FOXES, BIRDS & WHITEWASHED WALLS

The Lord is very concerned that the nation of Israel ‘know that He is the Lord.’ Fifty plus times in this book that phrase is used. His people seem to seek after everything BUT Him to provide, strengthen & deliver. And they like to listen to religious leaders who say what they like to hear. What concerns the Lord greatly is those prophets and prophetesses who purport to speak for Him yet are simply deceiving the people. God calls them “those who prophesy from their own inspiration.’ (13:2). “They see falsehood and lying divination who are saying, ‘The Lord declares,’ when the Lord has not sent them…” (13:6).

We seem to have the same struggle with the same sort of deceivers in 2021. ‘Prophets’ and ‘prophetesses’ predict and declare ‘Thus says the Lord’ and many in the church applaud. Yet, when those predictions fail to be fulfilled a portion of the church simply moves on to another ‘prediction of blessing’ from an equally deceptive speaker. Why is this so? False prophets are motivated by self-interest. They want to be paid, want to be revered and continually want more. But this same malady infects those who listen to them. Our flesh wants peace, prosperity, popularity and a pain-free existence. But, in this life, that is not always God’s plan for us. He is the Lord.

One cannot read Ezekiel 13 and not feel God’s anger rising. We must insure that we can quickly and accurately recognize truth from lies and that only comes from being very familiar with the truth. 1 John 4:1 says, “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” Humanity has not changed much in 3000 years. The only real change that can come to man comes as a result of the forgiveness, redemption and transformation the Lord Jesus brings to a life.