The LORD’s Judgment & Restoration Study 2020/2021; Tuesdays, 12:00-1:00 p.m. by Zoom

Class #7, November 3, 2020

The True :21-28; 13:1-23; 14:1-11; 22:23-31

Notes, observations, and questions on Ezekiel 13:1-23

1. We find in chapter 13 oracles against false engaged in deceitful visionary activity (vv 1-16), followed by a prophetic word against sorcerous women. Charges and judgments are spoken against both groups. Both groups, the male and female prophets, oppose the ministry to which God has called Ezekiel. These groups together then represent two sides of a single issue confronting Ezekiel: how to counteract the influence among the Israelites of charlatans—false bearers of the prophetic office.

(a) The male prophets contradict Ezekiel’s message of God’s judgment on the nation by giving false messages of hope. (b) The female prophets undermine Ezekiel’s mission of announcing life to the righteous and death to the wicked (unless they turn from their wickedness) by killing those who should not die and keeping alive those who should not live (v 19).

2. According to :1, 15 we know that among those who had been deported to in 598 were members of the professional prophetic guild who apparently continued their work among the exiles. They were the ones always speaking a positive word to the king, not the judgments Ezekiel was bringing. So their clash with a true prophet of God continues here in Babylon, as it had been fought between these false prophets and Jeremiah back in Judah.

3. 13:1-7, the charges against the false prophets

(a) God commands Ezekiel to confront his professional competition head-on. Three expressions describe these false prophets: (1) “the prophets of ” – It’s Ezekiel against this large group. (2) “the prophets…who are prophesying” – They’re ranting—and the people are taking them seriously. (3) “who prophesy from their own hearts” – They are self-inspired, not God- inspired. (b) Instead, Ezekiel cries out, “Hear the word of the LORD!” Not his personal opinion but God’s divine Word is on Ezekiel’s lips. (c) “Woe” – An ominous beginning; God will bring his judgment against them. This pronouncement of woe cites three problems with these professional prophets: (1) They are “foolish,” that is, arrogant and blasphemous. (2) They “follow their own spirit”, that is, their own impulse. (3) They lack divine insight: they “have seen nothing!” They do not represent God’s perspective.

(d) Ezekiel uses two figures of speech to describe how these false prophets have gone about their business (vv 4-5): (1) They are like jackals among the ruins of Israel, devouring the people, a city under siege and the enemy is Yahweh himself. (e) These prophets may claim Yahweh’s stamp of approval on themselves (vv 6-7), but that does not make it so. They have not been sent by God. They are preaching the wrong message at the wrong time.

4. 13:8-9, the first announcement of judgment

(a) God declares that he’s personally against these false prophets. (b) The LORD declares that his hand will strike against them with three punishments that go to the heart of what it meant to be an Israelite (v 9): (1) Israel consisted of a community of faith united by their special relationship with God, but now God dismisses the false prophets to be among his people. (2) The names of true Israelites are recorded in the official registry of the nation. These prophets will now be excluded from the official census list of the house of Israel. (3) True Israelites, exiles or not, considered themselves heirs of the divine promise to the patriarchs who had occupied the land. But these prophets shall not return to the land.

5. 13:10-16, the second announcement of judgment

(a) Yahweh specifically charges the false prophets with leading the people astray. (v 10). The expression points us to the image of a shepherd who has led the flock into danger. They say “peace” when there is no peace. (b) What is happening in the house of Israel is now compared with the way some build houses. The houses are poorly constructed to begin with and then other workmen cover the problems with “whitewash.” This term is literally “saliva.” Indeed, the prophets have whitewashed Israel’s problem with their false words and spittle. (c) The walls of such a house look fine outwardly but will collapse under a violent storm (vv 11-12). We think here of what our Lord taught at the end of Matthew 7: build your house not on sand but on the rock. (d) All this points to the coming fall of the wall of (vv 13-14). Both the wall and those who tried to cover up the problems (sins) of Jerusalem will be no more.

6. Theological implications

(a) Counterfeits, false prophets claim divine authority, even when they speak only from their own inspiration and opinions. The message of those who claim to speak for God must have his signature. That is, our proclamation will be true only to the extent that we declare the message of God revealed in the Holy Scriptures. The Bible is our guide to shifting between false and true prophets. (b) Counterfeits proclaim messages that people want to hear, especially when the truth is painful. As a result, many live in the never-never land of “All is well!” when it is far from so. (c) False prophets are more interested in their own status than in the welfare of the community. They are like “jackals” devouring others for their own gain, assuming no responsibility for the fate of the people. (d) The messages of counterfeits die with them. Their words lack any lasting, effective power. Only the word of the Lord endures forever (Is 40:7-8). (e) False prophets stand under the judgment of God. God is not mocked. What leaders in particular sow, that they shall reap. 7. Now we turn to Ezekiel’s pronouncement against abusive witchcraft (vv 17-23). Although just a few oracles directed against women are found in the OT (the only other examples are Amos 4:1-3; Is 3:16-4:1; and, Is 32:9-12), the one here in Ezekiel 13:17-23 has no equal.

8. 13:17-19, the charges against the witches

(a) God now directs Ezekiel to “set his face toward” these witches. So it’s not a judgment pronounced against Israelite women in general. Rather, it’s against those once more prophesying their own self-inspired prophecies. (b) The presence of a female prophetic guild in Israel is not surprising. Although we do not find any female priests among the Israelites, female prophets were active in Israel from earliest times. But these women only “acted like prophets.” They are frauds. (c) What specifically are they doing falsely and abusively? Two activities appear to be involved. (1) They are sewing something for the people’s arms. It’s a reference to magical bands worn on the arms and wrists by these women. Perhaps they also put these bands on others to control them by witchcraft. (2) They are making something for the people’s heads. It was something that was worn like a phylactery on the forehead, an instrument of black magic. (d) They used these objects to gain control over the entire community in exile, pursuing their victims like hunters stalking prey. They are aiming to control “souls,” that is, they seek control over the whole person of every person. (1) But these “souls” are God’s people, under his care and authority. These false female prophets are after those who do not belong to them. (e) But they also profaned Yahweh. With their witchcraft and magical invocation of God’s divine name, the women have brought Yahweh in the public’s eye to the level of the Babylonian deities and demons, who let themselves be manipulated by divination and witchcraft. (f) The people pay for the witches’ service with barley and bread. The “bread of life” becomes the “bread of death.” As a result, those who should die, they live (that is, these women and their clients who pay them for personal advantage), while those who should live, they die (the victims—God’s “people”). (g) These women are not prophets but witches, charlatans, and dark magic is their tool.

9. 13:20-23, the double announcement of judgment

(a) God will personally invade the witches’ private and spiritual world, destroying the tool of their magical trade, and thereby annul their grip on his people. Through this saving act of God, his people will acknowledge his Being and his presence (vv 20- 21). (b) The second announcement opens with a new charge that focuses on the impact the witches have had on the people’s spiritual condition (vv 22-23). God will rescue his people from the clutches of these witches, and then they too will realize he is God.

10. Theological implications

(a) The people of God are most vulnerable to occult influences in times of crisis. Unless we are vigilant in our walk with God, difficult experiences may leave us doubting God’s presence and power and thus leave us open to the sinister powers of Satan and his darkness. The demonic spiritual world seeks to gain control over the weak and to destroy the righteous. As Peter says, our great enemy Satan prowling around like a roaring lion seeking to devour us (1 Pet 5:8). Paul speaks of this in Ephesians 6. But we know that God’s kingdom of light and life will triumph over the kingdom of darkness and death (see Jude 24-25). (b) The charm of magic is a trap used by Satan, the prince of darkness, to seduce unsuspecting victims. Magic and witchcraft continue to be powerful forces in our world, and many turn to them. Magic offers power. But the message of Ezekiel is that magic is a trap that binds rather than frees. Deliverance from it is only in the LORD. (c) The people of God must resist the temptation to exploit spiritual connections for personal advantage. Such exploitation can come when a person resorts to spells, charms, and witchcraft, all of which is condemned by God (Dt 18:10-14). And beware, too: Treating God as primarily the key to health, wealth, and happiness may be as sorcerous and profaning to his name as overtly occult activity. The antidote to this form of idolatry is to have passion for the honor of the Lord’s name (Mt 6:9-13). (d) Those who occupy positions of power will answer to God for the manner in which they have exercised their authority. The way these women exercised their leadership was parasitic and sinister.

Notes, observations, and questions on :1-11

1. These opening eleven verses of Ezekiel 14 present the oracle (pronouncement) against prophetic abuse. As such, it functions as a short-hand version of the focus of the entire section of 8:1-11:25. The elders of Israel have come to Ezekiel for a divine word, presumably a word of reassurance on the future of their nation. But instead of hearing such a word, Ezekiel calls on the entire nation to repent of their pagan, syncretistic religious practices or face God’s certain judgment.

2. 14:1-3, the problem

(a) The elders visit Ezekiel at his house bringing a communal concern to him. But God sees into the hearts of these men (v 3), and Yahweh takes Ezekiel into his confidence with this truth. The horrible sin here is that the elders—the leaders—of the exilic community have not only turned their faces externally to idols, they’ve inwardly given their allegiance to the idols. (b) In spite of their paganism, they seek divine grace before the prophet demanding a message from Yahweh. Can God take their inquiry seriously when at heart they are bent on their idolatry? The trouble is, they’ve come to Ezekiel as if he’s a fortune- teller. (1) But the elders indeed appear to be serious, considering themselves still to be the people of Yahweh. They seem oblivious to the fact that they cannot serve both God and idols.

3. 14:4-5, God’s first answer

(a) Yahweh reframes their inquiry into a legal case. They’ve broken the covenant with God by their idolatry. They are the ones who must answer to him; not he to them He is Yahweh! All God sees is the idols in their hearts and minds. He bypasses their concerns altogether (v 4). (b) His intention is to recapture the hearts of his people, Israel. Idolatry has taken hold of their hearts and of the hearts of those back home in the temple (cf. 8:6).

4. 14:6-11, God’s second answer

(a) The second announcement opens with an urgent appeal to repent of their idolatry (v 6). Judgment will fall on Jerusalem, but God still calls his people to repent of their sin and return to him, opening the door on the possibility of restoration just a bit. (b) They’ve approached Ezekiel for a word from the Lord, but the LORD himself will answer them. They get much more of an answer than they expected—or wanted. (1) Yahweh will set his face against anyone who takes idolatry into his or her heart. (2) God will make Israel an example of what happens to idolaters who fall into the hands of God (a “sign and a byword”). (3) Yahweh will cut him off from his people. (c) The prospects for the people who have approached Ezekiel for a word from God are frightening. Not only has the bond between them and the land be severed, now they are threatened with an ultimate and final break with their LORD. The doom of those in Jerusalem is sealed. However, if the exiles turn their faces toward God alone, and abandon their idolatry, they may escape his wrath. (d) Now Ezekiel shifts (v 9) to those prophets who themselves abuse the prophetic office. The substance of Ezekiel’s attack is shocking: Yahweh is accused of deceiving the prophets. But how can God mislead people and then punish them for following his lead? Can God be deceitful? (1) No one struggled with the problem of divine deceit more than Jeremiah did. See Jer 4:10 and 20:7. (2) A case study on this can be found in 1 Kings 22. (3) The bottomline: Yahweh in his divine providence gives the people lying prophets, who proclaim exactly what the people want to hear, ensuring Yahweh’s judgment on them. (e) Yahweh will destroy such prophets from the midst of Israel. Both prophets and people will be punished. But God’s objectives are always redemptive: (1) Yahweh’s desire is for a people who will never stray from him again. (2) He desires a nation that is cleansed from all of its rebellious acts, such as idolatry. (3) God will renew the covenant bond. The nation will become the people of God once more.

5. Theological implications

(a) Idolatry is essentially a matter of the heart and mind. If true religion is essentially a matter of the heart (Dt 10:12-22), the same holds true of any other worship. (b) The temptation of syncretism poses a great threat to God’s people in every age. (c) The LORD invites all to come to him by grace, but they must come by faith, not deceit or manipulation. (d) So-called prophets of the Lord who fall to the flattery and seductions of hypocritical inquirers become accomplices in their crimes and may expect the same punishment. (e) The Lord remains gracious and merciful to all who repent. (f) God is not capricious in his judgments. His responses to human sin is always consistent with his immutable character.

Notes, observations, and questions on :23-31

1. We turn to the rationale for the judgment of Jerusalem and upon the whole land. The corruption extends beyond the political leaders to the priests, prophets, and people. God is about to punish the land severely.

2. 22:23-24, the thesis statement

(a) Rains allude to the coming judgment. We can see the link to Gen 6 and flood account. Just as God washed away the sin and corruption from the land in the days of Noah, now Yahweh will do so in the land of Israel. (b) The ultimate purpose of this downpour is for the cleansing of the land—and its people.

3. 22:25-29, the crimes of Israel’s leaders

(a) V 25 – the charges against the princes/kings of Judah; “prophets” here is better translated “princes”; indeed, the succession of Judean kings were like beasts preying on the people (b) V 26 – the charges against the priests; Ezekiel casts his own social class, the priesthood, in a negative light; obedience and holiness are the issues: (1) They acted violently against the Torah, the Law. (2) They have desecrated sacred objects, that is, worship. (3) They neglected to maintain distinctions between sacred and profane things. (4) They’ve failed to teach the people in the laws concerning ceremonial cleanness and uncleanness. (5) They have led the way in the neglect of the Sabbath. (c) V 27 – the charges against the judges, the lay nobility (d) V 28 – the charges against the prophets (e) V 29 – the charges against the people of the land

4. 22:30-31, Yahweh’s response to the crimes of Israel’s leaders

(a) God is dismayed (v 30) over the absence of spiritual leadership in the nation’s critical hour. The image of Yahweh searching for someone to man the breach is military. Unless the gap is repaired or armed men are stationed in the breach, the enemy would have easy access to the city. (1) God is looking for the person who will stand up for justice, call for a stop to oppression, break the cycle of violence, and appeal to the nation for repentance. (2) But the leaders are all too preoccupied with their own affairs to worry about the welfare of the city. (b) In the absence of such a man to sound the alarm, God’s only choice is to bring his wrath upon them. Judah’s doom has been sealed.

5. Theological implications

(a) The call to leadership is primarily a call to responsibility, not privilege. (b) Those called to divine service, whatever responsibilities they may have, are charged with maintaining the sanctity of God. Moral anarchy results from a lack of holiness and a proper distinction between the sacred and the profane. (c) The survival of the Church, grafted into Israel, depends on the positive response of leaders to the call of God to stand in the breach. The gap is defended and the wrath of God is averted when the leaders appeal for repentance from sin and a new commitment to obey and serve the LORD.