Ezekiel 13

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TALKS FOR GROWING CHRISTIANS

Israel’s False Prophets Judged

BACKGROUND NOTES



DOCTRINAL POINT(S)

  1. God is against false prophets who practice deception in the midst of His people.

  2. God is against false prophetesses who practice divination in the midst of His people.

PRACTICAL APPLICATION

  1. Watch out for foxes among ruins.

QUESTIONS

  1. The false prophets and prophetesses were practicing their deception both in the city of ___________ as well as in the city of _______________.

  2. The false prophets were deceiving the people, convincing them that ________ was near.

  3. Give a general definition of the “Day of the Lord.”

  4. What were the two categories of false prophets in ancient Israel?

  5. What was the spiritual meaning of “plastering the wall with untempered mortar” (vs 10-14)?

  6. What were the results of the false prophetesses’ occult practices noted in verses 18 and 19?

ANSWERS

  1. The false prophets and prophetesses were practicing their deception both in Babylon and in Jerusalem. Remember, there were already many Jewish captives in Babylon, and Jerusalem had not yet fallen to the Babylonians.

  2. The false prophets were deceiving the people into believing that peace was near. See verses 10 and 16.

  3. The “Day of the Lord” could be defined as any time that the Lord intervenes in the affairs of nations.

  4. The two categories of false prophets in ancient Israel were the false prophets of the foreign gods such as the prophets of Baal, and the false prophets who claimed they were true prophets of the Lord. This latter category of false prophets claimed that they had seen visions from the Lord and that they were inspired of the Lord. But they were lying and deceiving the people.

  5. The spiritual meaning of plastering walls with untempered mortar was that the false prophets were covering up or whitewashing the sins of the people. The responsibility of the prophets was to shore up the wall and stand in the gaps of the wall, the wall representing the moral and spiritual defenses of the nation. But these false prophets had failed in their responsibility (v 5).

  6. The results of the false prophetesses’ occult practices as noted in verses 18 and 19 were that innocent people were having curses put on them and the deaths of the wicked were being delayed.

DISCUSS/CONSIDER

  1. Discuss the many “social communities” in which false prophets may be found (political, religious, educational, etc.) Consider the many different messages of deception and the cleverness of those who would lead both unbelievers and believers from the truth. Identify the motives of these false prophets and prophetesses.DISCUSS/CONSIDER


CHALLENGE

  1. Are you alert to the “foxes among ruins,” that is, the false prophets and prophetesses in our world today? Are you diligently reading and learning from God’s Word that you may be able to distinguish between the truth of His Word and the deceptions of the false prophets who are so bold in their lies?

KEY VERSES

  • “Thus I will 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, 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.” Ezekiel 13:15, 16



Ezekiel, Old Testament, TalksDeb HarmsEzekiel 13