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Friday, April 29, 2011

Ezekiel 14:9

"And if the prophet is deceived and speaks a word, I, the LORD, have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel."

No surprise here that this is about judgment on idolaters. It is well within God's ability to blind people to the truth and to give them over to their own depravity of thinking. Is that the same thing as lying to them? Not at all. 

The context informs the meaning: Some elders came and wanted to ask the LORD some things, but they were idolaters in their own hearts. So God refuses to answer them and tells them they cannot go to his prophets to inquire of God anything until they repent. The Hebrew verb used is a passive "to allow oneself to be deceived" then God deceives him. 

But wait! What's this in the context? The previous chapter is condemning false prophets! (13:2-3) It seems that these prophets who allow themselves to be deceived are not prophets at all. They speak things as if they know, but everything they say is false and so "they will bear the guilt" (Ez 14:10) 

However the manner of deception is not told, is it the same way he deceived in 1 Kings 22 and 2 Chronicles 18 or 2 Thessalonians 2:11?  Considering both passages deal with false prophets and teachers and God's treatment of them, we see He is remarkably consistent.  God doesn't change.  Amen.

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