Chronological Reading Plan for Aug 29, Eze 13-15

Today's readings are Ezel 13-15. Tomorrow's are Eze 16-17. 

Eze 13 describes the fates of false prophets and prophetesses, the ones that are telling Jerusalem not to worry. They are like those who whitewash a defective wall to hide its imperfections and make it look better than it actually is. The Lord will expose them and put and end to their influence among His people. 

The Jews in exile have developed a leadership structure comprised of the heads of clans and tribes, called the "Elders of Israel".  They have idols "on their heart". It had become a Babylonian custom to wear various amulets around the neck and on the breast, beneath clothing, as a tribute to the Babylonian gods. These leaders are not to be listened to. God is sovereign, even over false prophets (vs 9), and will use them to expose the sin of His people and purge it from among them (vs 10-11). 

Jerusalem is doomed to be destroyed by God (Eze 14). Certain individuals, deemed to be righteous in the manner that Noah, Daniel and Job were, will be spared. But the city will be devastated, burnt up like a useless vine (Eze 15). Clearly, this will not be the end of the city. It will eventually be rebuilt, as per the promise God has made to bring His people back. Rather than destruction in the burning of Jerusalem, we should see refining fire as God purges all that is sinful and evil from within without permanently destroying it. 

This can be a metaphor for our lives as Christians. God's refining fire may be painful, a times, but it is never meant to destroy us, only to cleanse us.