As we saw with Jeremiah, he was treated as if he was a criminal for speaking the word of the Lord because they did not like what he was saying. They preferred the words of man of which were much pleasing to the ears. Nothing has changed even to this day. 2 Timothy 4:3 “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.” That means the truth of God’s word is rejected, which also means God Himself is rejected. Over and over the prophet would speak the word of the Lord and over and over God’s people refused to listen. As we saw them say yesterday, Jeremiah 18:18 “Come, let’s make plans against Jeremiah; for the teaching of the law by the priest will not cease, nor will counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophets. So come, let’s attack him with our tongues and pay no attention to anything he says.” It is not that they are not paying any attention to what Jeremiah is saying, they are not paying any attention to what God is saying.
This rejection of God’s word is rebellion. Hosea said Hosea 9:1 “Do not rejoice, Israel; do not be jubilant like the other nations. For you have been unfaithful to your God. The days of punishment are coming, the days of reckoning are at hand. Let Israel know this. Because your sins are so many and your hostility so great, the prophet is considered a fool, the inspired person a maniac. 8 The prophet, along with my God, is the watchman over Ephraim, yet snares await him on all his paths, and hostility in the house of his God. 9 They have sunk deep into corruption.” God sends His servants, and the people respond by saying the prophet is a fool. Nothing changed when Jesus came, as not only did the Jewish leaders think Jesus was demon possessed, but His own family also thought He was out of His mind. Matthew said Matthew 12:15 “Aware of this, Jesus withdrew from that place. A large crowd followed him, and he healed all who were ill. 16 He warned them not to tell others about him. 17 This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet Isaiah: 18 “Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will proclaim justice to the nations.” Jesus then healed a man who was demon-possessed. “22 Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see. 23 All the people were astonished and said, “Could this be the Son of David? 24 But when the Pharisees heard this, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this fellow drives out demons.” Isaiah said, “Here is my servant whom I have chosen, the one I love, in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him.” The Jews responded with this man is demon possessed and Jesus’ family thought the same. Mark 3:20 “Then Jesus entered a house, and again a crowd gathered, so that he and his disciples were not even able to eat. 21 When his family heard about this, they went to take charge of him, for they said, “He is out of his mind.” 22 And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.” Basically, Jesus family though the same as the teachers. The good news is later in Acts we see His family in the upper room at Pentecost. Acts 1:14 “They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brothers.”
Today a prophet speaks the word of the Lord that most do not want to hear. The difference between the Old and the New is the words spoken are not new as the bible is complete and nothing is to be added or taken away even though every church does this. They make the bible say what they want it to say instead of doing as it says. Revelation 22:18 “I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll. 19 And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.” Not everyone who says hear the word of the Lord or this is what the Sovereign Lord says is a true servant of God, so we must test the spirits. 1 John 4:1 “Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.” Be very careful here as you do not want to find out later that you thought a servant of God was a fool or out of their mind.
