Today’s passage: Ezekiel 13
Helpful thoughts:
- People were posing as prophets in Israel. They were saying, “Hear the word of the LORD!” and then sharing whatever it was in their own hearts and minds they wanted to say.
- Many would have certainly desired these prophets to give them favorable news.
- This is similar to what we read in 2 Timothy 4:3-4.
- These false prophets are referred to as “jackals,” a scavenger.
- The false prophets speak in order to gain and take from others (Manipulation, flattery, etc.), true prophets speak to obey the Lord and communicate the truth for the true benefit of the hearers (Love).
- The women (False prophetesses) are mentioned as having incorporated some form of magical bands and are rebuked as well for “hunting” for souls!
- The magic had to have been either phony tricks or some demonic activity. Either way, the goal was the same, taking advantage of others for their own personal gain…but remember it wasn’t their gain! It led to their destruction.
Questions to consider:
- How can we know whether people are sharing with us the truth? How can we know the counsel we share and/or receive is in line with God’s will without resorting to how we feel or think about things in our own hearts? (2 Timothy 3:16-17)
- If a teacher’s/preacher’s primary goal ever becomes gaining a larger following, how might their teaching and preaching change? How can a verse like Ephesians 4:15 prevent us from going to the other end of the spectrum to being unnecessarily rude or hateful?
- How can these intense rebukes and obvious abuses of the ministry of prophecy be applied to our relationships and interactions with others today? How should we speak to people? Whose glory and whose best interest should we be seeking? How can love and worship remove our fear to speak the truth?