Ezekiel 13:1-23

The Word of God is a sacred trust.  To teach the Word of God or speak in such a way as to be revealing the Word of God is a high and holy calling that is never to be taken lightly.  There is a very big difference between speaking God’s word and speaking my own desires.  We all like to be liked so when we speak there is always a temptation to tell the people what they want to hear instead of what God has revealed.  This is a temptation that must be avoided at all costs.  Ezekiel condemns the prophets and prophetesses of his day for using their position to deceive the people instead of telling the people the truth of God’s Word.  We must learn to take the job of teaching God’s Word very seriously because all who do this will face a harsher judgment.

THE JUDGMENT OF THE PROPHETS: The prophets were deceiving the people of Israel with false messages of hope as if they were coming from God.  Ezekiel and Jeremiah were warning the people of God’s coming judgment and calling them to turn from their sin in repentance.  These false prophets were contradicting that message by saying that the people were secure and could just continue living in the sinfulness of their ways and God would do nothing.  Ezekiel tells them that they are digging holes in their own walls to let the enemy in and then covering those holes with whitewash so that they look secure.  However, the rain of God’s judgment is about to pour down on them and wash that whitewash away and leave the people exposed.  They had a popular message but it was untrue and the people would be judged just the same but God’s judgment on them would be greater because they not only practiced sin but encouraged others to do the same.  It is a dangerous thing to speak the Word of the Lord and we should never do so lightly.

THE JUDGMENT OF THE PROPHETESSES: Not only were there men prophesying in the name of the Lord but there were women as well who were speaking a message of comfort, joy and hope to the people.  They would sew strips of cloth as coverings for the people and pretend that these would protect the people from God’s wrath.  Ezekiel exposes this as false hope and false teaching.  These women would profit from these messages and were apparently selling these bracelets as a means of supporting themselves by selling “good news.”  This is an abomination to the Lord and will bring swift and harsh judgment.  There is nobody who can escape the judgment of God, not men, women or children apart from trusting the Lord and following His true Word.  We must not be deceived or deceive others.  God’s Word must be the source of our hope and nothing else.