The Pulpit Commentary — Ezekiel — Volume 1 — Section 243

r Vers. 1-9.-71ie perils of falseness. The work of God's prophets is made more difficult by the competitioz. of pretenders. They cater for popularity by predicting only what is ple,i.sing to flesh and blood. Hence they bring discredit on all God's revelations. In Ezekiel's day the false teachers were specially busy in Jerusalem, confronting and connteracting Jeremiah; and the sad effect of false hopes was felt at Chebar as well as in Ju.drea. L CARNAL .AMBITION IS OFTEN THE PARENT OF FALSEHOOD. The prophecies and. counsels of Jeremiah ran counter to all the prejudices and predilections of the people. Their fleshly nature rose in arms against such possible disaster. Heedless of God and God's plans, they would create for themselves a better fortune. The worldly wise among them, gifted with superior speech, resolved to outrival God's prophets-to become candidates for popularity-to aspire after political power. Amidst a nation's disaster and weakness there is always opportunity for the crafty to gain some sinister end. They countenanced any intrigue that promised temporary advantage. Under pretence of patriotic zeal, they sought mainly, if not wholly, a personal elevation. II. CARNAL AMBITION LEADS TO SELF-ASSUMPTION. It is very likely that, at the outset, these false prophets deceived themselves. They imagined that they saw a way out of the catastrophe, and urged the rulers, against Jeremiah's advice, to pursue that way. If it was pleaded that God had ordered otherwise, these men set up a counter- authority. Stung by the suggestion that their counsel was not eiual in value to that of Jeremiah, they boldly claimed to be the messengers of God. n their fanatic zeal they deemed their 11agacious plans to have been given them from heaven. They were too much bent on gaining their end to inquire carefully into this matter. Where was the proof that Jeremiah or Ezekiel was more favoured to receive Divine intelligence than they? The end would justify the means! Heedless of consequences, they would publicly claim to speak as the ambassadors of God. III. SELF-AS6Ullil'TION EMPLOYS S0PHISTI0AL ABTS 01' SPEECH, They are described as foxes-notorious for cunning-yea, cunning as hungry fox:es in the desert. All their wits were exercised to weave the most plausible web of argument. Every possible circumstance favourable to their de,si~s was seized upon, and made to prop their nefarious policy, until what they had induced others to believe, they believed also themselves. '!'hey ensnared themselves in their own nets. From knaves they gra- dually became fanatics. Careless about the exact truth at the beginning, they lost at ltngth the power to discern between truth and falsehood. IV. SELF-ASSUJdPTION 16 DEAD TO THE INTERESTS 01' OTBEBS. Jn the fifth verse the prophet accuses them thus: "Ye have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up tho en. xm. 1-23,] THE BOOK OF THE PROPHET EZEKIEL, 239