And you, son of man, set your face against the daughters of your people, that prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy against them, and say, Thus says the Lord Jehovah: Woe to the women that sew pillows upon all elbows, and make kerchiefs for the head of [persons of] every stature to hunt souls! Will you hunt the souls of my people, and save souls alive for yourselves? And you have profaned me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people that hearken unto lies. Wherefore thus says the Lord Jehovah: Behold, I am against your pillows, wherewith you hunt the souls to make [them] fly, and I will tear them from your arms; and I will let the souls go, even the souls that you hunt to make [them] fly. Your kerchiefs also will I tear, and deliver my people out of your hand, and they shall be no more in your hand to be hunted; and you shall know that I am Jehovah. Because with lies you have grieved the heart of the righteous, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, and be saved alive: Therefore you shall no more see false visions, nor divine divinations: and I will deliver my people out of your hand; and you shall know that I am Jehovah Ezek13:17-23.
After a lot of study on this passage, I realized that I had found just as many scholars who say they don't know all the things this passage is referring to as there are those who think they do know. That automatically makes me doubt the ones who are so sure of themselves. However, I think that some of these things are clear and they give us yet more ways that Satan can deceive us—in this case in the matter of who to listen to.
First notice verse 17: they prophesy out of their own hearts. I once heard a woman say that she hadn't been sure of the meaning of a passage in the Bible until suddenly she felt in her heart that it meant ____________. Fill in the blank with whatever you want to be good in the sight of God, because ultimately, that's what a statement like that will allow you to do. As long as you feel like it's not a sin, then it isn't. You can get away with the most hideous evil in the world with that kind of reasoning. When someone—even a good friend—tells you to follow your heart, then take you and your heart and leave right then.
Verse 18 tells us that these prophetesses "sewed pillows and kerchiefs for persons of every stature." Perhaps I am reading something into this but does that mean they are making everything "fit" what each person wants to hear? You say one thing for one person and another for someone else, depending upon their circumstances. Ask yourself, do they say the same things regardless of the trouble it gets them into with some people, or does everyone like them and their message? If you are preaching to a bunch of sinners who have rebelled against God, as these people in Judah had, it will be impossible for every one of them to like what they hear! Truth does not change—no, not even "your" truth because the only Truth there is, is God's. Sanctify them in the truth: thy word is truth John17:17.
Verse 19 comes right out and says these prophetesses are lying. Do not ever be afraid when you hear an obvious and deliberate falsehood from a preacher or teacher to call it what it is—a lie. There may be someone there who needs to hear that in order to wake up or be strong enough to resist. God does not lie. False teachers often do. Just a small example, anyone who tells you that once you commit your life to Jesus all of your problems will go away, is lying. God never promises that we will have a life of ease. In fact, He promises just the opposite. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or anguish, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? Even as it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; We were accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved usRom8:35-37. I could multiply passages like this. What God promises is that He will be with us when bad things happen, not that they will never happen. This is why you need to know your Bible—so you will know when someone is telling you something besides God's Truth. When you figure it out, run. They may not be Satan, but they are allowing themselves to used by that being to deceive you.
These prophetesses "grieve the heart of the righteous and strengthen the hand of the wicked." It must surely be obvious to everyone by now that we have reached that stage in our culture where people are calling good evil and evil good. And not only that, but if you stand for God, you will be called "hateful" people who use "hate speech." IN the UK, people have been arrested for "hate crimes" for simply reading the Bible aloud on a street corner. Yet the obvious is true: you love people enough to want to save them from their sin, even if it causes you untold amounts of grief and even persecution. Freedom of religion is rapidly disappearing if you do not want to practice it the way they do, allowing everyone to do their own thing not only with tolerance, but with loud approval.
The Devil has captured many a believer because they cannot stand to be called horrible names or suffer loss, especially monetary loss or loss of status in the community. It will only get worse. Prepare your children to be strong, to love God more than mammon, to stand even when no one stands with them. Don't let Satan use this device to steal their souls. Ezekiel tells us these women were on the "hunt" for souls, and they succeeded all too well.
Don't let them catch yours.
I charge [thee] in the sight of God, and of Christ Jesus, who shall judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom:preach the word; be urgent in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. For the time will come when they will not endure the sound doctrine; but, having itching ears, will heap to themselves teachers after their own lusts;and will turn away their ears from the truth, and turn aside unto fables. But be thou sober in all things, suffer hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfil thy ministry 2Tim4:1-5.
Dene Ward
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