February 4

Ezekiel 13-15

So today’s reading is why we are doing this.

If you remember Ezekiel’s vision the past few days in our reading, there was a hole in the wall of the temple. This was to demonstrate how the foundations of their relationship with God were broken and in shambles.

But now, that wall has been covered with whitewash.

What is that? It’s actually untempered mortar. This is mortar that is weak and used as a skim coat over the wall. It is not meant to be strong or to carry any weight. It is simple and made to cover over the hole so that it looks better.

The Lord is comparing this with the foundations of the false prophets. They are saying things that are tickling the ears and causing people to feel good about what is being said. But it is not grounded in deep truth. So God is against these prophets because they are causing people to fall away from him.

Sound familiar?

We live in a world of Christian confusion. Why?

Because people love whitewashed walls. They love the pretty stuff that is easy to hear and sounds good. But the deep truths of the scriptures that are hard to handle.. . . leave those for someone else.

If we are going to be in the presence of the Lord, we must be people committed to the solid truth of the scriptures. It’s through the scripture that God reveals himself. It is through his word, that we are able to know who he is and what he asks of us. Without knowing his word, we will always be led away from him - tricked by every fancy teaching that makes us feel good.

So, may you know God’s truth! May you ignore preaching made to leave you feeling good. May you grab ahold of the deep truths of the scripture. And may it lead you into the presence of the Sovereign Lord today!