Eze 13 | MHM | STEP | The Guilt of False Prophets. This passage is a warning against the false prophets among the people of Israel. Some of these false prophets were in Jerusalem, while others were among the exiles in Babylon. They all spoke lies, pretending to deliver messages from God, but their real goal was to please people and gain power. God tells Ezekiel to speak against them, so the people will not be tricked by their lies and so that the false prophets themselves will have no excuse. v. 1-2 : God commands Ezekiel to prophesy against the so-called prophets of Israel. They claimed to be true prophets, but really, they were deceivers. God’s true prophets were often rejected, and only then did the people start listening to impostors. Ezekiel is told to make these false prophets listen to the real word of the Lord .

‏ Ezekiel 13

The Guilt of False Prophets.

This passage is a warning against the false prophets among the people of Israel. Some of these false prophets were in Jerusalem, while others were among the exiles in Babylon. They all spoke lies, pretending to deliver messages from God, but their real goal was to please people and gain power. God tells Ezekiel to speak against them, so the people will not be tricked by their lies and so that the false prophets themselves will have no excuse.

v. 1-2: God commands Ezekiel to prophesy against the so-called prophets of Israel. They claimed to be true prophets, but really, they were deceivers. God’s true prophets were often rejected, and only then did the people start listening to impostors. Ezekiel is told to make these false prophets listen to the real word of the Lord.

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v. 3: The false prophets are called foolish prophetsbecause they do not understand what they are doing. They pretend to speak for God, but God never sent them. They follow their own ideas, not God’s spirit or vision. They claim, The Lord says, but God denies ever speaking to them.

v. 4-5: These prophets are compared to foxes in the desert—clever and self-serving, but useless to God’s people. They do nothing to help or protect Israel. Instead of standing in the gap and interceding for the people, they only care about themselves. They do not pray for the nation or call people to repent.

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v. 6-7: They say they have seen visions and received messages from God, but it is all a lie. God says, You have seen vanity and spoken a lying divination(Ezekiel 13:7 ^a). Their words will be disproved by what actually happens. Telling lies and saying they come from God is a serious sin.

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v. 8-9: Because of their lies, God says, I am against you. This is a terrible judgment. The false prophets will lose all their privileges. They will not be counted among God’s people or in the assembly. Their names will not be found in the records of Israel, nor in the book of life. When the true people of God are gathered, the false prophets will be left out (Psalm 1:5; Matthew 7:22-23 ^b). They will not return to the land of Israel and will not share in God’s promises. Their lies have cost them everything.

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The Punishment of False Prophets; The Doom of False Prophets.

This section continues God’s warning against the false prophets. These prophets had convinced the people that everything would be fine, even though God had said judgment was coming. Their lies gave people false hope and kept them from turning back to God. But God promises that both the false prophets and those who believed them will be exposed and punished when disaster comes.

v. 10: The false prophets misled the people by saying, Peace, when there was no peace. They claimed to see visions of peace, but God had not promised peace. Their words made people feel safe in their sins. This is like building a weak wall and covering it with cheap plaster to make it look strong. Their teachings seemed comforting, but they had no real foundation—just like a house built on sand (Matthew 7:26 ^c).

v. 11-12: God says He will send a storm—trouble and judgment—that will destroy this weak wall. The Chaldean army will come like a powerful storm, rain, and hail, breaking down everything the false prophets promised. When the wall falls, people will ask, Where is the daubing you used?All the false promises will be shown to be worthless.

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v. 13-14: God Himself will bring this storm in His anger. He will break down the wall and expose its weak foundation. When judgment comes, everyone will see that the false prophets’ words were empty. Their lies will be revealed, and the people’s false hopes will collapse with them (Isaiah 28:17 ^d).

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v. 15: Both the wall and those who built it—the false prophets—will be destroyed together. The same judgment that proves the prophets were lying will also punish them for their lies. Those who lead others astray will suffer along with those they deceived. As Jesus said, If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit(Matthew 15:14 ^e).

v. 16: The people will be ashamed of the false prophets and their false prophecies. When disaster comes, everyone will see that the prophets’ promises of peace were lies. The prophets will lose all honor, and their followers will realize they were deceived. In the end, only God’s word stands true, and those who trust in lies will be left with nothing.

The Guilt of the False Prophetesses.

This section addresses the women who falsely claimed to speak for God. Just as there were false prophets among the men, there were also women who pretended to have God’s message. God tells Ezekiel to speak boldly against them, showing that no one is above correction—not even those who seem gentle or respected. Their lies and tricks hurt God’s people and dishonor His name.

v. 17: God commands Ezekiel to set his face against the daughters of his people who prophesy out of their own hearts. These women claim to have God’s Spirit, but they only speak their own ideas. God does not recognize them as His people, and Ezekiel must confront them directly .

v. 18: The false prophetesses use tricks and rituals to control people. They sew little pillows for people’s arms and make kerchiefs for heads of every size, pretending these things will bring safety or victory. They claim to save lives, but in reality, they are hunting souls and leading people astray.

v. 19: These women tell lies for small rewards, like a handful of barley or a piece of bread. They pollute God’s name by pretending their messages come from Him. They make the righteous sad and encourage the wicked to keep sinning, promising life to those who should not live and threatening those who are truly faithful (Proverbs 28:21 ^f).

v. 20: God says He is against these false prophetesses. He will tear the pillows from their arms and free the people they have trapped. Their tricks will be exposed, and they will no longer be able to hunt souls or control others.

v. 21: God will also remove the kerchiefs from their heads and rescue His people from their power. The people will no longer be under their control or fear their lies.

v. 22: The false prophetesses have made the hearts of the righteous sad, even though God did not want them to be sad. They have also strengthened the hands of the wicked, encouraging them to keep sinning. God will put an end to this injustice.

v. 23: God promises that these women will see no more false visions or divinations. Their power will be broken, and God’s people will be delivered from their lies. When this happens, everyone will know that the Lord is truly God.