The Strand Study Bible

EZEKIEL EZEKIEL Sign of the Hurriedness,” was illustrated by drinking and eating quickly (vs 18-19), as a sign of the terror that would grip Jerusalem in less than three years (II Ki 25:1-2). 12:22 The “ proverb ” here was a saying that summed up the people’s point of view. The people thought that Ezekiel and Jeremiah’s messages of a coming captivity were simply not true. Their logic was based upon the fact that since judgment hadn’t happened yet, it can’t happen. They were wrong. 12:24 Encouraged by false prophets who were telling the people what they wanted to hear ( flattering divination ) instead of what they needed to hear, Ezekiel’s message of the coming captivity was beginning to fall on deaf ears. What the people of God needed to hear would only come from two prophets: * Ezekiel (over in Babylon - Ezk 2) * Jeremiah (over in Jerusalem – Jere 14:13-16) NOTE –Today’s message is no different. The attitude of the people in Ezekiel’s day is still pervasive in the church. Only if we truly believed judgment was coming would we break the bondage of our materialism ( Lk 12:13,20,21 ), and live for God ( Lk 12:35 and Mt 24:37,38,43 ). While most church-going people are now flocking to preachers who tell them what they want to hear, there is very little time left for anything. 13:1 Ezekiel’s third sermon (Ezk 13) in a new series of sermons aimed at the Jewish captives in Babylon, entitled “Jerusalem’s lying prophets,” was illustrated by preaching in the direction of Jerusalem. 13:5 True prophets stand in the “ gaps ” (breaches in the wall), which is figurative language for the moral decay of the people, and point out the cracks in those walls, which is any people’s only reliable protection. On the other hand, false prophets intentionally whitewash the cracked areas with untempered morter (vs 10), thus building an insecure wall around the people. There are five characteristics of false prophets: 1. They preach their own message, not God’s (vs 1-2) Why? Because false prophets are interested in making a profit off the people (II Pet 2:1-3). 2. They listen to their own spirit, not God’s (vs 3) Why? Because false prophets are interested in the praise of men (Job 32:21-22). 3. They preach their lies, not God’s truth (vs 6-8) Why? Because false prophets are proud (Mt 11:25 and Jn 8:44) . 4. They preach their peace, not God’s judgment (vs 10,16) Why? Because false prophets are interested in the acceptance of men. 5. They can be she’s as well as he’s (vs 17-23) Why? Because false prophets (which includes women) can be more easily influenced by the Devil than men (Gen 3:1-6). NOTE – According to the Bible, God’s people are to: * beware of false prophets (Mt 7:15 & 16:16 and Acts 20:29-31) * refuse to be fooled and deceived by false prophets (Eph 4:14 and Jude 3-4) * prove false prophets (I Jn 4:1-3 and I Thess 5:21) * reprove false prophets, rebuke false prophets, and reject false prophets (Eph 5:11 and Titus 1:10-13) * withdraw from false prophets (I Tim 6:3-5 and II Jn 7-10) 1263