“… rebuild my house. Then I will take pleasure in it and be honored, says the

LORD. Haggai 1:8 NLT

13  Again and again the Lord had sent his prophets and seers to warn both Israel

and Judah: “Turn from all your evil ways. Obey my commands and decrees…” 2

Kings 17:13 NLT

17  Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of

orphans. Fight for the rights of widows. Isaiah 1:17 NLT

18  “Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I

will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make

them as white as wool. Isaiah 1:18 NLT

…They have been led astray by the same lies that deceived their ancestors.

Amos 2:4 NLT

MERRIAM WEBSTERS

Deception: the act of causing someone to accept as true or valid what is

false or invalid 

What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil,

that dark is light and light is dark... Isaiah 5:20 NLT

“For this reason we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, so

that we do not drift away from it.” Hebrews 2:1 NASB

3  God’s will is for you to be holy, so stay away from all sexual sin.  4  Then each of

you will control his own body and live in holiness and honor 1 Thess. 4:3-4 NLT

24  Therefore God gave them up to vile impurity in the lusts of their hearts, so that

their bodies would be dishonored among them.  25  For they exchanged the truth

of God for falsehood, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the

Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen. 26  For this reason God gave them over

to degrading passions; for their women exchanged natural relations for that

which is contrary to nature,  27  and likewise the men, too, abandoned natural

relations with women and burned in their desire toward one another, males with

males committing shameful acts and receiving in their own persons the due

penalty of their error. Romans 1:24-27 NASB

The leaders of Israel are the head, and the lying prophets are the tail. 16  For the

leaders of the people have misled them. They have led them down the path of

destruction. Isaiah 9:16 NLT

This is what the Lord says: “You false prophets are leading my people astray!

Micah 3:5 NLT

  Your prophets have said so many foolish things, false to the core. They did not

save you from exile by pointing out your sins. Instead, they painted false

pictures, filling you with false hope. Lamentations 2:14 NLT

“Stop seeing visions!” They tell the prophets, “Don’t tell us what is right. Tell us

nice things. Tell us lies. Isaiah 30:10 NLT

… “You must not see visions”; And to the prophets, “You must not prophesy the

truth to us. Speak to us pleasant words, Prophesy illusions. Isaiah 30:10 NASB

Suppose a prophet full of lies would say to you, “I’ll preach to you the joys of wine

and alcohol!” That’s just the kind of prophet you would like! Micah 2:11 NLT

2  preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct,

rebuke, and exhort, with great patience and instruction.  3  For the time will come

when they will not tolerate sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears

tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their

own desires,  4  and they will turn their ears away from the truth and will turn

aside to myths. 2 Timothy 4:2-4 NASB

But I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman Jezebel, who calls

herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so

that they commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to

idols. Revelations 2:20 NASB

“What sorrow awaits the leaders of my people—the shepherds of my

sheep—for they have destroyed and scattered the very ones they were expected

to care for,” says the Lord. 11  “Even the priests and prophets are ungodly, wicked

men. I have seen their despicable acts right here in my own Temple,” says

the Lord… 13  “I saw that the prophets of Samaria were terribly evil, for they

prophesied in the name of Baal and led my people of Israel into sin. 14  But now I

see that the prophets of Jerusalem are even worse! They commit adultery and

love dishonesty. They encourage those who are doing evil so that no one turns

away from their sins. These prophets are as wicked as the people of Sodom and

Gomorrah once were.” Jeremiah 23:14 NLT

15 …it is because of Jerusalem’s prophets that wickedness has filled this land.”

16  This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says to his people: “Do not listen to

these prophets when they prophesy to you, filling you with futile hopes. They

are making up everything they say. They do not speak for the Lord! 17  They keep

saying to those who despise my word, ‘Don’t worry! The Lord says you will

have peace!’ And to those who stubbornly follow their own desires, they say, ‘No

harm will come your way!’ Jeremiah 23:15-17 NLT

… not of our Lord Christ but of their own appetites; and by their smooth and

flattering speech they deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting. Romans 16:18

NASB

18  “Have any of these prophets been in the Lord’s presence to hear what he is

really saying? Has even one of them cared enough to listen?... 22  If they had

stood before me and listened to me, they would have spoken my words, and

they would have turned my people from their evil ways and deeds. Jeremiah

23:18, 22 NLT

27  By telling these false dreams, they are trying to get my people to forget me,

just as their ancestors did by worshiping the idols of Baal. Jeremiah 23:27 NLT

Israel’s Downfall

1) Neglected the needy in their cities

2) Deception crept in

3) Tolerating false teachers

4) IDOLATRY

18  “Then I warned their children not to follow in their parents’ footsteps, defiling

themselves with their idols. Ezekiel 20:18 NLT (591 BC)

23  For they also built for themselves pagan shrines and set up sacred pillars and

Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.  24  There were even

male and female shrine prostitutes throughout the land. The people imitated the

detestable practices of the pagan nations... 1 Kings 14:23-24 NLT

35  They have built pagan shrines to Baal in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, and there

they sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molech. I have never commanded

such a horrible deed; it never even crossed my mind to command such a thing.

What an incredible evil, causing Judah to sin so greatly! Jeremiah 32:35 NLT

Their land is full of idols; the people worship things they have made with their

own hands. Isaiah 2:8 NLT

They defiled themselves by their evil deeds, and their love of idols was adultery

in the Lord’s sight. Psalm 106:39 NLT

Merriam-Webster:

Idol: an object of extreme devotion

4  For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to

destroy strongholds.  2 Cor. 10:4 ESV

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in

Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, Ephesians 1:3 ESV