Ezekiel 13:23
therefore you will no longer see false visions or practice divination. I will deliver My people from your hands. Then you will know that I am the LORD."
Therefore
This word serves as a conclusion or result of the preceding judgments pronounced by God through Ezekiel. In Hebrew, it is often translated from "לָכֵן" (lakhen), which indicates a logical outcome. The use of "therefore" connects the false prophets' actions with the divine response, emphasizing the certainty and justice of God's intervention.

you will no longer see false visions
The phrase "false visions" refers to deceptive or misleading revelations claimed by the false prophets. The Hebrew word for "visions" is "חָזוֹן" (chazon), which can mean a divine communication or revelation. The false prophets were accused of fabricating messages that did not come from God. Historically, false visions were a significant issue, as they led people away from true worship and obedience to God. This phrase indicates God's decisive action to put an end to these deceptions.

or practice divination
Divination, from the Hebrew "קֶסֶם" (qesem), involves seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown through supernatural means, often associated with pagan practices. In the ancient Near East, divination was common among nations surrounding Israel, but it was strictly forbidden by God (Deuteronomy 18:10-12). This phrase underscores God's intolerance for practices that lead His people away from reliance on Him.

I will deliver My people from your hands
The promise of deliverance is central to God's covenant relationship with Israel. The Hebrew word for "deliver" is "נָצַל" (natsal), meaning to rescue or save. This phrase reassures the faithful that God will protect them from the harmful influence of false prophets. It reflects God's ongoing commitment to His people, ensuring their safety and spiritual well-being.

Then you will know that I am the LORD
This concluding phrase is a recurring theme in Ezekiel, emphasizing the recognition of God's sovereignty and authority. The Hebrew name for God here is "יְהוָה" (YHWH), often rendered as "LORD" in English translations. This acknowledgment is not just intellectual but relational, calling for a deep, personal understanding of God's power and presence. The phrase serves as both a warning and an invitation to return to true worship and acknowledgment of God's rightful place as the one true God.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Ezekiel
A prophet of God during the Babylonian exile, tasked with delivering God's messages to the Israelites.

2. False Prophets
Individuals in Israel who claimed to speak for God but delivered false visions and practiced divination, leading the people astray.

3. The Israelites
God's chosen people, who were often led astray by false prophets and needed deliverance.

4. Babylonian Exile
The period when the Israelites were exiled to Babylon, a time of judgment and reflection for the nation.

5. The LORD (Yahweh)
The one true God, who seeks to reveal Himself to His people and deliver them from deception.
Teaching Points
Discernment in Spiritual Matters
Believers must cultivate discernment to recognize false teachings and visions that do not align with God's Word.

God's Sovereignty and Deliverance
Trust in God's ability to deliver His people from deception and falsehood, reaffirming His sovereignty and faithfulness.

The Importance of Knowing God
Understanding and knowing the LORD is crucial for spiritual growth and protection against falsehood.

The Role of True Prophets and Teachers
True prophets and teachers align their messages with Scripture and lead people closer to God, not away from Him.

Accountability and Repentance
False prophets and those who follow them are called to accountability and repentance, recognizing the LORD as the ultimate authority.
Bible Study Questions
1. How can we apply the lessons from Ezekiel 13:23 to discern false teachings in today's world?

2. In what ways does understanding the sovereignty of God help us trust in His deliverance from deception?

3. How can we ensure that we are growing in our knowledge of the LORD to protect ourselves from falsehood?

4. What characteristics should we look for in true prophets and teachers according to the Bible?

5. How can we encourage accountability and repentance in our communities when faced with false teachings?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Deuteronomy 18:20-22
This passage outlines the criteria for true and false prophets, emphasizing the importance of discerning God's true messengers.

Jeremiah 23:16-17
Jeremiah warns against listening to false prophets who speak visions from their own minds rather than from the mouth of the LORD.

Matthew 7:15-20
Jesus warns His followers to beware of false prophets, comparing them to wolves in sheep's clothing and teaching that they will be known by their fruits.

2 Peter 2:1-3
Peter warns of false teachers who will arise among believers, bringing destructive heresies and exploiting people with false words.

1 John 4:1
John instructs believers to test the spirits to see whether they are from God, as many false prophets have gone out into the world.
Effeminate ReligionW. Jones Ezekiel 13:17-23
False ProphetessesJ.R. Thomson Ezekiel 13:17-23
False Prophetesses, Their Characteristics and CondemnationW. Jones Ezekiel 13:17-23
People
Ezekiel
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
FALSE, Cause, Deliver, Delivered, Delusive, Divination, Divinations, Divine, Foolish, Free, Hands, Longer, Power, Practice, Save, Secret, Thus, Vanity, Visions, Women
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Ezekiel 13:23

     4155   divination

Ezekiel 13:1-23

     7760   preachers, responsibilities

Ezekiel 13:17-23

     5745   women
     8807   profanity

Ezekiel 13:22-23

     8415   encouragement, examples

Library
That the Ruler Should not Set his Heart on Pleasing Men, and yet Should Give Heed to what Ought to Please Them.
Meanwhile it is also necessary for the ruler to keep wary watch, lest the lust of pleasing men assail him; lest, when he studiously penetrates the things that are within, and providently supplies the things that are without, he seek to be beloved of those that are under him more than truth; lest, while, supported by his good deeds, he seems not to belong to the world, self-love estrange him from his Maker. For he is the Redeemer's enemy who through the good works which he does covets being loved
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

Of the Character of the Unregenerate.
Ephes. ii. 1, 2. And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. AMONG all the various trusts which men can repose in each other, hardly any appears to be more solemn and tremendous, than the direction of their sacred time, and especially of those hours which they spend in the exercise of public devotion.
Philip Doddridge—Practical Discourses on Regeneration

That the Ruler Should be Discreet in Keeping Silence, Profitable in Speech.
The ruler should be discreet in keeping silence, profitable in speech; lest he either utter what ought to be suppressed or suppress what he ought to utter. For, as incautious speaking leads into error, so indiscreet silence leaves in error those who might have been instructed. For often improvident rulers, fearing to lose human favour, shrink timidly from speaking freely the things that are right; and, according to the voice of the Truth (Joh. x. 12), serve unto the custody of the flock by no means
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

"Now the End of the Commandment," &C.
1 Tim. i. 5.--"Now the end of the commandment," &c. We come now, as was proposed, to observe, Thirdly,(474) That faith unfeigned is the only thing which gives the answer of a good conscience towards God. Conscience, in general, is nothing else but a practical knowledge of the rule a man should walk by, and of himself in reference to that rule. It is the laying down a man's state, and condition, and actions beside the rule of God's word, or the principles of nature's light. It is the chief piece
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Purity and Peace in the Present Lord
PHILIPPIANS iv. 1-9 Euodia and Syntyche--Conditions to unanimity--Great uses of small occasions--Connexion to the paragraphs--The fortress and the sentinel--A golden chain of truths--Joy in the Lord--Yieldingness--Prayer in everything--Activities of a heart at rest Ver. 1. +So, my brethren beloved and longed for+, missed indeed, at this long distance from you, +my joy and crown+ of victory (stephanos), +thus+, as having such certainties and such aims, with such a Saviour, and looking for such
Handley C. G. Moule—Philippian Studies

Ezekiel
To a modern taste, Ezekiel does not appeal anything like so powerfully as Isaiah or Jeremiah. He has neither the majesty of the one nor the tenderness and passion of the other. There is much in him that is fantastic, and much that is ritualistic. His imaginations border sometimes on the grotesque and sometimes on the mechanical. Yet he is a historical figure of the first importance; it was very largely from him that Judaism received the ecclesiastical impulse by which for centuries it was powerfully
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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