“Thus says the Lord God, Woe to the foolish prophets who follow their own spirit..! Because you have uttered falsehood and seen lying visions, I am against you… My hand will be against the prophets who see false visions and give lying divinations. They shall not be in the council of my people, nor be enrolled in the register of the house of Israel, nor shall they enter the land of Israel. You shall know that I am the Lord God.
“Precisely because they have misled my people, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace, and because, when the people build a wall, these prophets smear it with whitewash, say to those who smear it with whitewash that it shall fall! There will be a deluge of rain, and you, O great hailstones, will fall, and a stormy wind break out. And when the wall falls, will it not be said to you, ‘Where is the coating with which you smeared it?’ Therefore thus says the Lord God: I will make a stormy wind break out in my wrath, and there shall be a deluge of rain in my anger, and great hailstones in wrath to make a full end. I will break down the wall that you have smeared with whitewash, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation is laid bare. When it falls, you shall perish in the midst of it, and you shall know that I am the Lord. Thus will I spend my wrath.., and I will say to you, The wall is no more, nor those who smeared it, the prophets of Israel who prophesied concerning Jerusalem and saw visions of peace for her, when there was no peace, declares the Lord God.” Ezekiel 13:3a,8-16
The righteous Lord, as the source of truth and only wise God, knows everything. His all-seeing eye penetrates, His mercy warns, and His holiness condemns the whitewash of lies and deception that are prolific among false prophets. Their misleading messages and profane practices that dishearten and destroy God’s people will be exposed and held to account. God’s truth alone sets free. (Ezekiel 13:16-23; John 8:31-32; 14:6); 1 Timothy 1:17)
Cultures are littered with whitewash: walls that divide in the name of self-righteousness, lies that keep us from seeing what is really true, structures that ostracize. People put up veneers to pretend to be what the are not, to ‘polish’ what’s actually broken and miserable, to hide inadequacies, failures, besetting sins they’re afraid to expose. But the Lord sees through them all, and works to break them down. His uprightness will not stand for such ongoing corruption.
How keenly do we recognize falsehood that’s so widely disseminated? Unless what we listen to and read is filtered through the inerrant word of God, we cannot be certain of its verity. As tempting as it is to trust another, it’s important to align beliefs with God’s truth directly.
What steps do we regularly take to be enlightened by the holy scriptures? How specifically and often do we pray for the Spirit’s guidance and understanding? Being assured of God’s truth enables effective witness in the world. (John 14:16-17; 16:13-14)
Lord, ground me in truth with tenacity and grace to break down walls of falsehood for Your kingdom’s sake and glory.
As the rain and snow 