Untempered Mortar

Untempered Mortar
EZEKIEL 13:1-12

Our Journey through Ezekiel continues this morning as we pick up today in Chapter 13.
Last week we saw the prophet's warning that the days are at hand.
His clear imperative was that every person must obey the Lord's Voice.
1.) Because God has shown us the price of disobedience.
> Disobedience results in great loss.
> Disobedience tears down walls of protection and safety.
> Disobedience results in great shame. Verses 8-16
> Disobedience always costs more than you expected.
These warnings served as motivation to:
1.) Consider His command.
2.) Do it now.

The message was characteristically severe and difficult for Israel to hear.
Even today, people would usually rather hear something positive and uplifting than the truth of their own sin.

There is quite a market for such preaching in today's world.
Paul wasn't kidding when he said:
For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; II Timothy 4:3

Now you are all here this morning and that means one of two things:
You either don't know what you've gotten yourself into or you are ready to hear the truth.
Most of you should know by now, I can't always preach just the positive passages while Scriptures like Ezekiel's prophecy go unheard.

Today's text fits our society with a relevance that is uncanny.
Let us begin with verses 1-12

READ TEXT
Eze 13:1 ¶ And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and say thou unto them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear ye the word of the LORD;
3 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!
4 O Israel, thy prophets are like the foxes in the deserts.
5 Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of the LORD.
6 They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, The LORD saith: and the LORD hath not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word.
7 Have ye not seen a vain vision, and have ye not spoken a lying divination, whereas ye say, The LORD saith it; albeit I have not spoken?
8 Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD; Because ye have spoken vanity, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, saith the Lord GOD.
9 And mine hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the assembly of my people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and ye shall know that I am the Lord GOD.
10 ¶ Because, even because they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and, lo, others daubed it with untempered morter:
11 Say unto them which daub it with untempered morter, that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing shower; and ye, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it.
12 Lo, when the wall is fallen, shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing wherewith ye have daubed it?

PRAY

It seems clear to me that the major imperative in the text is that God's people hear the truth.

While false prophets are spewing out their false hopes and false ideas about God, somebody needs to be listening to the truth.
Remember, Satan as been active for thousands of years raising up his own prophets and leading people astray.
Today he is as active as ever, speaking louder than ever.
He is providing a false sense of security to millions of deluded souls, and they will spend an eternity condemned by God because they wouldn't hear the truth.

As the primary challenge of the text is to hear the truth, let us examine further the SINS OF THE PROPHETS.

1) Verse 2 - they listen to their hearts.
Man's sinful nature is a product of his own heart.
Genesis 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
2) Verse 3 - they follow their own spirit.
Spirit guides from other than God are plentiful in this world.
1John 4:1 ¶ Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.
3) Verse 4 - they seek their own interests.
So the sale of indulgences reflected a self interest that was not from God.
1Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.
4.) Verse 5 - they care not for the defense of God's people.
There is a need for leadership to stand in the gaps of our society and fight against the purveyors of flasehood.
Eze 3:17 Son of man, I have made thee a watchman unto the house of Israel: therefore hear the word at my mouth, and give them warning from me.
5) Verse 6a - they falsely represent God.
They come in the name of Christ.
They call themselves Christians.
Mark 13:6 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
They may even refer to themselves as witnesses of Jehovah, but they are falsely representing themselves.
They do not serve the Jehovah of Old Testament, whom Jesus claimed to be.
6) Verse 6b - they give false hope to God's people.
Many are told they can procure favour with God by some ritual or some work or contribution to a church.
Nothing could be further from the truth.
Tit 3:5 Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost;
7) Verse 7,8a - they speak emptiness and lies.
The product of a religion without the absolute truth of God is an emptiness that cannot be denied.
So the word of these false prophets satisfy the ears but not the soul.

ILLUSTRATION - Dirt pies in Haiti

We have seen the sins of the prophets, and perhaps you recognize their ilk in some of today's most popular spiritual leaders.

Now let us see the response of God.

1) Verse 8b - God is against them.

2) Verse 9a - God will judge them.

3) Verse 9b - God will exclude them.

- They will not be gathered with His people.
Mt 24:40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left.
- They will not be written with His people.
Re 20:15 And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
- They will not enter into the place of rest with His people.
Heb 3:19 So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief.

Now we can look a little more closely at the product of the false prophets.

Verse 10 speaks of a wall built by one prophet and daubed by another with untempered mortar.
This is not just one lie told to gain a short-term following.
This is a system of lies created to give people a false sense of security.
Much effort has gone into building this structure of lies.
It is a recognized system of religion, a popular and common belief system.
There are a few things we should notice about this wall:

1) Verse 10 - it is built with substandard building materials.
ILL - THE BIG DIG - started in 1991 costing tens of billions of dollars - an underground highway for miles beneath the city of Boston.
in July of 2006 Milena Del Valle was driving into the tunnel when a ceiling panel fell on her vehicle killing her.
Upon further investigation it was determined that thousands of tons of substandard concrete had been used in the building process.
So many have tried to build some wall of protection against the judgement of God.
1Co 3:11 ¶ For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
2) Verse 11 - it cannot stand against the storm that is coming.
1Co 3:12 Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble;
13 Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.
3) Verse 12 - those trusting in the wall will be incredulous when it falls.
Mt 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
4) Verse 13-16 - the wall and its builders will suffer the wrath of God.

Every person must HEAR THE TRUTH

John 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.