Jeremiah said this about the people of his day, “A horrible and shocking thing has happened in the land: 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” (5:30-31 NASB)?
In this article notice three things: (1) The message of the text, (2) The results of the text, and (3) The application of the text.
The Message of the Text
The background of the text: In the beginning of the chapter, God wanted Jeremiah to find one righteous person so that the city could be saved, (5:1). The text shows the root of Jerusalem’s problems – “the priests rule on their own authority.” The principle: God has always expected His people to live by His authority. The biblical principle is stated clearly in Colossians 3:17. Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus.” “In the name of” means by the authority of.
Part of the duty of priests in the Old Testament was to educate the people in the Law of God, (Leviticus 10:11; Deuteronomy 24:8; 31:9-13; 33:10). But rather than teach the Law of God, the priests in Jeremiah’s day taught their own opinions. Thus, it is not hard to understand why the people loved it.
The Result of the Text
When the priests taught according to their own authority here are some sins found in the book that they committed: (1) They rejected the true prophet, (Jeremiah, 1:18; 18:18; 20:1; 26:7, 11), (2) They said to a tree “you are my father” and to a stone “you gave me birth” (2:26-27), (3) They defiled the house of God by putting detestable things in it, (32:32-33), (4) They worshipped idols and made their sons pass through the fire (offering the children as a burn sacrifice), (32:34), (5) They gave false hope by saying “peace, peace when there was no peace,” (8:10-12), (6) Their conscience was so seared they could not blush, (6:13-16; 8:12), (8) They were greedy for money, (6:13-16), (9) They were deceitful, (8:10-12), (10) They caused others to sin, (32:34), (11) They shed innocent blood, (Lamentation 4:13), (12) They did not ask of God; They did not listen to God, (32:32-33), (13) They did not know God because they turned their backs on God, (2:8; 32:32-33).
Remember that Jeremiah was from the priestly family, therefore he is condemning his own family (1:1).
The Application of the Text
Look at the actions of denominational people and churches. (1) By their own authority they call sprinkling and pouring “baptism,” when according to the Bible it is a burial (Colossians 2:12), (2) By their own authority they make worship vain by the use of instrumental music and make changes in the Lord’s Supper, (See Ephesians 5:18-21; Colossians 3:16; I Corinthians 11:23-30) (3) By their own authority they change the government of the church (See Philippians 1:1; I Timothy 3).
But we are made even more sad by looking at some in our own brotherhood. (1) By their own authority they use instrumental music, (2) By their own authority they make changes in the Lord’s Supper. Some have served it on days other than the Lord’s Day. Some have placed it at the back of the auditorium and encouraged individuals to go partake of it anytime during the service, (3) By their own authority they have changed the role of women so that women can be elders, and take leading roles in the worship service (See I Corinthians 14:34-35; I Timothy 2:8-15), (4) By their own authority they have changed God’s law of marriage, divorce, and remarriage (Matthew 5:32; 19:9; I Corinthians 7:10-11), (5) By their own authority they have accepted into fellowship those who are not God’s children (2 John 9-11). (6) There are now homosexual churches of Christ. Although Max Lucado has long departed from the faith, recently, I’ve read that Max Lucado now accepts the homosexual community.
Conclusion
The problem in any age is when those commissioned to teach God’s word, decide to teach from their own authority. Jeremiah gave us the root of the problem when he said that the priests ruled by their own authority. God can only be honored when we accept and follow His authority.
We must go back to “book, chapter, and verse” teaching – “To speak where the Bible speaks and be silent where it is silent.” If you are a preacher or teacher, join me in re-committing ourselves to be the kind of preacher and teacher who does not speak from our own authority, but we will speak only as the oracles of God speak (I Peter 4:11). Those of you who sit in the pew to listen to the teachers and preachers, may you demand that they follow Peter’s command, “Whoever speaks, is to do so as one who is speaking the utterances of God; whoever serves is to do so as one who is serving by the strength which God supplies, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belongs the glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen” (I Peter 4:11).
Wayne Burger
