“I Am Against Those Who
Prophesy False Dreams”
This
is what the LORD Almighty says: "Do not listen to what the prophets are
prophesying to you; they fill you with false hopes. They speak visions from
their own minds, not from the mouth of the LORD.
Jeremiah 23:16
"Therefore,"
declares the LORD, "I am against the prophets who steal from one another
words supposedly from me. Yes," declares the LORD, "I am against the
prophets who wag their own tongues and yet declare, 'The LORD declares.' Indeed, I am against those who prophesy false
dreams," declares the LORD. "They tell them and lead my people astray
with their reckless lies, yet I did not send or appoint them. They do not
benefit these people in the least," declares the LORD.
"When
these people, or a prophet or a priest, ask you, 'What is the oracle of the LORD ?' say to them, 'What oracle? I will forsake you,
declares the LORD.' If a prophet or a
priest or anyone else claims, 'This is the oracle of the LORD,' I will punish
that man and his household. This is what each of you keeps on saying to his
friend or relative: 'What is the LORD's answer?' or 'What has the LORD
spoken?' But you must not mention 'the
oracle of the LORD ' again, because every man's own word becomes his oracle and
so you distort the words of the living God, the LORD Almighty, our God. This is what you keep saying to a prophet: 'What is
the LORD's answer to you?' or 'What has the LORD spoken?' Although you claim,
'This is the oracle of the LORD,' this is what the LORD says: You used the
words, 'This is the oracle of the LORD,' even though I told you that you must
not claim, 'This is the oracle of the LORD.' Therefore, I will surely forget
you and cast you out of my presence along with the city I gave to you and your
fathers. I will bring upon you everlasting disgrace—everlasting shame that will
not be forgotten."
Jeremiah 23:30-40
It
can be a problem when things are taken out of context. It can be an even bigger
problem when Scripture from the Bible is taken out of context.
The
apostle Paul made a point of saying that he did not handle the Word of God deceitfully. He knew the danger of preaching his own ideas
rather than God’s. All of us need to be careful to use God’s word for His
purpose, rather than for our own agenda.
We must align ourselves with the Bible and never try to
align the Bible to ourselves.
Our Daily Bread –