Jeremiah 23:9-32 – Being God’s good workmen

God as we have established is all-knowing and all-seeing. Nothing escapes his eye. In Jeremiah 23:25-27, God asserts His displeasure with the false prophets and their misleading prophecies. The source of their prophecies was questionable. Obviously, their prophecies did not originate from God but from their own dreams and ideas. Exasperated and disgusted, Jeremiah rhetorically asked how long they would continue with their fallacy. He asked how long would they continue to mislead the people with their falsehood and deception? He questioned their intention. Whatever dream they were propagating, they were dangerously making the people forget God, while goading them to embrace Baal.

God insisted that while the pseudo prophets would spread falsehood and mislead the people, God’s true prophet must always speak His true word. Several reasons were given in Jeremiah 23:28-29 why truth and not falsehood must always be told. Firstly, falsehood, like straw would only be suitable for the fire whereas the word of God, like grain, would provide needful nutrients. Secondly, God’s Word, like fire and hammer would destroy whatever was worthless. The fire would burn away falsehood and the hammer would shatter all deception.

In Jeremiah 23:30-32, God denounced the false prophets for leading the people astray. God was against them because they copied the words of true prophets and used them in their false prophecy. They would use the phrase “the Lord declares” which was a feature of true prophecy to lend weight to their falsehood. Unquestioningly, to use this phrase was a serious matter. It was as good as asserting that whatever was spoken came directly from God. But sadly, whatever they were saying did not come from God but from their own vain imagination. In so doing they were recklessly leading the people into falsehood and were of no benefit to them.

To be God’s good spokesmen, we need to return to consider the question asked in Jeremiah 23:18. “For who among them has stood in the council of the Lord to see and to hear His word, or who has paid attention to His word and listened?” In order to be able to speak for God effectively, one needs to tarry long with God in His presence and with His Word. Only until we have tarried in His presence and interacted and understood His word then can we clearly, concisely, and comprehensively expound His truth. Let's also return to one familiar call of Paul. He said, we are to be diligent and do our best to present ourselves as God’s good workmen, that need not be ashamed but rightly handling the Word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). Let us develop a passion for excellence, a passion for God, and a passion of the Word.