INTRODUCTION: One of the devices Satan uses to turn people away from the true words of the living God is to provide false prophets and teachers who will lead them into the paths of sin (2 Corinthians 11:13-15 [13] For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into the apostles of Christ. [14] And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light. [15] Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also be transformed as the ministers of righteousness; whose end shall be according to their works.
See All...). When God’s people stray away from the words of God they often end up following these false prophets. This passage tells us much about the working and the ways of these men. To be forewarned is to be forearmed.

1. THE DEPRAVITY OF THE PROPHETS (Jeremiah 23:9-15 [9] Mine heart within me is broken because of the prophets; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome, because of the LORD, and because of the words of his holiness. [10] For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and their force is not right. [11] For both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the LORD. [12] Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith the LORD. [13] And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err. [14] I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness; they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah. [15] Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets; Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall: for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land.
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1. They Follow After the Sins of the Land (Jeremiah 23:10For the land is full of adulterers; for because of swearing the land mourneth; the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and their force is not right.
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2. They Bring Wickedness into the House of God (Jeremiah 23:11For both prophet and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the LORD.
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3. They Discourage the Faithful Saints of God (Jeremiah 23:9Mine heart within me is broken because of the prophets; all my bones shake; I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome, because of the LORD, and because of the words of his holiness.
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4. They Lead Others in their Ways of Sin (Jeremiah 23:13And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria; they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err.
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5. They Strengthen the Hands of the Wicked (Jeremiah 23:14I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness; they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.
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2. THE DECEITFULNESS OF THE PROPHETS (Jeremiah 23:16-20 [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. [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. [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? [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. [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.
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1. They Refuse to Hear the Word of the Lord (Jeremiah 23:18For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it?
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2. They Speak a Vision of their own Heart (Jeremiah 23:16Thus 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.
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3. They Comfort those who Need to Repent (Jeremiah 23:17They 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.
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4. They Make their Followers Vain (Jeremiah 23:16Thus 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.
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3. THE DREAMS OF THE PROPHETS (Jeremiah 23:21-27 [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, 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. [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. [26] How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart; [27] Which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbour, as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal.
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1. They Go though God did not Send Them (Jeremiah 23:21I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.
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2. They Fail to do the Work of a Prophet (Jeremiah 23:22But if they had stood in my counsel, 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.
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3. They Forget that God Sees All Things (Jeremiah 23:23-25 [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.
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4. They Deceive Themselves as they Deceive Others (Jeremiah 23:26How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart;
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5. They Cause God’s People to Forget His Name (Jeremiah 23:27Which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbour, as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal.
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4. THE DENIAL OF THE PROPHETS (Jeremiah 23:28-32 [28] The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD. [29] Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces? [30] Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour. [31] Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He saith. [32] Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD.
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1. They Trade the Wheat of God’s Word for the Chaff of their own Visions (Jeremiah 23:28The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD.
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2. They Forget the Power of the Word of God (Jeremiah 23:29Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?
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3. They Steal God’s Words from the People (Jeremiah 23:30Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour.
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4. They Claim God’s Authority for their own Words (Jeremiah 23:31Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He saith.
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5. They Cause God’s People to Err (Jeremiah 23:32Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness; yet I sent them not, nor commanded them: therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD.
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1. By their lies
2. By their lightness
5. THE DENOUNCEMENT OF THE PROPHETS (Jeremiah 23:33-40 [33] And when this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask thee, saying, What is the burden of the LORD? thou shalt then say unto them, What burden? I will even forsake you, saith the LORD. [34] And as for the prophet, and the priest, and the people, that shall say, The burden of the LORD, I will even punish that man and his house. [35] Thus shall ye say every one to his neighbour, and every one to his brother, What hath the LORD answered? and, What hath the LORD spoken? [36] And the burden of the LORD shall ye mention no more: for every man's word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God. [37] Thus shalt thou say to the prophet, What hath the LORD answered thee? and, What hath the LORD spoken? [38] But since ye say, The burden of the LORD; therefore thus saith the LORD; Because ye say this word, The burden of the LORD, and I have sent unto you, saying, Ye shall not say, The burden of the LORD; [39] Therefore, behold, I, even I, will utterly forget you, and I will forsake you, and the city that I gave you and your fathers, and cast you out of my presence: [40] And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.
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1. They Mock the Negative Message of the True Prophets (Jeremiah 23:33And when this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask thee, saying, What is the burden of the LORD? thou shalt then say unto them, What burden? I will even forsake you, saith the LORD.
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2. They Claim the Authority of the True Prophets (Jeremiah 23:34And as for the prophet, and the priest, and the people, that shall say, The burden of the LORD, I will even punish that man and his house.
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3. They Forget that God has Already Spoken (Jeremiah 23:35-37 [35] Thus shall ye say every one to his neighbour, and every one to his brother, What hath the LORD answered? and, What hath the LORD spoken? [36] And the burden of the LORD shall ye mention no more: for every man's word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God. [37] Thus shalt thou say to the prophet, What hath the LORD answered thee? and, What hath the LORD spoken?
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4. They Perverted the Words of the Living God (Jeremiah 23:36And the burden of the LORD shall ye mention no more: for every man's word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God.
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5. They Bring Everlasting Shame on Themselves (Jeremiah 23:37-40 [37] Thus shalt thou say to the prophet, What hath the LORD answered thee? and, What hath the LORD spoken? [38] But since ye say, The burden of the LORD; therefore thus saith the LORD; Because ye say this word, The burden of the LORD, and I have sent unto you, saying, Ye shall not say, The burden of the LORD; [39] Therefore, behold, I, even I, will utterly forget you, and I will forsake you, and the city that I gave you and your fathers, and cast you out of my presence: [40] And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.
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CONCLUSION: We must be ready to follow the words of the living God and to test the prophets by the words of God that have already been given.