False Visions

The land was filled with self-declared “prophets.” These men claimed that they had heard from God, and were speaking for Him. Their messages sounded genuine. But were they right?

Jeremiah knew that he actually was hearing from God, and the other “prophets” were not authentic. It became his responsibility to declare the truth, and what God told him. He also knew that this assignment would not make him popular. These prophets had delivered statements that people wanted to hear. But their messages were not from God.

In fact, their messages were “false.” The Hebrew word here suggests that they had a sinister motivation. They were deceptive, pointing people in the wrong direction. They also were useless, filling minds and hearts with ideas that were not constructive.

Second, these words were “foolish.” The Hebrew word here implies that they did not expose the root problems. In fact, the real issues were being covered up, as if smeared with plaster, coated to look different. Their oracles also were “misleading.” The Hebrew word here describes how people were being seduced by the messages of these false prophets.

God called Jeremiah to warn His people and give them the truth. To help them realize how they had been seduced and deceived. That they needed to face the facts. To know what was happening, and what they needed to do.

These same problems can occur in our time as well. How critical it is to remember that many deceptive messages are being spread throughout the land. That many who claim to speak for God are false prophets. That we need to be careful, on guard against deception.

In your life, seek to be in tune with God. Let Him speak to you. And stay sensitive to His Spirit.