How does Jeremiah 23:17 warn against false assurances of peace and safety? Setting the Scene in Jeremiah 23 • Jeremiah is exposing corrupt prophets who claimed to speak for God but actually tickled ears. • The surrounding verses (Jeremiah 23:9-32) condemn their lies, immorality, and self-promotion. • God’s true message was impending judgment on unrepentant Judah, yet the false prophets preached comfort. The Text of Jeremiah 23:17 “They keep saying to those who despise Me, ‘The LORD has said: You will have peace.’ And to everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his own heart they say, ‘No harm will come to you.’ ” Why the Promised Peace Was Empty • Audience: “those who despise Me” and the “stubborn.” The promise excluded repentance; therefore it contradicted God’s character and covenant. • Content: “You will have peace … No harm will come.” The prophets guaranteed what God had not spoken (v. 21). • Timing: Babylon was already rising; judgment was certain. The assurance delayed repentance, sealing the nation’s ruin. Roots of False Assurance • Rejection of God’s word—v. 18 notes they had not “stood in the council of the LORD.” • Desire for popularity—promising peace gained favor with leaders and people (cf. Isaiah 30:10). • Presumption on covenant status—many assumed their lineage automatically secured blessing (Jeremiah 7:4). • Self-deception—people preferred soothing words over hard truth (Jeremiah 5:31). Confirming Evidence from the Rest of Scripture • Ezekiel 13:10-11: “Because they have led My people astray, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace…” • 1 Thessalonians 5:3: “While people are saying, ‘Peace and security,’ destruction will come suddenly…” • Micah 3:5: “…prophets who lead My people astray, proclaiming peace when they have food to eat…” • Deuteronomy 29:19 warns the man who “hears the words of this oath and invokes a blessing on himself, thinking, ‘I will have peace…’” • Jeremiah 6:14; 8:11: “They dress the wound of My people with very little care, saying, ‘Peace, peace,’ when there is no peace.” Living Alert to Counterfeit Comfort • Test every assurance against the whole counsel of Scripture (Acts 17:11; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). • Remember that genuine peace is always tied to repentance and obedience (Isaiah 48:18; John 14:21,27). • Recognize that sin’s stubbornness cannot coexist with divine blessing (Proverbs 28:13). • Value truth over soothing words, even when truth hurts (Proverbs 27:6). • Hold leaders accountable: a true messenger must revere God more than human approval (Galatians 1:10). Summary of the Warning Jeremiah 23:17 exposes the deadly danger of receiving comfort divorced from repentance. False voices promise peace and safety to unrepentant hearts, lulling them into complacency until judgment falls. Scripture calls believers to weigh every message by God’s revealed Word, pursue genuine repentance, and cling to the peace that comes only through obedient fellowship with the Lord. |
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