Careful

Ez 13:6b "They say, 'Declares the LORD,' when the LORD has not sent them, and yet they expect him to fulfill their word." ESV

 

This is interesting stuff. There were a bunch of false prophets in Israel. I have to think that they knew that they were a group of deceivers. I don't think that they could sit there and watch what Ezekiel was doing and what God was doing and declare "peace" with all of the stuff going on around them. They apparently had visions and they declared that those visions were from God. They said: "Declares the LORD" but God was not with them. The weird thing is, even though they may have known that they were false and what they were teaching was false, they still "…expect(ed) Him to fulfill their word.".

 

The flip side, however, is that maybe they didn't know that they were false prophets. This is even more dangerous. Here was a group of people who were seeing visions that they thought came from God. They said that they came from God and they expected God to do what they said, but they were far from God. This is dangerous because they could act and speak with authority and tons of people could be deceived.

 

Why did this verse hit me today? I think because I think it is a warning to me to be careful when I say: "This is from God". When I say that I better be sure. When I say that I better know that God is directing. That God is leading. That God is the One who is behind the thoughts or ideas that I share. Taking up the authority of God is no small thing.

 

So how do I know? How can I be sure? How do I discern whether it is God's still small voice in me or if it is misdirection from another source? First, what I say better line up with what the Bible says. If it doesn't, it isn't from God at all. Just like yesterday's verse, what God speaks He will do. His word is His bond. If I say something that is inconsistent with something that He has already said, forget it.

 

But what about the grey areas where we think that God may be leading, but His word does not really address it? How can we know? I think we have to rely upon others as well. If God is leading me one way and it is truly Him, He will be leading others in the same direction. I think in this situation it is dangerous to be the sole voice of God. If God is able to speak into my life, He is certainly able to speak into other people's lives at the same time which gives confirmation. For example, if I think that God is leading my family to do something but my wife is not on board, I need to rethink it. We are one. He will lead us as one. After all, scripture teaches: "Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven." Matt 18:19 There is power in agreement. There is confirmation in numbers. But what about Ezekiel? He was a lone voice. That is true, but his word was God's word. In that situation, when God's word says it and I am by myself, that is all I need.

 

Taking up the authority of God by saying: "This is from God…thus says the Lord" is dangerous stuff. I need to be careful.