The Danger of Hearing What We Want to Hear

“The word of the LORD came to me: ‘Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: “Hear the word of the LORD!  This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing!  Your prophets, Israel, are like jackals among ruins.  You have not gone up to the breaches in the wall to repair it for the people of Israel so that it will stand firm in the battle on the day of the LORD.  Their visions are false and their divinations a lie. Even though the LORD has not sent them, they say, ‘The LORD declares,’ and expect him to fulfill their words.  Have you not seen false visions and uttered lying divinations when you say, ‘The LORD declares,’ though I have not spoken?’” (Ezekiel 13:1-7 NIV)

A few years ago, I read a book by a popular author that proclaimed the Heavenly gates will be open to all even if they reject Jesus in this life. According to the book, they will have eternity to change their minds and enter into Paradise.  What soothing words to a world that wants to live as they please.  

I was reminded of this book as I read recently this passage from the prophet Ezekiel.  He lived in a time where Israel was about to be severely punished for turning away from God and to idols of her own making.  Yet, there were prophets, claiming to speak for God, that were saying nothing bad was going to happen.  Everything, they said, was going to be all right.  The Lord, speaking through Ezekiel, declared them false prophets proclaiming visions out of their own imaginations. They were telling the people what they hoped was the truth and what they knew they wanted to hear.  Sound familiar?

The world is full of people claiming to speak for God telling us that He wants us to be rich, that there are many ways to Him as long as we are sincere, and that Hell is not a permanent destination for those rejecting Him.   They tell us things that come from their own imaginations, not from God.  

And like the Israelites, many of us are taken in and seduced by these false prophets.  Who wouldn’t want to hear that God endorses gaining wealth to spend lavishly on ourselves?  Who wouldn’t want to know that as long as you are sincere in what you believe, you are fine.  And who wouldn’t want to believe we can live however we want in this life and receive an eternity full of second chances in the next life?  

The problem is that these prophets do not speak for God.  He speaks for Himself in His Word, and a thorough reading of it reveals what He truly says.  False prophets gain popularity and a following because people don’t know the Word; thus they are vulnerable to following what they think sounds good to them.  

Today, know the best way to avoid being seduced by the false prophets of our age is to know the Word of God.  For what we don’t know is left to our imaginations and that can be a dangerous place to be.

© Jim Musser 2016