Today’s chapter in Jeremiah (23) is a stirring and challenging chapter to read. There is a heavy burden on this prophet in bringing a message of condemnation to the people because of their godless ways following “slippery paths in the darkness” [v.12]. Suddenly the prophet receives a totally different kind of message, but we think it is for him personally and for those who share his faith in God.

The message is a vision of the distant future, “I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all the countries where I have driven them … behold the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land (or earth). In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will dwell securely” [v.3,5,6]

It is this vision; the conviction that this is God’s ultimate purpose which carries Jeremiah through in his life of service to God, a life that was becoming more and more difficult. “My heart is broken … I am like a drunken man … for the land is full of adulteries … both prophet and priest are ungodly; even in my house I have found their evil, declares the LORD.” [v.9-11] He later bemoans the fact, “In the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen a horrible thing: they commit adultery and walk in lies …” [v.14]. Those who represented God and whose lives should have set an example were just as bad as the people. We are seeing more and more parallels to this today.

Now note the challenge that is made! “Let him who has my word speak my word faithfully” [v28]. Obviously, among the few who truly knew God’s word, some were doing that! Sadly after the time of Christ, we see from Peter’s second letter, there is the same warning and he draws lessons from the past, “for no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you … “ [1 v.21; 2 v.1]. To some extent, we walk in Jeremiah’s footsteps.