SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR
12/16/2014 10:57 AM
My Worship Time Focus: False
Prophecy
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Ezekiel
13:1-16
Message of the
verses: We begin looking at the 13th
chapter of Ezekiel in today’ SD, and we continue to look at a theme of false
prophets and what the Lord has to say about them. We find the words “they will know that I am
the Lord” four times in this 13th chapter of Ezekiel, and this also
has been seen many times in the book of Ezekiel. We will look at this chapter in two different
sub-sections. Dr. Wiersbe writes
“Ezekiel spoke against both false prophets (vv. 1-16) and false prophetesses
(vv. 17-23) who were actually using the occult practices forbidden to the
people of Israel (Deu. 18:9-14).”
The Lying Prophets (Ezekiel 13:1-16): “1Then the word of the LORD came to me
saying, 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who prophesy,
and say to those who
prophesy from their own inspiration, ’Listen to the word of the LORD! 3
’Thus says the Lord GOD, "Woe to the foolish prophets who are following their own
spirit and have seen nothing. 4 “O Israel, your prophets have been like
foxes among ruins. 5 “You have not gone up into the breaches, nor did you build
the wall around the house of Israel to stand in the battle on the day of the
LORD. 6 "They see falsehood and
lying divination who are saying, ’The LORD declares,’ when the LORD has not
sent them; yet they hope
for the fulfillment of their word. 7
"Did you not see a false vision and speak a lying divination when
you said, ’The LORD declares,’ but it is not I who have spoken?"’" 8
Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "Because you have spoken falsehood and
seen a lie, therefore behold, I am against you," declares the Lord GOD. 9
“So My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and utter lying
divinations. They will
have no place in the council of My people, nor will they be written down in the register of the
house of Israel, nor will they enter the land of Israel, that you may
know that I am the Lord GOD.
“10 "It is definitely because they have
misled My people by saying, ’Peace!’ when there is no peace. And when anyone builds a wall, behold,
they plaster it over with whitewash; 11 so tell those who plaster it over with
whitewash, that it will fall. A flooding rain will come, and you, O hailstones,
will fall; and a violent wind will break out. 12 “Behold, when the wall has
fallen, will you not be asked, ’Where is the plaster with which you plastered
it?’" 13 Therefore, thus says the Lord GOD, "I will make a violent
wind break out in My wrath. There will also be in My anger a flooding rain and
hailstones to consume it in wrath. 14
"So I will tear down the wall which you plastered over with
whitewash and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation is laid bare;
and when it falls, you will be consumed in its midst. And you will know that I
am the LORD. 15 “Thus I will spend My wrath on the wall and on those who have
plastered it over with whitewash; and I will say to you, ’The wall is gone and
its plasterers are gone, 16 along with the prophets of Israel who prophesy to
Jerusalem, and who see
visions of peace for her when there is no peace,’ declares the Lord GOD.”
As we look at this section we can note that four times
the Lord declares that the false prophets actually saw nothing, as they claimed
to get their prophecies from the Lord but were not. We see the word foxes in verse four, but
probably better translated “jackals” for it is the jackals who are scavengers
and only care about themselves, which is who these false prophets cared about.
Verse five speaks of a wall that was supposed to be built
around Jerusalem, and this speaks of a spiritual wall, and we know that these
false prophets were not capable of building a spiritual wall to protect the
people of Israel in spiritual matters.
Ezekiel uses the imagery of whitewashed walls to cover up
the holes in the walls, and this speaks of the lies that the false prophets
were teaching the people. These people
were not sincere in their teaching, in fact they were out and out liars only
looking out for their own welfare, trying to fill their pockets with
money. We have the same thing going on
today, and mostly it comes on the cable TV “Christian” networks. The word “sincere” in the NT means “without
wax” and that may sound a bit funny, but it is not when you understand how the
word got its meaning. People who made
pottery would sometimes have a piece that had a small crack in it and so they
would fill the crack with wax and when they sell it and the person who bought
it took it outside the wax would melt and the crack would be seen. God was going to shine on these false
prophets in order to expose them, and judgment would come upon them from Him.
Dr. Wiersbe concludes this section with the following
paragraph: “It’s a serious thing to be
called of God and to speak His Word to His people. To assume a place of ministry without being
called and gifted is arrogance, and to manufacture messages without receiving
them from the Lord is impertinence. The
false prophets in Ezekiel’s day were guilt of both. Popularity is not a test of truth. History shows that those who spoke the truth
were usually reflected by the majority, persecuted, and even killed. Jesus used the same image of a storm to warn
us about false prophets (Matt. 7:15-27).
It’s easy for people to say, ‘Lord, Lord’ but it’s not easy to walk the
narrow road and confront the crowd that’s going in the opposite direction.”
Spiritual meaning
for my life today: It is very
important to me when I write my Spiritual Diaries to make sure that everything
I write is true according to the Word of God.
My Steps of Faith for Today: My prayer is that when I meet with our Pastor
today that things will be worked out for my good and for God’s glory.
Memory verses for the
week: 2 Peter 1:3-5.
3 seeing that His divine
power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through
the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence. 4 For by these He has granted to us His
precious and magnificent promise, so that by them you may become partakers of
the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by
lust. 5 Nor for this very reason also,
applying all diligence, in your faith supply moral excellence, and in your
moral excellence, knowledge,
Answer to yesterday’s Bible
question: “120 people” (Acts 1:15).
Today’s Bible
question: “What writing was placed over
Jesus’ cross?”
Answer in our next SD.
12/16/2014 12:18 PM
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