January 22, 2023
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in Ezekiel? Here’s today’s reading:
Ezekiel 13 (NIV)
False Prophets Condemned
1 The word of the Lord came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel who are now prophesying. Say to those who prophesy out of their own imagination: ‘Hear the word of the Lord! 3 This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing! ...........Continue Reading
God reminds us of the destructive power false prophets have when people are lead astray by them and while His focus was on those false prophets in this chapter and the evil they are doing we need to be careful not to be led astray.
He used imagery that I found so impactful like the idea of “whitewash” which is so prevalent today when you think of the god of this world. When people use arguments like it must be ok because God is about love and wants us to be happy so why would we have to sacrifice something that makes us happy or temporarily satisfied.
Also, the “charms” of the prophetess, the shiny things this world dangles in front of us to distract us from the true message of God. The tempting of our flesh with the very things that we show a greatest weakness to.
All to say we must be firm in our wisdom, understanding, and knowledge of God’s words not to get overtaken by all the false teachings that we are bombarded with every day!
Sobering chapter for those other so called prophets and leaders. Telling people lies to make them feel good. We have that today. Telling people of health and success financially so that people continue to watch and give. Was Jesus life easy? Thank God as a church we teach what is consistent with Gods word. That’s why as other churches are emptying we are increasing. Bitter sweet. Pray for those Churches. Rather would have those churches return to the truth of the word of God
Ezekiel 13
It is a sad, scary and sobering thing to claim to speak for God when really you are just talking to yourself. I feel sorry for the victims who think this or that is okay because the most reverend whosoever says it is. But none of us are truly beyond it and therefore must always be in the Word and in the Spirt and always seeking God’s assessment of ourselves. I love that we can come to God and ask Him to search us and how honestly and compassionately He deals with us. And I just love the refrain flowing through Ezekiel…God will do such and such, correct and discipline and show these false prophets and those who divine magic their evil ways, so that they may know that He is the Lord. We will learn that the easy way or the hard way. It is up to us.
Ezekiel 13. The whitewash metaphor is striking
Ezekiel 13
God does not take it lightly when people prophesy falsely, and we must be on guard not to fall for it when people do it today.
Was very helpful reading others comments re Ezekiel 13
“Thus saith the Lord God; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!
Likewise, thou son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, which prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy thou against them,”
False prophets prophesying from their own spirit and their own heart.
“And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Woe to the women that sew pillows to all armholes, and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of my people, and will ye save the souls alive that come unto you?”
I thought this was interesting….they are hunting souls. Who are they hunting souls for? Not for the Lord, and they have no power to save.