EZEKIEL LESSON 13
We will begin this lesson in Ezekiel 13:1 "And the word of the
LORD came unto me, saying,"
This Word of the LORD is to a special group of people, and not to
the entire nation. This is a totally different prophecy from the last
lesson.
Ezekiel 13:2 "Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel
that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own
hearts, Hear ye the word of the LORD;"
This prophesy is directed to the false prophets, themselves.
These prophets should not be ministering to anyone, because they do
not even know the truth themselves. Those who would be teachers then,
or now, must first learn themselves. Many feel called to the ministry,
but they do not prepare. The greatest preparation a man can make is to
thoroughly study the Word of God. The Truth is in the Word of God. A
person should never go into the ministry as a vocation. The ministry
must be a call. In the case of the prophets, their mouths are not
their own. God speaks to the people through them. The words are not
from the prophets' hearts, but from the heart of God. The false
prophets in Israel were not innocently in error. They had made up
these prophecies themselves, pretending the message came from God.
Ezekiel 13:3 "Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish
prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!"
It is a very dangerous thing for a person to pretend he is
hearing from God, when in fact, he is not. Only a very foolish person
would do this. The punishment for this would come from God, and not
from man. Sometimes a person would claim to be a prophet to be
recognized. A true prophet does not have an easy life. We can look at
Jeremiah, Isaiah, Daniel, and even Ezekiel and see they are not
showered with good times. They, generally, have a very hard time.
Sometimes their own families do not even believe them. It would be a
very foolish thing to make yourself a prophet. Tell me, why would they
want to?
Ezekiel 13:4 "O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the
deserts."
Foxes are clever and tricky. These false prophets are tricky,
too.
They were not telling the truth. They were telling things to make them
look good and be respected in the community. They appeal to the flesh
of man. Generally speaking, a prophet of God brings warnings to the
people. Seldom are they proclaiming wonderful times for the present.
The ultimate way to tell who is a false or a true prophet, is did
their prophecy come true?
Ezekiel 13:5 "Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up
the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of
the LORD."
They should have been calling their people to repentance.
Instead, they were betraying their people with these false prophecies.
They were not standing in the gap. They were trying to benefit
themselves, not the people.
Ezekiel 13:6 "They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying,
The LORD saith: and the LORD hath not sent them: and they have made
[others] to hope that they would confirm the word."
True prophets used the statement "The LORD saith", or "Thus saith
the LORD". They were using this statement without being sent of the
LORD. It appears, they were not only deceiving others, but themselves
as well. Their information was, probably, coming from Satan himself.
The vanity speaks of them serving their own egos. Divination, in this
particular instance, is speaking of witchcraft. Their messages were
coming from Satan.
Ezekiel 13:7 "Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not
spoken a lying divination, whereas ye say, The LORD saith [it]; albeit
I have not spoken?"
These false prophets have deliberately tried to injure the good
name of the LORD. The people may not realize that this message is not
from God, but God and the false prophets know. God tells them through
Ezekiel, here, that they are not deceiving Him.
Ezekiel 13:8 "Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye have
spoken vanity, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I [am] against you,
saith the Lord GOD."
This is a strong statement that fits the false prophets of old,
and the false prophets of our day, as well. God never changes. He is
against the false prophets today, also. We must be very careful in our
prophecy not to prophesy things for our own benefit. God loves Truth.
Ezekiel 13:9 "And mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see
vanity, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the assembly of my
people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of
Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall
know that I [am] the Lord GOD."
This is saying that God will stop them from prophesying, and
their name will be taken off the role. Israel was well known for their
record keeping, but they will not be included in those records. They
will not be included when Israel is restored. This is speaking of a
curse that comes upon them, and they will not be remembered inany
way. They will not even be citizens anymore. They are made outcasts
by God, Himself.
Ezekiel 13:10 "Because, even because they have seduced my people,
saying, Peace; and [there was] no peace; and one built up a wall, and,
lo, others daubed it with untempered [mortar]:"
Their work had been in vain. They had built with things that
would not withstand in time of trouble. They had been speaking of
peace, and there was no peace. They were leading others to
destruction, while all the time, they were pretending they were
building them up.
Ezekiel 13:11 "Say unto them which daub [it] with untempered
[mortar], that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing shower;
and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend
[it]."
This is like the house built upon the sand, that could not stand
when the rains of life came. This wall, the same as the house of sand,
had no solid foundation. The wind, or the rain, or the hailstones
could destroy this faulty building. Their prophecies could not
withstand in time of trouble either.
Ezekiel 13:12 "Lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not be said
unto you, Where [is] the daubing wherewith ye have daubed [it]?"
This is speaking of their prophecy which was supposed to happen
right away. When the time comes, and it does not happen, then they
will be declared false prophets. All of their prophecies were wasted.
Their prophecies did not help anyone, not even themselves.
Ezekiel 13:13 "Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; I will even
rend [it] with a stormy wind in my fury; and there shall be an
overflowing shower in mine anger, and great hailstones in [my] fury to
consume [it]."
God is speaking through Ezekiel to these false prophets. It rains
on the just and the unjust. The difference is, the effect the rain has
on the false prophet is destruction, and the effect the rain has on
the true prophet it just makes his stronger. The storms of life
separate out the true believer, from those who just say they believe.
This rain and wind will be like a hurricane. The false prophet will be
washed away in the wind and storm.
Ezekiel 13:14 "So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed
with untempered [mortar], and bring it down to the ground, so that the
foundation thereof shall be discovered, and it shall fall, and ye
shall be consumed in the midst thereof: and ye shall know that I [am]
the LORD."
This wall of false prophecy daubed to try to make it stand, will
not stand. The fury of God will bring it down, and will also destroy
this false prophet. There will be no question that this is God's fury
on the false prophets. The only wall that will stand in time of
trouble, is the wall that is built on the solid foundation. The Lord
must be the Cornerstone. We build with truth, any other wall will
fall.
Ezekiel 13:15 "Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall, and
upon them that have daubed it with untempered [mortar], and will say
unto you, The wall [is] no [more], neither they that daubed it;"
The physical wall around Jerusalem will come down. All the
prophecies of better times, which are not from God, will not keep the
wall from coming down. Those who gave these prophecies of peace, when
there was no peace, gave people false hope. The false prophet will be
destroyed with the prophecy he gave.
Ezekiel 13:16 "[To wit], the prophets of Israel which prophesy
concerning Jerusalem, and which see visions of peace for her, and
[there is] no peace, saith the Lord GOD."
This is an exacting statement, telling exactly who these false
prophets are.
Ezekiel 13:17 "Likewise, thou son of man, set thy face against
the daughters of thy people, which prophesy out of their own heart;
and prophesy thou against them,"
Women have had great influence in the religion of their country
from the very beginning. Some of them have been to honor, and some to
dishonor. This quickly brings to mind the women who were crying over
the false god in Ezekiel 8:14 "Then he brought me to the door of the
gate of the LORD'S house which [was] toward the north; and, behold,
there sat women weeping for Tammuz." The particular women, in the
verse above, are false prophetesses. They are like the false prophets,
and will suffer the same condemnation.
Ezekiel 13:18 "And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe to the
[women] that sew pillows to all armholes, and make kerchiefs upon the
head of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of my
people, and will ye save the souls alive [that come] unto you?"
The pillows and kerchiefs had something to do with divination.
They might have even been telling fortunes with the assistance of
these items. We do know, they were used in false worship of some kind.
The people were led astray by these evil women.
Ezekiel 13:19 "And will ye pollute me among my people for
handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that
should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by
your lying to my people that hear [your] lies?"
Whatever they were doing, they charged for it. It was similar to
fortunetelling, perhaps. We do know that there was very sensual
worship going on at this time, so it could have been connected with
that.
Ezekiel 13:20 "Wherefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I [am]
against your pillows, wherewith ye there hunt the souls to make [them]
fly, and I will tear them from your arms, and will let the souls go,
[even] the souls that ye hunt to make [them] fly."
These pillows, probably, had some type writing upon them. They
were more likely used in fortune telling. They, probably, had amulets
with writing upon them. This pillow has something to do with snaring
the people as you would a bird in a net. Really, it is unimportant
what the evil was. It is enough to know, they are stealing souls away
from God to false gods. This is extremely evil.
Ezekiel 13:21 "Your kerchiefs also will I tear, and deliver my
people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand to be
hunted; and ye shall know that I [am] the LORD."
It seems they have some sort of spell over the people, as if they
were tied up. God will free the people from these evil women.
Ezekiel 13:22 "Because with lies ye have made the heart of the
righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of
the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by
promising him life:"
They have not offered hope to the righteous. They have saddened
them. They were definitely on the side of the wicked. Ezekiel and
Jeremiah had preached repentance and hope for the righteous. These
false prophetesses have taught the opposite.
Ezekiel 13:23 "Therefore ye shall see no more vanity, nor divine
divinations: for I will deliver my people out of your hand: and ye
shall know that I [am] the LORD."
Divination had to do with witchcraft. God is the only One who can
free a person from the grip of witchcraft. God would have to deliver
them. There is no power on this earth that is not subject to God. When
God speaks, every knee bows. He is God and there is no question about
it. Notice, these people belong to God. Even the woman practicing
witchcraft will believe that He is the LORD.
Ezekiel 13 Questions
1. What is different about this Word from God?
2. Verse 2 is a prophecy against whom?
3. Why should they not be teachers?
4. The Truth is in the _______ of God.
5. A person should never go into the ministry as a __________.
6. Where did the false prophets' messages come from?
7. Why would a person pretend to hear from God when he did not?
8. How are the foxes like the false prophets?
9. Generally speaking, what type of message does a true prophet
bring?
10. What does verse 5 say they had not done?
11. What should they have been doing?
12. True prophets use what statement?
13. Who were they deceiving?
14. Why was God against them?
15. What things will God do to these false prophets?
16. They were saying _______, and there was no ________.
17. What is verse 11 like?
18. It rains on the _______, and the _____________.
19. What effect does the rain have on the false prophets?
20. What will bring the wall that is daubed with untempered mortar
down?
21. Verse 17 is a prophecy against whom?
22. What does the author relate this type of false worship to?
23. Divination had to do with _________.
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