Recognizing False Prophets

WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.560 --> 00:00:04.879 You may be seated, and let's turn our attention to God's word in the 2 00:00:04.919 --> 00:00:31.500 book of Ezekiel, and will begin in chapter twelve. So Ezekiel, Chapter 3 00:00:31.660 --> 00:00:37.210 Twelve, Verse Twenty One, and then I will read also chapter thirteen. 4 00:00:42.009 --> 00:00:48.770 Here in this passage, the Lord speaks to us about false prophets, about 5 00:00:49.049 --> 00:00:53.920 and and points the way forward to Jesus as the True Prophet, Speaker of 6 00:00:54.000 --> 00:01:00.000 truth, bringer of wisdom and salvation. So let's give our attention to God's 7 00:01:00.039 --> 00:01:04.310 word now. And Ezekiel, Chapter Twelve, beginning verse twenty one. And 8 00:01:04.430 --> 00:01:07.670 the word of the Lord came to me, son of man. What is 9 00:01:07.750 --> 00:01:12.150 this proverb that you have heard about the land of Israel, saying the days 10 00:01:12.230 --> 00:01:17.989 grow long and every vision comes to nothing? Tell them, therefore, thus 11 00:01:18.069 --> 00:01:22.219 says the Lord God. I will put an end to this proverb and they 12 00:01:22.260 --> 00:01:26.980 shall new no more use it as a proverb in Israel, but say to 13 00:01:27.099 --> 00:01:33.209 them the days are near and the fulfillment of every vision, for there shall 14 00:01:33.290 --> 00:01:37.769 be no more any false vision or flattering divination within the House of Israel. 15 00:01:38.409 --> 00:01:41.890 For I am the Lord. I will speak the word that I will speak 16 00:01:42.329 --> 00:01:46.489 and it will be performed. I will no longer be delayed, but in 17 00:01:46.609 --> 00:01:49.760 your days, oh rebellious house, I will speak the word and perform it, 18 00:01:51.159 --> 00:01:55.480 declares the Lord God. And the word of the Lord came to me, 19 00:01:56.439 --> 00:01:59.159 son of man. Behold, they of the House of Israel say, 20 00:02:00.000 --> 00:02:02.750 the vision that he sees is for many days from now, and he prophesies 21 00:02:02.870 --> 00:02:07.189 of times far off. Therefore say to them, thus says the Lord God. 22 00:02:07.949 --> 00:02:12.629 None of my words will be delayed any longer, but the word that 23 00:02:12.710 --> 00:02:17.180 I speak will be performed, declares the Lord God. The word of the 24 00:02:17.219 --> 00:02:22.819 Lord came to me, son of man. Prophesy against the false prophets of 25 00:02:22.900 --> 00:02:27.259 Israel who are prophesying, and say to those who prophesy from their own hearts, 26 00:02:27.300 --> 00:02:31.009 here the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God. Woe 27 00:02:31.169 --> 00:02:37.490 to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit and have seen nothing. Your 28 00:02:37.650 --> 00:02:42.050 prophets have been like jackals among ruins, Oh Israel, you have not gone 29 00:02:42.569 --> 00:02:46.080 you have not gone up into the breaches or built up a wall for the 30 00:02:46.159 --> 00:02:49.639 House of Israel that it might stand in battle in the day of the Lord. 31 00:02:50.439 --> 00:02:54.759 They have seen false visions and lying divinations, they say, declares the 32 00:02:54.919 --> 00:02:59.669 Lord, when the Lord has not sent them, and yet they expect him 33 00:02:59.669 --> 00:03:02.870 to fulfill their word. Have you not seen a false vision and uttered a 34 00:03:02.870 --> 00:03:07.990 lying divination whenever you have said, declares the Lord although I have not spoken? 35 00:03:09.110 --> 00:03:14.219 Therefore, thus says the Lord God, because you have uttered falsehood and 36 00:03:14.379 --> 00:03:17.900 seen lying visions. Therefore, behold, I am against you, declares the 37 00:03:17.979 --> 00:03:23.219 Lord God. My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and 38 00:03:23.300 --> 00:03:27.689 who give lying divinations. They shall not be in the counsel of my people, 39 00:03:28.289 --> 00:03:30.770 nor be enrolled in the register of the House of Israel, nor shall 40 00:03:30.810 --> 00:03:35.810 they enter the land of Israel, and you shall know that I am the 41 00:03:35.930 --> 00:03:40.560 Lord God, precisely because they have misled my people, saying peace when there 42 00:03:40.639 --> 00:03:44.840 is no peace, and because, when the people build a wall, these 43 00:03:45.000 --> 00:03:50.360 prophets, smeared with whitewash, say to those who smear it with whitewash that 44 00:03:50.560 --> 00:03:53.759 it shall fall, there will be a deluge of rain and you, Oh, 45 00:03:53.879 --> 00:03:59.629 great hailstones will fall and a stormy wind break out. And when the 46 00:03:59.669 --> 00:04:02.750 wall falls, will it not be said to you, where is the coding 47 00:04:02.949 --> 00:04:06.550 with which you smeared it? Therefore, thus says the Lord God, I 48 00:04:06.669 --> 00:04:11.020 will make a stormy wind to break out in my wrath and there shall be 49 00:04:11.139 --> 00:04:15.300 a deluge of rain in my anger and great hailstones and wrath to make a 50 00:04:15.379 --> 00:04:17.860 full end, and I will break down the wall that you have smeared with 51 00:04:18.019 --> 00:04:23.660 whitewash and bring it down to the ground so that its foundations, or so 52 00:04:23.779 --> 00:04:28.290 that its foundation will be laid bare when it falls, you shall perish in 53 00:04:28.370 --> 00:04:31.449 the midst of it and you shall know that I am the Lord. Thus 54 00:04:31.529 --> 00:04:35.290 will I spend my wrath upon the wall and upon those who have smeared it 55 00:04:35.329 --> 00:04:39.800 with whitewash, and I will say to you the wall is no more, 56 00:04:40.480 --> 00:04:45.759 nor those who smeared it, the prophets of Israel who prophesied concerning Jerusalem and 57 00:04:45.920 --> 00:04:49.560 saw visions of peace for her when there was no peace, declares the Lord 58 00:04:49.639 --> 00:04:55.709 God. and You, son of man, set your face against the daughters 59 00:04:55.750 --> 00:05:00.670 of your people, who prophesy out of their own hearts. Prophesy against them 60 00:05:00.790 --> 00:05:03.350 and say, thus says the Lord God, woe to the women who so 61 00:05:03.629 --> 00:05:09.259 magic bands upon all wrists and make veils for the heads and persons of every 62 00:05:09.339 --> 00:05:15.540 stature. In the hunt for soul souls. Will you hunt down souls belonging 63 00:05:15.699 --> 00:05:20.139 to my people and keep your own souls alive. You have profaned me among 64 00:05:20.259 --> 00:05:26.089 my people for handfuls of Barley, for pieces of bread, putting to death 65 00:05:26.209 --> 00:05:30.050 souls who should not die, in keeping alive, souls who should not live, 66 00:05:30.730 --> 00:05:35.439 by your lying to my people. WHO LISTENS TO LIES? Therefore, 67 00:05:35.560 --> 00:05:39.959 thus, as the Lord, God behold, I am against your magic bands 68 00:05:40.519 --> 00:05:44.920 with which you hunt the souls like birds, and I will tear them from 69 00:05:44.959 --> 00:05:47.680 your arms and I will let the souls whom you hunt go free, the 70 00:05:47.879 --> 00:05:51.709 souls, like birds, your veils also, I will tear off and deliver 71 00:05:51.870 --> 00:05:56.110 my people out of your hand, and they shall no more be in your 72 00:05:56.189 --> 00:06:00.069 hand as pray, and you shall know that I am the Lord, because 73 00:06:00.149 --> 00:06:03.149 you have disheartened the righteous falsely, although I have not grieved him, and 74 00:06:03.740 --> 00:06:08.899 you have encouraged the wicked that he should not turn from his evil way to 75 00:06:08.980 --> 00:06:13.459 save his life. Therefore, you shall no more cease false, false divisions, 76 00:06:13.819 --> 00:06:17.060 nor practiced divination. I will deliver my people out of your hand and 77 00:06:17.769 --> 00:06:25.290 you shall know that I am the Lord. May God bless his true word 78 00:06:26.009 --> 00:06:33.800 to us. Well, the problem that is Ekiel is facing and that the 79 00:06:33.959 --> 00:06:41.680 Lord declares to this son of man is twofold, but the FROLKATE. Focus 80 00:06:41.800 --> 00:06:45.439 is on the second part. You can get the sense of it in Verse 81 00:06:45.600 --> 00:06:50.750 Nineteen, where he says by your lying to my people who listen to lies. 82 00:06:51.990 --> 00:06:56.110 So there is a people, the body as reel, who listens to 83 00:06:56.269 --> 00:06:59.790 lies. There are foolish people and, as we've seen in many ways, 84 00:07:00.149 --> 00:07:03.980 an unrighteous people and ungodly people, people who, because of their unrighteousness, 85 00:07:04.300 --> 00:07:11.540 are going to be sent out of the land, the Holy Land. But 86 00:07:11.740 --> 00:07:15.250 this passage focus is not particularly on those who listen to lies, but on 87 00:07:15.370 --> 00:07:23.089 those who make the lies, prophets and prophetesses, men and women, women 88 00:07:23.209 --> 00:07:28.610 who say thus says the Lord, when the Lord has not thus said. 89 00:07:30.040 --> 00:07:35.199 Ezekiel another words speaks, these powerful messages, these he tells us, these 90 00:07:35.240 --> 00:07:41.399 visions. He he does these signs in a midst of many other prophets. 91 00:07:42.600 --> 00:07:45.949 At the same time there are some other true prophets of the Lord, but 92 00:07:46.069 --> 00:07:49.709 as we learn here from Ezekiel Thirteen and twelve, there are also many false 93 00:07:49.790 --> 00:07:55.790 prophets. Like today, is he like there are? There are people in 94 00:07:55.990 --> 00:07:59.779 e Ekiel's time, including himself, who speak truly the word of God and 95 00:08:00.540 --> 00:08:05.740 many others who speak falsely. This generates all kinds of questions for us when 96 00:08:05.740 --> 00:08:13.930 we think about the truth and and potential falseness of a word that is said 97 00:08:13.970 --> 00:08:18.730 to come from the Lord. Questions like how do you know what's true? 98 00:08:18.769 --> 00:08:26.050 Or will there be justice for the liars? Or what if I do the 99 00:08:26.129 --> 00:08:28.920 wrong thing? What if I head the wrong way by listening to the wrong 100 00:08:30.079 --> 00:08:33.879 person? It also reminds us that there are many people among us who are 101 00:08:33.919 --> 00:08:39.120 constantly speaking on behalf of God, just as happened in the time of Israel. 102 00:08:39.120 --> 00:08:41.990 Who Don't speak on behalf of God. There are those who will talk 103 00:08:43.269 --> 00:08:50.110 from morning tonight about things, about the morality of God, about the divinity 104 00:08:50.269 --> 00:08:54.389 of God, about his plans for the world, about what is what isn't. 105 00:08:56.460 --> 00:09:00.700 All these voices, and many of them don't know what they're talking about, 106 00:09:01.379 --> 00:09:07.580 many of them are confused and some lie as well, and the people 107 00:09:07.659 --> 00:09:11.210 of Israel were facing similar problems. You can imagine the frustration of Ezekiel being 108 00:09:11.330 --> 00:09:16.370 called to declare these things in the midst of all these other prophets who are 109 00:09:16.409 --> 00:09:20.649 declaring other things. Ezekiel says, thus says the Lord as he digs through 110 00:09:20.649 --> 00:09:24.090 the wall, and meanwhile there's somebody down the street saying thus says the Lord, 111 00:09:24.360 --> 00:09:28.519 Everything's fine. You can imagine how frustrating that was be perhaps you felt 112 00:09:28.600 --> 00:09:35.120 that very same frustration and having conversations with friends or family or neighbors, saying 113 00:09:35.159 --> 00:09:39.110 here's what the Bible says, here's what the Lord says, and to have 114 00:09:39.269 --> 00:09:41.789 voices come in all around you saying, Oh, don't worry about that. 115 00:09:41.950 --> 00:09:46.149 There's lots of different interpretations. I read this great book I picked up at 116 00:09:46.190 --> 00:09:52.940 the airport. It's awesome and on and on. Well, good news for 117 00:09:54.059 --> 00:10:00.139 us is that God speaks into that kind of situation, both for us and 118 00:10:00.179 --> 00:10:05.340 during Ezekiel's time. Now, of course, God speaks in Ezekiel's time at 119 00:10:05.379 --> 00:10:09.409 a pre very particular moment in history where he's bringing the Covenant Curses upon his 120 00:10:09.610 --> 00:10:13.889 people for their breaking of it, as we spoke about last time. But 121 00:10:13.970 --> 00:10:20.210 I'd like to focus on the things that Ezekiel brings our tension to. I'm 122 00:10:20.289 --> 00:10:24.600 first the confusion, just thinking a little more carefully about that, and then 123 00:10:24.639 --> 00:10:28.200 these two classes of people, the Prophets, the false prophets and the false 124 00:10:28.679 --> 00:10:35.710 prophetesses. And as we think about these things, what we want to do 125 00:10:35.029 --> 00:10:41.870 is contrast them with our Lord, who is a true prophet, the True 126 00:10:41.909 --> 00:10:45.429 Prophet who speaks the word of the Lord, who is the word of the 127 00:10:45.549 --> 00:10:50.700 Lord, and we can learn more about him by seeing what he is not. 128 00:10:50.820 --> 00:10:54.299 So we see the terrible situation in which the people found themselves, can 129 00:10:54.580 --> 00:11:00.139 be reminded of the very excellent situation in which we find ourselves as having the 130 00:11:00.220 --> 00:11:05.889 word of God to us in Christ. So let's focus on the confusion first, 131 00:11:05.970 --> 00:11:11.250 that is EEKIEL and the people of Israel. We're facing in verses twenty 132 00:11:11.330 --> 00:11:20.360 one through the end of chapter twelve. Accidentally, so to speak, Ezekiel 133 00:11:20.399 --> 00:11:24.720 does a similar thing that Paul did this morning, right where he takes these 134 00:11:24.919 --> 00:11:30.480 proverbs and then critiques them. This was not planned, but an interesting and 135 00:11:30.840 --> 00:11:35.309 and happy providence of the Lord for us to remember this and think about this. 136 00:11:35.309 --> 00:11:41.750 The first one comes in verse twenty two. Ezekiels, the Lord says 137 00:11:41.789 --> 00:11:46.269 to is Ekiel, son of man, what is this proverb that you have 138 00:11:46.509 --> 00:11:52.179 about the land of Israel, saying the day grows long and every vision comes 139 00:11:52.740 --> 00:11:58.700 to nothing? There's a hopelessness in this proverb, right, a sort of 140 00:11:58.820 --> 00:12:03.769 meaninglessness, a sense of like I've heard it a million times right, everybody 141 00:12:03.929 --> 00:12:07.210 saying this thing and that thing and this vision and that vision. But what 142 00:12:07.289 --> 00:12:11.610 does it come to? This is the time, this is how bad things 143 00:12:11.730 --> 00:12:16.080 got in Israel that the people in the land of Israel had a proverb for 144 00:12:16.240 --> 00:12:20.399 how bad the prophets were. That's how bad things were that they're like, 145 00:12:20.600 --> 00:12:24.559 oh, yeah, right, we all know. Right, the days grow 146 00:12:24.600 --> 00:12:31.269 along and every vision comes to nothing. What's God's answer to this proverb? 147 00:12:31.789 --> 00:12:35.029 The answer is in Verse Twenty Three. He says. Tell them, therefore, 148 00:12:35.190 --> 00:12:39.149 thus says the Lord God, I will put an end to this proverb 149 00:12:39.669 --> 00:12:46.779 and they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel. Okay, 150 00:12:46.940 --> 00:12:52.100 that's a big statement, right, to go from a place where this whole 151 00:12:52.340 --> 00:12:56.059 time and all these events can be characterized by a proverb that we all just 152 00:12:56.539 --> 00:13:00.450 know, to a point where God says, nobody's going to say that anymore. 153 00:13:01.450 --> 00:13:05.090 What's going to be the difference? He tells us. He tells us 154 00:13:05.129 --> 00:13:07.970 in the the next verse, he says, but say to them the days 155 00:13:09.009 --> 00:13:13.240 are near and the fulfillment of every vision, for there shall no more be 156 00:13:13.399 --> 00:13:18.200 any false vision or flattering divination within the House of Israel. For I am 157 00:13:18.279 --> 00:13:22.759 the Lord. I will speak the word that I will speak and it will 158 00:13:22.799 --> 00:13:26.350 be performed. That's a great verse, by the way. To remember, 159 00:13:28.110 --> 00:13:31.509 I am the Lord, I will speak the word that I will speak and 160 00:13:31.710 --> 00:13:37.470 it will be performed. This is our God. Now, why? where? 161 00:13:37.509 --> 00:13:41.139 Are these things going to be coming to an end? Why we're all 162 00:13:41.220 --> 00:13:46.860 these false visions and lying prophets? Are Lying prophecies going to be coming to 163 00:13:46.980 --> 00:13:50.299 an end? Because, as he tells us, he's going to bring an 164 00:13:50.340 --> 00:13:58.889 end to those who speak them. This whole exercise and culture and practice of 165 00:13:58.049 --> 00:14:03.610 false prophecy was going to end because God was going to put them to death. 166 00:14:05.929 --> 00:14:09.120 God is not messing around, God is not winking at these false things. 167 00:14:09.559 --> 00:14:13.759 He is done. The measure of wrath has been built up. It 168 00:14:13.960 --> 00:14:18.559 is about to be poured out, oh rebellious house, he says it is 169 00:14:20.240 --> 00:14:28.190 coming. This tells us both of the power of God and the wisdom of 170 00:14:28.350 --> 00:14:33.389 God. It reminds us that he does not wink at lying falsehoods, especially 171 00:14:33.549 --> 00:14:39.539 those which are said to be in his name. The second proverb comes to 172 00:14:39.620 --> 00:14:43.899 us in Verse Twenty Seven. The word of the Lord came to me. 173 00:14:45.139 --> 00:14:46.899 That is is Equel, and and then that's twenty six, and then twenty 174 00:14:46.980 --> 00:14:50.220 seven. We have the words, son of man, behold, they of 175 00:14:50.340 --> 00:14:54.570 the house of Israel Say the vision that he sees is for many days from 176 00:14:54.610 --> 00:15:03.649 now and he prophesies of times far off. If the first one expressed a 177 00:15:03.690 --> 00:15:07.360 kind of hopelessness, well, you can't know anything. Everything comes to nothing. 178 00:15:07.799 --> 00:15:09.720 The second one has a sense of belief in it. Right. You 179 00:15:09.840 --> 00:15:13.440 can almost hear them hearing the words of his Equel, but instead of a 180 00:15:13.960 --> 00:15:18.600 disbelief about what he says, it's it's sort of distraction and pushing it off 181 00:15:18.720 --> 00:15:22.750 to a future date. They don't hear the words as he says, this 182 00:15:22.789 --> 00:15:28.470 is coming, it's happening right now, in your time, and respond instead, 183 00:15:28.509 --> 00:15:35.590 their response to his word is maybe later. Well, at least hopefully 184 00:15:35.669 --> 00:15:39.059 later. At least I won't have to feel the pain. Maybe it'll be 185 00:15:39.179 --> 00:15:41.419 my kids. It's that's sorry kids. It's not a very nice thought of 186 00:15:41.620 --> 00:15:46.220 parents to think, but sometimes we think this right. We push things off. 187 00:15:46.379 --> 00:15:48.899 We think, well, maybe I won't have to deal with that a 188 00:15:48.820 --> 00:15:54.090 coming generation in times far off. Sure the Lord will come, sure judgment 189 00:15:54.169 --> 00:15:58.690 will come, but I don't really have to worry about that, will I. 190 00:16:00.529 --> 00:16:04.360 Well, here and is equel. God tells his people time is up. 191 00:16:06.440 --> 00:16:08.879 And he says in Verse Twenty Eight, the response to this pushing off 192 00:16:10.399 --> 00:16:15.440 proverb, this saying that they would say. Therefore say to them. Thus, 193 00:16:15.480 --> 00:16:18.870 says the Lord God. None of my words will be delayed any longer, 194 00:16:18.470 --> 00:16:23.429 but the word that I speak will be performed, declares the Lord. 195 00:16:25.750 --> 00:16:30.309 Now, notice the Lord still doesn't tell them the exact minute that things are 196 00:16:30.350 --> 00:16:33.940 going to happen, even though they are going to be performed, and performed 197 00:16:33.019 --> 00:16:38.299 soon. They are still required to trust him at his word. And that's 198 00:16:38.340 --> 00:16:42.340 always the case, isn't it? God doesn't tell us every detail, every 199 00:16:42.419 --> 00:16:45.740 aspect of his plans. He tells us what he tells us, and he 200 00:16:45.820 --> 00:16:52.210 expects us to listen, to believe and to trust, to not say, 201 00:16:52.250 --> 00:16:55.730 well, there's a bunch of other voices out there, I don't I who 202 00:16:55.850 --> 00:16:59.690 can really know, or to say well, I suppose that's true, but 203 00:16:59.809 --> 00:17:06.440 that's for another day. No, we are to remember that the word that 204 00:17:06.519 --> 00:17:11.960 he speaks is the word that will be done. So it's in the midst 205 00:17:11.000 --> 00:17:15.789 of this confusion, then, from the midst of these proverbs and these things 206 00:17:15.869 --> 00:17:22.869 happening, that God now speaks about and to these two, these prophets, 207 00:17:22.950 --> 00:17:30.859 male and female, he speaks to these prophets and he explains to them what 208 00:17:30.059 --> 00:17:36.380 is coming to them in judgment, and he helps us and his people then 209 00:17:37.900 --> 00:17:45.210 to understand a little bit more about the nature of false prophecy, what exactly 210 00:17:45.289 --> 00:17:48.849 it looks like, what it feels like, how we ought to understand it, 211 00:17:48.970 --> 00:17:53.849 and this is important for us, that we might not play Nice with 212 00:17:53.970 --> 00:17:59.200 false prophecy, that we might sort of shrug our soldiers and think, well, 213 00:17:59.319 --> 00:18:02.680 you know, it's not a big deal. It is a big deal, 214 00:18:03.480 --> 00:18:07.079 especially when the false prophets have a place among the people of God. 215 00:18:10.160 --> 00:18:15.470 So First Azekiel deals with the prophets, the male prophets. He says to 216 00:18:15.589 --> 00:18:18.230 Ezekiel, son of Man, and this is chapter thirteen, verse to now 217 00:18:18.670 --> 00:18:23.109 prophesy against the Prophets of Israel who are prophesying, and say to those who 218 00:18:23.150 --> 00:18:29.819 prophesy from their own hearts, hear the word of Yahweh. That's where Lord 219 00:18:29.940 --> 00:18:33.819 is in those little capital letters there that you I mean. They are speaking 220 00:18:33.940 --> 00:18:37.619 of God, they're speaking the God of Abraham, Isaac Jacob. They are 221 00:18:37.660 --> 00:18:44.450 saying, here is what God has said. But remember the difference here between 222 00:18:44.890 --> 00:18:49.250 what is Zekiel experienced and what these people are experiencing. When a Zekiel spoke 223 00:18:49.329 --> 00:18:52.650 the word of the Lord, he was caught up into the heavens. He 224 00:18:52.490 --> 00:18:56.480 stood before the Lord himself, who commanded him and said speak these words. 225 00:18:57.200 --> 00:19:00.720 What does the Lord say about the Prophets, these false prophets? They are 226 00:19:00.799 --> 00:19:07.799 those who speak from their own hearts, their own imaginations. They simply say 227 00:19:08.000 --> 00:19:11.670 thus as the Lord, when God has not said Verse Seven. Have you 228 00:19:11.750 --> 00:19:17.829 not seen a false vision and uttered a lying divination whenever you have said Dick 229 00:19:18.670 --> 00:19:26.059 said, declares the Lord, although I have not spoken? This reminds us 230 00:19:26.099 --> 00:19:30.339 of the third commandment, shall not take the Lord's name in vain. This 231 00:19:30.500 --> 00:19:36.380 doesn't mean simply mean or only mean. Our are sort of casual use of 232 00:19:36.420 --> 00:19:41.009 the name of God, but it also includes these various greet these very grievous 233 00:19:41.009 --> 00:19:45.410 sins, in which, then God is said to have said something when he 234 00:19:45.609 --> 00:19:52.359 has not. In my home, if if I want something to be done 235 00:19:52.480 --> 00:19:56.759 and I want one child to commute it to the other child, I will 236 00:19:56.839 --> 00:20:00.960 say, as I'm suspect many parents here also do, Say Tell Your sister 237 00:20:00.200 --> 00:20:06.480 that Dad said right and that gives a little extra oomph, a little extra 238 00:20:06.599 --> 00:20:10.309 oomph to what one sister says, the other one brother says whatever, right, 239 00:20:11.029 --> 00:20:15.750 because dad said it. They're communicating this message. Thus say if dad 240 00:20:15.869 --> 00:20:22.700 right now, if the one child here's that message and does not listen right, 241 00:20:22.900 --> 00:20:26.980 big trouble. They've not listened to what dad is said, even though 242 00:20:26.980 --> 00:20:32.299 it has come not directly through dad but through his Messenger. But it's also 243 00:20:32.500 --> 00:20:36.009 true that if one of my kids goes to my other kids and says thus 244 00:20:36.130 --> 00:20:41.890 says Dad, when Dad Hath Not said, also a big trouble. And 245 00:20:41.009 --> 00:20:45.890 that's what these prophets were doing. They were going to the people of Israel 246 00:20:45.970 --> 00:20:48.730 with the Lord Seal, with the Lord Stamp, with the that they the 247 00:20:49.000 --> 00:20:59.599 the authority of God and declaring things that he had not said, what a 248 00:20:59.720 --> 00:21:08.269 terrible thing was going on there. He calls them foolish prophets, a little 249 00:21:08.309 --> 00:21:12.869 play on words where he calls them Nibble noblem. It's a fun little thing 250 00:21:12.990 --> 00:21:18.740 with the words, these foolish prophets. They're just making stuff up. Verse 251 00:21:18.819 --> 00:21:25.539 Six. They have seen the false vision, a visions and lying divinations, 252 00:21:26.099 --> 00:21:30.059 and then Ezekiel describes them. These are images which I want you to hold 253 00:21:30.099 --> 00:21:36.210 in your mind. The first image that he gives us of these lying prophets 254 00:21:36.329 --> 00:21:41.089 is that of jackals. Notice how he he talks about this. He says 255 00:21:41.690 --> 00:21:48.319 they are like those who who scavenge. Right they they come and they this 256 00:21:48.519 --> 00:21:52.039 is verse. For your profits have been like jackals among the ruins of Israel. 257 00:21:53.720 --> 00:21:59.400 What did JACKALS DO? Or maybe foxes? They're scavengers right there. 258 00:21:59.599 --> 00:22:03.549 They're here like roaming around and the ruins, sort of picking up, eating, 259 00:22:03.789 --> 00:22:07.789 taking whatever they can get. Is that what profits are supposed to to 260 00:22:07.869 --> 00:22:12.750 be? Our prophet supposed to be those who are eating and devouring the last 261 00:22:12.910 --> 00:22:18.099 few resources among the ruins of God's people? Or they supposed to be declaring 262 00:22:18.220 --> 00:22:22.740 the word of the Lord to build up the people, to strengthen the people, 263 00:22:22.859 --> 00:22:27.099 to enlighten the people, to warn the people? These jackals, which 264 00:22:27.140 --> 00:22:33.849 is what false prophets are, they're about themselves. They come with all this 265 00:22:33.970 --> 00:22:37.690 authority and power, they come with maybe fancy clothes, they come with all 266 00:22:37.769 --> 00:22:42.130 this and all that, and that they're just in it for themselves. We 267 00:22:42.210 --> 00:22:47.519 see that with the prophetesses as well. It says that they do these magic 268 00:22:47.640 --> 00:22:52.920 things for a bit of bread and a handful of barley. They're just after 269 00:22:53.079 --> 00:23:00.349 money resources. They're not serving God's people. They're not serving God, they 270 00:23:00.430 --> 00:23:06.069 are serving themselves. They are not to be trusted and not to be depended 271 00:23:06.109 --> 00:23:11.309 upon. In Verse Five, he describes them as deserters. In a military, 272 00:23:14.339 --> 00:23:18.859 military imagery, you have not gone up into the breaches or built a 273 00:23:18.940 --> 00:23:22.019 wall for the House of Israel that it might stand in battle on the day 274 00:23:22.019 --> 00:23:26.569 of the Lord. As I understand it, when one battle, when army 275 00:23:26.650 --> 00:23:32.970 would attack a city like Jerusalem or some other place, they would build these 276 00:23:33.089 --> 00:23:36.609 works up against the wall and you'd get to the high point of the wall 277 00:23:36.809 --> 00:23:41.410 to because it was less strong there, right is. It goes up less 278 00:23:41.410 --> 00:23:42.920 strong there, and so you the goal would be to kind of tear it 279 00:23:44.079 --> 00:23:48.240 down from the top and then eventually, you know, breach the wall and 280 00:23:48.640 --> 00:23:52.119 get into the city. Well, the defense of measure for this was to 281 00:23:52.200 --> 00:23:56.710 build works on the other side of the wall and attack right so as the 282 00:23:56.750 --> 00:24:00.069 enemy is trying to come in through the holes and make more holes through that 283 00:24:00.230 --> 00:24:04.750 wall. Your job, if you are A in charge of protecting the people, 284 00:24:06.150 --> 00:24:08.710 is to go stand in the breach, to go stand in the gap, 285 00:24:10.299 --> 00:24:14.619 to fight those who are trying to come in and be that wall, 286 00:24:15.140 --> 00:24:18.660 to be strong, to be courageous, to and in this case that the 287 00:24:18.740 --> 00:24:25.690 prophets is to speak the truth. They have not done that. The people 288 00:24:25.930 --> 00:24:30.529 the Prophets of God are, are like are like mighty warriors are they ought 289 00:24:30.569 --> 00:24:36.609 to be empowering and strengthening the people with the word of God, and instead 290 00:24:36.609 --> 00:24:41.279 of that they're out one or in the city collecting people's money. They're leaving 291 00:24:41.359 --> 00:24:48.799 the people defenseless. Their cowards, their pretenders, and that pretending language comes 292 00:24:48.839 --> 00:24:51.720 up in this image, this last image of the false prophets. We have 293 00:24:51.799 --> 00:24:57.990 jackals and we have deserters and then we have these pretenders or whitewashers. The 294 00:25:02.869 --> 00:25:07.380 Wall needs to be built. This image of protest action around the city. 295 00:25:08.259 --> 00:25:11.980 When the people build the wall, we read in Verse Heaven, the Prophets 296 00:25:12.420 --> 00:25:18.779 Smear it with whitewash. This would be the equivalent of sort of realizing that 297 00:25:18.940 --> 00:25:25.049 you had termites and mold right in your walls really bad, and then you 298 00:25:25.089 --> 00:25:29.849 say let's paint it, I will just will paint it all up right, 299 00:25:30.130 --> 00:25:33.529 and when the wood is rotten, there's bugs everywhere and the things about to 300 00:25:33.650 --> 00:25:37.720 fall apart and you say, Oh, let's just let's just cover it up 301 00:25:37.720 --> 00:25:41.920 and we'll say it's good. That we're doing good. That's what these prophets 302 00:25:41.559 --> 00:25:47.319 doing. They they had gone to the place of protection, the though the 303 00:25:47.920 --> 00:25:53.390 wall, and they were saying you're safe, we're safe, nothing can happen 304 00:25:53.549 --> 00:25:56.750 to us. And these equels hinted at some of the things they've said in 305 00:25:56.869 --> 00:26:02.509 other places, like we've got the temple right, remember, the temple that's 306 00:26:02.509 --> 00:26:06.019 filled with their idols. We've got the temple. What could happen to us? 307 00:26:06.299 --> 00:26:10.140 We've got the Lord right there calling on Yall way. What could happen 308 00:26:10.259 --> 00:26:15.940 to us? And on and on and on. God's justice, whatever it'll 309 00:26:15.019 --> 00:26:19.690 come down the road. This is all whitewashing. It's whitewashing the wall. 310 00:26:19.809 --> 00:26:26.769 What does God say will happen? I'm going to destroy the wall hail stones 311 00:26:26.890 --> 00:26:32.730 and water. It's going to crush the prop very prophets who have whitewashed it. 312 00:26:33.000 --> 00:26:34.920 And then you'll know the truth of out the wall and you'll know the 313 00:26:36.000 --> 00:26:38.440 truth about the prophets. And not only will you know the truth, but 314 00:26:38.519 --> 00:26:42.240 I will take care of the lies and there will be no more false visions. 315 00:26:47.549 --> 00:26:52.829 An amazing moment of God's justice will come upon Israel, in which the 316 00:26:53.109 --> 00:27:03.299 truth is made known, justice is served. It is a similar thing with 317 00:27:03.500 --> 00:27:07.980 the female prophets, the Prophet tests, or however we might call them. 318 00:27:08.140 --> 00:27:14.819 We read that they also were pretending. We're imagining things, we're speaking from 319 00:27:14.859 --> 00:27:18.289 their own heart, and they were doing it in a slightly different way, 320 00:27:18.289 --> 00:27:23.609 as Echiel points out, using some sort of magical practice. Here in the 321 00:27:23.650 --> 00:27:30.119 ESV, it's translated like arm bands or UN veils on these words are really 322 00:27:30.160 --> 00:27:34.759 difficult to translate and it's difficult to know exactly what's going on here. We 323 00:27:34.799 --> 00:27:41.039 can't say with certainty exactly what the practices were, but we can say with 324 00:27:41.200 --> 00:27:48.109 certainty what God says here, and that's they were using these things to, 325 00:27:48.390 --> 00:27:53.349 as one commentator puts it, upset the moral and spiritual order. So they 326 00:27:53.430 --> 00:28:00.299 were cursing and causing souls to die. Then we're not doing anything wrong. 327 00:28:00.539 --> 00:28:06.420 There were living righteous lie, and then they were taking those who were unrighteous 328 00:28:06.740 --> 00:28:11.980 and not putting them to death for causing them to live. Somehow this magic 329 00:28:11.140 --> 00:28:18.890 was being practice. It reminds us of the truth that sometimes in some places, 330 00:28:19.849 --> 00:28:26.569 people seem to be able to access and use spiritual powers. Remember that 331 00:28:26.160 --> 00:28:33.160 the profits of or Pharaoh's magicians, it's translated various ways, were able to 332 00:28:33.200 --> 00:28:37.319 do some of the miracles of Moses, the first three, I think, 333 00:28:37.640 --> 00:28:41.000 if I remember right, they were able to turn the Nile into blood. 334 00:28:41.039 --> 00:28:44.950 Right, these were not tricks. They did these things. And then it's 335 00:28:45.029 --> 00:28:48.190 that the scriptures say that God took it away from them. He took away 336 00:28:48.230 --> 00:28:53.069 their ability to do these things in such a way that those magicians said, 337 00:28:53.430 --> 00:28:57.019 this comes from the hand of the Lord. Right, we're done, there's 338 00:28:57.059 --> 00:29:03.339 nothing else that we can do. They end up giving a confession to God. 339 00:29:04.579 --> 00:29:08.180 Now, how all this works exactly, I can't say, but what 340 00:29:08.380 --> 00:29:14.690 we do see here is that powers, magical spiritual powers, are being used 341 00:29:14.730 --> 00:29:23.440 by these people, but no longer. God will will remove these magic bands. 342 00:29:23.480 --> 00:29:26.839 He says it in this way, in verse twenty. I will tear 343 00:29:26.039 --> 00:29:32.920 them from your arms and I will let the souls you hunt go for now. 344 00:29:33.079 --> 00:29:38.029 Why this inequity? Why were some people getting this treatment and others not? 345 00:29:40.309 --> 00:29:48.670 Well, it seems much like the false prophet on Balim who's hired to 346 00:29:48.869 --> 00:29:56.180 curse God's people. On these these magicians, these false prophets, the they 347 00:29:56.339 --> 00:30:03.700 were using this magic for money. They had a power. I had access 348 00:30:03.700 --> 00:30:07.130 to the power, and they were using it to make a profit. For 349 00:30:07.289 --> 00:30:15.289 Bread Barley. Well, not only is that despicable and terrible thing, not 350 00:30:15.930 --> 00:30:19.650 just the money aspect of it, but the abuse of the power that they 351 00:30:19.650 --> 00:30:25.519 had. We also see explicitly we are given another image and how we are 352 00:30:25.559 --> 00:30:30.960 to understand them. These women, these daughters of your people, verse seventeen. 353 00:30:30.960 --> 00:30:37.990 They are like hunters, laying snares for the souls of cuts people. 354 00:30:37.990 --> 00:30:45.549 Are The prophets of the Lord supposed to be hunting the souls of the people? 355 00:30:48.309 --> 00:30:52.619 Know, the profits of the Lord are called to protect, to build 356 00:30:52.660 --> 00:30:56.380 up, to strengthen, to bring light, to bring life, not moo 357 00:30:56.500 --> 00:31:03.730 going around setting snares and traps for the people like like birds. Verse Twenty 358 00:31:03.809 --> 00:31:07.410 One. God will have no more of it. Your veils, I will 359 00:31:07.450 --> 00:31:11.970 tear off and deliver my people out of your hand and they shall no more 360 00:31:11.130 --> 00:31:15.369 be in your hand as pray, and you shall know that I am the 361 00:31:15.529 --> 00:31:21.960 Lord. You've encouraged the wicked that he should not turn away from his evil 362 00:31:22.000 --> 00:31:25.920 way to save his life. Therefore, you shall know more see false visions 363 00:31:26.279 --> 00:31:30.279 or practice divination. I will deliver my people out of your hand and you 364 00:31:30.359 --> 00:31:37.710 shall know that I am the Lord. This phrase that keeps coming up both 365 00:31:37.750 --> 00:31:40.390 in the last passage that we read. In this one as well, you 366 00:31:40.630 --> 00:31:45.309 shall know that I'm the Lord reminds us of sort of the goal of all 367 00:31:45.349 --> 00:31:49.940 of these things. One way that we express it in our confessions is to 368 00:31:51.019 --> 00:31:56.619 say that our chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. Another 369 00:31:56.660 --> 00:32:00.019 way to put it is to know the Lord. When we know the Lord, 370 00:32:00.140 --> 00:32:05.490 that's when we know him as we are called to. We glorify him. 371 00:32:06.890 --> 00:32:09.809 Now those who come under his wrath and judgment do bend the knee. 372 00:32:09.849 --> 00:32:15.279 Jesus says this of himself. Every need will bow and confess his Lordship, 373 00:32:15.440 --> 00:32:22.000 his kingship. Every tongue will speak of this truth. But will we enjoy 374 00:32:22.079 --> 00:32:25.720 it or will we not? That's a little bit of a different matter. 375 00:32:27.759 --> 00:32:30.390 That Joel Boy. That comes to us as a joy of protection, a 376 00:32:30.430 --> 00:32:35.990 joy of being kept the joy of knowing that the evil in our hearts, 377 00:32:36.390 --> 00:32:40.509 be lying in our hearts, the are our proclivity to being deceived, that 378 00:32:40.670 --> 00:32:46.460 these things have been forgiven by the Lord and that we know him not just 379 00:32:46.660 --> 00:32:52.299 as judge but his deliverer, as redeem or, is the one who has 380 00:32:52.380 --> 00:33:00.009 taken us out of the snare, out of the tomb through the truth of 381 00:33:00.490 --> 00:33:08.049 the word of God. In the beginning was the word, and the word 382 00:33:08.210 --> 00:33:14.480 was with God and the word was God. That's how John Begins His Gospel. 383 00:33:14.839 --> 00:33:19.720 And speaking about our Lord Jesus, he was a light that shone shine 384 00:33:19.839 --> 00:33:24.359 in the darkness and the darkness darkness did not overcome it. He was light 385 00:33:24.480 --> 00:33:29.390 to the world, he was a light to men. He did everything that 386 00:33:29.509 --> 00:33:34.750 these false prophets did not do. He was the opposite of them. And 387 00:33:35.109 --> 00:33:42.180 in seeing that contrast and seeing the despicable, horrible things which these supposed servants 388 00:33:42.220 --> 00:33:46.220 of the Lord are doing, in some ways they magnify, by the wisdom 389 00:33:46.259 --> 00:33:52.900 of God, the glory and the greatness of his son. When Jesus came 390 00:33:52.940 --> 00:34:00.250 into the world, did he speak from his own heart, his own imaginations, 391 00:34:00.289 --> 00:34:05.809 lying divinations and false visions, or did he, as he said several 392 00:34:05.890 --> 00:34:10.800 times, I only say what has been given to me. I only speak 393 00:34:10.920 --> 00:34:15.480 what the father has said, I only do what he has said, I 394 00:34:15.639 --> 00:34:19.719 only stay at do what he was calling you to do. This work of 395 00:34:19.800 --> 00:34:23.000 the Messiah, this work of this Prophet Greater Than Moses, is true work 396 00:34:23.119 --> 00:34:29.030 because he, when he declares thus, Saith the Lord. We know it's 397 00:34:29.110 --> 00:34:35.989 true. Not only this, not only did he speak from the very word 398 00:34:36.750 --> 00:34:40.659 of God, but he didn't do it for his own self, ingrandizement, 399 00:34:40.900 --> 00:34:49.460 his own self feeding, or his own self interest. Why did Jesus come 400 00:34:49.539 --> 00:34:52.849 into the world? Why did Jesus speak this, this word to us? 401 00:34:53.369 --> 00:35:01.090 Why did Jesus die for us? He didn't to feed himself. He did 402 00:35:01.170 --> 00:35:06.610 it to feed us, to be that bread of Heaven, to be the 403 00:35:07.090 --> 00:35:12.119 manner that comes from above. He came not at the end, when the 404 00:35:12.239 --> 00:35:15.639 ruins were all there and judgment had been had, was just going to go 405 00:35:15.760 --> 00:35:19.400 brown and pick up the pieces and see what he could grab? He did 406 00:35:19.480 --> 00:35:25.190 it to save us from judgment, to save us from Ruin Ge. Jesus 407 00:35:25.949 --> 00:35:30.230 wasn't a jackal. He wasn't a deserter either. When the going got tough, 408 00:35:30.389 --> 00:35:34.750 when things got hard, when Jesus was out in the desert with the 409 00:35:34.909 --> 00:35:38.699 devil for forty days, being tempted by the devil himself, to Jesus say 410 00:35:39.860 --> 00:35:45.059 that's enough. The salvation thing for my people. It was a good idea 411 00:35:45.099 --> 00:35:49.500 when it started, but I got you know, I gotta protect my own 412 00:35:49.539 --> 00:35:53.210 interest. No, of course not. He stood up against the lies of 413 00:35:53.250 --> 00:35:58.809 the evil one. He spoke the truth of the word of God. When 414 00:35:59.010 --> 00:36:02.289 those in power said we're going to kill you, we're going to come after 415 00:36:02.369 --> 00:36:06.480 you, we're going to come after your people, did he blink and eye? 416 00:36:06.559 --> 00:36:12.599 Did he say? Did he stand down when they threatened to crucify him? 417 00:36:13.360 --> 00:36:16.960 Did he back off? Did he take the easy way out? The 418 00:36:17.039 --> 00:36:23.269 scriptures say that he went like a lamb to the slaughter and he did it 419 00:36:23.429 --> 00:36:29.829 knowingly, he did it willingly, he did it on purpose, Jesus say, 420 00:36:30.110 --> 00:36:35.059 Jesus gave up his own life for us, to stand in that gap, 421 00:36:36.059 --> 00:36:38.940 to stand against the devil and his evil ones, to stand against the 422 00:36:39.099 --> 00:36:44.900 wrath of God that was coming against us, with all of the legal demands 423 00:36:45.219 --> 00:36:52.130 the God righteously was going to fulfill and did fulfill. Jesus stood in the 424 00:36:52.210 --> 00:36:59.130 gap and took on that wrath of God to protect us. He is our 425 00:36:59.250 --> 00:37:07.719 rock, he is our wall, he keeps US safe and he calls it 426 00:37:07.880 --> 00:37:15.989 like it is. Jesus doesn't whitewash the situation. Jesus says things like I 427 00:37:15.230 --> 00:37:19.190 am the way, the truth and the life, and no one comes to 428 00:37:19.230 --> 00:37:23.630 the father except through me, man and a man verily, verily, I 429 00:37:23.750 --> 00:37:29.949 say under you the Kingdom of God is like. He says these things with 430 00:37:30.179 --> 00:37:34.980 boldness, when people around him are going, I don't know, that doesn't 431 00:37:35.019 --> 00:37:37.059 sound very good. How could you say that sort of thing? How can 432 00:37:37.099 --> 00:37:42.420 you eat with tax collectors and prostitutes? How can you call people like this 433 00:37:42.940 --> 00:37:47.369 into your kingdom? Jesus doesn't blink and eye. Jesus is not a people 434 00:37:47.449 --> 00:37:53.650 pleaser. He's not out to gain the attention of the world in the kind 435 00:37:53.690 --> 00:37:59.960 of way that people often do. No, Jesus call sin for what it 436 00:38:00.159 --> 00:38:06.440 is, calls glory for what it is, he calls grace for what it 437 00:38:06.719 --> 00:38:14.630 is, and in all these things, he brings us into a situation that 438 00:38:14.909 --> 00:38:17.869 is the exact opposite of what these prophets brought the people of Israel into. 439 00:38:20.550 --> 00:38:23.469 He brings us not into a city of desolation, with the wall broken down 440 00:38:23.590 --> 00:38:30.860 and the judgment of God rolling in on his people. He brings us into 441 00:38:30.980 --> 00:38:36.260 a new city, that the new Jerusalem it's called, with a temple built 442 00:38:36.300 --> 00:38:40.449 with living stones, of which the Scripture says we are of a place that 443 00:38:40.610 --> 00:38:45.730 is eternal and secure, a place where he does not roam around as a 444 00:38:45.849 --> 00:38:52.050 jackal, but he he fills with his light so that there isn't any in 445 00:38:52.090 --> 00:38:57.400 any need of a son. He is our life, he is our treasure, 446 00:38:57.599 --> 00:39:06.639 he is our joy, not our destroyer. Jesus doesn't break down the 447 00:39:06.719 --> 00:39:13.510 order of all things, he builds it up and instead of taking advantage of 448 00:39:13.630 --> 00:39:19.389 those who are weak and who are poor, he strengthens them, he protects 449 00:39:19.469 --> 00:39:25.739 them. And so, when we think, are about ourselves, a different 450 00:39:25.780 --> 00:39:30.139 situation in his than Israel in many ways, but similar also in many ways. 451 00:39:32.539 --> 00:39:37.380 You must look to the true word of God, to Jesus Christ. 452 00:39:38.570 --> 00:39:45.289 He is who he says he is. He has brought all the prophecies and 453 00:39:45.449 --> 00:39:51.690 all the truths that come to us through God's word to pass. Jesus and 454 00:39:51.849 --> 00:39:54.440 the things that he says were not some empty promises, and we know that 455 00:39:55.119 --> 00:40:00.800 for all kinds of reasons. One of the greatest is that he rose again 456 00:40:00.920 --> 00:40:06.280 on the third day, exactly like he said he would. He was put 457 00:40:06.280 --> 00:40:08.590 to death on a cross, he died for our sins, exactly like he 458 00:40:08.670 --> 00:40:13.909 said he would, and then he rose again from the dead and ascended into 459 00:40:13.949 --> 00:40:19.429 heaven. So when he says he's coming again, you can guarantee it and 460 00:40:19.630 --> 00:40:22.260 you can look forward to that day because when he comes in judgment on the 461 00:40:22.340 --> 00:40:27.699 world, you can know that judgment for you is already passed, that your 462 00:40:27.739 --> 00:40:30.780 sins have already been forgiven, that you belong to him through his cross, 463 00:40:30.820 --> 00:40:35.769 and you look and look forward to that day when the Lord, who is 464 00:40:35.849 --> 00:40:39.369 righteous, will set everything right. But if you do not know the Lord, 465 00:40:40.010 --> 00:40:45.409 if you are one who gives yourself over to lying tongues and deceitful things, 466 00:40:46.130 --> 00:40:50.559 who understands the word of the Lord and Bends it and twists it and 467 00:40:50.679 --> 00:40:54.159 listens to false prophets, or if you are one who says those things, 468 00:40:54.679 --> 00:41:00.039 who declares false things, who says things that God has not said, beware, 469 00:41:01.519 --> 00:41:06.429 do not push off these things and say well, some other day, 470 00:41:07.269 --> 00:41:13.510 some other time. The time to repent is now. The Kingdom is at 471 00:41:13.590 --> 00:41:19.059 hand. So let's pray our heavenly father, we ask that you would protect 472 00:41:19.099 --> 00:41:19.619 us. Indeed,