Chronological Bible Study – Aug 30
What I Noticed Today (Ezekiel 13-15)
Ezekiel 13
Message 3. Ezekiel 13 is the Lord’s third message against the false prophets who had led the people of Israel astray.
In verses 1-3, the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel, saying the false prophets were speaking from their own imaginations, not the words of God.
In verses 4-7, the false prophets were like jackals who scavenged the city. They speak of false visions and lying divinations and attribute them to the Lord when the Lord had not sent them.
In verses 8-16, the punishment for these false prophets was severe: they would not be in the council of the Lord’s people, they would not be enrolled in the register of the people of Israel, nor would they enter the land of Israel. They were claiming peace when disaster was imminent. They were like plasterer’s hiding large cracks in a wall with a thin paste of chalk. They were trying to hide Israel’s sin. Thus, they would be blamed when a storm came, and the wall collapsed, and the prophets would be destroyed at the same time.
In verses 17-19, Ezekiel condemned the women who were false prophetesses who also prophesied out of their own imaginations. The sewed magic bands for wrists and headbands to ward off evil spirits. They led people away from God in exchange for barley and bread. They had put to death people who should not have died and kept people alive who should have died by lying to the people.
In verses 20-23, God said He was against these false prophetesses. He would tear the magic charms off their arms and heads and set the people free. The false prophets had disheartened the righteous and kept the wicked from turning from their sins; they had directly opposed God. When God’s judgment came, the people would realize they were false prophets.
Ezekiel 14
Message 4. In verses 1-11, Ezekiel’s fourth message condemned elders who established idols in their hearts.
In verses 1-5, although Ezekiel is still confined to his house (Ezekiel 3:24), exiled elders came to him in all likelihood to see if God had a word for them about their exile. But the word of the Lord came saying the men had set up idols in their hearts, and these idols were stumbling blocks, making people fall. God said such people were hypocrites for worshipping idols and then inquiring of the Lord.
In verses 6-8, the Lord said they should repent and turn away from their idols. Anyone of the house of Israel or even those who are aliens living with them who worships idols would be judged by God. God will cut them off as an example to others.
In verses 9-11, God’s judgment extends to prophets who worship idols and then seek God. God will deceive the false prophet, and then the prophet will be as guilty the person who worships idols and inquires of the prophet. Both will bear the punishment for their sin. And then the people will be His people, and He will be their God.
Message 5. In verses 12-23, In Ezekiel’s fifth message proclaimed the certainty of the coming judgment on Israel.
In verses 14-20, Ezekiel describes four hypothetical situations regarding the judgment. In each of these cases, even if three righteous men Noah, Daniel, and Job were there, their righteousness would only save themselves, no one else. They would not even be able to save their own families. The fours judgment scenarios are famine, wild beasts, the sword, pestilence.
Note: Noah was able to save his family (Genesis 6:8-7:1), Daniel was able to save his friends (Daniel 2:12-24), and Job was able to save his three friends from judgment (Job 42:7-9). But in Ezekiel’s judgment scenario, even these righteous men would only be able to save themselves from judgment.
In verses 21-23, God says if these righteous men could only save themselves from judgment how much worse it would be for unrighteous Jerusalem. However, God promised to preserve a remnant who would live through the judgment and be brought to Babylon as exiles. Then they will realize that what God had done in judging Israel needed to be done.
Ezekiel 15-17
In Ezekiel 15-17, Ezekiel delivered three parables to demonstrate there was no way Israel could avoid judgment.
Ezekiel 15
In verses 1-5, the word of the Lord came to Ezekiel asking whether the wood of a vine was better than the wood of a tree in the forest. In fact, God says the wood of a vine is worth less because it cannot be used to build or make anything useful.
In verses 6-8, God asks if the vine is worthless, how much less is it worth once it has been charred by fire. God said he would set His face against them although they may survive the fire, He would consume them because they have acted faithlessly.
Note: Israel thought of herself as blessed by God and was often referred to as a vine that God had planted (Psalms 80:8-18, Isaiah 5:1-7, Jeremiah 2:21), yet they had not produced the spiritual fruit that God intended. In fact, they had become a wild vine that had to be pruned to make it fruitful.
Tomorrow: Ezekiel 16-17
What did you notice in your study today? Feel free to visit the website and leave a question or a comment.