Truth or Flattery / Ezekiel 12:17–28
📖 Scripture
17 The word of the Lord came to me:
18 “Son of man, tremble as you eat your food, and shudder in fear as you drink your water.
19 Say to the people of the land: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says about those living in Jerusalem and in the land of Israel: They will eat their food in anxiety and drink their water in despair, for their land will be stripped of everything in it because of the violence of all who live there.
20 The inhabited towns will be laid waste and the land will be desolate. Then you will know that I am the Lord.’”
21 The word of the Lord came to me:
22 “Son of man, what is this proverb you have in the land of Israel: ‘The days go by and every vision comes to nothing’?
23 Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: I am going to put an end to this proverb, and they will no longer quote it in Israel.’ Say to them, ‘The days are near when every vision will be fulfilled.
24 For there will be no more false visions or flattering divinations among the people of Israel.
25 But I the Lord will speak what I will, and it shall be fulfilled without delay. For in your days, you rebellious people, I will fulfill whatever I say, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”
26 The word of the Lord came to me:
27 “Son of man, the Israelites are saying, ‘The vision he sees is for many years from now, and he prophesies about the distant future.’
28 “Therefore say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: None of my words will be delayed any longer; whatever I say will be fulfilled, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”
📝 Scripture Summary
The Lord instructs Ezekiel to eat and drink with fear to depict the anxiety and desolation coming to Jerusalem soon. The Lord rebukes a false proverb by declaring that every vision will soon be fulfilled. The Israelites think that Ezekiel’s vision is for the distant future, but God warns them that His words will not be delayed any longer.
💡 Memory Verse
“Therefore say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!’” – Ezekiel 14:6
🙏 Reflection
Lord over All (12:17–20)
God tells Ezekiel to tremble and shudder as he eats and drinks to represent prophetically what the Israelites will experience. All of the people will eat their food and drink their water with anxiety and despair because violence is coming, and the land will be stripped of everything in it. With this judgment, the Israelites will finally recognize that God is truly Lord over all. Sometimes we may forget that God is the Lord of all creation. Many of us are blessed with enough to eat and drink, and we experience the grace of salvation because of Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross. May we never take any of this for granted but have an even greater appreciation of it all, offering praise to our all-knowing and all-powerful God, who loves us and provides for us.
🧠 Ponder: Take time to thank Him for the ways He has cared for you over the past week.
False and Flattering Words (12:21–28)
Some in Israel claim to have visions or practice divinations but these are not from God. Instead of declaring the truth, they spout flattery and falsehood. With the fulfillment of the prophetic declaration from Ezekiel, the rebellious people will realize the sovereignty of God. Some assume that it will be a long time before the prophecy will be fulfilled, but the Lord speaks through Ezekiel, declaring that His judgment will no longer be delayed. The people will soon experience the vision that Ezekiel proclaimed, and they will be exiled from the land. This passage encourages us to exercise discernment. If the message we hear carries flattery and arrogance rather than words that align with Scripture, then such a message does not reflect God’s truth.
🔍 Reflect: Ask for open eyes and ears to have greater discernment about whether a person is speaking God’s truth.
📖 Today’s Inspiration
“God is powerfully and patiently at work in us, even when we’re impatient with ourselves.” – Faith Chang
🙌 Prayer
Heavenly Father, I praise You, for You are Lord over all of creation. I am grateful for Your provision and the grace of salvation. May I never take these for granted but remain humble and thankful to You. In Jesus’ name I pray, amen.
✍️ Essay
Powerful Words
“You’re so smart!”
“That dress looks so beautiful on you!”
“Wow, you’re so strong!”
Compliments like these can be appreciated, but they can also be offered as insincere flattery that does not reflect true admiration. Rather, the seemingly nice words begin to foster a type of idolatry. The flatterer uses empty words to manipulate another person into doing what he or she wants, and the receiver accepts the flattery that is puffing up their ego. For both sides, the idol is the self. Each person becomes more focused on themselves than on honoring God or loving others.
Instead of flattery, we can offer sincere, kind, and specific observations of the gifts and talents that we see in others, and we can encourage them to use those talents to build up the church. If someone has artistic or musical abilities, we can encourage them to decorate the church or help with worship. If someone is a strategic or pastoral person, we can encourage them to help with administration or counseling.
Our words are powerful. They can be used to hurt others, to puff up, or to build up. Let us be wary of any form of flattery and instead use our words with sincerity and love, reflecting God’s perspective as we recognize the character and abilities that He has placed in others. May we be in awe of God even more than of one another as we see and bring attention to what He does in all of us.
Written by Ahreum Kim