Jeremiah Chapter 23
Jeremiah 23
The Branch of Righteousness and the Unrighteous Prophets
Jeremiah 23:1-2, Woe to the Shepherds Who Destroy
Jeremiah 23:1-2, “Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture! saith the LORD. Therefore thus saith the LORD God of Israel against the pastors that feed my people, Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them, behold, I will visit upon you the evil of your doings, saith the LORD.”
Jeremiah 23 follows the judgment on Judah’s kings in Jeremiah 22. The LORD now broadens the indictment to the shepherds, meaning the leaders who were responsible for the care, protection, instruction, and governance of His people. In the Old Testament, kings, rulers, priests, and prophets could all function as shepherds because they were entrusted with the welfare of the flock.
The charge is severe, “Woe be unto the pastors that destroy and scatter the sheep of my pasture!” These leaders did the opposite of what shepherds are called to do. A shepherd should feed, guard, gather, lead, and care for the flock. Judah’s shepherds destroyed and scattered. They used authority for themselves rather than for the people entrusted to them.
The sheep are called “my pasture” and “my flock.” This means the people did not ultimately belong to the kings, priests, or prophets. They belonged to the LORD. Leadership over God’s people is stewardship, not ownership. When leaders abuse the flock, they answer to the Owner.
God says, “Ye have scattered my flock, and driven them away, and have not visited them.” To “visit” here means to attend to, care for, oversee, and give needed attention. The shepherds failed to care for the people, so God says, “I will visit upon you the evil of your doings.” The leaders would receive from God the attention they refused to give the flock. Their neglect would be judged.
This is a permanent principle for all spiritual leadership. God holds shepherds accountable for how they treat His sheep.
Ezekiel 34:2-4, “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds, Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks? Ye eat the fat, and ye clothe you with the wool, ye kill them that are fed, but ye feed not the flock. The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost, but with force and with cruelty have ye ruled them.”
Jeremiah and Ezekiel agree, shepherds who feed themselves while neglecting the flock stand under the judgment of God.
Jeremiah 23:3-4, The Promise to Restore the Wounded and Scattered Flock
Jeremiah 23:3-4, “And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds, and they shall be fruitful and increase. And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them, and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD.”
After condemning the false shepherds, the LORD gives a promise of restoration. Though the shepherds scattered the flock through wicked leadership, God says, “I will gather the remnant of my flock.” The leaders failed, but the LORD Himself would not fail His people.
God says He will gather them “out of all countries whither I have driven them.” This phrase holds together human guilt and divine sovereignty. Wicked leaders scattered them, foreign nations carried them away, but God Himself drove them into exile as covenant judgment. Yet the same God who drove them out promises to bring them again.
He will bring them back to their folds, and they shall be fruitful and increase. This is restoration language. Exile would not be the final word. God would preserve a remnant, return them to the land, and bless them again.
God also promises better shepherds, “I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them.” This was partially fulfilled after the exile through leaders such as Zerubbabel, Joshua the high priest, Ezra, Nehemiah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi. They were not perfect men, but they helped restore worship, rebuild Jerusalem, and teach the people the word of God.
Yet the promise reaches beyond the immediate postexilic restoration. The full hope of Israel includes final regathering, spiritual renewal, and righteous leadership under Messiah. This belongs to the larger New Covenant hope.
Ezekiel 37:21-24, “And say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land, And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel, and one king shall be king to them all, and they shall be no more two nations, neither shall they be divided into two kingdoms any more at all, Neither shall they defile themselves any more with their idols, nor with their detestable things, nor with any of their transgressions, but I will save them out of all their dwellingplaces, wherein they have sinned, and will cleanse them, so shall they be my people, and I will be their God. And David my servant shall be king over them, and they all shall have one shepherd, they shall also walk in my judgments, and observe my statutes, and do them.”
The result will be security, “they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking.” Bad shepherds produce fear, confusion, and loss. God’s shepherding produces safety, confidence, and provision.
Jeremiah 23:5-6, The King to Come
Jeremiah 23:5-6, “Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely, and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.”
This is one of the great messianic prophecies in Jeremiah. After exposing the failure of Judah’s kings, God promises the true King. “Behold, the days come” introduces a future act of God. The royal house of David had become corrupt and would be cut down in judgment, but God would raise up a righteous Branch unto David.
The Branch imagery suggests new life from a cut down tree. Jeremiah 22 ended with a curse on Coniah’s line, and the Davidic monarchy appeared ruined. Yet God’s promise to David had not failed. From the Davidic stump, God would bring forth the righteous Branch.
Isaiah 11:1-2, “And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots, And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD.”
This Branch is not merely another ordinary king. “A King shall reign and prosper.” He will succeed where the kings of Judah failed. He will execute judgment and justice in the earth. His reign will not be local weakness, corruption, bribery, oppression, or false worship. His reign will be righteous rule.
“In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely.” The divided people, Judah and Israel, are both included. The kingdom will be restored in unity and safety. This fits the literal, national, and covenant promises concerning Israel’s restoration under Messiah.
The name of this King is “THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.” In Hebrew, this is often expressed as Jehovah Tsidkenu, or Yahweh Tsidkenu. This name is profound. He is not merely a teacher of righteousness or an example of righteousness. He is the LORD our righteousness.
This points to both the deity of the Messiah and the saving work of the Messiah. He is called by the divine covenant name, and He becomes righteousness for His people. Man does not stand before God by his own righteousness. The LORD Himself provides the righteousness His people need.
1 Corinthians 1:30, “But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and redemption.”
2 Corinthians 5:21, “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.”
This prophecy is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. He is David’s Son, David’s Lord, the righteous King, the true Shepherd, and the righteousness of His people.
Jeremiah 23:7-8, The Greatness of God’s Work of Gathering and Restoring
Jeremiah 23:7-8, “Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt, But, The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them, and they shall dwell in their own land.”
The Exodus from Egypt was the central redemptive event of Israel’s Old Testament memory. Israel knew the LORD as the God who brought them out of Egypt with a mighty hand. Yet Jeremiah says a future restoration will be so great that Israel will speak of the LORD as the One who brought them from the north country and from all countries where He had driven them.
This does not diminish the Exodus. It magnifies the future restoration. God will not only redeem Israel from Egypt, He will regather Israel from dispersion. The phrase “from all countries” shows the breadth of the promise. The return from Babylon was a real beginning, but the full scope points beyond Babylon to a broader regathering.
The conclusion is plain, “they shall dwell in their own land.” God’s covenant purposes for Israel include the land. Judgment and exile do not cancel the land promise. The LORD drove them out because of sin, but He will bring them back because of covenant faithfulness.
Deuteronomy 30:3-5, “That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee. If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee, And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it, and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers.”
Jeremiah 23 repeats and develops this covenant hope. The same God who judges will restore.
Jeremiah 23:9-10, Jeremiah’s Broken Heart over False Prophets
Jeremiah 23:9-10, “Mine heart within me is broken because of the prophets, all my bones shake, I am like a drunken man, and like a man whom wine hath overcome, because of the LORD, and because of the words of his holiness. For the land is full of adulterers, for because of swearing the land mourneth, the pleasant places of the wilderness are dried up, and their course is evil, and their force is not right.”
Jeremiah now turns from the righteous Branch to the unrighteous prophets. His heart is broken because of them. He is physically shaken, like a drunken man overcome by wine. This is not joyful spiritual emotion. It is grief, indignation, and holy distress.
The reason is “because of the LORD, and because of the words of his holiness.” Jeremiah knows the holiness of God’s word, and therefore the corruption of the false prophets horrifies him. The contrast is unbearable. God’s words are holy. Their words are lies. God calls for repentance. They preach peace to rebels.
The land is full of adulterers. This likely includes both literal sexual immorality and spiritual adultery through idolatry. The land mourns because of swearing, meaning false oaths, covenant violation, or the curse brought by sin. The pleasant places are dried up. Their course is evil, and their force, strength, or might is not right.
The moral condition of the land proves Jeremiah’s message. The false prophets say peace, but the land itself groans under the curse of sin.
Jeremiah 23:11-12, Profane Prophets and Priests
Jeremiah 23:11-12, “For both prophet and priest are profane, yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith the LORD. Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the darkness, they shall be driven on, and fall therein, for I will bring evil upon them, even the year of their visitation, saith the LORD.”
Both prophet and priest are profane. To be profane is to be common, unholy, polluted, and opposite of consecrated. Those who were supposed to guard holiness had become unholy themselves.
The wickedness was found “in my house.” This makes the sin worse. They did not merely sin privately outside the temple. Their corruption entered the house of God. Religious office and holy surroundings did not sanctify their rebellion. Instead, their rebellion defiled the place where God’s name was to be honored.
Therefore their way will become slippery ways in darkness. This is a vivid picture of judgment. A slippery path is dangerous enough in daylight. In darkness it becomes deadly. They will be driven forward and fall. Their apparent confidence will collapse.
The year of their visitation will come. God’s patience does not mean neglect. He will visit them in judgment.
Jeremiah 23:13-15, Judgment Promised against the Corrupt Prophets
Jeremiah 23:13-15, “And I have seen folly in the prophets of Samaria, they prophesied in Baal, and caused my people Israel to err. I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing, they commit adultery, and walk in lies, they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness, they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah. Therefore thus saith the LORD of hosts concerning the prophets, Behold, I will feed them with wormwood, and make them drink the water of gall, for from the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land.”
God compares the prophets of Jerusalem with the prophets of Samaria, the northern kingdom that had already fallen. The prophets of Samaria prophesied by Baal and caused Israel to err. That was folly, and it led to ruin.
But the prophets of Jerusalem have done “an horrible thing.” They commit adultery, walk in lies, and strengthen the hands of evildoers. Instead of restraining evil, they empower it. Instead of turning men back from wickedness, they make wicked men comfortable.
This is one of the clearest marks of false ministry. It strengthens the hands of evildoers so that no one returns from wickedness. A false prophet does not merely fail to help. He makes sinners more secure in sin.
God says they are like Sodom and Gomorrah to Him. The comparison is not casual. Sodom and Gomorrah represent extreme corruption and judgment. Jerusalem’s prophets had become morally and spiritually filthy, and their influence spread profaneness into all the land.
Therefore God will feed them with wormwood and make them drink water of gall. Their message poisoned the people, so God will give them bitterness to drink. They spread profaneness, so they will taste judgment.
Jeremiah 23:16-17, Do Not Listen to the Corrupt Prophets
Jeremiah 23:16-17, “Thus saith the LORD of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you, they make you vain, they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD. They say still unto them that despise me, The LORD hath said, Ye shall have peace, and they say unto every one that walketh after the imagination of his own heart, No evil shall come upon you.”
God commands the people not to listen to these prophets. This is striking because God normally commands His people to hear the true prophet. But when men falsely claim divine authority, the people must reject them.
“They make you vain.” Their words empty the people of spiritual substance. False teaching does not build up. It hollows out. It may sound comforting, but it makes men worthless in relation to God’s purpose.
They speak “a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the LORD.” This is the essential difference between true and false prophecy. True prophecy comes from God’s mouth. False prophecy comes from man’s heart.
Their message is specifically exposed. To those who despise the LORD, they say, “Ye shall have peace.” To everyone who walks after the imagination of his own heart, they say, “No evil shall come upon you.” This is the opposite of faithful preaching. They comfort rebels and reassure those following their own evil hearts.
This same danger remains. Any message that gives peace to those who despise God, while refusing to call them to repentance, is false. Any message that blesses men while they walk after the imagination of their own hearts is not from God.
Proverbs 14:12, “There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.”
The faithful word does not flatter the heart. It exposes the heart and points men back to the LORD.
Jeremiah 23:18-20, The Serious Nature of God’s Judgments
Jeremiah 23:18-20, “For who hath stood in the counsel of the LORD, and hath perceived and heard his word? who hath marked his word, and heard it? Behold, a whirlwind of the LORD is gone forth in fury, even a grievous whirlwind, it shall fall grievously upon the head of the wicked. The anger of the LORD shall not return, until he have executed, and till he have performed the thoughts of his heart, in the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly.”
The question is whether these prophets have stood in the counsel of the LORD. Have they perceived and heard His word? Have they marked His word and heard it? The answer is no. They speak without divine counsel.
True ministry requires standing before God, hearing His word, marking His word, and speaking it faithfully. False prophets run without being sent and speak without hearing.
God’s judgment is pictured as a whirlwind going forth in fury. It will fall grievously upon the head of the wicked. The anger of the LORD will not turn back until He has performed the thoughts of His heart. The false prophets encouraged men to follow the imagination of their own hearts, but God will accomplish the thoughts of His heart.
“In the latter days ye shall consider it perfectly.” When judgment comes, the people will understand what they refused to believe. False peace will be exposed by real calamity.
Jeremiah 23:21-22, The Corrupt Prophets Were Not Sent by God
Jeremiah 23:21-22, “I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran, I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.”
God’s indictment is direct, “I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran.” They were energetic, active, and confident, but they were not commissioned by God. Zeal is not proof of calling. Activity is not proof of authority.
“I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.” They had speech without revelation. They claimed divine authority without divine speech.
Then God states what true prophets would have done. If they had stood in His counsel and caused the people to hear His words, they would have turned them from their evil way and from the evil of their doings. True preaching turns people from sin. False preaching leaves people comfortable in sin.
This does not mean every hearer will repent under true preaching. Jeremiah himself preached faithfully, and many refused. But faithful preaching aims at repentance, truth, and obedience. It does not strengthen wickedness.
Jeremiah 23:23-24, The Foolishness of Resisting or Rejecting God
Jeremiah 23:23-24, “Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off? Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.”
The false prophets acted as if God did not see, hear, or judge. The LORD reminds them that He is both near and far. He is not limited to one place. He fills heaven and earth.
“Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him?” The answer is no. No prophet can hide false motives. No sinner can hide wickedness. No leader can hide corruption behind religious office. God sees all.
Psalm 139:7-10, “Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there, if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.”
God’s omnipresence is comfort to the faithful and terror to the wicked. He fills heaven and earth.
Jeremiah 23:25-27, Prophetic Lies
Jeremiah 23:25-27, “I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed. How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart, Which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbour, as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal.”
God has heard the prophets who prophesy lies in His name. They say, “I have dreamed, I have dreamed.” Dreams could sometimes be a means of divine communication in Scripture, but these dreams were not from God. The problem was not the category of dream itself, but false men using dreams to claim authority against God’s true word.
They are “prophets of the deceit of their own heart.” Their message comes from inward deception. They mistake or pretend their own imaginations for revelation.
The result is deadly, they cause God’s people to forget His name. This is not harmless spiritual excitement. When dreams, visions, impressions, and phenomena displace the revealed character and word of God, they lead people away from Him. The name of the LORD represents His revealed character, authority, covenant faithfulness, holiness, and truth.
Their dreams function like Baal worship did for the fathers. As Baal caused earlier generations to forget the LORD’s name, false prophetic dreams now do the same.
Jeremiah 23:28-29, The Low Place of Spiritual Phenomena Compared to the Word of God
Jeremiah 23:28-29, “The prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream, and he that hath my word, let him speak my word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat? saith the LORD. Is not my word like as a fire? saith the LORD, and like a hammer that breaketh the rock in pieces?”
God distinguishes dreams from His word. If a prophet has a dream, let him tell it as a dream. But the one who has God’s word must speak God’s word faithfully. The two must not be confused.
“What is the chaff to the wheat?” Chaff is light, empty, and blown away. Wheat is nourishing, substantial, and useful for life. False dreams and man made messages are chaff. God’s word is wheat.
The word of God is also like fire. Fire gives light, warmth, purification, and judgment. It consumes chaff. It exposes and burns away impurity. The word of God is not weak. It acts with divine power when applied by the Spirit of God.
The word is also like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces. Hard hearts, false refuges, pride, and rebellion are rock like, but God’s word can break them. The faithful preacher must not trade the hammer for chaff. He must speak God’s word faithfully.
Hebrews 4:12, “For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”
God’s word is living, powerful, piercing, fiery, and hammer like. It must not be replaced by dreams, entertainment, personalities, or religious slogans.
Jeremiah 23:30-32, God Against the Corrupt Prophets
Jeremiah 23:30-32, “Therefore, behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that steal my words every one from his neighbour. Behold, I am against the prophets, saith the LORD, that use their tongues, and say, He saith. Behold, I am against them that prophesy false dreams, saith the LORD, and do tell them, and cause my people to err by their lies, and by their lightness, yet I sent them not, nor commanded them, therefore they shall not profit this people at all, saith the LORD.”
Three times God says, “I am against the prophets.” This is terrifying. These men may have claimed to speak for God, but God Himself opposed them.
They steal God’s words from one another. This may mean they copied prophetic language without receiving a true word from God, or they stole attention away from the true word by their false speech. Either way, they abused holy language.
They “use their tongues, and say, He saith.” They take their own words and dress them as divine speech. They speak with religious confidence, but God did not send them.
They prophesy false dreams, tell them, and cause God’s people to err by lies and lightness. The word “lightness” carries the idea of recklessness, frivolity, or irresponsible looseness. False prophets are dangerous not only because they lie, but because they treat the things of God lightly.
God says He did not send or command them. Therefore they will not profit the people at all. A ministry God did not send may create noise, excitement, and movement, but it will not produce true spiritual profit.
Jeremiah 23:33-40, No Longer Mention the Burden of the LORD
Jeremiah 23:33-40, “And when this people, or the prophet, or a priest, shall ask thee, saying, What is the burden of the LORD? thou shalt then say unto them, What burden? I will even forsake you, saith the LORD. And as for the prophet, and the priest, and the people, that shall say, The burden of the LORD, I will even punish that man and his house. Thus shall ye say every one to his neighbour, and every one to his brother, What hath the LORD answered? and, What hath the LORD spoken? And the burden of the LORD shall ye mention no more, for every man's word shall be his burden, for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the LORD of hosts our God. Thus shalt thou say to the prophet, What hath the LORD answered thee? and, What hath the LORD spoken? But since ye say, The burden of the LORD, therefore thus saith the LORD, Because ye say this word, The burden of the LORD, and I have sent unto you, saying, Ye shall not say, The burden of the LORD, Therefore, behold, I, even I, will utterly forget you, and I will forsake you, and the city that I gave you and your fathers, and cast you out of my presence, And I will bring an everlasting reproach upon you, and a perpetual shame, which shall not be forgotten.”
This final section deals with the phrase “the burden of the LORD.” The word could refer to an oracle, a prophetic utterance, or a burden placed upon the prophet. In Jeremiah’s day, the phrase had apparently become mocked, abused, or corrupted.
The people, prophets, and priests might ask Jeremiah, “What is the burden of the LORD?” They likely used the phrase sarcastically, as if asking, “What heavy message do you have now?” Jeremiah’s prophecies often announced judgment, so his opponents mocked the burden.
God’s answer is severe, “What burden? I will even forsake you.” The people themselves had become the burden. They mocked the word, so God would cast them off.
God commands them not to use the phrase “the burden of the LORD” anymore. Instead, they should ask, “What hath the LORD answered?” and “What hath the LORD spoken?” The issue must return to the actual word of God, not religious catchphrases or mocking slogans.
“Every man’s word shall be his burden.” Because they had perverted the words of the living God, their own words would become their burden. False speech in God’s name becomes judgment upon the speaker.
God identifies Himself as “the living God, the LORD of hosts our God.” This contrasts sharply with dead idols, false dreams, and empty oracles. The living God will not allow His word to be mocked and perverted without judgment.
The consequence is terrible. God will utterly forget and forsake them, along with the city He gave to them and their fathers. He will cast them out of His presence and bring everlasting reproach and perpetual shame.
This is the end result of contempt for the word of God. False prophets pervert it. Mockers ridicule it. The people prefer lies to truth. God then removes the privilege they despised.
Doctrinal and Practical Notes
Jeremiah 23 teaches that leaders are shepherds under God’s authority. The flock belongs to the LORD, not to the shepherds. Leaders who scatter and destroy God’s sheep will answer to Him.
Jeremiah 23 teaches that God Himself will restore His scattered flock. Bad shepherds cannot cancel God’s covenant faithfulness.
Jeremiah 23 teaches that Israel’s restoration includes regathering, fruitfulness, safety, righteous shepherds, and return to the land.
Jeremiah 23 teaches that the Messiah is the righteous Branch from David’s line. Though the Davidic monarchy was cut down, God would bring forth the King.
Jeremiah 23 teaches the deity and saving work of the Messiah. He is called “THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS,” showing that He is Yahweh and that He provides righteousness for His people.
Jeremiah 23 teaches that false prophets break the heart of faithful servants. Jeremiah was shaken because false prophets abused holy things and damaged the people.
Jeremiah 23 teaches that corrupt spiritual leaders strengthen evildoers. They comfort rebels, promise peace to those who despise God, and refuse to call sinners to repentance.
Jeremiah 23 teaches that true prophets stand in the counsel of the LORD. They hear His word, mark it, speak it faithfully, and call people from evil.
Jeremiah 23 teaches that spiritual phenomena must never be exalted above the word of God. Dreams are chaff compared with the wheat of God’s word.
Jeremiah 23 teaches that God’s word is fire and hammer. It warms, burns, purifies, judges, and breaks hard hearts.
Jeremiah 23 teaches that God is against those who speak falsely in His name. Claiming divine authority for one’s own words is a fearful sin.
Jeremiah 23 teaches that contempt for God’s word brings reproach and shame. Those who mock and pervert the words of the living God will be cast out of His presence.
Summary
Jeremiah 23 begins with a woe against the shepherds who destroy and scatter the sheep of God’s pasture. The leaders of Judah had failed to feed, guard, and attend to God’s flock, so God promises to visit upon them the evil of their doings. Yet He also promises to gather the remnant of His flock from all countries, bring them back to their folds, make them fruitful, and set faithful shepherds over them.
The chapter then gives one of Jeremiah’s great messianic prophecies. God will raise unto David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign, prosper, and execute judgment and justice in the earth. In His days Judah will be saved and Israel will dwell safely. His name will be called “THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.” God also promises a restoration so great that Israel will speak of the LORD not only as the One who brought them from Egypt, but as the One who brought them from the north country and all countries where He had driven them.
The rest of the chapter exposes the false prophets. Jeremiah’s heart is broken because of them. Prophet and priest are profane, even in the house of God. Like the prophets of Samaria, the prophets of Jerusalem walk in lies, commit adultery, strengthen evildoers, and spread profaneness through the land. God commands the people not to listen to them because they speak visions of their own hearts, promise peace to those who despise the LORD, and assure those walking after their own hearts that no evil will come.
God declares that these prophets have not stood in His counsel. He did not send them, yet they ran. He did not speak to them, yet they prophesied. If they had truly stood in His counsel, they would have turned the people from evil. The LORD reminds them that He fills heaven and earth, hears their lies, and sees all.
God distinguishes false dreams from His true word. Dreams are chaff, but His word is wheat. His word is like fire and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces. He is against the prophets who steal His words, use their tongues to say “He saith,” and prophesy false dreams that cause His people to err. The chapter ends by forbidding the corrupt use of “the burden of the LORD,” because the people had perverted the words of the living God. Therefore God would forsake them, cast them out of His presence, and bring everlasting reproach and perpetual shame.
