The Bible in a Year
“With lies ye have made the heart of the righteous sad, whom I have not made sad; and strengthened the hands of the wicked, that he should not return from his wicked way, by promising him life.” —Ezekiel 13:22
Ezekiel ministered during a spiritually confusing time. Jerusalem was moving toward judgment, but false prophets kept assuring the people that everything would be fine. Their message sounded encouraging, yet it was not from God. They offered reassurance without repentance, peace without reconciliation, and hope without truth. God exposed their influence with two sobering charges: they discouraged the righteous and encouraged the wicked.
The Hebrew word translated “heart” is lēb, referring not merely to emotion but to the inner person—the center of thought, desire, conviction, and will. The righteous were grieved because the voices claiming to represent God were contradicting what faithful people knew of His character. Those who wanted to obey the Lord were made to feel foolish, harsh, or needlessly troubled. Meanwhile, those persisting in sin were told that no change was necessary.
False teaching does not always announce itself with an obvious rejection of God. It often borrows spiritual language while quietly removing the need for repentance. It speaks about divine love but separates love from holiness. It mentions grace but disconnects grace from transformation. It promises life while leaving people on a road that leads away from God. A message can sound compassionate and still be spiritually destructive if it gives comfort where God is calling for repentance.
John G. Butler summarized the danger plainly: “False ministers do not encourage repentance.” That is the central problem in Ezekiel 13. The false prophets were not simply mistaken about minor details. Their words prevented people from turning back to God. The Hebrew verb translated “strengthened” comes from ḥāzaq, meaning to make strong, firm, or resolute. Their assurances stiffened the resolve of those already walking in wickedness. Rather than helping sinners loosen their grip upon evil, they made that grip stronger.
God’s true message certainly encourages the weary, but it does not encourage rebellion. The Lord knows the difference between a bruised believer who needs reassurance and an unrepentant heart seeking permission. Isaiah 42:3 says of God’s Servant, “A bruised reed He will not break, and smoking flax He will not quench.” Yet Jesus also began His public ministry by declaring, “Repent, and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). Biblical ministry comforts the brokenhearted while lovingly confronting the hardened heart.
This distinction matters when we listen to preaching, read Christian books, or receive spiritual advice. We should ask whether the message draws us toward Christ, produces reverence for God, and encourages obedient faith. Does it help us recognize sin and receive forgiveness, or does it merely assure us that no change is needed? Does it strengthen people to resist temptation, or does it provide religious language for continuing in it?
We must also apply Ezekiel’s warning to our own words. It is easy to tell people what they want to hear because we do not wish to upset them. At other times, we may speak harshly to sincere believers who are already carrying heavy burdens. God calls us to something better than flattery on one side and needless severity on the other. He calls us to speak truth in love.
Truth without love can wound the person we are trying to restore, but love without truth may leave that person in danger. Jesus embodied both perfectly. He did not crush the woman caught in adultery, but neither did He pretend that her sin was harmless. He offered mercy and then said, “Go and sin no more” (John 8:11). His grace did not excuse her past; it opened the door to a different future.
Ezekiel’s warning also reminds us that spiritual teachers carry serious responsibility. James 3:1 cautions that teachers will receive stricter judgment because words spoken in God’s name influence souls. A preacher is not free to invent a message that attracts applause. The task is to faithfully communicate what God has revealed, including His promises, His warnings, His mercy, and His call to repentance.
As we continue through the Bible this year, we should welcome the passages that comfort us and those that correct us. The same God speaks through both. His warnings are not evidence that He has stopped loving us; they are evidence that He refuses to abandon us to destruction. God’s truth may disturb us for a moment so that His grace can restore us for eternity.
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