QT 23 Aug 11, Tell people not what they want, but what they need

Lam 2:13-14 (NIV) What can I say for you?

With what can I compare you,

O Daughter of Jerusalem?

To what can I liken you,

that I may comfort you,

O Virgin Daughter of Zion?

Your wound is as deep as the sea.

Who can heal you?

14 The visions of your prophets

were false and worthless;

they did not expose your sin

to ward off your captivity.

The oracles they gave you

were false and misleading.

NOTE: The persons whose job it was to heal and protect the nation, the prophets, priests, and leaders, failed the nation.  The prophets' visions were worthless.  They provided people what they wanted to hear but not what they needed to hear.  They offered hope (a false hope), and instead they should have exposed sin.  If they had exposed sin, maybe captivity might have been warded off, but their messages misled those who were entrusted to them.

This is a warning to teachers as well.  Our job is to speak the word of God clearly and not hold back for fear of hurting someone's feelings or making someone fearful of their actions.  We are not to tear others down purposefully.  We are called to exhort people to obedience and to a right understanding of the word.  It can be done respectfully and gently and also without holding punches back.  Sometimes the word of God is brutal in its honesty.  We need to preach it clearly.  We don't have to single people out, we can let the Holy Spirit do that, but we should not hold back out of fear of offending someone with the message.  Lord, I don't want to be remembered as one who taught "worthless" things or one who "did not expose sin."  Give me grace to comfort, encourage, exhort, and expose where needed.