3/27/25

Recently I was talking to a family member who I consider to be very intelligent. She shared with me how she had received an ad in the mail from a local business showing she had won a fairly decent sum of money. She told me I know there is a catch, but I have read the fine print and researched it, and I cannot find it. She said it sure is tempting.

I don't know if she went to the business or not but it goes to show us that we all are capable of being deceived. No matter our level of intelligence. This is what was going on in our text today. Deception was prevailing in the majority! Jeremiah 14:13 NASB95 But, “Ah, Lord GOD!” I said, “Look, the prophets are telling them, ‘You will not see the sword nor will you have famine, but I will give you lasting peace in this place.’”

God was tired of the people not obeying and following Him. However, Jeremiah says Lord GOD, Look at the (false) prophets telling them that they are ok and that there is no catch. They are telling them a loving God would not allow them to suffer. Jeremiah says God they are telling them that they will have "lasting peace in this place"

Even though Jeremiah is telling them to repent and follow the Lord. Even though Jeremiah has proved that he is a prophet of the Lord GOD, they choose to listen to the false prophets who are telling them they can disobey God, and they will be fine. They say simply God will forgive you. To borrow from The Wizard of Oz. They say don't look behind the curtain. Just trust us because we say exactly what you desire to hear!

We know that Jeremiah was correct. The people were punished and removed from the land. The (false) prophets lied there was a catch to their sin. The false prophets were nothing but puppets being directed by the one behind the curtain, Satan.

In the world today, there are many "churches" (and I use that term very loosely) that have preachers saying everything will be okay. Live your life knowing that there is a God and that He forgives you. They tell them, you are fine in your life of what these others call sin.

Well, I say look at the people of Judah during Jeremiah's time. Yes, God is forgiving, but he also is a Just God! So much so that Sin had a debt and it had to be paid. He didn't just forgive. Instead, He fulfilled the debt at the cost of His Son!

I like how God used two words through Jeremiah to describe Himself in this text. The first is Lord, it is (adanay) which means master/ruler, having authority over as a master over a slave. The New Testament would use the term bondservant of Christ. Showing Christ as our ruler. The second word used is GOD, it is (Yahweh), it means He was, is, and always will be. He is self-existent and unchanging.

When we put these two names together He is, was, and always will be our Master / Ruler and never changes. God expected them to be obedient, He expects the same from us, and He will expect obedience in the future.

If someone tells us otherwise, then there is a catch, they are being directed by the puppeteer behind the curtain seeking to deceive us straight to Hell.

Don't be deceived; although everyone is tempted, Jesus gives us the guidance and wisdom to say no to the false and follow the real prophets who teach the word of God only.

Satan always has a catchn

Love Bro. Scott