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"'They Cling
to Deceit; They Refuse to Return.'" (Jeremiah
8:5)
Proverbs 1:7 -- The fear of the LORD is the beginning
of knowledge, But fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Isaiah 26:10 -- Let grace be shown to the wicked, Yet
he will not learn righteousness; In the land of uprightness he will
deal unjustly, And will not behold the majesty of the LORD.
Isaiah 30:9-10 -- That this
is a rebellious people, Lying children, Children who will not hear the
law of the LORD; Who say to the seers, "Do not see," And to the prophets,
"Do not prophesy to us right things; Speak to us smooth things, prophesy
deceits."
I John 4:5-6 -- They are
from the world; therefore they speak as from the world, and the world
listens to them. We are from God; he who knows God listens
to us; he who is not from God does not listen to us. By this
we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. (NASB)
Jeremiah 6:13-15 -- (the LORD speaking) "From the
least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike,
all practice deceit. They dress the wounds of My people as though
it were not serious. 'Peace, peace,' they say, when there is no peace.
Are they ashamed of their loathsome conduct? No, they have no shame
at all; they do not even know how to blush. So they will
fall among the fallen; they will be brought down when I punish them,"
says the LORD. (NIV)
The word of God clearly demonstrates that
the natural inclination of those living in this world is to reject the
grace and instruction of the LORD. As already shown in the previous
chapter, the heart of man is deceitful
above all things, and desperately wicked (Jeremiah
17:9), but it is the tongue of the false prophet that steers and holds
him on that path which leads to destruction. The Lord Jesus often
warned of their dangerous influence. The entire twenty-third chapter
of Matthew contains one of the Lord's harshest indictments of the false
prophets and teachers of His day; those who, as He said, "shut
up the kingdom of heaven against men."
(Matthew 23:13)
In Matthew seven the Lord enunciates that
we can identify these wolves in sheep's clothing by their fruit. This theme
is carried over in Matthew 12:33.
Matthew 12:33 -- (Jesus speaking) "Either make the tree good and its fruit
good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is
known by its fruit."
Today, not only is the fruit bad, but the
tree is corrupted through to the core. "The
lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely." (Jeremiah
8:8)(NIV) The words of the LORD, as spoken to the prophet Jeremiah
in the eighth chapter of his book could as easily be a portrayal of present-day
America, as the Judah of twenty-seven centuries past.
Jeremiah 8:10 -- (the LORD speaking)
"'Therefore I will give their wives
to others, And their fields to those who will inherit them; Because
from the least even to the greatest Everyone is given to covetousness;
Even from the prophet even to the priest Everyone deals falsely.'"
How true this is of our own morally-relativistic
society. One need only select a newspaper at random from any city across
our nation to ascertain that what was once called "good" is now called
"evil", and what was once called "evil" is now called "good".
Isaiah 5:20-21 -- Woe to
those who call evil good, and good evil; Who put darkness for light,
and light for darkness; Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter! Woe to those who are wise in their own
eyes, And prudent in their own sight!
Psalm 52:1-4 -- (of David) Why do
you boast of evil, O mighty man? The goodness of God endures continually.
Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
You love evil more than good, Lying rather than speaking righteousness.
You love all devouring words, You deceitful tongue.
Proverbs 14:12 -- (paralleled in Proverbs 16:25)
There is
a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death. (NIV)
Malachi 2:17 -- You have
wearied the LORD with your words; Yet you say, "In what way have
we wearied Him?" In that you say, "Everyone who does evil Is good
in the sight of the LORD, And He delights in them," Or, "Where is the God
of justice?"
Casting doubt on the holy and inspired word
of God is as old as man itself. Indeed, the book of Genesis records
that it was in the garden Satan first attempted to confuse God's word and
lead mankind into sin: He said to
the woman, "Did God really say...."
(Genesis 3:1)(NIV)
It is the first recorded twisting of God's
word. And, to this very day, that which was started in the garden
those millennia ago has been sustained with indefatigable vigor.
Mankind no more accepts the truth today than he did in the garden.
The lies of the evil one are embraced and championed as truth, while the
unerring and perfect word of God is cast off as worthless folly, and those
who accept it, ridiculed. So readily do we accept the doctrine of
convenience and crave the lies which soothe our consciences -- are any
speakers more popular today than the prevaricators of pettifoggery who
falsely proclaim the "goodness of man" from their pulpits of pretense?
II Timothy 4:3-4 -- For the
time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according
to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up
for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth,
and be turned aside to fables.
To say what their itching ears want
to hear: (NIV) "There
are no moral absolutes. One must do as one sees fit in one's own
heart." "There is nothing wrong with two consenting adults choosing
to enjoy each other's sexuality outside of marriage." "Sexual relations
with someone of the same gender is a healthy and entirely acceptable lifestyle
choice." "What a woman does with her own body is her own right."
These are the accepted, comforting words
of the world whose sermon of convenience openly disregards the entire will
and commands of its Creator. Those who declare its fraudulent manifesto
are hailed as progressive, insightful, discerning and wise, while those
who oppose them are summarily dismissed as intolerant, crackpot extremists.
Those who dare to stand by the word of God as authoritative and absolute
are scorned as naive and unenlightened.
Hosea 9:7 -- Because
your sins are so many and your hostility so great, the prophet is considered
a fool, the inspired man a maniac. (NIV)
II Peter 2:1-3 -- But there
were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false
teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even
denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.
And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of
truth will be blasphemed. By covetousness they will exploit you with
deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle,
and their destruction does not slumber.
These mockers of God bring the way
of truth into disrepute (NIV), for
their concerns are not with truth or verity, but with the advocation of
their own twisted and godlessly immoral agenda. The closing verses
of John, chapter seven, offer perceptive insight into their mainline defense
of rebuking the truth while ridiculing its adherents.
John 7:45-52 -- Then the
officers came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, "Why
have you not brought Him?" The officers answered, "No man ever
spoke like this Man!" Then the Pharisees answered them, "Are
you also deceived? Have any of the rulers or the Pharisees believed in
Him? But This crowd that does not know the law is accursed." Nicodemus (he who came to Jesus by night,
being one of them) said to them, "Does our law judge a man before it hears
him and knows what he is doing?" They answered and said to him, "Are
you also from Galilee? Search and look, for no prophet has arisen out of
Galilee."
Whether they realize it or not, those who
advocate such views of the truth aggrandize their own knowledge, wisdom
and intelligence at the expense of God's. One cannot disparage God's
words without also disparaging God.
Job 40:7-8 -- (the LORD speaking) "Brace yourself like a man; I
will question you, and you shall answer Me. Would you discredit My
justice? Would you condemn Me to justify yourself?" (NIV)
Isaiah 29:16 -- Surely
you have things turned around! Shall the potter be esteemed as the
clay; For shall the thing made say of him who made it, "He did not
make me"? Or shall the thing formed say of him who formed it, "He
has no understanding"?
Malachi 3:13-15 -- "Your words
have been harsh against Me," Says the LORD, "Yet you say, 'What have we
spoken against You?' You have said, 'It is useless to serve God;
What profit is it that we have
kept His ordinance, And that we have walked
as mourners Before the LORD of hosts? So now we call the proud blessed,
For those who do wickedness are raised up; They even tempt God and
go free.'"
Micah 2:6 -- "Do not
prophesy," their prophets say. "Do not prophesy about these
things; disgrace will not overtake us." (NIV)
Zechariah 10:2 -- The idols speak deceit, diviners see
visions that lie; they tell dreams that are false, they give comfort in
vain. Therefore the people wander like sheep oppressed for lack of a shepherd.
(NIV)
They mock God's word and deny His very existence.
Others worship an impotent, feeble, liberal god fashioned in their own
image, who closes his eyes to their rebellion and smiles on their waywardness.
They prefer the lie that endorses their sin over the truth that exposes
it.
Micah 2:11 -- (the LORD speaking) "If a man should walk in a false spirit
And speak a lie, saying, 'I will prophesy to you of wine and drink,'
Even he would be the prattler of this people."
Numerous accounts throughout the word of
God warn of those who distort truth and advocate deception.
Romans 16:17-18 -- Now I urge
you, brethren, note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to
the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them. For those who are
such do not serve our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly, and by smooth
words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple.
I Timothy 6:20-21 -- Turn away
from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge,
which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith.
(NIV)
Ezekiel 13:6-7 -- (the LORD speaking) "'Their
visions are false and their divinations a lie. They say, "The LORD declares,"
when the LORD has not sent them; yet they expect their words to be
fulfilled. Have you not seen false visions and uttered lying divinations
when you say, "The LORD declares, " though I have not spoken?'" (NIV)
Jude 4 -- For certain
men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation,
ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only
Lord God and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Jude 17-19 -- But you,
beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of
our Lord Jesus Christ: how they told you that there would be mockers
in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts.
These are sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.
In II Corinthians, chapter eleven, the Apostle
Paul warns of false teachers masquerading as servants of righteousness: For
such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into
apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms
himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if
his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness,
whose end will be according to their works.
(II Corinthians 11:13-15)
It's frightening to contemplate the evil
one masquerading as an angel of light/apostle
of Christ/servant
of righteousness, nevertheless, this is
how he is portrayed by the Apostle Paul, who I'm sure had plenty of firsthand
experience in dealing with him. Like then, many of the evil one's
servants are today also masquerading as servants
of righteousness, spreading their own
twisted brand of "good news", where it is they who determine what is good
and acceptable, generally in complete and blatant opposition to the holy
word of God. Likewise, the Apostle John, in his second epistle, warns
of those who pervert the gospel, and admonishes believers not even to take
such deceivers into their homes.
Perhaps one of the strongest denunciations
of false prophets in all Scripture is found in the twenty-third chapter
of Jeremiah. Those who falsely promulgate truth and ignore
the real truth as found only in the word of God, should take special note
of these words. It is not enviable to find oneself counted
among those whom the LORD God has declared Himself against. For
we know Him who said, "Vengeance is Mine, I will repay," says the Lord.
And again, "The LORD will judge His people." It is a fearful thing
to fall into the hands of the living God. (Hebrews
10:30-31)
Jeremiah 23:9-32 -- Concerning
the prophets: My heart is broken within me; all my bones tremble.
I am like a drunken man, like a man overcome by wine, because of the LORD
and His holy word. The land is full of adulterers; because
of the curse the land lies parched and the pastures in the desert are withered.
The prophets follow an evil course and use their power unjustly.
"Both prophet and priest are godless;
even in My temple I find their wickedness," declares the LORD. "Therefore
their path will become slippery; they will be banished to darkness
and there they will fall. I will bring disaster on them in the year
they are punished," declares the LORD. "Among the prophets of Samaria I saw
this repulsive thing: They prophesied by Baal and led My people Israel
astray. And among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen something
horrible: They commit adultery and live a lie. They strengthen the
hands of evildoers, so that no one turns from his wickedness. They
are all like Sodom to Me; the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah." Therefore, this is what the LORD Almighty
says concerning the prophets: "I will make them eat bitter food and
drink poisoned water, because from the prophets of Jerusalem ungodliness
has spread throughout the land." This is what the LORD Almighty says:
"Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you; they
fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from their own minds,
not from the mouth of the LORD. They keep saying to those who despise
Me, 'The LORD says: You will have peace.' And to all who follow
the stubbornness of their hearts they say, 'No harm will come to you.'
But which of them has stood in the council of the LORD to see or to hear
His word? Who has listened and heard His word? See, the storm
of the LORD will burst out in wrath, a whirlwind swirling down on the heads
of the wicked." "The anger of the LORD will not turn
back until He fully accomplishes the purposes of His heart. In days
to come you will understand it clearly. I did not send these prophets,
yet they have run with their message; I did not speak to them, yet
they have prophesied. But if they had stood in My council, they would
have proclaimed My words to My people and would have turned them from their
evil ways and from their evil deeds." "Am I only a God nearby," declares the
LORD, "and not a God far away? Can anyone hide in secret places so
that I cannot see him?" declares the LORD. "Do not I fill heaven
and earth?" declares the LORD. "I have heard what the prophets say who
prophesy lies in My name. They say, 'I had a dream! I
had a dream!' How long will this continue in the hearts of these
lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds? They
think the dreams they tell one another will make My people forget My name
through Baal worship. Let the prophet who has a dream tell his dream,
but let the one who has My word speak it faithfully. For what has
straw to do with grain?" declares the LORD. "Is not My word like
fire," declares the LORD, "and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?" "Therefore," declares the LORD, "I am
against the prophets who steal from one another words supposedly from Me.
Yes," declares LORD, "I am against the prophets who wag their own tongues
and yet declare, 'The LORD declares.' Indeed, I am against those
who prophesy false dreams," declares the LORD. "They tell them and
lead My people astray with their reckless lies, yet I did not send or appoint
them. They do not benefit these people in the least, " declares the
LORD. (NIV)
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