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Ezekiel 12-15
The Rebellious
Reap Rejection
Psalm 95:1-11 Singing Sheep
1.“Oh come, let’s sing to Yahweh. Let’s shout aloud/make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!2.Let’s come before his presence with thanksgiving. Let’s extol him with songs!3.For Yahweh is a great God, a great King above all gods.4.In his hand are the deep places of the earth. The heights of the mountains are also his.5.The sea is his, and he made it. His hands formed the dry land.6.Oh come, let’s worship and bow down. Let’s kneel before Yahweh, our Maker,7.for he is our God. We are the people of his pasture, and the sheep in his care. Today, oh that you would hear his voice!8.Don’t harden your heart, as at Meribah, as in the day of Massah in the wilderness,9.when your fathers tempted me, tested me, and saw my work.10.Forty long years I was grieved with that generation, and said, "It is a people that errs in their heart. They have not known my ways."11.Therefore I swore in my wrath, "They won’t enter into my rest."Observations
95:1-7.These well-known verses exhort those who've experienced God's shepherding care to thank and praise Him in song. He is our great Creator and Sustainer.
95:8-11.
These less-known verses exhort God's people to listen to Him and not harden their hearts (our choice) against His will. If we do grieve Him by our hard-headed hard-hearts, we will miss out on His blessings and peace just like the Exodus generation.
Application
If more people paid attention to the last half of this psalm, there would be a whole lot more of the praise and thanksgiving the first half exhorts us to do.
Prayer
Great Shepherd, thanks for creating and sustaining me, for delivering me and communicating Your ways; may I listen, and walk in them. Amen.
Proverbs 22:15 Fools Meet the Board of Education
15.“Folly is bound up in the heart of a child: the rod of discipline drives it far from him.“Observation
22:15.If anyone thinks humans are innately good, and are corrupted by society, they obviously haven't spent any time in the real world, much less around toddlers. Children are naturally self-centered, concerned only about themselves and gratifying their own needs, often at the expense of others. That's the wrong objective for life, making them unpleasant to be around. “Growing up” doesn't change things, it just makes the foolish child more odious as a foolish adult. Delayed gratification and other-centeredness have to be taught. But self-centeredness doesn't leave without a fight, so a rod (can also be translated "club") is useful for causing the folly to be driven out of the heart (place where decisions are made). We're not talking about golf nor cars. Adults who know God and His ways are able to mirror God's discipline of them as they train their children. Those who don't love their children and want them to grow up to be hardened fools (like parent, like child), don't discipline them.
Proverbs 13:24 The one who will not use the rod hates their son, but the one who loves him disciplines him diligently. HCSB
Application
The board of education consistently applied to the seat of knowledge removes folly.
Prayer
Lord, thanks that You care enough about me to discipline me so I will walk in wise ways; may I love my children in a similar manner. Amen.
Ezekiel 12-15 The Rebellious Reap Rejection
In these chapters Ezekiel gets on the case of the princes and prophets for failing to fear God and lead in His ways. He does a moving day skit to dramatize the upcoming exile, and devotes over a chapter to denouncing the false prophets. There is a great but misunderstood theological truth in 12:2; see if you can figure it out before you read the observations. Under Digging Deeper is a mini lesson on Hebrew verbs which helps decipher a notoriously difficult passage in 14:9 (read it in your Bible before you read the edited text). It's not just for grammar geeks, because if you want to protect yourself from false prophets/teachers, it helps to be able to click on a few links in the Online Bible or a similar program.
Ezekiel 12 Do You Will to Do His Will?
1.The word of Yahweh also came to me, saying,2.Son of man, you dwell in the midst of the rebellious house, who have eyes to see, and don’t see, who have ears to hear, and don’t hear; for they are a rebellious house.3.Therefore, you son of man, prepare your stuff for moving, and move by day in their sight; and you shall move from your place to another place in their sight: it may be they will consider, though they are a rebellious house.4.You shall bring forth your stuff by day in their sight, as stuff for moving; and you shall go forth yourself at even in their sight, as when men go forth into exile.5.Dig through the wall in their sight, and carry your stuff out that way.6.In their sight you shall bear it on your shoulder, and carry it forth in the dark; you shall cover your face, so that you don’t see the land: for I have set you for a sign to the house of Israel.7.I did so as I was commanded...8.In the morning came the word of Yahweh to me, saying,9.Son of man, has not the house of Israel, the rebellious house, said to you, What are you doing?10.Say to them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: This burden concerns the prince in Jerusalem, and all the house of Israel among whom they are.11.Say, I am your sign: like as I have done, so shall it be done to them; they shall go into exile, into captivity.12.The prince...shall cover his face, because he shall not see the land with his eyes.13.My net also will I spread on him, and he shall be taken in my snare; and I will bring him to Babylon to the land of the Chaldeans; yet shall he not see it, though he shall die there.14.I will scatter toward every wind all who are around him to help him, and all his bands; and I will draw out the sword after them.15.They shall know that I am Yahweh, when I shall disperse them among the nations, and scatter them through the countries.16.But I will leave a few men of them from the sword, from the famine, and from the pestilence; that they may declare all their abominations among the nations where they come; and they shall know that I am Yahweh.17.Moreover the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,18.Son of man, eat your bread with quaking, and drink your water with trembling and with fearfulness;19.and tell the people of the land, Thus says the Lord Yahweh concerning the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and the land of Israel: They shall eat their bread with fearfulness, and drink their water in dismay, that her land may be desolate, and all that is therein, because of the violence of all those who dwell therein.20.The cities that are inhabited shall be laid waste, and the land shall be a desolation; and you shall know that I am Yahweh.21.The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,22.Son of man, what is this proverb that you have in the land of Israel, saying, The days are prolonged, and every vision fails?23.Tell them therefore, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: I will make this proverb to cease, and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel; but tell them, The days are at hand, and the fulfillment of every vision.24.For there shall be no more any false vision nor flattering divination within the house of Israel.25.For I am Yahweh; I will speak, and the word that I shall speak shall be performed; it shall be no more deferred: for in your days, rebellious house, will I speak the word, and will perform it, says the Lord Yahweh.26.Again the word of Yahweh came to me, saying,27.Son of man, behold, they of the house of Israel say, The vision that he sees is for many day to come, and he prophesies of times that are far off.28.Therefore tell them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: None of my words shall be deferred any more, but the word which I shall speak shall be performed, says the Lord Yahweh.Observations
12:1-16.Comprehending truth is not a matter of “enlightenment” or regeneration, but submission rather than rebellion. God says people have ears to hear, but don't because they are rebellious. Jesus reinforced this truth in John 7:17
John 7:17 “If anyone wills/chooses (NIV) to do His will, he shall know/find out concerning the doctrine, whether it is from God or whether I speak on My own authority.”
Ezekiel gets told to act out “moving day” with his face covered so he can't see the land, prophesying Zedekiah's capture, blinding, and death in Babylon.
Jeremiah 52:11 He put out the eyes of Zedekiah; and the king of Babylon bound him in fetters, and carried him to Babylon, and put him in prison until the day of his death.
A remnant would be spared to explain to the world the cause of their destruction so people would know that Yahweh is God. It's nicer to be able to “evangelize” from being blessed, than cursed.
12:17-21.
God has Ezekiel eat and drink with shaking and quaking over the imminent destruction, which God will bring in the days of his hearers. No more Mr. Nice Guy, the promised doom will be performed shortly.
Application
We can know and do what God wants, so He can bless us; the only limitation is our willingness to do so.
Prayer
Lord, I want to do Your will, knowing it's best; thanks that it is knowable, for You've revealed it in Your word, which will always be fulfilled. Amen.
Ezekiel 13 Prophecy Against The Prophets
1.The word of Yahweh 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 Yahweh:3.Thus says the Lord Yahweh, Woe to the foolish prophets, who follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!4.Israel, your prophets have been like foxes in the waste places.5.You have not gone up into the gaps, neither built up the wall for the house of Israel, to stand in the battle in the day of Yahweh.6.They have seen falsehood and lying divination, who say, Yahweh says; but Yahweh has not sent them: and they have made men to hope that the word would be confirmed.7.Haven’t you seen a false vision, and haven’t you spoken a lying divination, in that you say, Yahweh says; but I have not spoken?8.Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: Because you have spoken falsehood, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, says the Lord Yahweh.9.My hand shall be against the prophets who see false visions, and who divine lies: they shall not be in the council of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and you shall know that I am the Lord Yahweh.10.Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there is no peace; and when one builds up a wall, behold, they plaster it with whitewash:11.tell those who plaster it with whitewash, that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing shower; and you, great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall tear it.12.Behold, when the wall has fallen, shall it not be said to you, Where is the plaster with which you have plastered it?13.Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: I will even tear it with a stormy wind in my wrath; and there shall be an overflowing shower in my anger, and great hailstones in wrath to consume it.14.So will I break down the wall that you have plastered with whitewash, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation shall be uncovered; and it shall fall, and you shall be consumed in its midst: and you shall know that I am Yahweh.15.Thus will I accomplish my wrath on the wall, and on those who have plastered it with whitewash; and I will tell you, The wall is no more, neither those who plastered it;16.to wit, the prophets of Israel who prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her, and there is no peace, says the Lord Yahweh.17.You, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, who prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy against them,18.(NIV to 21) and say, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Woe to the women who sew magic charms on all their wrists and make veils of various lengths for their heads in order to ensnare people. Will you ensnare the lives of my people but preserve your own?19.You have profaned me among my people for a few handfuls of barley and scraps of bread. By lying to my people, who listen to lies, you have killed those who should not have died and have spared those who should not live.20.“‘Therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against your magic charms with which you ensnare people like birds and I will tear them from your arms; I will set free the people that you ensnare like birds.21.I will tear off your veils and save my people from your hands, and they will no longer fall prey to your power. Then you will know that I am the LORD.22.Because with lies you have grieved the heart of the righteous, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not repent from his wicked way, and be saved alive:23.Therefore you shall no more see false visions, nor practice divination. I will deliver my people out of your hand; and you shall know that I am Yahweh.Observation
13:1-23.Ezekiel denounces false prophets who speak lies rather than God's truth, resulting in bondage and death for their hearers, rather than freedom and life. Instead of building the spiritual wall of protection around the people (by uncovering and repairing their sins) the false liars whitewash the defects, making people feel good about themselves while they are sinning. Prophesying “peace” when God has pronounced “pain” is satanic deception. Truth comforts the afflicted and afflicts the comfortable; lies do just the opposite. False teachers serve Satan for the sake of a few scraps of bread and barley. They will be judged and cut off from God's people since they don't save God's people.
Application
Protect yourself from false prophets by accurately knowing what God has said, and test every “teaching” against the truth. You can do this by getting the big picture from DailyTruthbase, and learning how to decipher difficult passages from learning How to Study the Bible like Sherlock O'lmes in the sidebar under The 7PASSAGES.Prayer
Heavenly Father, protect me from false teachers, and give me the power and desire to master Your word, so I can save myself and others from sin and judgment. Amen.
Ezekiel 14 Deceived Prophets and Three Heros
1.Then came certain of the elders of Israel to me, and sat before me.2.The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,3.Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their heart, and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face: should I be inquired of at all by them?4.Therefore speak to them, and tell them, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Every man of the house of Israel who takes his idols into his heart, and puts the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and comes to the prophet; I Yahweh will answer him therein according to the multitude of his idols;5.that I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.6.Therefore tell the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord Yahweh: Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.7.For everyone of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who live in Israel, who separates himself from me...8.I will set my face against that man, and will make him an astonishment, for a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and you shall know that I am Yahweh.9.If the prophet is deceived and speak a word, I, Yahweh, will deceive that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand on him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.10.They shall bear their iniquity: the iniquity of the prophet shall be even as the iniquity of him who seeks him;11.that the house of Israel may go no more astray from me, neither defile themselves any more with all their transgressions; but that they may be my people, and I may be their God, says the Lord Yahweh12.The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,13.Son of man, when a land sins against me by committing a trespass, and I stretch out my hand on it, and break the staff of its bread, and send famine on it, and cut off from it man and animal;14.though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, says the Lord Yahweh.15.If I cause evil animals to pass through the land, and they ravage it, and it be made desolate, so that no man may pass through because of the animals;16.though these three men were in it, as I live, says the Lord Yahweh, they should deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only should be delivered, but the land should be desolate.17.Or if I bring a sword on that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off from it man and animal;18.though these three men were in it, as I live, says the Lord Yahweh, they should deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only should be delivered themselves.19.Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my wrath on it in blood, to cut off from it man and animal;20.though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, says the Lord Yahweh, they should deliver neither son nor daughter; they should but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.21.For thus says the Lord Yahweh: How much more when I send my four severe judgments on Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the evil animals, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and animal!22.Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be carried forth, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth to you, and you shall see their way and their doings; and you shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought on Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought on it.23.They shall comfort you, when you see their way and their doings; and you shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, says the Lord Yahweh.Observations
14:1-11.If God seems far away, guess who moved? God refuses to answer the elder's inquiry because they have set up idols in their heart and put a stumbling block in front of themselves by their sins. You can't serve God and anything else. If they repent, and turn away from the things they trust in rather than God, and the things with which they please themselves that are illegitimate, then they can have a relationship with God. Otherwise, destruction awaits them, and the false, deceived prophets. See Digging Deeper for understanding the verb tenses in verse 9 (all of God's responsive actions are in the Perfect mood/tense, which when used in prophetic contexts, indicates future action viewed as having already been done). God doesn't deceive the prophets before they speak, because He wants His people to know His will and do it, so they can live in covenant relationship with Him. He does “deceive” (as in cause to err/fall) the prophets after they falsely speak, to expose their lies.
14:12-23.
Even if three righteous men, like Noah, Daniel, and Job, were living in the land, it would still be destroyed, but they would be saved by their righteousness. You read that correctly: God says their righteousness would save them, because the land was being judged for unrighteousness, and they were considered righteous by God. This brings to mind Abraham bargaining with God over Sodom (Gen 18:23-24). God would spare if there would be enough righteous people to sway the tide toward good, so the inhabitants of the land would fulfill God's purposes. But if the nation persists in going the wrong way, it fails to justify its existence (as a people whom God would bless). God adds wild animals to the sword, famine, pestilence mix.
Application
God delivers the righteous when He judges iniquity; so don't focus on being more righteous than the next guy, focus on being righteous in God's sight.
Prayer
God, open my eyes to see Your truth as You've revealed it, and guide my heart to embrace it, and my hands, feet and mouth to do it. Amen.
Ezekiel 15 Useless Vine
1.The word of Yahweh came to me, saying,2.Son of man, how is the vine tree different from any tree, the vine-branch which is among the trees of the forest?3.Shall wood be taken of it to make any work? or will men take a pin of it to hang any vessel thereon?4.Behold, it is cast into the fire for fuel; the fire has devoured both its ends, and its midst is burned: is it profitable for any work?5.Behold, when it was whole, it was useful for no work: how much less, when the fire has devoured it, and it is burned, shall it yet be useful for any work!6.Therefore thus says the Lord Yahweh: As the vine tree among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem.7.I will set my face against them; they shall go forth from the fire, but the fire shall devour them; and you shall know that I am Yahweh, when I set my face against them.8.I will make the land desolate, because they have committed a trespass, says the Lord Yahweh.Observation
15:1-8.God compares the inhabitants of Jerusalem to a vine that is only useful for fuel, and when burned, totally useless. He will destroy them by fire because of their sin.
Application
Being useful is a good way to keep alive.
Prayer
Lord, may I be fit and useful for You, and those I serve. Amen.
Digging Deeper
Ezekiel 14:9 is another sad example of how many translators and commentators pay insufficient attention to context. Most translations indicate that if a false prophet is deceived, then God deceived him, and will destroy him. Which portrays God as an unjust monster. You don't have to be a grammar geek to follow the argument, but a little common sense will help. There are five verbs which carry the action in the verse. Clicking on Strong's numbers gives you a mini lexical and grammatical interlinear. The number in <pointy brackets> links to a lexicon and gives the range of meanings for a word. The number in (smooth brackets) links to grammatical information which spares you years of Biblical language study. The pointy brackets follow verbs, so if you missed that day in elementary school, you can find the “action words” easily (underlined below).14:9a And if the prophet <05030> be deceived <06601> (8792)
9b when he hath spoken <01696> (8765) a thing <01697>,
9c I the LORD <03068> have deceived <06601> (8765) that prophet <05030>,
9d and I will stretch out <05186> (8804) my hand <03027> upon him,
9e and will destroy <08045> (8689) him
9f from the midst <08432> of my people <05971> Israel <03478>
The first two verbs are about the prophet, the last three about God. Clicking on the second number yields the following information:9a prophet be deceived <06601> (8792) Pual/passive 08849, Imperfect 08811, Count: 93
9b he hath spoken <01696> (8765) Piel/intensive 08840, Perfect 08816, Count: 2121
9c I have deceived <06601> (8765) Piel/intensive 08840, Perfect 08816, Count: 2121
9d I will stretch out <05186> (8804) Qal/simple active 08851, Perfect 08816, Count: 12562
9e (I) will destroy <08045> (8689) Hiphil/causative 08818, Perfect 08816, Count: 2675
Pual, Piel, Qal, and Hiphil are Hebrew stems, indicating the kind of action meant by a verb. If you click on the lexicon number, you'll find different meanings for each word categorized under the different stem, so you need to know the stem to find the correct range of meanings.
Perfect and Imperfect are the two basic moods which somewhat correlate with English past and present/future tenses, respectively. The more precise understanding is that they refer more to the kind rather than the time of the action. The Perfect views the action as completed (thus usually used for the past), and the Imperfect views the action as incomplete, (usually used for the present and future). Notice in 14:9d and 14:9e that “will stretch out” and “will destroy” are translated as future, even though they are “Perfects.” It's obvious that God hasn't already destroyed them, because He is giving a warning of what will happen. All translations correctly give the meaning as future action, even though the verb is in the Perfect mood/”tense”. Grammarians have noted a category of meaning called the “Prophetic Perfect” which views future action as already being completed; since God has indicated that it will occur, so it will.
So why isn't 14:9c translated as a “future”? It would be consistent, make much more sense, and be in line with the context of the verse, chapter, previous chapter, book, and Biblical theology, to do so. In Ezekiel 13:3, God made it clear that false prophets come up with their lies “out of their own heart”; in 13:6, He states He “has not sent them”; God is not the source of their lies (the Father of Lies usually is). The bulk of the book of Ezekiel, and the other prophets is written to warn people from incorrect thinking, valuing, and acting, so they will repent and be spared judgment. God doesn't deceive people and then destroy them for being deceived. That would be demonic. Unfortunately many have a false view of God, and promulgate it today (just like in Ezekiel's day). The far better view is to understand that:
all of God's responsive actions to the prophets' false speeches
(which are in the Perfect mood/”tense”),
are being used in this prophetic context as “Prophetic Perfects,“
to indicate future action,
viewed as having already been done.
"Deceive" comes from a root which means to be open or spacious (the noun is the naive simpleton of Proverbs 1 #06612) but in the Piel and Pual = persuade, entice to harm, allure or, by extension ensnare.
http://concordances.org/hebrew/6601.htm The purpose of deceiving or enticing is to do harm to someone (usually for personal gain). God doesn't deceive the prophets into giving false messages, but after they have delivered the false message, God will deceive/entice or ensnare them to destroy them as the rest of verse nine indicates. There is a figure of speech called deliberate ambiguity, in which a word is used twice in the same context with different meanings. So God will bring the false prophet into judgment (deceive/ensnare them) after they have deceived/ensared the people.Thus God is not the deceiver giving false information, but the One who will ensnare the deceivers who gave the false information. A little observation of the grammar and context, and a modicum of logical consistency save the day.
For those who miss the obvious and cite 1Kings 22:23 (God sending a lying spirit to Ahab's prophets), the context there is more a judgment against Ahab, than a condemnation of the false prophets deceiving the people. In Ezekiel, God doesn't deceive the prophets, because He wants His people to know His will and do it, so they can live in covenant relationship with Him.
God in a nutshell: God has purposes for His people basically justify their existence; otherwise, there is no point in them hanging around earth doing evil. God wants His people to know and do His will, and uses varied means to communicate to those who are willing to hear and obey. God particularly dislikes bad leaders and false prophets who fail to do and communicate His commands. He will deliver the righteous because of their righteousness, and destroy the unrighteous.
Us in a nutshell: We have ears for the purpose of hearing God, but if we're rebellious, and refuse to listen, we will reap devastation. We're given the freedom to reject God's care and serve idols, but will in turn be rejected by Him, and serve our enemies or be slain. We can be deceived by false prophets and suffer for it, unless we make knowing and doing God's word a priority. Our righteousness will deliver us in the day of judgment.