How does Ezekiel 14:9 connect with Deuteronomy 13:1-5 on false prophecy? Setting the Texts Side by Side • “If a prophet or dreamer of dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you, • and if the sign or wonder he has spoken to you comes about, but he says, ‘Let us follow other gods’—which you have not known—‘and let us worship them,’ • you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer; for the LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love Him with all your heart and with all your soul. • You are to follow the LORD your God and fear Him. Keep His commandments and listen to His voice; serve Him and hold fast to Him. • Such a prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he has advocated rebellion against the LORD your God… You must purge the evil from among you.” • “And if the prophet is enticed to speak a message, I, the LORD, have enticed that prophet, and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel.” The Shared Thread: God’s Sovereign Testing • In both passages the rise of a false prophet is not outside God’s control; He permits it—and in Ezekiel says He actually “enticed” the prophet. • Purpose: to expose hearts. Deuteronomy calls it a “test,” and Ezekiel’s wider context (14:3-5) shows God exposing the idolatry the elders had “set up in their hearts.” • The test separates true worshipers (who cling to God’s Word) from those eager for a message that suits their idols (2 Timothy 4:3-4). Consequences for the Deceiver • Deuteronomy: death by the community—“purge the evil.” • Ezekiel: divine judgment—“I will…destroy him.” • Same end: God will not allow persistent deception to stand (Jeremiah 23:30-32; Matthew 7:15-23). Why God Allows the Lie • He refuses to coerce love. Choice proves loyalty (Deuteronomy 13:3). • He judges people who prefer lies over truth (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12). • He vindicates His holiness by punishing both the lying prophet and the people who chase him (Ezekiel 14:10-11). Timeless Discernment Principles • Test every voice against revealed Scripture—signs and wonders are never the final test (Galatians 1:8-9). • Stay anchored in the first commandment; any message diverting worship from the Lord is automatically false. • Recognize that deception often rides on genuine-looking success; the wonder in Deuteronomy “comes about,” yet it is still a lie. • Understand that God’s allowance of false prophecy heightens our responsibility: truth lovers will cling to Him, while idol lovers will expose themselves. A Singular Conclusion Ezekiel 14:9 shows the backside of Deuteronomy 13:1-5. Both declare that God may let—or even cause—a false prophet to speak, not to confuse sincere believers but to sift and judge hearts that have already drifted. The prophet who entices, and the people who follow, share the same fate; the faithful, meanwhile, prove their love by refusing any word that pulls them from the LORD. |
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