Jeremiah 23:14

 Jeremiah 23:14

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.

a. NLT: But now I see that the prophets of Jerusalem are even worse! They commit adultery and love dishonesty. They encourage those who are doing evilso that no one turns away from their sins. These prophets are as wicked as the people of Sodom and Gomorrah once were. [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. NIV: And among the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen something horrible: They commit adultery and live a lie. They strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that not one of them turns from their wickedness. They are all like Sodom to me; the people of Jerusalem are like Gomorrah. [THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.]

c. Amplified Bible: I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem a horrible thing: they commit adultery and walk in lies; they encourage and strengthen the hands of evildoers, so that none returns from his wickedness. They have all of them become to Me like Sodom, and her inhabitants like Gomorrah. [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

d. Septuagint: Also in the prophets of Jerusalem I have seen horrible things: as they committed adultery, and walked in lies, and strengthened the hands of many, that they should not return each from his evil way: they are all become to me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrha.

e. Stone Edition Torah/Writings/Prophets: and I see disgrace among the prophets of Jerusalem, adultery and continuing falsehood; they encouraged the evildoers so that they not repent, each man of his wickedness; they were all like Sodom to me, and [Jerusalem’s] inhabitants were like Gemorrah. Stone Edition Torah/Prophets/Writings: [The Artscroll Series/Stone Edition, THE TANACH--STUDENT SIZE EDITION Copyright 1996, 1998 by Mesorah Publications, Ltd.]

1. “I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery…” 

a. [I have] seen [Strong: 7200  râʼâh, raw-aw'; a primitive root; to see, literally or figuratively (in numerous applications, direct and implied, transitive, intransitive and causative):—advise self, appear, approve, behold, × certainly, consider, discern, (make to) enjoy, have experience, gaze, take heed, × indeed, × joyfully, lo, look (on, one another, one on another, one upon another, out, up, upon), mark, meet, × be near, perceive, present, provide, regard, (have) respect, (fore-, cause to, let) see(-r, -m, one another), shew (self), × sight of others, (e-) spy, stare, × surely, × think, view, visions.] 

b. [also in the] prophets [Strong: 5030 nâbîyʼ, naw-bee'; from H5012; a prophet or (generally) inspired man:—prophecy, that prophesy, prophet.]

c. [of] Jerusalem [Strong: 3389  Yᵉrûwshâlaim, yer-oo-shaw-lah'-im; rarely יְרוּשָׁלַיִם Yᵉrûwshâlayim; a dual (in allusion to its two main hills (the true pointing, at least of the former reading, seems to be that of H3390)); probably from (the passive participle of) H3384 and H7999; founded peaceful; Jerushalaim or Jerushalem, the capital city of Palestine:—Jerusalem.]

d. [an] horrible thing [Strong: 8186 shaʻărûwrâh, shah-ar-oo-raw'; or שַׁעֲרִירִיָּה shaʻărîyrîyâh; or שַׁעֲרֻרִת shaʻărurith; feminine from H8176 in the sense of H8175; something fearful:—horrible thing.]

e. [they] commit adultery [Strong: 5003 nâʼaph, naw-af'; a primitive root; to commit adultery; figuratively, to apostatize:—adulterer(-ess), commit(-ing) adultery, woman that breaketh wedlock.]

1). No doubt that at least two of the individuals Jeremiah was referring to was Ahab and Zedekiah.

a). Jeremiah 29:20-23 Hear ye therefore the word of the LORD, all ye of the captivity, whom I have sent from Jerusalem to Babylon: 

29:21 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, of Ahab the son of Kolaiah, and of Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, which prophesy a lie unto you in my name; Behold, I will deliver them into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon; and he shall slay them before your eyes;

29:22 And of them shall be taken up a curse by all the captivity of Judah which are in Babylon, saying, the LORD make thee like Zedekiah and like Ahab, whom the king of Babylon roasted in the fire;

29:23 Because they have committed villainy in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbors wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, saith the LORD.

b). In Jeremiah 23:14 they commit adultery and walk in lies. In Jeremiah 29:23 they commit adultery and speak lying words in God’s name.

2). There is also spiritual adultery by being a friend of the world, to be a friend of the world is to enjoy the carnality of a culture, its ungodliness, engulfed in its hedonism. When the ungodliness of the culture is my friend, we spend much time together.

a). James 4:4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.

b). 1 John 2:15, 16 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

3). Continuing the figurative/spiritual line of thought, these prophets apostatized, turned their back on the truth and as the passage goes, began to walk and no doubt instructed other in lies. There is another item in here also, these were heterosexual prophets, they committed adultery. Heterosexual lust [men lusting on women and women lusting on men] is overcome the same way same sex lust is overcome, through the power of God in the gospel.

2. “…and they walk in lies…”

a. [they] walk [Strong: 1980 * hâlak, haw-lak'; akin to H3212; a primitive root; to walk (in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively):—(all) along, apace, behave (self), come, (on) continually, be conversant, depart, be eased, enter, exercise (self), follow, forth, forward, get, go (about, abroad, along, away, forward, on, out, up and down), greater, grow, be wont to haunt, lead, march, × more and more, move (self), needs, on, pass (away), be at the point, quite, run (along), send, speedily, spread, still, surely, tale-bearer, travel(-ler), walk (abroad, on, to and fro, up and down, to places), wander, wax, (way-) faring man, × be weak, whirl.]

b. [in] lies [Strong: 8267 * sheqer, sheh'-ker; from H8266; an untruth; by implication, a sham (often adverbial):—without a cause, deceit(-ful), false(-hood, -ly), feignedly, liar, lie, lying, vain (thing), wrongfully.]

1). The lies these apostatized prophets walked in and taught had the following effect, it strengthened the hands of evildoers.   

3. “…they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness:

a. [they] strengthen [also] [Strong: 2388 * châzaq, khaw-zak'; a primitive root; to fasten upon; hence, to seize, be strong (figuratively, courageous, causatively strengthen, cure, help, repair, fortify), obstinate; to bind, restrain, conquer:—aid, amend, × calker, catch, cleave, confirm, be constant, constrain, continue, be of good (take) courage(-ous, -ly), encourage (self), be established, fasten, force, fortify, make hard, harden, help, (lay) hold (fast), lean, maintain, play the man, mend, become (wax) mighty, prevail, be recovered, repair, retain, seize, be (wax) sore, strengthen (self), be stout, be (make, shew, wax) strong(-er), be sure, take (hold), be urgent, behave self valiantly, withstand.

b. [the] hands [Strong: 3027 * yâd, yawd; a primitive word; a hand (the open one [indicating power, means, direction, etc.], in distinction from 3709, the closed one); used (as noun, adverb, etc.) in a great variety of applications, both literally and figuratively, both proximate and remote [as follows]:—( be) able, × about, armholes, at, axletree, because of, beside, border, × bounty, broad, (broken-) handed, × by, charge, coast, consecrate, creditor, custody, debt, dominion, × enough, fellowship, force, × from, hand(-staves, -y work), × he, himself, × in, labour, large, ledge, (left-) handed, means, × mine, ministry, near, × of, × order, ordinance, × our, parts, pain, power, × presumptuously, service, side, sore, state, stay, draw with strength, stroke, swear, terror, × thee, × by them, × themselves, × thine own, × thou, through, × throwing, thumb, times, × to, × under, × us, × wait on, (way-) side, where, wide, × with (him, me, you), work, yield, × yourselves.]

c. [of] evildoers [Strong: 7489 râʻaʻ, raw-ah'; a primitive root; properly, to spoil (literally, by breaking to pieces); figuratively, to make (or be) good for nothing, i.e. bad (physically, socially or morally):—afflict, associate selves (by mistake for 7462), break (down, in pieces), displease, (be, bring, do) evil (doer, entreat, man), show self friendly (by mistake for 7462), do harm, (do) hurt, (behave self, deal) ill, × indeed, do mischief, punish, still, vex, (do) wicked (doer, -ly), be (deal, do) worse.]

d. [Strong: 1115 biltîy, bil-tee'; constructive feminine of H1086 (equivalent to H1097); properly, a failure of, i.e. (used only as a negative particle, usually with a prepositional prefix) not, except, without, unless, besides, because not, until, etc.:—because un(satiable), beside, but, continual, except, from, lest, neither, no more, none, not, nothing, save, that no, without.

e. [that] none [Strong: 376 biltîy, bil-tee'; constructive feminine of H1086 (equivalent to H1097); properly, a failure of, i.e. (used only as a negative particle, usually with a prepositional prefix) not, except, without, unless, besides, because not, until, etc.:—because un(satiable), beside, but, continual, except, from, lest, neither, no more, none, not, nothing, save, that no, without.]

f.  return [Strong: 7725 * shûwb, shoob; a primitive root; to turn back (hence, away) transitively or intransitively, literally or figuratively (not necessarily with the idea of return to the starting point); generally to retreat; often adverbial, again:—((break, build, circumcise, dig, do anything, do evil, feed, lay down, lie down, lodge, make, rejoice, send, take, weep)) × again, (cause to) answer ( again), × in any case (wise), × at all, averse, bring (again, back, home again), call (to mind), carry again (back), cease, × certainly, come again (back), × consider, continually, convert, deliver (again), deny, draw back, fetch home again, × fro, get (oneself) (back) again, × give (again), go again (back, home), (go) out, hinder, let, (see) more, × needs, be past, × pay, pervert, pull in again, put (again, up again), recall, recompense, recover, refresh, relieve, render (again), requite, rescue, restore, retrieve, (cause to, make to) return, reverse, reward, say nay, send back, set again, slide back, still, × surely, take back (off), (cause to, make to) turn (again, self again, away, back, back again, backward, from, off), withdraw.

g. [from his] wickedness [Strong: 7451 * raʻ, rah; from H7489; bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral):—adversity, affliction, bad, calamity, displease(-ure), distress, evil((-favouredness), man, thing), + exceedingly, × great, grief(-vous), harm, heavy, hurt(-ful), ill (favoured), + mark, mischief(-vous), misery, naught(-ty), noisome, + not please, sad(-ly), sore, sorrow, trouble, vex, wicked(-ly, -ness, one), worse(-st), wretchedness, wrong. (Including feminine raaah; as adjective or noun.)]

1). These false prophets taught/lied to these people in such a way as to strengthen the hands of evildoers. The prophet Ezekiel who was contemporary with Jeremiah, also spoke against lying prophets. He used the same terms as Jeremiah and gives us a little more light on the phrase, “strengthen the hands of evildoers.”

a). Ezekiel 13:22 Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life.

b). These prophets told the people lies. These lies, “strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way”. These lying prophets also promised these wicked people life.

c). The New American Standard Version in Ezekiel 13:22 says, these prophets, “encouraged the wicked not to turn from his wicked way.”

d). The New Revised Standard Version says, “You have encouraged the wicked not to turn from their wicked way and save their lives.”

2). Jeremiah records the LORD saying, that even though these people are walking in disobedience, the false prophets are telling these people they are going to be at peace, no evil will come upon you because of your disobedience.

a). Jeremiah 23:16-18 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.

23:17 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.

23:18 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?

h. The glaring parallels between Jerusalem in Jeremiah’s day and the modern homosexual movement are discussed in the next section comparing Jerusalem of Jeremiah’s day with Sodom and Gomorrah.

 

4. “…they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah.”

a. [they] are [Strong: 1961 hâyâh, haw-yaw; a primitive root (compare H1933); to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary):—beacon, × altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, follow, happen, × have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, × use.]

b. all [of them] [Strong: 3605 kôl, kole; or (Jeremiah 33:8) כּוֹל kôwl; from H3634; properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense):—(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).]

c. [unto] me [Strong: 589 ʼănîy, an-ee'; contracted from H595; I:—I, (as for) me, mine, myself, we, × which, × who.]

d. [as] Sodom [Strong: 5467 * Çᵉdôm, sed-ome'; from an unused root meaning to scorch; burnt (i.e. volcanic or bituminous) district; Sedom, a place near the Dead Sea:-- Sodom.]

e. [and the] inhabitants [thereof] [Strong: 3427 * yâshab, yaw-shab'; a primitive root; properly, to sit down (specifically as judge. in ambush, in quiet); by implication, to dwell, to remain; causatively, to settle, to marry:--(make to) abide(-ing), continue, (cause to, make to) dwell(-ing), ease self, endure, establish, X fail, habitation, haunt, (make to) inhabit(-ant), make to keep (house), lurking, X marry(-ing), (bring again to) place, remain, return, seat, set(- tle), (down-)sit(-down, still, -ting down, -ting (place) -uate), take, tarry.]

f. [as] Gomorrah [Strong: 6017 * ʻĂmôrâh, am-o-raw';‘from 6014; a (ruined) heap; Amorah, a place in Palestine:--Gomorrah.]

1). Here it says that in God’s opinion, because of these characteristics, the prophets in Jerusalem are just like Sodom and Gomorrah; which means that the people of Sodom and Gomorrah did the same thing. They not only committed adultery and walked in lies, they strengthened the hands of evil doers so that the evil doers would not depart from their wickedness. There is no doubt that modern culture is following the same path, we are just like 21st century Sodom and just like 6th century Judah. 

2). Ever since the 1970’s there has been a demonic effort by certain groups and individuals who advocate homosexuality to declare that homosexuality was not the reason that God destroyed the cities of the plain. To bolster their false doctrine, these devils advocates say that of all the references to Sodom in the Bible, only the passage in Genesis 19 specifically mentions homosexuality, all the other passages they say, point to other sins. Therefore they say it was not homosexuality that brought such a response from heaven. Jeremiah 23:14 is one of those verses. In studying these verses I have found that although these verses do mention other sins that Sodom was guilty of, they are also offenses characteristic of the modern homosexual movement. In effect this does three things: First, it strengthens the indictment that God condemns homosexual behavior in every time period, because it shows the homosexuality of 21st century America is no different than that of 20th century B.C. Sodom or of 7th century Israel or of 1st century Corinth. Secondly, it gives us a previously hidden but now revealed glimpse of the homosexual movement in ancient Sodom. Lastly, it gives us a look of what the homosexual movement will do in the future. 

3). How is the characteristic, “strengthen also the hands of evil doers, that none doth return from his wickedness”, which was a characteristic of the prophets of Jerusalem and of Sodom, also a characteristic of the modern homosexual movement? It is through the term sexual orientation and the mythology that supports it. The so called science surrounding this lying vanity has blinded hundreds of thousands of homosexuals from the truth that there is hope for them in Jesus Christ; they can be forgiven and changed.   

a). The American Psychological Association gives this definition: “…an enduring emotional, romantic, sexual or affectional [sic] attraction to another person” .  

b). A political definition was given in H.R. 4636, from the House of Representatives, 103rd Congress on June 23, 1994: “The term sexual orientation means lesbian, gay, bisexual or heterosexual orientation, real or perceived as manifested by identity, acts, statements or associations.” 

c). A legal definition is given by Judge Arthur S. Spiegel, in his August 9, 1994 ruling granting a permanent injunction prohibiting Cincinnati’s Issue Three from becoming effective. “Sexual orientation is a deeply rooted complex combination of factors including a predisposition towards affiliation, affection or bonding with members of the opposite and or same gender.” 

d). A religious definition but certainly not Biblical is given by the Episcopal Church in a Study called, Continuing the Dialogue: A Pastoral Study Document of the House of Bishops to the Church as the Church Considers Issues of Human Sexuality. Their definition says, “…the homosexually oriented person is one who is consistently attracted affectionately, romantically, and erotically to persons of the same sex. Persistent patterns of homosexual attraction, enduring experience of intimacy, and continuing manifestations of devoted love are the most trustworthy signs of sexual orientation, not simply genital activity.” 

4). Now I would say that all the people who came up with those definitions are in some ways very intelligent and very worldly wise, but what they are saying about homosexual desire and conduct is in direct opposition to the Bible, God’s word. It was Isaiah who said in Isaiah 8:20 “To the law and to the testimony: if they speak not according to this word, it is because there is no light in them.” What the previously mentioned groups and individuals are saying reveals they have no light in them, because what they are saying is darkness. For the so called Christians in this group, it is far more serious, because they are calling God a liar, they know what God’s word says and they choose to say differently. Make no mistake about it, Biblically, man and woman were created heterosexual. This is established in Matthew 19:4-6. “And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they shall be one flesh? Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder.”  The sexual behaviors of men with men and women with women are not sexual orientations; they are, according to Romans 1:26, “vile affections”. And they “defile the flesh” according to Jude 8. 

5). The Apostle Paul described their feelings this way in Romans 1:27, these men “burned in their lust one toward another”. The Greek word for “burned” is ekkaio and according to Zodhiates Word Study Dictionary it means “to burn, light, set fire to, to cause to burn or flame up, to kindle”. In the Septuagint, the Greek Old Testament it is used of an actual fire in Exodus 22:6 and Judges 15:5. It is also used metaphorically for the anger of the LORD in Deuteronomy 29:20; Psalm 2:12 and Jeremiah 4:4 The Greek word for “lust” is orexis and according to Zodhiates, it means, “to desire…appetite, lust or concupiscence. It is always the reaching out after an object with the purpose of drawing it to oneself and appropriating it.” Paul goes on to say in Romans 1:27, “…men with men working that which is unseemly.” The Greek word for “working” according to Zodhiates is katergazomai and it means “to work, to bring about, to carry out a task until it’s finished”. The phrase, “that which is unseemly” is the Greek word aschemosune and it means “indecently, obscenity, nakedness”. In the Septuagint it is used in Exodus 20:26 and Leviticus 18:6, 7 to mean the sexual private parts of male and female. The complete phrase, “men with men working that which is unseemly” is a discreet way of saying, “men engaging in actions with the sexual private parts of another man.” When all the grammar and definitions of Romans 1:27 are put together this is the sum, “the enflamed desire and appetite and lust of a man to appropriate or seize upon and engage in actions with the private sexual parts of other men.” What an apostate calls ‘homosexual orientation’, Paul calls a “vile affection”. 

6). According to Paul’s God breathed warning, all the arguments defending homosexuality are nothing but “vain words” we are not to be deceived by, including all the deception of sexual orientation. On two separate occasions the Apostle Paul warned us not to be deceived about homosexual behavior. In 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10, of which I will comment on more in a later chapter, Paul writes, “…Do not be deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, shall inherit the kingdom of God” (NASV). And again in Ephesians 5:5, 6 “For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man…has any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. Let no man deceive you with vain words; for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience” (KJV). The Greek word for “whoremonger” is ‘pornos’. It is #4205 in the Strong’s numbering system. I consulted 4 different Greek dictionaries and found the following: Strong’s: male prostitute; Thayer: male prostitute; Zodiates: male prostitute; Bullinger: sodomite. So there is no doubt that this is referring to homosexual behavior. According to Paul’s God breathed warning, all the arguments defending homosexuality are nothing but “vain words” we are not to be deceived by, including all the deception of sexual orientation. Concerning the phrase vain words, there is an interesting verse in Jonah 2:8 that I believe can be applied here. “They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy”. By clinging to the lying vanity of sexual orientation many are forsaking the mercy in Jesus Christ that could not only forgive them but also set them free. What is also dangerous is individuals who claim to be Christians are preaching the words of man over the word of God. They are false prophets.

a). Jeremiah 23:14 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.

b). Ezekiel 13:22 Because with lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life:

c). Those who are bound by same sex lust are being lied to by false teachers being told it’s their “sexual orientation”, that “they were born that way”. Instead of “promising him life” through Jesus Christ, you are lying to him and persuading him to “not return from his wicked way”. These false teachers have “strengthened the hands of the wicked.” The prophet Jeremiah goes on to say they are just like the people of Sodom and Gomorrah, which implies the same lies were told then also.

7). Concerning the phrase vain words, there is an interesting verse in Jonah 2:8 that I believe can be applied here. “They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy”. By clinging to the lying vanity of sexual orientation many are forsaking the mercy in Jesus Christ that could not only forgive them but also set them free. It is in this way that the modern homosexual movement especially the “religious” part is just like the lying prophets of Jerusalem and just like ancient Sodom. They strengthen the hands of evil doers that they do not return from their wickedness.

8). In verse Jeremiah 23:18 the LORD, through Jeremiah asked the question “…who hath stood in the counsel of the Lord, and hath perceived and heard his word?” A few verses later the LORD, again through Jeremiah answers the question.  

 

a). Jeremiah 23:21, 22 I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran: I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied.

23:22 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.

b). The LORD says if they had really been in my counsel these prophets would have turned the people from their evil ways. Likewise the “false teachers” which are foretold of and warned of in 2 Peter 2, are not turning people away from their sin, but instead are comforting them in their sin and not declaring they can be forgiven and delivered from it.