02 September

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Ezekiel 13-15

Ezekiel 13

The next movement in the prophesying was a denunciation of false prophets and prophetesses. The prophets were not inspired by the Spirit of God, but followed their own spirit. In so doing they had, like foxes, destroyed the very fences of the vineyard of God instead of restoring and strengthening them. They had spoken in the name of the Lord without His authority. In the place of divine inspiration had been the divination of wickedness. Because of this, Jehovah was against them, and they would be cut off from the council of His people and from the land of Israel. Their immediate sin had been promising peace when judgment was determined. By their messages they had given a false sense of security, which Ezekiel likened to a wall built with untempered mortar. Against this Jehovah would proceed as a stormy wind, in fury sweeping it down with those who built it.

The prophetesses had been guilty of the same evil prophesying "out of their own heart" the things which pleased the people, and that for their own enrichment. Against them also Jehovah would proceed, delivering the people out of their hand.

This burden against the false prophets and prophetesses ended once more with the declaration of purpose, "Ye shall know that I am the Lord." It is a graphic setting forth of the awful peril of misrepresenting Jehovah. There is no deadlier sin than to profess to speak His messages, and at the same time be motivated by anything other than the glory of His name.

Ezekiel 14

Certain of the elders of Israel now came to Ezekiel, evidently to hear what message he had to deliver to them. The word of the Lord revealed to him that whatever their outward attitude might be, they were at heart idolaters, and he was charged to declare to them that while idolatry remained in their heart they were necessarily estranged from Jehovah. He was to appeal to them to return to Jehovah, and to make perfectly clear that so long as they retained idolatry in their heart the only answer of Jehovah to them must be punishment, warning them that if they listened to the messages of false prophets, they and the prophets would be destroyed together.

This determined attitude of judgment was then explained to Ezekiel, first by a statement of principle. That statement was that in days of willful and persistent corruption men as righteous as Noah, Daniel, and Job could not prevent the operation of vengeance, but only save their own souls by their righteousness. This statement of principle, while insisting on the inevitableness of judgment. did, nevertheless, also clearly reveal the justice and discrimination of the divine method. If Noah, Daniel, and Job were unable to prevent the judgment, they themselves would be saved by their righteousness. The twofold truth was then even more clearly brought forth in the direct application of the principle to Jerusalem. Four sore judgments were determined against the city, but a remnant would be delivered, and escaping to Ezekiel would comfort him, as they proved that all that the Lord had done had been not without cause.

Ezekiel 15

This final word on the results of reprobation leads naturally to the part of the prophecy dealing with the reason thereof. This reason is first set forth under two general figures; second, in the form of a riddle; third, as an answer-to a false excuse; and, finally, in a great lament.

The figures were familiar because they had been used by former prophets. The first figure was of the vine. Its uselessness as a tree was declared. It provided no wood which men could work, not even a pin on which a vessel might be hung, the meaning of this most evidently being that the one and only value of a vine is its fruit. How worse than useless then is it when burned.

The application of the figure was made immediately to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, who were to be given to the fire because of their trespass. The connection of this prophecy with the song of Isaiah is evident. According to that song the judgment against the men of Judah was due to the fact that when Jehovah looked for grapes they brought forth wild grapes.