How does Jeremiah 23:27 connect with Deuteronomy 13:1-5 on false prophets? Jeremiah’s Charge: Forgetting God’s Name • Jeremiah 23:27: “They intend to make My people forget My name by the dreams they recount to one another, just as their fathers forgot My name through Baal worship.” • The prophet exposes a core tactic of false teachers—using “dreams” to replace God’s revealed name, character, and covenant with something else. • Forgetting God is not a memory lapse; it is spiritual amnesia produced by alluring alternatives (cf. Judges 3:7; Hosea 4:6). Deuteronomy’s Test: Loyalty Above Wonders • Deuteronomy 13:1-5 warns that even if a “sign or wonder” actually comes to pass, the prophet is false if he says, “Let us follow other gods.” • The Lord allows such a scenario “to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul.” • The ultimate test is fidelity to God’s covenant, not the impressiveness of spiritual experience. Shared Marks of False Prophecy 1. Source: – Jeremiah: “dreams they recount to one another.” – Deuteronomy: “prophet or dreamer of dreams.” 2. Goal: – Jeremiah: “make My people forget My name.” – Deuteronomy: “let us follow other gods.” 3. Outcome: – Jeremiah: Idolatry like “Baal worship.” – Deuteronomy: “rebellion against the LORD your God.” 4. Divine Verdict: – Jeremiah 23:30-32 speaks of God being “against” such prophets. – Deuteronomy 13:5 prescribes capital punishment to “purge the evil.” Consequences Foretold and Applied • In both passages, false prophecy is treated as treason against the covenant King. • God does not excuse sincerity, success, or supernatural signs when the message contradicts His Word (cf. Galatians 1:8; Matthew 7:22-23). • He protects His people by exposing and judging deception (2 Peter 2:1-3). Applying the Connection Today • Evaluate every claim—dream, vision, or sign—by Scripture first (Acts 17:11; 1 John 4:1). • Look for the drift: does the teaching diminish Christ’s name or the exclusivity of the gospel? (John 14:6; Colossians 2:8). • Hold fast to the revealed Word; God’s voice in Scripture is the unchanging standard (Psalm 119:160; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). • Remember that spectacular experiences can be a divine test of covenant love; loyalty matters more than novelty (1 Thessalonians 5:20-22). |
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