CHAPTER 13

1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 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; 3 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing! 4 O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts.

False prophets gave untrue statements concerning visions. Some would prophesy of visions they had seen from false gods, and some lied about having received visions from God.

Ezekiel is told that they are like "foxes" in the wild; running here and there, and never giving a true direction.

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. 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. 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? 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. 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.

Rather than receive the TRUTH from God, mankind would IMAGINE things about God. Mentally, and emotionally, people still try to create God in their "own image" even today.

God's TRUTH is presented today in the Bible. All teaching about God and how He has and shall intervene in the affairs of man should be verified by God's Word.

What these lying prophets said didn't line up with God's TRUTH as given through Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and others.

The REAL TRUTH is that God SHALL judge all men. And the teachings of people from God should provide a true direction of morality and preparation for His appearing.

"11 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, 12 Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; 13 Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; 14 Who gave himself for us, that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. 15 These things speak, and exhort, and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise thee." (Titus 2:11-15)

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 morter: 11 Say unto them which daub it with untempered morter, that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it. 12 Lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it? 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. 14 So will I break down the wall that ye have daubed with untempered morter, 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. 15 Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall, and upon them that have daubed it with untempered morter, and will say unto you, The wall is no more, neither they that daubed it; 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.

My wife says I have selective hearing. MOST people have selective hearing! We HEAR what we WANT to hear. False prophets "seduced" the people by telling them what they WANTED to hear.

Some built a "wall" saying that Jerusalem would never fall. And others tried to keep that "wall" up by using temporal and seductive sayings.

But the real TRUTH was that God would destroy Jerusalem. The prophets who were saying that God would bring "peace" to Jerusalem were LYING. There is NO peace when God has declared WAR!

Friends, God is STILL declaring war on sin! And the only PEACE that man can have is SURRENDER to the Lord of Glory and His eternal truths.

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, 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? 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? 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. 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. 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: 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.

Not only were there lying prophets, but also lying prophetesses.

Times were already hard in Jerusalem and people were poor from the lack of trade and mercantilism. These false prophetesses sewed little pillows in the armholes of peoples garments, saying that there would be easy times ahead. They also sowed little "kerchiefs" for the heads of people, saying that they would be free from domination by the Babylonians.

But these prophetesses were "polluting" God's TRUTH by selling their lies for profit (verse 19). They were "hunting" gullible people and selling them lies (verse 18).

When the TRUE prophesy of the Babylonian capture took place, these lying prophets and prophetesses would "know" that God is "the LORD!" (verse 23)
He is LORD of creation.
He is LORD of all history.
He is LORD to be revered and His truth followed.

CHAPTER 14

1 Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me. 2 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, 3 Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be inquired of at all by them? 4 Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols; 5 That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.

Some of the "elders" came to Ezekiel. Even though they were already captives in Babylon, they were concerned about the prophesy of Jerusalem's fall.

But God knows the "heart" of all men. He knew that these men were only concerned about their personal standing. They had set up "idols in their heart" (verse 3). They had listened to, and even participated in corrupt and polluted worship. And their only concern was how foolish they might look if Ezekiel's prophecy was correct.

Many people, even today, are more concerned about their own personal standing than about the real truth!

6 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations. 7 For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to inquire of him concerning me; I the LORD will answer him by myself: 8 And I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.

God's answer to these elders was that they should fully REPENT from the worship of idols (verse 6).

They would most certainly look very foolish when God showed the real truth (verse 8).

When Christ comes again to "judge and make war" (Revelation 19:11), men will look awful foolish if they have polluted worship of God with a "feel good" attitude rather than following His TRUTHS! Christianity is not about making people "feel good," although salvation through Christ does make us feel good about our relationship with God. Christianity is about bringing GLORY TO GOD! True salvation by repentance is stripping away personal pride and surrendering to God's purposes.

9 And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel. 10 And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeketh unto him; 11 That the house of Israel may go no more astray from me, neither be polluted any more with all their transgressions; but that they may be my people, and I may be their God, saith the Lord GOD.

The lying prophets were deceived because of their personal pride. They desired to have their spirits assuaged with pleasantness rather than surrender to the truth of God.

This Scripture is not a backboard for God being deceptive. It is a springboard for the pollution of man. God's truth is very plain. When man interprets that truth to pamper his own feelings, then he deceives himself!

When God's truth is polluted to satisfy man's personal feelings, then the person, or persons, will "bear the punishment of their iniquity.." (verse 10).

God purges and cleanses His people in order to keep a "remnant" who are true (verse 11).

12 The word of the LORD came again to me, saying, 13 Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it: 14 Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD. 15 If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts: 16 Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate. 17 Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off man and beast from it: 18 Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves. 19 Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast: 20 Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.

God also cleanses nations! Throughout history, one can see that every nation which has purported corrupt worship has fallen. The purpose of God's intervention in the affairs of man is to show His TRUTH.

The TRUTH is that any who are truly repentant toward God can be saved. Noah, Daniel, and Job were men who truly repented and served the Lord according to His will, and not their own feelings. When God was cleansing their land, these men were saved because of their repentant attitude toward Him.

Prayers ARE answered. But even the most fervent prayer for the lost will not be answered unless the lost REPENT! (See verses 14, 16, 18 & 20)

We certainly need to pray for the salvation of our relatives, friends, neighbors, co-workers, etc. However, we ALSO need to SPEAK to them of the TRUTH! The TRUTH is that only those who genuinely repent from selfish attitudes and turn toward God can be saved.

21 For thus saith the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast? 22 Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth unto you, and ye shall see their way and their doings: and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon it. 23 And they shall comfort you, when ye see their ways and their doings: and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord GOD.

God was about to cleanse Judah and Jerusalem. In a four-fold manner He would purge the land of unrepentant souls: "..sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence..." (verse 21).

But the PURPOSE of such judgment was to PRESERVE the "remnant" of those who were truly repentant. If God had not done so, the corruption of mankind would have eventually swallowed up the whole (verse 23).

The destructiveness of mankind against mankind shows that we would destroy ourselves were it not for God's intervention. God USES the sickeness of our sins to point out the ONLY real TRUTH. We cannot rely upon government, money, or even army power. We must rely upon God only.

Truly, God is using the acts of man to show His goodness toward those who love Him.

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)

PLEASE CONTINUE WITH US IN BIBLE STUDY TOMORROW.