What God Wants vs What The People Love

Jeremiah 5:31
The prophets prophesy lies,
the priests rule by their own authority,
and my people love it this way.
But what will you do in the end?

In this section of the Bible, God is speaking to Prophet Jeremiah about the evils in Jerusalem as the reason why He will destroy it. At the end of the chapter, God tells Jeremiah that He will punish Jerusalem because of several reasons, the first one being that prophets prophesy lies.

A prophet is a person who ought to speak on behalf of God. A prophet delivered God’s word which may be predictive of the future or not. A prophet is still a prophet even if he or she does not make any predictions. What defines a prophet is not making predictions but speaking on behalf of God. We therefore would test a prophet by the consistency of their message and what the Bible teaches. The same Holy Spirit who inspires the prophet is the same one who inspired the writing of the Bible, therefore what a prophet says and does cannot and should not contradict the scriptures. A prophet who speaks and acts in a manner contrary to the Bible is a false prophet even if their prediction comes true.

Is our lifestyle consistent with what the Bible teaches? Do we preach, teach and speak consistently with the Bible or do we conveniently ignore parts of the Bible that condemn our way of life? Is our life a lie? Are the doctrines we believe lies if tested by scriptures?

Secondly, God accuses the priests of ruling by their own authority. Using their own wisdom in serving God. That means they did not depend on God. They depended on their many years of experience as the basis of their authority. They depended on their education and reputation. By using their own authority the priests overthrew God from the temple services and made it their own agenda.

Do we still depend on God or do we now have insurance? Do we still depend on God or do we have enough savings for some time? Do we still depend on God or do we have a network that is more important than our net worth? Do we still depend on God or we are just smart and sharp? Do we still depend on God or do we have access to the best hospitals? God accuses priests of operating on their own authority and ignoring God, and He promises to punish them for this!

The final accusation that God makes is amazing. God accuses the people, the members of the public for liking this state of affairs. The prophets lie but the people love it this way. The priests use their own authority but the people love it this way. There is what God wants but now there is what people love!

As believers, we do not always automatically side with the majority, because it is possible for people to like something but God hates it. God may want something but people want the opposite. We should deal with what God wants and not what the majority are screaming to be the best!

A leader after God’s own heart will test what people prefer with God’s revealed will in the Bible. If what is in the Bible is different from what is popular, we will choose to be unpopular and be on God’s side. Everybody may say it’s true but according to God, it is a lie. Everybody may say there is no problem but according to God, there is a serious problem. The popular is not always right!

May God help us to have the strength of character that will prefer to be unpopular but be on God’s side than to be applauded yet living contrary to God’s will. In Jesus’ name, Amen!

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