever God has promised will surely come to pass.