Jeremiah 23d. Is This a Word from God?
Jeremiah 23:23-24. “Am I a God near by, says the LORD, and not a God far off? Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them? says the LORD. Do I not fill heaven and earth? says the LORD.”
Let’s answer these questions in order, then perhaps we can see what God is talking about here.
“Am I a God near by?” Yes, God is nearby. However, what do humans mean by 'near'? God is always near to us, but God is not domesticated. God is in the temple, in the synagogue, in the church, and in the cathedral, but God is not a caged lion. God is near, but God is not controlled by presidents, priests, or preachers. God is not ‘on our side’ if by that one means that God has joined the bandwagon behind our special cause. God is not just in the temple or church where he is monitored and displayed only by priests and preachers. Nobody captures God and makes him part of their campaign.
Am I not “a God far off?” Yes, God is also a ‘God far off’, far enough away to have a God’s eye view of our culture and our society. God will decide whether being a ‘culture warrior’ is a good thing or a bad. God will decide whether taking food from the hungry, refusing to build housing for the homeless, or withholding medical care from the sick is a good thing or not. God will decide whether or not cutting taxes for the wealthy, taking bribes from billionaires, and pardoning white collar criminals is a good thing. He is far enough off to see everything, but not too far off to judge fairly.
Jeremiah 23:25-27. ”I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name, saying, “I have dreamed! I have dreamed!” How long? Will the hearts of the prophets ever turn back—those who prophesy lies and who prophesy the deceit of their own heart? They plan to make my people forget my name by their dreams that they tell one another, just as their ancestors forgot my name for Baal.
Any prophet or priest who pulls your attention away from the Lord God Almighty, from the Trinitarian Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, that is, the One and Only God, is about to tell you a lie. If the preacher’s concerns are not God’s concerns, then the preacher is about to tell you a lie. Who is God and what are his concerns? That’s easy enough to figure out; read the Bible! Dreams are fine, as long as they are in line with what God has already said and had written down.
Jeremiah 23:28-32. ”Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let the one who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? says the LORD. Is not my word like fire, says the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces? See, therefore, I am against the prophets, says the LORD, who steal my words from one another. See, I am against the prophets, says the LORD, who use their own tongues and say, “Says the LORD.” See, I am against those who prophesy lying dreams, says the LORD, and who tell them and who lead my people astray by their lies and their recklessness, when I did not send them or command them, so they do not profit this people at all, says the LORD.”
Have you ever stood behind a combine going through a wheat field at harvest? Don’t do it! You will get a mouthful of chaff and be covered with dust. Where did the wheat kernels go? They don’t come out the back. That’s garbage, that’s what has been separated from the wheat. (Old steam run machines were called separators). The grain, without the chaff, is redirected to the grain bin on the combine (our largest combines today can hold nearly 500 bushels of wheat before they have to auger it out into a grain wagon or truck). That is what God means when he asks, “What has straw in common with wheat?” The answer is, “Nothing.” The straw shoots out the back of the combine, the wheat is captured neat and clean to be stored for later use (for making bread, cakes, and donuts!).
God has already said that his true word should turn people from their evil ways and bring on repentance and reformation of morals and behavior. That is clear; no argument. But, still some people do not understand so God explains preaching with some metaphors.
Preaching God’s word is like fire. There are times when you should be squirming in the pew if your preacher is doing his or her job. At other times, preaching God’s word is taking a jackhammer to break up rocks. For some sermons, you should be shuttering under the hammer blows if your preacher is doing his or her job. People should wonder if it is safe to go to church. It’s not! God is a lion, and not a domesticated one.
Three times God says, “I am against those prophets who….” We are taught in Bible study to pay close attention to words that are repeated and in a list or series. Here they are. The preachers who assure the people that they are special and all is well should read this and tremble themselves. Such preaching does not do the people any good.
What ‘word’ might they preach instead of the word of God? They might preach ‘prosperity’, if you give enough money to the preacher. They might preach ‘nationalism’ or even ‘white nationalism’, if it keeps you coming back again for more. They might even serve up warmed-over ‘racism’ or ‘ethnic hatred’, if it will attract more people. Some give hatred an ecclesiastical cover and pretend that the other people, ‘those people’ are the great sinners.
If the preached word does not cause the audience to realize their own sins, to confess their wrongdoings, and to profess the Lord Jesus as their Savior who was sent by the Father, then the sermon comes from a different spirit, not God’s Holy Spirit.