Day 242 – Ezekiel 13-15

Talking Points

• God now has Ezekiel prophesy against the false prophets in Israel.
• Not all false prophets represent false gods. Perhaps the most destructive ones speak in the name of the Lord, yet their message is self-derived, not from God. God describes them as “foxes among ruins” (Ezekiel 13:4). They are self-serving scavengers profiting off others. God makes it clear: He is against them.
• God says in His judgment, these false prophets will lose their position, their citizenship, and their future in the land.
• Again we see that everything God says and does is “…in order to lay hold of the hearts of… [those] who are estranged from [Him]” (14:5). God’s answer for sin is always the same – repent – change your mind about it, turn away from it, turning back to the LORD and His perfect plan. Let Him lay hold of your heart.

Thoughts

One of the roles of a prophet (one who speaks the Word of God) is to point out sin, proclaim the righteous way of the LORD, and build up the people, that they might stand. Prophets are to point sinners to their only hope – the Savior Jesus Christ, the Chief Cornerstone of the “wall” of their faith.

On the other hand, false prophets lead people to entertain and justify sin, rather than dread it. They speak, “‘Peace!’ when there is no peace” (Ezekiel 13:10). In Ezekiel, God says these false prophets had led His people to wander – literally seduced them into unfaithfulness. He says they, too, built a wall, but it was a flimsy wall not built upon repentance or their need for a Savior. Then, He says they just kept whitewashing over the wall, trying to make it appear strong, when it was not. It won’t hold. It won’t stand. Simply, a faith built on anything other than the Savior from sin, Jesus, won’t last. It will be destroyed.

It is in God’s wisdom, righteousness, and grace that He sends His prophets. We need to be dreadful of sin. We need to be reminded of the righteous way of the LORD. We need the “walls” of our faith to be built upon our Savior God. We need all of our weak points strengthened, that we might stand.

Today, praise God for faithful prophets.