Impersonating a police officer is a serious crime. We depend on the police to maintain peace and order, knowing they are authorized to enforce the law. So anyone who falsely portrays himself as a member of the police for the purpose of deception is subject to severe penalty, including imprisonment. In a similar way, impersonating a true prophet of the LORD was a serious offense in ancient Israel. God intended that His prophets be trusted and obeyed. So judgment was severe upon anyone who deceived others by claiming to speak for God without actually having divine authorization. Part of the job of a true prophet was to expose and denounce the false ones, helping the righteous practice spiritual discernment. To that end, Ezekiel 13 gives a profile of the pretenders. With a bit of reflection, it should become clear that such individuals are still thriving in many churches today. While Ezekiel declared visions that were given to him by the Sovereign LORD, the false prophets had seen nothing but false visions, so they spoke out of their own imaginations. They confidently proclaimed that God gave them a message to share, but the LORD hadn’t sent them. Like “jackals among ruins,” they were not present to restore and build anything, but only to act as scavengers, seeking their own interests and lining their own pockets (v 1-7). False prophets tell people what they want to hear. They speak of God’s love and ignore His righteousness. They do not bother people with talk about sin. Like stonemasons who cover the defects in their construction by applying a liberal coat of paint, they are masters at giving a false impression. It may look like they are building a strong wall, but a mere shove will cause it to come crashing down. People want to hear a message of “peace,” being assured that all is well. But God is resolved to sweep away this whitewashed wall “with a storm of indignation, with a great flood of anger, and with hailstones of fury” (NLT). When it collapses, those who build it will also be crushed (v 8-16). The charge against the women who prophesy is just as serious. They have turned to magic and superstition instead of the LORD. They are spinners of hope, but they are not grounded in God’s Word. They are motivated not by divine calling, but by small payments of barley and bread. They give false counsel, encouraging evildoers while discouraging the righteous. And they have ensnared the people instead of setting them free. But in the future, God will expose every pretender, delivering His people from their power (v 17-23). For further meditation: