The Pulpit Commentary — Jeremiah — Volume 1 — Section 534

tabernacle, and doubtless the desire seemed to be one to which there could be no pos- ~ible object.ion. Nathan, however, bad a vision by which David was forbidden to build. It would have been pleasanter to go to the king with a message more accordant to his wishes, but he could only speak what God had shown him-a word requiring submission of the human will to a higher and a wiser one. So, turning to the New Testament, we find Ananias at Damascus and Peter at Joppa receiving visions which seemed to them full of incredibility, going right in the face of all their previous experiences and con- Yictions. Furthermore, it must not be forgotten that some, at least, of these lying prophecies were purchased with money. People paid the diviners to hear pleasant things, and pleasant things must be told them even if they were false. II. THERE WERE EFFECTIVE TESTS FOR THESE VAIN IMAClINATIONS FOB ANY WHO CARED TO EMPLOY THEM. Honest minds know how to receive a true prophet. There is a subtle s_rmpathy between speakers of the right sort and hearers of the right sort. God, who sent so many prophets to Israel, was not likely to leave Israel without a sure way of testing them. So if the prophet or dreamer of dreams gave the people a sign or wonder, and then told them to go after other gods, they might thereby know that he was a deceiver. No sign, however specious and wonderful it be, can make that a truth to-day which yesterday was a lie. Every fresh prophet must be in harmony with the tried and approved prophets who have gone before him. 'l'here is, indeed, no greater peril than to turn away from any true messenger of God; and happily there is no need to do so, through uncertainty as to his credentials. Any one who points out a present wrong in our lives that needs to be put right immediately, is to that extent a prophet of God; and if, in addition, he ventures on certain predictions, then all we can do is to wait. Gamaliel's shrewd advice cannot be too constantly kept in mind. What we cannot be certain about while a thing is in the seed will be made clear when it comes to the fruit. The most important matters a.re ever those on which we have to decide at once; and God never fails to send forth his light and truth so as to make the decision right.-Y. Vers. 23-32.-The giving forth of the word of man as the word of God. I. GoD's UJ\FAILIKG OBSERVATION, .All the reasonings within the minds of these false prophets are open to God. They themselves, audacious, and to some extent self-deluded, reckon on not being detected. '!'hey speak: what the people wish to believe, and are thus pretty certain of finding acceptance from them. But they forget, or rather they have never properly understood, the omnipresence of God. If this attribute of God had been a reality to their minds, they would not have come so much under idolatrous influences. The possibility of lying or in any way distortiug and manipulating the truth seems to depend on an utter forgetfulness of the fact that God is indeed everywhere, filling all space, so that his eye and ear are everywhere. When we read of God appear- ing to men in different places, we know that the_ men travelled from one pla_ce to another; but God, even when he appeared to them m the new place, was not a whit the less remaining in the old. That God is everywhere is a. truth meant to have a most confirming and cheering influence upon the mind of man; but because this truth is not apprehended man both loses what he was meant to enjoy, und becomes presumptuous and reckless in his practical denial of God's authority. God, therefore, makes his assur- ance throu"h 0 tl,e true prophet that his eye is upon every movement of the false ones. Those who assure themselves that God is ignorant would be far wiser in reck:ouing on the ignorance of the most vigilant and penetrating 111ind among their fellow-men, II. God's observation being such, 'l'HE PROCEEDINGS OF THESE PROPHETS CAN DE EXACTLY KNOWN. What is here said of the false representations of these prophets is given forth, not as the result of human inquiry, but of a divinely perfect observation. Not all that God thus saw was here described, but only such things as the needs of the times demanded to be made known. Far more might have been told that was true, Lut there was no need to tell it. God does not publiijh the wickedness of these prophets for any delight that he has in exposing them, but that he may be justified in the sight of the people for the things that he is about to do. In their hearts, the prophets must Lave known that the thoughts of those hearts were discovered. How important it _is to bear in mind that many of the indications as to the wickedness of wicked men 1n the Scriptures come from him who is the omnipresent and omniscient One, who se~11 OH, XXIV. 1-10.J THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET JEREMIAH. 541