Daily Devotions

Ezekiel

Ezekiel 
Day 
Day 121

"Futility and false divination"

Text: Ezekiel 13:6

THE FUTILITY OF FALSE PROPHECY

The LORD continued to instruct Ezekiel concerning the false prophets and their practices. A single word would not be sufficient to deal with the problem of false prophecy!

“They have envisioned futility and false divination, saying,
‘Thus says the Lord!’
But the Lord has not sent them;
yet they hope that the word may be confirmed.
Have you not seen a futile vision,
and have you not spoken false divination?
You say, ‘The Lord says,’ but I have not spoken.”
Ezekiel 13:6-7

1. Envisioning futility

a) The false prophets spoke of how they could envision things.

i) They could envision the future.

ii) They could help people to plan better.

b) The reality was the opposite.

i) They had no visions from God.

ii) What they declared would end up in futility.

2. False divination

a) The false prophets invented many things to deceive people.

b) One of them was to use “divination”.

i) From a flock of bird flying, they would come up with a divination.

ii) From the entrails of fowls and animals, they claimed they could declare the future.

3. God had not sent these false prophets.

a) They declared that their divinations were from God.

b) They hoped that their divinations would be proven to be right.

c) The LORD declared plainly that He had nothing to do with these false prophets.

4. They kept saying:

a) “The Lord says”.

b) God disputed their claims.

c) They had seen a futile vision.

d) They had spoken false divination.

e) These were solemn words declared by the LORD to Ezekiel.

f) He must speak against these false prophets courageously.