Week 33: False Prophets
Weekly Reading:
Jeremiah 15 - 36
Opening Prayer
Father God,
I know that I struggle with sin. It is ever-present and while I try to avoid temptation sometimes, I walk right into it. Father, help me see in myself what You see. Break me so that I can build my faith up stronger in you.
Amen
Study
“Even Jesus drank wine,” I rationalize drinking my second glass of wine, only to slide into a buzz.
“I can exercise tomorrow,” as I justify my decision not to take care of myself.
“It is not worth fighting with my kids on Sunday morning to get them to church because then we all show up angry and no one wants an angry face at church,” I defend my choice not to nurture my children’s desire for God.
“I don’t have time to spend with God, in the Word, or pray, I don’t know how you do it,” I say as I explain my decision to work more to please man rather than God.
I could go on; I have many ways to explain away and rationalize my behaviors. These excuses are not just ones I tell myself but also ones I have told others as a way of empathizing.
Rationalize
Justify
Defend
Explain away
We often do all these things as a way to connect and justify our behaviors or decisions. And sometimes we find ourselves helping others do the same as a way of showing empathy.
In Jeremiah 23, we see both Jeremiah and God contend for the hearts of men who struggle under false prophets. We see God angered with those prophets who led people into sin in the name of Baal. (Verse 13), but God said that those in Jerusalem are worse as they encourage those who do evil so that no one turns from sin (verse 14).
We look at the Israelites these days and think that their reason is so obvious. “Of course, we should not worship Baal”, but we are all blind to the Baal of our modern age:
Addiction to work
Alcohol
Food
video games
Television
Social media
And every day we see global acceptance of sin, our eyes close to the gateway of sin in our lives. We find ourselves supporting our addictions and the addictions of friends and family. “Of course, you need to work more, that is how you get the promotion.”
Verse 18 challenges us to think beyond our justification.
“Have any of these prophets been in the Lord’s presence to hear what he is really saying? Has even one of them cared enough to listen?”
Jeremiah 23:18 NLT
When our friends are faced with a struggle, we know we should go to the Lord in prayer over the issue; instead, we talk it through. We should look up what God says in his word, yet we discuss what we think the next step should be.
God says in verse 22:
“If they had stood before me and listened to me, they would have spoken my words, and they would have turned my people from their evil ways and deeds.”
Jeremiah 23:22 NLT
By going to God, by knowing what His word says, we would know what we should do.
When we look at decisions rationalized earlier:
“Even Jesus drank wine”, we see:
“Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,”
Ephesians 5:18 NLT
“I can exercise tomorrow”
“Don’t you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself,”
1 Corinthians 6:19 NLT
Note this verse speaks to sexual immorality, but it also speaks to keeping yourself healthy for God‘s purpose.
“I just can’t stand this strife on Sunday morning”
“Teach them to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.”
Deuteronomy 11:19 NLT
“Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord.”
Ephesians 6:4 NLT
“I will just work one more hour to finish this report”
“No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money.”
Matthew 6:24 NLT
When going to God’s word, we see a very different instruction in our lives:
“Let these false prophets tell their dreams, but let my true messengers faithfully proclaim my every word. There is a difference between straw and grain! Does not my word burn like fire?” says the Lord. “Is it not like a mighty hammer that smashes a rock to pieces?”
Jeremiah 23:28-29 NLT
No, I’m not saying that we are false prophets, what I am saying is that we all teeter on justifying, rationalizing, defending, and explaining away to make ourselves feel better about our decisions. However, feeling better about our decision will not get us closer to God. And when we condone or support a friend in their sin, we are not helping them.
“As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.”
Proverbs 27:17 NLT
“Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable.”
Hebrews 4:13 NLT
“So let’s stop condemning each other. Decide instead to live in such a way that you will not cause another believer to stumble and fall.”
Romans 14:13 NLT
By going to God in prayer or searching his word together we can both empathize and do right without leading our friends and family to sin by justifying, rationalizing, defending, or making excuses for ungodly behavior.
Closing Prayer
Father God,
Sometimes I need reminders in Your word as I am quick to explain away my sin, justify my sin, and defend my sin. Father God, only through your grace am I forgiven. Father help me to sin no more, to stop before reacting, and to go to You in prayer when I am stuck.
Amen
Homework
What are you justifying, rationalizing, defending, or making excuses for?
Turn it over to God in prayer today.
