April 26, 2024
“That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the LORD: Which say to the seers, see not; and to the prophets, prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophecy deceits: Get you out of the way, turn aside out of the path, cause the Holy One of Israel to cease from before us.” Isaiah 30:9-11, emphasis added.
“For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, have itching ears; and they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. 2 Timothy 4:3,4.
Old Testament prophets were often surrounded and denounced by false prophets who told the Jews smooth things instead of the truth. For example, the prophet Jeremiah told the Jews that they could spend 70 years in Babylon as slaves or die by the sword, famine, or pestilence in their land. False prophets, over many years, told the people that God would never destroy His city or the temple in Jerusalem. Don’t listen to that “false prophet Jeremiah.” He is so legalistic. The false prophets tried to kill Jeremiah to silence the truth of God’s judgment on them. Very few listened to the prophet Jeremiah. Prophets are not well received because they do not care if they hurt your feelings. They tell the truth of God regardless of who is offended or upset.
Isaiah was another prophet of God who offended many. He called the Jews “lying children” who refuse to hear the word of God. The Jew wanted to be deceived and to be told lies. Isaiah was told to “prophesy not unto us right things, speak unto us smooth things, prophecy deceits.” Can you imagine anyone professing to love God saying such wicked things? That is precisely what Isaiah faced. The only thing that can be done with such people is to tell the truth, no matter how offended and enraged the people become.
Paul told Timothy that there would be a time when the people of God (Christians) would not endure sound doctrine (the truth). It is then that they would find liars (false teachers) who would tell them what they wanted to hear, not what God wanted them to know and understand. These false teachers will say to them smooth things and tickle their ears.
There is nothing new under the sun. Today, we have many false teachers in evangelical Christian Churches who tell their congregants smooth things that will prop up their self-esteem and love for themselves. They will tell them lies, and the people will find more teachers just like them. They will not endure sound doctrine. These “Christians” hate the truth. They will discover Bible teachers who will tell them that:
- God loves them just the way they are, and God doesn’t demand they change and stop their sinful ways.
- God loves the homosexual and doesn’t expect them to change who they are.
- God doesn’t demand repentance from sin to go to heaven. Just trust Christ for your salvation, and you are saved no matter how sinful you remain. You are eternally secure.
- God blesses homosexual marriages because love is love.
- God is okay with changing your gender and teaching children that they, too, can change their gender.
- God is love, and everyone goes to heaven. The God of love would never send anyone to an eternal hell of torment.
- God doesn’t care where you go to church or if you go to church. There are many ways to find God.
- God has a wonderful plan for your life. All you need to do is to believe this is true and make a financial contribution as a seed of your faith.
Many mega churches are led by such false teachers, pastors, and leaders. But it is not just in the large churches that the people will no longer endure sound doctrine and want, even demand, to be told smooth things.
If you do not have a love for the truth (sound doctrine), you are already deceived. A love for the truth is evidence that you are born again. If you will not receive correction, you do not have a love for the truth or a love for sound doctrine. You may love your church’s worship music or the rituals and formalism of your church, but if you do not love the truth and sound doctrine, you are a lost soul.
Isaiah, Jeremiah, and many other prophets over the years have been sent by God, to His people, to tell them that God will not wink at their sins. God is love, but He is also a holy God who can’t endure those who stubbornly walk in darkness and lies. True prophets of God always rebuke the sins of the people. Those who speak for God always tell the truth and never defer to man’s weaknesses or unrighteousness. They never say “smooth things” to those whose salvation demands the ‘hard truth’.
The question for all of us is, “Do we look for those who will tell us smooth things, or do we look for those who will tell us the truth?” Our eternal destiny depends on our choice. Choose wisely.
