God has Jeremiah go to the temple nd speak to the people there. His hope being, they will listen and change their ways and help to change the ways of the others.
If so, He will relent.
Jeremiah did as God wanted and after he said his peace, they captured him and threatened to kill him.
I can't help wondering what would happen if God sent us a prophet like Jeremiah today. Wouldn't we do the same? How would you differentiate between a loony toon and a real prophet?
The princes, though, kinda realize they better not kill him. To be on the safe side. They remember all the other prophets in the past who we true men of God.
So that's good.
In 27:15 God talks about the false prophets again. He says that they are prophesying falsely in MY name. Not in the name of some other god. THIS is what I was talking about in the last reading when I compared them to the tv preachers. (Not all of them)Hananiah the prophet was also falsely prophesying in the name of God.
2 comments:
We DO do that. I realise it's difficult to distinguish sometimes between the quacks and the real men of God today, but I don't think it was as difficult in those times. Prophesies were literally being fulfilled in much greater frequency than they are now. And isn't fulfillment 'the test' of a prophets credibility.
Here we go with the TV preachers again. Here in ONE spot God says that (actually a couple of others, too) but he more resoundly accuses them of NOT following our preaching His word. I mean anyone can claim they are a prophet from God, just like religions (catholic, episp, etc.) can claim they are Christians religions, but if what they preach and teach and prophesy is not the word of God, then they are full of it. TV preachers (most) don't do that, despite their incessant solicitation for funds. So, it's not the same. And like the specific religions I cited, you cannot claim to believe in the Bible and Christianity, and deny what it says as truth....like homosexuality being an abomination and immoral. That's what it says, several times. So how some of this "Christian" religions can allow gay priests into their churches and perform "marriage" of gay couples makes no sense, and is totally contradictory to the teachings of the Bible.
One of my favorite passages in the Bible is Jer. 29:11 "For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome." The NIV puts it like this, "'For I know the plans I have for you,' delcares the Lord, 'plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.'"
God is still willing to forgive them and to not destroy and scatter them. He even sounds unsure of their future at one point when He tells Jeremiah that if he keeps prophesying to them they might, just might, change their ways. I'd definitely call that free will.
Tomorrow is Jer. 30-31
Almost forgot, getting on the TV preacher rant again, as indicated in the notes, we have more literal fulfillment of prophecy. Mountain of coincidences. When men of God prophesy and it is fulfilled, there is no consideration given, but when an atheist comes up with a theory that is backed up by suppositions and no facts, we give that all the weight in the world and just start calling it fact. I'll never understand that (stubborness).
I just want to make this clear once and for all...the TV preacher analogies. The prophets then might have bean claiming to be men of God, but they were not followintg His word. Their deeds and actions were totally contradictory to His word. They had idols in the temple and everything. That's the point, they did everything against the word of God and His law, but said they were His prophets. TV preachers (most) do not do that. In fact, they sometimes seem judgmental because they claim to live these "perfect" lives before God and the world. Yet, sometimes we find out they are still living a life of sin. Yet, they are still preaching and teaching the word of God. These prophets were clearly not following God's commands and precepts. Everyone knew it...I mean if there's a big idol in your church wouldn't you know that is wrong and that preacher is probably not a man or prophet of God? I'd hope so.
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