Ezekiel 13

There was another factor in the issue of Israel’s rejection of God’s word.  There were false prophets (men and women) who used the same formula, “Thus says the LORD” (v6) as men like Ezekiel.  But notice God’s description of them:

·        v2: they spoke out of their own heart.

·        v3: they were foolish, following their own spirit, having seen nothing.

·        v4: they cunningly ravaged the people, as foxes in the desert scavenge for scarce food, destroying the walls around the fields.

·        v5: they did not build the spiritual wall of protection or fill in the gaps, leaving the people to the devices of the enemy.

·        v6: they preached a vain, lying message that they hoped would be true.

·        v7: the bottom line was that God had not spoken to or through them.

Their particular message was to preach “peace” when there was to be no peace (v10).  They encouraged the people with a positive happy message when the true message was one of doom.  People usually prefer a positive message.  It makes them feel better.  But the lying message does not firm up the spiritual wall that will provide real protection for the people.  God says their message was untempered mortar (v10-16).  They were building a wall of rocks piled one upon another and then seeking to give it strength with whitewash or clay, rather than the mortar that had been strengthened by fire.  

There were also prophetesses who spoke from their own hearts (v17-23).  They supported the message of the false prophets by making and selling magic charms, apparently going out of their way to hunt for their victims.  The effect was that people who might have been repentant were persuaded to turn from the truth and would die; and those who practiced falsehood and deserved to die were actually given prominence.  False teaching twists the truth so that the outcome is twisted.

God says He is against these deceivers (v8,20).  They will not be part of Israel, their names not written in the record, and they will not enter the land when Israel returns (v9).  Some of these false prophets among the people in Babylon were executed there, fulfilling Ezekiel’s prophecy (Jer. 29:21,31-32).

The people should have known better than to listen to them.  Their message did not fit the Law of Moses that warned of judgment for disobedience (e.g. Deut 32).  On the contrary, the messages of God’s prophets were found to be true.  The false prophets were judged but so were those who accepted their message.  

Today we have the same issue.  We are warned of false prophets and teachers (Jude 1; 2 Peter 2 and many places in the New Testament).  Their message is characterized as one that tickles the ears (2 Tim. 4:1-5).  We are responsible to discern the truth and to pursue the message that accords with godliness.  Let us not neglect to test all things and to hold fast what is good (1 Thess. 5:21).