Comments on Jeremiah 23 This chapter attacks the false prophets and self-promoting priests among Israel. These characters are surely the ones Jeremiah has been butting heads with over the years of his ministry. So, it is likely anything the Lord said through Jeremiah on this subject was simply dismissed by them as a fabrication on his part. v1-8 The Lord announces woe upon these terrible shepherds who are destroying rather than protecting the Lord's sheep (v. 1). In return for them exploiting His sheep, he will repay them justly for their evil (v. 2). Then, the Lord Himself will gather Israel out from where they were scattered (v. 3). And He will appoint new shepherds who will protect them so they will no longer fear (v. 4, cp. 33:13, Micah 5:5-6). The Lord will even reestablish the throne of David who will judge righteously among His people (v. 5, cp. 30:9, 33:14-23), during who's days Judah and Israel will be saved. The Lord then predicts the gathering and restoration of Israel as being an event as miraculous as the Exodus from Egypt and one by which the Lord will make His name known to all nations (v. 7-8, cp. 16:14-15). The references to the righteous branch and the restoration of the Davidic kingdom clearly have Messianic implications. But aside from this, it is also clear that under an eschatological/ Millennial setting the throne of David respecting his lineage will be reestablished as well, cf. Isa. 16:5, Ezek. 34:23-24, Ezek. 37:24-25, TPJS p. 339. v9-25 is a lengthy tirade against false prophets, or the bad shepherds referred to in v. 1. The text starts out with comments by Jeremiah (v. 9-10) and then moves on through a series of quotations of the Lord (v. 11-25). Jeremiah laments greatly (v. 9) the terrible spiritual condition of the present leaders at Jerusalem (v. 10). The Lord then says He will punish the priests and prophets who have desecrated His Temple (v. 11-12). He will punish the prophets of the Northen Ten tribes for their idolatry (v. 13) and the prophets at Jerusalem for secularizing and committing adulteries (v. 14). For these sins the Lord will force them to drink from the cup of His wrath (v. 15, cp. 24:15, 24:17). The Lord then condemns these self-promoting prophets (v. 16, 24-25)for telling people what they want to hear rather than calling them to repentance (v. 17, 22). None of these prophets have taken counsel from the Lord and He has not sent them (v. 18, 21), and so they will all be punished (v. 19-20). v16-25 can be arranged chiastically, as follows: A - 16 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD. B - 17 They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace; and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you. C - 18 For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it? D - 19 Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD is gone forth in fury, even a grievous whirlwind: it shall fall grievously upon the head of the wicked. D - 20 The anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the thoughts of his heart: in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly. C - 21 I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. 22 But if they had stood in my counsel, B - and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings. A - 23 Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off? 24 Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD. 25 I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed. v22 A prophets job is to call people to repentance, but these false prophets are telling people what they want to hear per v. 17. Thus, we have a key for a true prophet: they will be telling you to repent. v26-32 continues the accusations against the false prophets by stating they are using the Lord's name as an authority ploy when all they are doing is speaking in behalf of themselves using fictitious visions. In doing so they lead the Lord's people astray. v33-40 The text here is obscure, the JPS is a bit more clear than the KJV so here it is: 33 And when this people or a prophet or a priest asks you, "What is the burden of the Lord?" you shall answer them, "What is the burden? I will cast you off" declares the Lord. 34 As for the prophet or priest or layman who shall say "the burden of the Lord," I will punish that person and his house. 35 Thus you shall speak to each other, every one to his fellow, "What has the Lord answered?" or "What has the Lord spoken?" 36 But do not mention "the burden of the Lord" any more. Does a man regard his own word as a "burden," that you pervert the words of the living God, the Lord of Hosts, our God? 37 Thus you shall speak to the prophet: "What did the Lord answer you?" or "What did the Lord speak?" 38 But if you say "the burden of the Lord" assuredly, thus said the Lord: Because you said this thing, "the burden of the Lord," whereas I sent word to you not to say "the burden of the Lord," 39 I will utterly forget you and I will cast you away from My presence, together with the city that I gave to you and your fathers. 40 And I will lay upon you a disgrace for all time, shame for all time, which shall never be forgotten. As the priests and prophets are prophesying falsely, the Lord gives Jeremiah a message for them: tell them they are cast off (v. 33). Those who prophesy falsely will be punished by the Lord (v. 34). The false prophesying has gotten so bad people are consulting amongst themselves as to what the Lord has said as opposed to listening to His prophet (v. 35-36). Those who do profess to proclaim the word of the Lord when they do not will be cast out, forgotten, their heritage left desolate, and never- ending shame (v. 37-40). One thing we should recall is these false prophets are also characterized as gross sinners as well, cp. 23:14, 29:23. These are not people naively confused between personal revelation and corporate revelation. Copyright © 2002 by S. Kurt Neumiller . All rights reserved. No part of this text may be reproduced in any form or by any means for commercial gain without the express written consent of the author. 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