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  2. Wed: Judges 1-4
  3. Thu: Romans 14-16
Friday · Week 6
The Later Prophets

Ezekiel 13-15

Week 6 · about 12 min
  1. Sat: Job 20-23
  2. Sun: Genesis 30-33
  3. Mon: Matthew 18-19

Ezekiel confronts false prophets, idol-loving elders, and a nation as useless as a dead vine.

Whitewash on a Crumbling Wall

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 morter:

Ezekiel 13:10 (KJV)

The false prophets told people what they wanted to hear, peace and safety. God compares it to putting a fresh coat of whitewash on a cracked wall. It looks fine until the storm comes, and then the wall falls on everyone. In chapter 14 the elders come to ask Ezekiel for a word from God, but God says “these men have set up their idols in their heart.” Then God says even Noah, Daniel, and Job couldn’t save the land. They’d only save themselves. Daniel was living in Babylon at the time, a younger man who was already known for his faithfulness.

Reflect: Who in your life tells you the truth even when you don’t want to hear it?

Ezekiel 13

1The LORD’s word came to me, saying,

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:

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

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

5You 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.

6They 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.

7Haven’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?”

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

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 the land of Israel. Then you will know that I am the Lord GOD.”

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.

11Tell 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.

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

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.

14So 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.

15Thus 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, nor those who plastered it—

16to 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.’”

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

18and say, “The Lord GOD says: ‘Woe to the women who sew magic bands on all elbows and make veils 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?

19You 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.’

20“Therefore the Lord GOD says: ‘Behold, I am against your magic bands, with which you hunt the souls to make them fly, and I will tear them from your arms. I will let the souls fly free, even the souls whom you ensnare like birds.

21I will also tear your veils and deliver my people out of your hand; and they will no longer be in your hand to be ensnared. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

22Because 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.

23Therefore 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.’”

Ezekiel 14

1Then some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me.

2The LORD’s word came to me, saying,

3“Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their heart, and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face. Should I be inquired of at all by them?

4Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Every man of the house of Israel who takes his idols into his heart and puts the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will answer him there according to the multitude of his idols,

5that I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.”’

6“Therefore tell the house of Israel, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Return, and turn yourselves from your idols! Turn away your faces from all your abominations.

7“‘“For everyone of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who live in Israel, who separates himself from me and takes his idols into his heart, and puts the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and comes to the prophet to inquire for himself of me, I the LORD will answer him by myself.

8I will set my face against that man and will make him an astonishment, for a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from among my people. Then you will know that I am the LORD.

9“‘“If the prophet is deceived and speaks a word, I, the LORD, have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand on him, and will destroy him from among my people Israel.

10They will bear their iniquity. The iniquity of the prophet will be even as the iniquity of him who seeks him,

11that the house of Israel may no more go astray from me, neither defile themselves any more with all their transgressions; but that they may be my people, and I may be their God,” says the Lord GOD.’”

12The LORD’s word came to me, saying,

13“Son of man, when a land sins against me by committing a trespass, and I stretch out my hand on it, and break the staff of its bread and send famine on it, and cut off from it man and animal—

14though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only their own souls by their righteousness,” says the Lord GOD.

15“If I cause evil animals to pass through the land, and they ravage it and it is made desolate, so that no man may pass through because of the animals—

16though these three men were in it, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters. They only would be delivered, but the land would be desolate.

17“Or if I bring a sword on that land, and say, ‘Sword, go through the land, so that I cut off from it man and animal’—

18though these three men were in it, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only would be delivered themselves.

19“Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my wrath on it in blood, to cut off from it man and animal—

20though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “they would deliver neither son nor daughter; they would deliver only their own souls by their righteousness.”

21For the Lord GOD says: “How much more when I send my four severe judgments on Jerusalem—the sword, the famine, the evil animals, and the pestilence—to cut off from it man and animal!

22Yet, behold, there will be left a remnant in it that will be carried out, both sons and daughters. Behold, they will come out to you, and you will see their way and their doings. Then you will be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought on Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought on it.

23They will comfort you, when you see their way and their doings; then you will know that I have not done all that I have done in it without cause,” says the Lord GOD.

Ezekiel 15

1The LORD’s word came to me, saying,

2“Son of man, what is the vine tree more than any tree, the vine branch which is among the trees of the forest?

3Will wood be taken of it to make anything? Will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel on it?

4Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire has devoured both its ends, and the middle of it is burned. Is it profitable for any work?

5Behold, when it was whole, it was suitable for no work. How much less, when the fire has devoured it, and it has been burned, will it yet be suitable for any work?”

6Therefore the Lord GOD says: “As the vine wood among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so I will give the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

7I will set my face against them. They will go out from the fire, but the fire will still devour them. Then you will know that I am the LORD, when I set my face against them.

8I will make the land desolate, because they have acted unfaithfully,” says the Lord GOD.

World English Bible (WEB). World English Bible (WEB), public domain. “World English Bible” is a trademark of eBible.org.