Thursday: Trusting in Lies
Hear now, Hananiah; The Lord hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie
(Jer. 28:15).
The answer about who was right, whether Jeremiah or Hananiah, came soon enough. Jeremiah 28:16-17 tells the fate of the false prophet, which was just what the true prophet had said it would be.
Image © Darrel Tank from GoodSalt.com
Though Hananiah died, he still had done damage to the nation. His works, in a sense, followed him. He made the people to trust in a lie.
The Hebrew verb is hiphil, a causative form of the verb to trust.
He caused them to trust in a lie, not in the sense of physically forcing them, but through deception. Even though the Lord had not sent him, he spoke in the name of the Lord, which carried a lot of weight in Judah. Added to that, Hananiah’s message of grace,
deliverance,
and redemption
was certainly something that the people wanted to hear, considering the great threat that Babylon posed to the nation. It was, though, a false gospel,
a false message of salvation that the Lord had not given them. So, at a time when the people needed to hear the words of Jeremiah and the message of redemption that he brought, they listened to the words of Hananiah instead, and this made their woes only worse.
What do the following texts have in common with Jeremiah 28:15, 2 Tim. 4:3-4, 2 Thess. 2:10-12?
Things are no different today: we are in the great controversy, a battle for the hearts and minds of the world’s billions. Satan is working diligently to get as many as possible to trust in a lie,
and that lie can come in many guises and forms, just as long as it is always a lie. After all, because Jesus said I am the way, the truth, and the life
(John 14:6), Satan’s lies can be about anything and everything, just as long as they don’t contain the truth as it is in Jesus.
What are some of the lies that are so prevalent in your culture today? Why is clinging to Jesus, and His Word, our only protection against them?
(17)
Jesus is the way the truth and the light, study to show thy self approved unto God. I, you, we must always search the scriptures to make sure that what is said is from God. It may come from the pulpit or from someone who appears to know God, but we must be careful who speaks into our lives as well as what we hear. The love of the truth will guide our feet from slipping into darkness. Satan is playing for keeps. We must love the word and lean not unto our own understanding but Wholly Lean on Jesus.
"This is a rebellious people... who say to the seers "Do not see", and to the prophets, "Do not prophesy to us right things; speak to us smooth things, prophesy deceits." (Isa 30:10)
Of course the people didn't EXPLICITLY say to God's messengers, "Do not see". And they didn't explicitly say to the prophets, "Do not prophesy right things... we want to hear only smooth things and deceit from you."
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The people didn't explicitly make those requests, and yet those were exactly the things they were wanting. They were eager to hear words that were in accordance with their own desires, and when they heard them the people felt encouraged, strong, and bold. People naturally want to hear "smooth things" - things that involve no "cross", no disappointment, no sacrifice or self-denial.
___________
Many Christians today have been led to trust the claims that the internet will be the great means whereby the Gospel will go to the world. How ready we have all been to believe it! But can you imagine what it would mean if this were not so? How utterly "ruinous" the concept would be [to all our rational hopes]... if God effectively chose to by-pass technology, and to employ another way.
Jeremiah was forthright in addressing the false prophet by saying, “The LORD has not sent you; but you make this people to trust in a lie.” (Jeremiah 28:15) Such plain-speaking stirs discomfort in today’s politically correct world and some messengers may think they do Jehovah a favor by tweaking or avoiding the straight truth, sometimes to the point it is not clear what the truth is.
Truth is not to be weakly presented as merely a personal preference, but promulgated straight and with confidence.
At the same time it is possible one may be sincerely mistaken. No doubt there were those who were honestly mistaken in accepting Hananiah’s message and passed it on. Deception, especially self-deception is not easily recognized, otherwise it might soon be addressed.
It becomes the Christian therefore to adopt an attitude of humility and self-distrust which allows for detection of deception in one’s own beliefs (Proverbs 3:5; 28:26). There is no virtue in being so fastened to a belief it is not open to investigation.
One reason so many denominations of Christianity and errors appear to thrive is so many do not acknowledge it is possible they can be wrong or deceived. They will not check.
Those who in their own estimation cannot be possibly wrong cannot be corrected by the Holy Spirit through His messengers. Such may sentence themselves to die in error, and possibly with far reaching consequences (Jeremiah 28:16-17).
Those with a right attitude are led from truth to truth (Proverbs 4:18) and that which they happen to get wrong is not held against them (Acts 17:30).
Don't listen if all they say is "Don't worry, Be Happy"
Do listen if they say "Surrender your will to Jehovah's will and no matter what happens on earth when He comes you will live forever in a perfect world with Him"
The Sunday sabbath is one of the most prevalent lie, the immortality of the soul, do as you please heaven is your home among many others.
Israelites had their lesson to learn. Nevertheless, that lesson was twofold. Just as the Israelites behaved so are we today. God's objective was to make Israel understand how far they had gone by putting all their faith and trust in human leaders. Could they have understood that and turned to Him, they could have spared themselves a big lot of discouragement that they were about to face in due course. The same is applying to us today. The world is confused. Humanity has failed to see the source of ultimate solution and turned to man.
I like what Paul writes in Romans 8:35-39.You have false prophets and you have Gods prophets. I choose to trust Christ Gods son.
These two passages ( 2 Tim. 4:3-4, 2 Thess. 2:10-12) are critical to understand, especially the latter, which gives the reason for the former. It is finding pleasure in unrighteousness that quenches both desire and love for the Truth, leading to the belief in lies. It is the process of hardening the heart that leads to this believing in teachings that would have formerly been rejected as falsehood. This is the defining act in all who are ultimately impenitent. This is why the meek will inherit the earth, since self must be crucified if truth is to be accepted and followed. It's just not our natural way to be, and only by allowing Christ to dwell in our heart by faith can we be sanctified by the truth. Being crucified with Christ is the path to Life.
Sometimes God's servants are called to speak boldly, but never in a spirit of harshness or in vindictive wrath. Every word should be uttered in a manner to lead others upward following many prayers for the erring. The wrong spirit can diminish the convicting power of the message.
This calls for more desire to study God's word. The spirit of wanting to be taught and accept what leading men say, leads into a ditch. It calls for our commitment to the studying of God's word by ourselves. Let us not put humans as our arm whose breath is in the nostril. Inspiration says the line of distinction between error and truth lie so close to each side such that without eye salves, it is impossible to discern the difference. This is what the devils delights to do, mixing truth with error. The only safeguard is for us to study God;s word for ourselves so that we can not be deceived.
Reading the bible will make us understand our Lord and the path He want us to follow.
While I agree that Bible reading is a good place to start, we have a responsibility to share with our community of believers as well. All too often I see people come up with a warped perspective on life, by "following the Bible" In fact their isolation has led then into extremism that has not been good for their well-being. There is a very good reason why the Bible admonishes us to meet together. When we share our spiritual lives with others unselfishly we help not only others but ourselves.
If their perspective is warped, they are not following the Bible(if in fact they are even giving it serious, prayerful study). Depending upon other men is not the answer to this problem. This isn't to support being isolated, but Jesus, John the baptist and others were kept isolated from the polluted doctrines of men as they learned by the Holy Spirit (promised to every believer) through God's Word and His creation. Without this experience, we are not safe to listen to others and their ideas.
Enoch, Jesus and John all spent time in solitude, but then they went out to meet the multitude. Spending too much time in solitude can and does lead to fanaticism. It is when we go to share the good news that we feel our need of both study and prayer. On the other hand, doing nothing but studying and praying leads to self-absorption and fanaticism. I've seen it happen.
But as far as learning goes, our best Teacher is accessible always, anywhere. THEN we are prepared to go and mingle. 🙂
we as christians are always intertwined in sircumsyances of soothing lies that makes it hard to come out of them if not for the guidance of the holly spirit. the lies are.1. You can worship anyday solong as its the same God 2. God is only interested with the soul and not the body 3. rapture is soon and the Lord will only takes the chosen secretly. these are what so many ministers blindfold people with and pumps fear into them to a point they dont serch the scriptures. Thanks to this study its shade light to many people and led them to the true path of the Mighty Lord