How does Jeremiah 23:38 connect with Deuteronomy 18:20 on false prophecy? \Laying the Foundational Standard—Deuteronomy 18:20\ “ ‘But a prophet who presumes to speak a message in My name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, is to be put to death.’ ” • God Himself establishes the test: – The prophet must only declare what God actually commands. – Presumption—claiming God’s authority without His commission—is a capital offense. • The gravity is clear: false prophecy is treason against the throne of heaven. \Jeremiah’s Scene—Abusing the Phrase “The Burden of the LORD”\ “But if you claim, ‘This is the burden of the LORD,’ then this is what the LORD says: Because you have said, ‘This is the burden of the LORD,’ and I specifically told you not to make this claim …” (Jeremiah 23:38) • In Jeremiah’s day prophets and priests bandied about the formula “The burden of the LORD” (Hebrew maśśāʾ) to lend weight to their own words. • God flatly forbids its use because they were: – Inventing messages (Jeremiah 23:16). – Borrowing and recycling one another’s oracles (Jeremiah 23:30). – Turning genuine prophecy into a cliché, emptying it of reverent fear. \How the Two Passages Interlock\ 1. Same offense • Deuteronomy warns against “presuming” to speak a word God has not given. • Jeremiah exposes real-time perpetrators doing precisely that. 2. Same divine response • Deuteronomy prescribes death; Jeremiah announces judgment: – “I will forget you and cast you out of My presence” (Jeremiah 23:39–40). • Though the specific penalty differs in wording, the outcome—separation from God and His covenant people—is consistent. 3. Same motive behind the law • Protect the purity of revelation. • Guard the flock from deception that leads to idolatry (cf. Jeremiah 23:13–15; Deuteronomy 13:1–5). \Additional Biblical Echoes\ • Jeremiah 14:14—“The prophets are prophesying lies in My name.” • Ezekiel 13:6—“They claim, ‘This is the declaration of the LORD,’ when the LORD has not sent them.” • Matthew 7:15—“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing.” • 2 Peter 2:1—“There will be false teachers among you.” All reinforce the Deuteronomy–Jeremiah link: unauthorized speech in God’s name provokes His swift judgment. \Living Implications\ • Treasuring Scripture’s sufficiency safeguards against adding to God’s word (Proverbs 30:6). • Discernment is essential; test every message (1 John 4:1). • Speaking for God carries solemn responsibility—accuracy, humility, and fidelity to revealed truth. |
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