Foolish Prophets of False Peace

Ezekiel 13:1-23

1 And 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 out of their own heart, 'Hear the word of the LORD!'"

3 Thus says the Lord GOD: "Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing! 4 O Israel, your prophets are like foxes in the deserts. 5 You have not gone up into the gaps to build a wall for the house of Israel to stand in battle on the day of the LORD. 6 They have envisioned futility and false divination, saying, 'Thus says the LORD!' But the LORD has not sent them; yet they hope that the word may be confirmed. 7 Have you not seen a futile vision, and have you not spoken false divination? You say, 'The LORD says,' but I have not spoken."

8 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Because you have spoken nonsense and envisioned lies, therefore I am indeed against you," says the Lord GOD. 9 "My hand will be against the prophets who envision futility and who divine lies; they shall not be in the assembly of My people, nor be written in the record of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter into the land of Israel. Then you shall know that I am the Lord GOD.

10 "Because, indeed, because they have seduced My people, saying, 'Peace!' when there is no peace—and one builds a wall, and they plaster it with untempered mortar— 11 say to those who plaster it with untempered mortar, that it will fall. There will be flooding rain, and you, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall tear it down. 12 Surely, when the wall has fallen, will it not be said to you, 'Where is the mortar with which you plastered it?'"

13 Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "I will cause a stormy wind to break forth in My fury; and there shall be a flooding rain in My anger, and great hailstones in fury to consume it. 14 So I will break down the wall you have plastered with untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be uncovered; it will fall, and you shall be consumed in the midst of it. Then you shall know that I am the LORD.

15 "Thus will I accomplish My wrath on the wall and on those who have plastered it with untempered mortar; and I will say to you, 'The wall is no more, nor those who plastered it, 16 that is, the prophets of Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her when there is no peace,'" says the Lord GOD.

17 "Likewise, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own heart; prophesy against them, 18 and say, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Woe to the women who sew magic charms on their sleeves and make veils for the heads of people of every height to hunt souls! Will you hunt the souls of My people, and keep yourselves alive? 19 And will you profane Me among My people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, killing people who should not die, and keeping people alive who should not live, by your lying to My people who listen to lies?"

20 'Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, I am against your magic charms by which you hunt souls there like birds. I will tear them from your arms, and let the souls go, the souls you hunt like birds. 21 I will also tear off your veils and deliver My people out of your hand, and they shall no longer be as prey in your hand. Then you shall know that I am the LORD.

22 "Because with lies you have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and you have strengthened the hands of the wicked, so that he does not turn from his wicked way to save his life. 23 Therefore you shall no longer envision futility nor practice divination; for I will deliver My people out of your hand, and you shall know that I am the LORD."'"

Here is the warning to false prophets and those who seek their own gain and notoriety over the souls of others and their good.  These foolish prophets of a false peace only make the wicked stronger and keep them from repentance to turn from their sin to Him.  These then and now prophesy out of their own heart instead of reading scripture and instead, 'Hear the word of the LORD!”  They follow their own imagination and conjure up dramatic and ear pleasing words to give temporary joy in a false peace contrary to God’s wrath on sin and forgiveness of grace.  They make it all about a best life now and gloss over the admonition of the Bible to submit to the Lordship of their Maker.  These in the time of Ezekiel offered victory claimed in every battle and prosperity in peace without adversity or battles which are echoed in today’s utterances and teachings because the ear like to hear them, not because they are what God said.  Many spoke then as if for God when it was not Him speaking.  It continues today, unfortunately.  They had spoken nonsense and envisioned lies with the result being God’s wrath on them, which could have been avoided by speaking the truth according to His word as it was written and not as it would be wished heard.  Such a false foundation is easily broken down by the LORD as is ours if not built on the truth of the gospel and person of Jesus Christ who sacrificed Himself for us that we might hear and repent in hearing truth (Luke 6:48-49, 1 Corinthians 3:11).  The flood would come and wash away such construction of a building and its walls built of the mud of lies instead of the mortar of His word.  Prophetic utterances that do not find a foundation and construction of truth will fail and bring down the whole building of a life or a church.  We are to test all things (1 Thessalonians 5:20-22) and not listen to false prophecies of peace (Jeremiah 6:14, 8:11, 1 Thessalonians 5:3, and prosperity when we are promised adversity and tribulations (2 Timothy 3:12) because we have an roaring enemy set against us (Revelation 12:17, 1 Peter 5:8).  Ezekiel also spoke against those leading men into sin to hunt their souls to destruction as a consequence of immortality and lies.  These all gave false hope and dashed souls down to destruction and death by making the righteous sad for their sin and keeping some from turning to Him in repentance by faith in His forgiveness of grace.  It is the same message for today’s listeners to hear and be valiant for the truth in what we choose to hear and follow.  It is only found in accordance with the truth of God’s word; may we therefore be equipped with the defense of the word of God to try every teaching and hold fast to the good to follow and not heed the foolish and popular prophets of false peace, but abstain from every kind of evil in any form that is not truth.  Amen.