Ezekiel chapter 13

Ezekiel says judgment is certain. He speaks against the false prophets. They lied about the will of the LORD God. They led the nation astray. UPDATED.

 


 

JUDGMENT IS CERTAIN (PART 3)

 

VERSE 1. The LORD’s word came to me, saying,

 

VERSE 2. “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy out of their own heart, ‘Hear the LORD’s word:

prophesy out of their own heart. The false prophets said whatever they wanted to say.

 

VERSE 3. The Lord GOD says, “Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!

the foolish prophets. False prophets are fools.

follow their own spirit. The false prophets were following their own spirit instead of the LORD God.

 

VERSE 4. Israel, your prophets have been like foxes in the waste places.

 

VERSE 5. You have not gone up into the gaps or built up the wall for the house of Israel, to stand in the battle in the LORD’s day.

 

VERSE 6. They have seen falsehood and lying divination, who say, ‘The LORD says;’ but the LORD has not sent them. They have made men to hope that the word would be confirmed.

HCSB translation. They see false visions and speak lying divinations. They claim, ‘This is the Lord’s declaration,’ when the Lord did not send them, yet they wait for the fulfillment of their message.

false visions and speak lying divinations. Some ministers claim their message is from the LORD God. But they have never heard from God. They just make stuff up! In the name of God, they lie.

They speak whatever people want to hear, in such a way that people will find convincing.

They make up false messages. They describe false visions. They pretend to have had such-and-such a dream. They predict peace and prosperity. They usually get rich doing this.

If the false prophet is sincere (yet misled), they’re simply taking whatever is in their own mind and assuming it’s from God. But the false prophet is as authentic as a 3-dollar bill.

The LORD says. False prophets began their lies with that statement.

 

VERSE 7. Haven’t you seen a false vision, and haven’t you spoken a lying divination, in that you say, ‘The LORD says;’ but I have not spoken?”

 

VERSE 8. “ ‘Therefore the Lord GOD says: “Because you have spoken falsehood and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you,” says the Lord GOD.

 

VERSE 9. “My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and who utter lying divinations. They will not be in the council of my people, neither will they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither will they enter into Eretz-Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord GOD.”

 

VERSE 10. “ ‘Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, “Peace;” and there is no peace. When one builds up a wall, behold, they plaster it with whitewash.

saying, “Peace.” If a prophet promises “peace,” he is probably a false prophet.

 

VERSE 11. Tell those who plaster it with whitewash that it will fall. There will be an overflowing shower; and you, great hailstones, will fall. A stormy wind will tear it.

plaster it with whitewash. The walls protecting the city were weak and easy to smash.

However, metaphorically speaking, the false prophets covered the walls with whitewash. That way the people would not notice that their walls were weak.

 

VERSE 12. Behold, when the wall has fallen, won’t it be said to you, “Where is the plaster with which you have plastered it?”

 

VERSE 13. “ ‘Therefore the Lord GOD says: “I will even tear it with a stormy wind in my wrath. There will be an overflowing shower in my anger, and great hailstones in wrath to consume it.

 

VERSE 14. So I will break down the wall that you have plastered with whitewash, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be uncovered. It will fall, and you will be consumed in the middle of it. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

 

VERSE 15. Thus I will accomplish my wrath on the wall, and on those who have plastered it with whitewash. I will tell you, ‘The wall is no more, neither those who plastered it;

 

VERSE 16. to wit, the prophets of Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace,’ ” says the Lord GOD.’ ”

 

VERSE 17. You, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy against them,

 

VERSE 18. and say, “The Lord GOD says: ‘Woe to the women who sew pillows on all elbows, and make kerchiefs for the head of persons of every stature to hunt souls! Will you hunt the souls of my people, and save souls alive for yourselves?

 

VERSE 19. You have profaned me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to kill the souls who should not die, and to save the souls alive who should not live, by your lying to my people who listen to lies.’

my people who listen to lies. The people focused on lies instead of the truth.

In our day, many people focus on political news instead of news based on facts.

They love to listen to lies.

 

VERSE 20. “Therefore the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I am against your pillows, with which you hunt the souls to make them fly, and I will tear them from your arms. I will let the souls go, even the souls whom you hunt to make them fly.

 

VERSE 21. I will also tear your kerchiefs, and deliver my people out of your hand, and they will be no more in your hand to be hunted. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

 

VERSE 22. Because with lies you have grieved the heart of the righteous, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, and be saved alive.

grieved the heart of the righteous. The lies of the false prophets burdened people with a false sense of guilt.

whom I have not made sad. The LORD God did not want people to have the sense of guilt they got from the false prophets.

 

VERSE 23. Therefore you shall no more see false visions, nor practice divination. I will deliver my people out of your hand. Then you will know that I am the LORD.’ ”

you shall no more see false visions. Their false prophecies will be terminated.

I will deliver my people out of your hand. False prophets are a carcinogen. The LORD God will cure his people of them.

 


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EZEKIEL

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