Having warned the exiles against being misled by false prophets and teaching them how they should react attention is now turned specifically to some of the false prophets. False prophecy and false teaching is not just a matter of someone getting it wrong or having a different view. Rather, it is dangerous. It harms peoples lives, so it needs to be taken seriously. Of course, at the same time there needs to be a balance. We don't want the situation where no one is allowed to disagree on anything or to question anything.
Shemaiah is the false prophet who is singled out. He had deliberately set himself up against Jeremiah, and had taken positive steps to have Jeremiah stopped. Note that he did not seek to challenge the validity of Jeremiah's teaching. Instead he flattered the puppet king and urged him to have Jeremiah put in the stocks. Shemaiah was apparently based in Babylon, so there were false prophets among the exiles.
The Lord spoke to Jeremiah again, and a further word was sent to the exiles warning them that Shemiah was a false prophet and would be judged.
No comments:
Post a Comment