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guilty advice

Ezekiel 11:1-4 (JDV)

Ezekiel 11:1 The Breath then lifted me up and brought me to the eastern gate of Yahveh’s house, which faces east, and I noticed at the gate’s entrance twenty-five men. Among them, I saw Jaazaniah son of Azzur, and Pelatiah son of Benaiah, leaders of the people.
Ezekiel 11:2 Yahveh said to me, “Son of Adam, these are the men who plot evil and give guilty advice in this city.
Ezekiel 11:3 They are saying, ‘Isn’t the time near to build houses? The city is the pot, and we are the meat.’
Ezekiel 11:4 Therefore, prophesy against them. Prophesy, son of Adam!”

guilty advice

What was guilty about the advice these leaders were giving? Didn’t Jeremiah advise the people in exile to settle down and build?

Well, let’s look a little closer at this advice. It was not given to refugees in exile, but to citizens of a city that God had just promised to destroy. The city is the pot, and the people are the meat. But that does not mean protection for the meat. It means they are going to be cooked.

When leaders are telling us to ignore God and his word — that everything is going to be alright — we need to ignore their advice. The advice comes from guilty hearts. The leaders want us to follow them off the cliff. When God is calling for our repentance, the worst thing we can do is encourage acceptance of the status quo.

LORD, give us the courage to reject the guilty advice we are being given.