|
Jeremiah 23:23-29
23 “Am I only a God nearby,” declares the LORD, “and not a God far away? 24 Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?” declares the LORD. “Do not I fill heaven and earth?” declares the LORD.
25 “I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in my name. They say, ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’ 26 How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds? 27 They think the dreams they tell one another will make my people forget my name, just as their fathers forgot my name through Baal worship. 28 Let the prophet who has a dream tell his dream, but let the one who has my word speak it faithfully. For what has straw to do with grain?” declares the LORD. 29 “Is not my word like fire,” declares the LORD, “and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?”
“Watch Out For False Peace!”
The temptation is always great to either keep silent, rather than deliver the wounds from a friend that can be trusted, or to discourage others from delivering wounds from a friend to us by getting angry at them when they do. All of us are naturally inclined to work toward an outward peace, because we are naturally inclined to live in a way that serves self. We don’t want to bring conflict and trouble into our lives by making others mad at us for getting in the way they want to live, and we don’t want others to make us mad by getting in our way. For these reasons, speaking and receiving the truth in love, which gets in the way of self-service in us and others, is not something we are naturally inclined to do.
However, as Christians, speaking and receiving the truth in love is always what we are called to do. The price we pay for not doing so can be inestimably high. Tossing aside the cross of conflict to us for speaking the truth in love, or laying a cross of conflict on others for speaking the truth in love, thereby discouraging them from coming to us with the truth again, can end in us turning away from the cross of our Savior, by which alone we're saved!
To keep us from doing that, Jeremiah gives a fierce warning against being unfaithful in speaking God's word and being unwilling to receive the truth. Jeremiah warns the false prophets in his day going around saying, "God spoke to me last night,” and persecuting Jeremiah for speaking the truth to them how completely God sees the sin and how impossible it is to escape his judgment for it. "I know you're speaking lies in my name. I can see better than you the horrible spiritual damage you are doing those I love by your setting aside my word for the glory of outward peace and popularity! Who is going to save you from me? Where can you run and hide from me when I come for you in judgment. 'Am I only a God nearby and not far away?’ ‘Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?’" What a fierce warning this is for us: I see how your desire for outward peace and popularity, at times, has lead you to hurt the one I love and paid for with my blood by not warning them of sin or error! I see how in your drive to love self first, you have retaliated in anger, rather than thank the person who came to you with the truth. You can't hide this from me!
But, above all, Jeremiah gives powerful comforts and incentives for faithfully speaking and receiving God's word. Listen to this: God himself has built the shelter in which we can hide from and escape his judgment: the cross of his Son, where he wiped away our failures to bear the cross of conflict for speaking the truth in love and our successes in laying the cross of conflict on others for speaking the truth to us in love. And so, we have a God who is not far away but nearby to protect and graciously reward our faithful speaking of his truth, and to bless and comfort our joyful receiving of the truth. Jeremiah reminds us that the truth spoken and received has the power to smash through stony, prideful hearts, work repentance, and ignite the fires of saving faith in Jesus, bringing us and others God's greatest blessings of comfort, certainty, new life, a true, eternal peace with God that surpasses all understanding, and a true love and unity as believers!
In the light of such fierce warnings and blessed comforts, be ever watchful of false peace - the mere outward peace that comes with silencing God’s word - and let us hold out and receive the word of truth, that we and our neighbor may enjoy a real, full, and eternal peace in Jesus!
|
760-245-9090
