Articles
Spiritual Fraud
Fraud abounds. Unscrupulous, computer-savvy crooks are constantly devising new gimmicks to entice us to click on fake emails that steal information or money. We must be vigilant against devious people who spend their energy on deceptive ways to gain access to us. (Hint: Don’t click on the “unsubscribe” button for a nuisance retailer; instead, mark it as spam. If fake, clicking could download a lot of trouble.)
Is it any surprise that the religious world, too, is fraught with fraud? Do we think that everyone who wears religious garb, has a degree in theology or writes and/or speaks about God means well, even if perhaps misguided?
Our daily Bible reading last week included Jeremiah 28 which introduced a false prophet named Hananiah. As Judah’s fortunes began to fade and the Babylonian Empire loomed ever larger as an existential threat, false prophets proliferated. Some, like Hananiah, were bold and specific in their proclamations. They did not hesitate to invoke God’s name in spewing their fraudulent assertions. Consider the brazenness of this charlatan:
“‘Thus speaks the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, saying: “I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. Within two full years I will bring back to this place all the vessels of the Lord’s house … And I will bring back to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, with all the captives of Judah who went to Babylon,” says the Lord, “for I will break the yoke of the king of Babylon”’” (28:2-4). This was good news! Hopeful! Comforting! The only problem: it was a complete lie.
And Hananiah didn’t whisper this in some dark corner: he spoke “in the house of the Lord in the presence of the priests and of all the people” (28:1). And he said it to the face of the one who was a legitimate prophet of God. Thus Jeremiah responds: “‘Amen! The Lord do so; the Lord perform your words which you have prophesied … Nevertheless hear now this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people: The prophets who have been before me and before you of old prophesied against many countries and great kingdoms – of war and disaster and pestilence. As for the prophet who prophesies of peace, when the word of the prophet comes to pass, the prophet will be known as one whom the Lord has truly sent’” (28:6-9).
The prophets of God didn’t always forecast doom; sometimes they spoke of victory in battle, God’s mercy, forgiveness and restored blessings, etc. But good news is more palatable and thus gains the speaker favor and popularity. It is tempting to gravitate toward those who scratch our itching ears (2 Tim 4:3).
But Jeremiah confronts Hananiah with a proof of the pudding test: Will the words of the prophet come true? Will Nebuchadnezzar truly be overthrown? Will King Jeconiah return? Will the vessels of the temple be restored? If not, Hananiah will prove himself a false prophet.
Hananiah is incensed at Jeremiah’s rebuke. He smashes the symbolic wooden yoke Jeremiah has been wearing and then doubles down on his false prophecy: “‘Thus says the Lord: “Even so I will break the yoke of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon from the neck of all nations within the space of two full years”’” (28:10-11). Consequently, Jeremiah conveys God’s death sentence upon Hananiah because “you make this people trust in a lie” and “because you have taught rebellion against the Lord” (28: 15-16). Hananiah dies two months later. Now there’s the unmistakable evidence of a true prophet of God.
But how can a man speak so boldly on something that he has completely fabricated out of thin air? Ezekiel gives some insight into this: “Thus says the Lord God: ‘Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing! O Israel, your prophets are like foxes in the deserts … They have envisioned futility and false divination, saying, “Thus says the Lord!” But the Lord has not sent them; yet they hope that the word may be confirmed. Have you not seen a futile vision, and have you not spoken false divination? You say, “The Lord says,” but I have not spoken’” (Ezek 13:3-6). They hope their words will come true, or at least that no one will remember their former prediction.
So, there are lies, and there are liars who perpetrate them. Being mistaken is not a lie; lying bears the moral aspect of intent to deceive, taking advantage of another by uttering partial truth or outright falsehood. Sometimes liars appear respectable, sound authoritative, speak with confidence, look you in the eye and swear on their mother’s grave – and then lie through their teeth. This has always been an ugly, depraved feature of humanity.
But the populace of Judah had a decision to make: Do we believe Jeremiah with all his doom and gloom, or do we believe Hananiah and his ilk who constantly preach the demise of the Babylonians and promise restoration? Whose track record is dependable? Who is profiting from their pronouncements? In spite of the mountains of accumulating evidence – gradual encroachment by the Babylonians, progressive deportations, unstable allies, etc. – the people kept siding with the false prophets.
One of our enemies in this regard is naivete. As Christians we want to believe the best, give the benefit of the doubt, put the best spin on things. We strive to be fair, encouraging and trusting. At the same time, the NT advises us to deal with reality and confront those who “serve their own belly, and by smooth words and flattering speech deceive the hearts of the simple” (Rom 16:18). Paul warns against those “having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away” (2 Tim 3:5). Others, in spite of the glowing blurb on their book cover, “resist the truth … [are] men of corrupt minds, disapproved concerning the faith … their folly will be manifest to all” (3:8-9).
False teachers today may be writers of commentaries, authors of NYT best-sellers, dynamic speakers who offer insights that affirm our worldview or speak reassuringly about faith. False teachers will offer some truth, but the error is embedded and imperceptible except to those who are wary and thoughtful. By all means, listen to and learn from others, but be on guard and measure all things by the template of revelation. If it doesn’t square with Scripture it is worthless, even if it sells a million copies and wins the Nobel prize for literature.
