Monday, July 17, 2023

Ezekiel 13 & 14 - False Prophets

 

Ezekiel 13 – False Prophets

 

What if you were called to preach against the preachers! False prophets are dangerous because they invented their messages and did not get them from the mouth of God. Instead of being shepherds who faithfully led the flock, they were foxes living on refuse. Spiritually speaking, the false prophets were religious scavengers, living among the ruins they made themselves.

 

This was also Jeremiah’s word of warning (Jer. 6:14; 8:11), and yet the people rejected it. Even though he was running away from God, Jonah was able to sleep in a storm (Jon. 1:5). Having confidence in our feelings is not the same as having confidence in God.

 

No matter how strong the wall looked, it would not survive the storm. God wanted to wash things white (Isa.1:8), but the false prophets whitewashed things. The common people rejoiced at the comforting words of the false prophets, but the “sighers and criers” were saddened by them.

John asserted, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth” (3 John 4).

 

Ezekiel 14 – Judgment Inevitable

 

The prophet had seen idols in the temple in Jerusalem, but now he saw idols in the hearts of the elders in Babylon. God had disciplined those men by taking them from Judah to Babylon, and He had been merciful to them in sparing their lives; yet nothing brought them to repentance. They pretended to be spiritual by inquiring of Ezekiel, but God saw their hearts and told His servant the truth. (Heb. 4:13).

Judgment was inevitable: famine, hungry beasts, war, and pestilence (Rev. 6:1-8). Noah saved his family (Heb. 11:7), Daniel rescued his friends (Dan. 2), and Job prayed for his three friends and delivered them (Job 42:7-10); but nobody’s intercession would save Jerusalem or anybody in it. A person’s righteousness could save only their self; it could not save another.

Cherishing sin in the heart will lead to practicing sin in life; “For as he thinks in his heart, so is he” (Prov. 23:7.

 

Please read the chapter listed so that you can understand God’s Word better.

If you have missed any lessons, you can go to: God Plans For You at https://sherrysouthard.blogspot.com.

Nelson’s Quick Reference Commentary.

Dr. David Jeremiah Study Bible.

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