Ezekiel 22:27 "Her princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to shed blood, and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain."
v26 "Her priests have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things;...
v6 "Behold, the princes of Israel, everyone were in thee to their power to shed blood."
The structure of leadership has dissolved into a quest for personal gain. The fault for the attitude of the people is laid on the leadership while making no excuse for the sin of the people.
The sins are many and are listed one by one. The Lord has said that he would not correct Israel while in Egypt or the wilderness because he had claimed them as his own and did not want to shame them in the presence of the enemy. That's what I got from previous chapters.
Now Israel took advantage and turned from God and worshipped idols. It was not just innocent mischief. Children were burned to please false gods, the laws of God were broken one by one. The strangers were mistreated. Even the house of God and the precious things were used for personal gain.
v8 "Thou hast despised mine holy things... v9 In thee are men that carry tales to shed blood...v12 In thee have they taken gifts to shed blood..." And many more. These comments were directed at the princes of Israel.
Further it tells how the priests participated with them. It also tells of the prophets who told the leaders that they were doing just fine and every thing would be just fine.
v28 "And her prophets have daubed them with untempered mortar, seeing vanity, and divining lies unto them, saying Thus saith the Lord God, when the LORD hath not spoken."
The Apostle Paul told us to 'study to be quiet'. It would have behooved the prophets to say nothing rather than lie about God telling them something.
It became so bad that the Lord gave us this verse to summarize the situation in Israel.
v30 "And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it but I found none."
There was no Moses to plead for the people or a David to stand at the threshing floor and say that he was the man who should be punished instead of the people.
Showing posts with label false prophets. Show all posts
Showing posts with label false prophets. Show all posts
Friday, July 16, 2010
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Like Foxes - Ezekiel 13
Ezekiel 13:4 "O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts."
We have established that Jerusalem is to fall at this time. The false prophets are saying that everything will be just fine, so go ahead and build houses and go on with your life. We know that Jeremiah was in the kings house telling them that captivity was coming and to prepare. Not so with the false prophets who deceived the people and they did not prepare.
v3 "Thus saith the Lord God; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!"
It shows that leaders are held responsible for what they tell the people. Leaders have a greater responsibility because they have the care and safety of those under them in their hands.
v6 "They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The LORD saith; and the LORD hath not sent them; and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word."
A person with a strong personality can bend the truth and add a lot of stuff that was not there. You know, some people you just want to believe because you like them so much. Truth is, if it does not match up with the Bible, it is wrong. The Bible says that without charity the words mean nothing. (I Corinthians 13) So, if a person speaks with venom in their heart and voice, they are obviously wrong according to the Bible.
Jeremiah was not the polished person that the false prophets were, at least, he did not have the popular message. He did not just sit around and figure out what to tell the people so it would please them. On the other hand the false prophets told the people that everything would be fine and that is what they wanted to hear. Wouldn't we all?
v8 "Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because ye have spoken vanity, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord God."
So then they are compared to a wall in this chapter where the wall is daub with every falsehood they could think up.
v10 "Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and lo, others daubed it with untempered mortar; v11 Say unto them which daub it with untempered mortar, that it shall fall; there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it."
It goes on to talk about the women who are busy sowing pillows and kerchiefs for evil purpose. That practice is denounced as well. So, not only those who are outspoken with deceit but also those who support them are held accountable.
It seems that the most important enemy was within the walls of Jerusalem and was not the army outside. This verse tells of deliverance, not from Babylon but from the false prophets.
v23 "Therefore ye shall see no more vanity, nor divine divinations; for I will deliver my people out of your hand; and ye shall know that I am the LORD."
Isn't it a shame that God had to take Israel out of the promise land to get them out of the idol worship business?
v5 "Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in teh battle in the day of the LORD."
We have established that Jerusalem is to fall at this time. The false prophets are saying that everything will be just fine, so go ahead and build houses and go on with your life. We know that Jeremiah was in the kings house telling them that captivity was coming and to prepare. Not so with the false prophets who deceived the people and they did not prepare.
v3 "Thus saith the Lord God; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!"
It shows that leaders are held responsible for what they tell the people. Leaders have a greater responsibility because they have the care and safety of those under them in their hands.
v6 "They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The LORD saith; and the LORD hath not sent them; and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word."
A person with a strong personality can bend the truth and add a lot of stuff that was not there. You know, some people you just want to believe because you like them so much. Truth is, if it does not match up with the Bible, it is wrong. The Bible says that without charity the words mean nothing. (I Corinthians 13) So, if a person speaks with venom in their heart and voice, they are obviously wrong according to the Bible.
Jeremiah was not the polished person that the false prophets were, at least, he did not have the popular message. He did not just sit around and figure out what to tell the people so it would please them. On the other hand the false prophets told the people that everything would be fine and that is what they wanted to hear. Wouldn't we all?
v8 "Therefore thus saith the Lord God; Because ye have spoken vanity, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord God."
So then they are compared to a wall in this chapter where the wall is daub with every falsehood they could think up.
v10 "Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and lo, others daubed it with untempered mortar; v11 Say unto them which daub it with untempered mortar, that it shall fall; there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it."
It goes on to talk about the women who are busy sowing pillows and kerchiefs for evil purpose. That practice is denounced as well. So, not only those who are outspoken with deceit but also those who support them are held accountable.
It seems that the most important enemy was within the walls of Jerusalem and was not the army outside. This verse tells of deliverance, not from Babylon but from the false prophets.
v23 "Therefore ye shall see no more vanity, nor divine divinations; for I will deliver my people out of your hand; and ye shall know that I am the LORD."
Isn't it a shame that God had to take Israel out of the promise land to get them out of the idol worship business?
v5 "Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in teh battle in the day of the LORD."
Friday, April 02, 2010
70 Years in Captivity - Jeremiah 29
Jeremiah 29:13 "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."
It was a simple truth. Those who went off to Babylon into captivity would be preserved as a nation. Those who rebelled against the captivity (the plan to keep unity) were slain and scattered. The false prophets are dealt with severely because their lives gave the people false hope. If the people believed they were going to be there only a short time they would not settle down and raise families and thus the nation would die.
v5 "Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; v6 Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished."
That was God's plan and that was what was going to happen. The people should accept it and have a life there.
I could have titled this 'The Devil Goes to Babylon' because false prophets were right there telling lies again. Jeremiah sent them a letter..
v15 "Because ye have said, The LORD hath raised us up prophets in Babylon...v17 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil." See chapter 24 8&10.
This spoke to the people who were left in Judah who refused to leave.
All this trouble on Israel is because of their rebellion against the LORD, lest we forget. They had turned to idols. I expect those who were now telling a false prophesy were the same ones guilty of promoting the evil to the people in the first place. Nevertheless, the people followed.
These troubles are to bring Israel back to God. As the text verse says "...when ye shall search for me with all your heart." The generation that left Israel will die and another generation will have a family before they return to their homeland. Hopefully, the corruption will be gone out of them.
The balance of the chapter deals with some of the false prophets: Ahab the son of Kolaiah, Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, and Shemaiah the Nehelamite who got their sentence in a letter.
v23 "Because they have committed villainy in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, saith the LORD. (Zeph 3:4)
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It was a simple truth. Those who went off to Babylon into captivity would be preserved as a nation. Those who rebelled against the captivity (the plan to keep unity) were slain and scattered. The false prophets are dealt with severely because their lives gave the people false hope. If the people believed they were going to be there only a short time they would not settle down and raise families and thus the nation would die.
v5 "Build ye houses, and dwell in them; and plant gardens, and eat the fruit of them; v6 Take ye wives, and beget sons and daughters; and take wives for your sons, and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; that ye may be increased there, and not diminished."
That was God's plan and that was what was going to happen. The people should accept it and have a life there.
I could have titled this 'The Devil Goes to Babylon' because false prophets were right there telling lies again. Jeremiah sent them a letter..
v15 "Because ye have said, The LORD hath raised us up prophets in Babylon...v17 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will send upon them the sword, the famine, and the pestilence, and will make them like vile figs, that cannot be eaten, they are so evil." See chapter 24 8&10.
This spoke to the people who were left in Judah who refused to leave.
All this trouble on Israel is because of their rebellion against the LORD, lest we forget. They had turned to idols. I expect those who were now telling a false prophesy were the same ones guilty of promoting the evil to the people in the first place. Nevertheless, the people followed.
These troubles are to bring Israel back to God. As the text verse says "...when ye shall search for me with all your heart." The generation that left Israel will die and another generation will have a family before they return to their homeland. Hopefully, the corruption will be gone out of them.
The balance of the chapter deals with some of the false prophets: Ahab the son of Kolaiah, Zedekiah the son of Maaseiah, and Shemaiah the Nehelamite who got their sentence in a letter.
v23 "Because they have committed villainy in Israel, and have committed adultery with their neighbors' wives, and have spoken lying words in my name, which I have not commanded them; even I know, and am a witness, saith the LORD. (Zeph 3:4)
My Books
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