Yes, it’s possible. The people who are the “shepherds” of God’s people can be off. Way off. And be derelict in their duty to care for the people. They can say things that sound like God but are not of God. All of Jer 23 is an indictment against such leaders.
2 Therefore this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to the shepherds who tend my people: “Because you have scattered my flock and driven them away and have not bestowed care on them, I will bestow punishment on you for the evil you have done,” declares the Lord (Jer 23:2).
They’ve scattered the very flock they were meant to serve? Driven them away? And not bestowed care upon them? Why would they do that? We get a hint in verse 4:
4 I will place shepherds over them who will tend them, and they will no longer be afraid or terrified, nor will any be missing,” declares the Lord.
Bottom line is that the shepherds were cowards. When they fire heated up, they compromised instead of staying committed. They chose to justify their sins rather than stand on the righteous truths of God.
There’s more. God had plenty to say.
“Both prophet and priest are godless;even in my temple I find their wickedness,”declares the Lord” (v. 11).
The prophets and the priests became godless? What did they do?
“They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that not one of them turns from their wickedness” (v. 14).
They didn’t stand against culture, they joined it. They supported and gave their endorsement to those who did evil. Instead of warning their people and turning them from wickedness, they became cowards and compromisers.
It continues. The prophets abounded and they told people all of their dreams and visions. But they didn’t speak what was of the Lord. They prophesied peace and not truth (v. 16-17).
Do not listen to what the prophets are prophesying to you;
they fill you with false hopes.
They speak visions from their own minds,
not from the mouth of the Lord.
17 They keep saying to those who despise me,
‘The Lord says: You will have peace.’
And to all who follow the stubbornness of their hearts
they say, ‘No harm will come to you.’
There was more:
25 “I have heard what the prophets say who prophesy lies in my name. They say, ‘I had a dream! I had a dream!’ 26 How long will this continue in the hearts of these lying prophets, who prophesy the delusions of their own minds?
The Lord’s anger burned against the religious leaders. And the words of the prophets became an echo chamber.
“Therefore,” declares the Lord, “I am against the prophets who steal from one another words supposedly from me” v. 30.
There’s a strong message for these prophets:
37 This is what you keep saying to a prophet: ‘What is the Lord’s answer to you?’ or ‘What has the Lord spoken?’ 38 Although you claim, ‘This is a message from the Lord,’ this is what the Lord says: You used the words, ‘This is a message from the Lord,’ even though I told you that you must not claim, ‘This is a message from the Lord.’ 39 Therefore, I will surely forget you and cast you out of my presence along with the city I gave to you and your ancestors. 40 I will bring on you everlasting disgrace—everlasting shame that will not be forgotten.”
The Lord minced no words for the shepherds of Israel. They were shepherds and were expected to stand against dangers to protect the sheep. But this they did not do. They became cowards. They compromised. And they did not do their job as a shepherd.
Furthermore the prophets spoke things that were not of God as though they were. The had dreams that they shared and “God told me…..” things that were not of Him. They did not sit in the council of God but rather spoke things that came from themselves. Their own delusions.
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This is angering, convicting, scary and accurate. We are in a season where we see the church believing and endorsing much of what the world endorses because it wants to be tolerant, nice and kind. But truth isn’t always palatable. It’s angering seeing so many leaders who claim Christ yet lead their people astray. People trust them so they don’t look into it themselves. Culture becomes greater than the truth of God’s word.
22 But if they had stood in my council,
they would have proclaimed my words to my people
and would have turned them from their evil ways
and from their evil deeds.
It’s convicting too. Will I run? Will I compromise? Is there evil in my own heart? How am I influencing people. It’s sobering to think about.
It’s scary too. Scary that we live in such day and time that “even the elect will fall.” We see it happening right before our eyes. I want to stand.
And it’s so accurate. How many times have I seen a YouTube video that says, “God told me…” and then heard their dreams and visions. It’s not that prophets aren’t real, that dreams and visions are not of God, but how many times must their word fail before people open their eyes? How is it that the fruit of such YouTube prophets is that people race to them instead of God? And how is that they are profiting off of fear-mongering?
We can’t throw out the baby with the bath water. But we must know the Word and exercise discernment. We must stand on the truth of God’s Word even if we suffer. And we must shepherd the people even when we are hated so as to turn the people to God and away from evil.
Matthew 9:36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
John 10:11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.