And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, say unto
her, Thou art the land that is not cleansed, nor rained upon in the
day of indignation. There is a conspiracy of her prophets in the
midst thereof, like a roaring lion ravening the prey: they have
devoured souls; they have taken the treasure and precious things;
they have made her many widows in the midst thereof. Her priests
have violated my law, and have profaned mine holy things: they have
put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they
shewed difference between the unclean and the clean, and have hid
their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them. Her
princes in the midst thereof are like wolves ravening the prey, to
shed blood and to destroy souls, to get dishonest gain. And her
prophets have daubed them with untempered mortar, seeing vanity, and
divining lies unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord God, when the
Lord hath not spoken. The people of the land have used oppression
and exercised robbery, and have vexed the poor and needy: yea, they
have oppressed the stranger wrongfully. And I sought for a man among
them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me
for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.
Therefore have I poured out mine indignation upon them; I have
consumed them with the fire of my wrath: their own way have I
recompensed upon their head, saith the Lord God (verses 23-31).
What corruption this additional message of the Lord reveals! The land
had already been cursed for the wicked deeds of its tenants. The
religious leaders, the prophets, these false prophets with their lying
messages, instead of saving souls and warning to flee from the wrath to
come, devoured souls. The priests, called to minister in holy things,
were as bad; they profaned the holy things. They were blasphemers
instead of worshippers. These characteristics of false prophets and
false priests are repeated in our own times. Like these false prophets
whom Ezekiel describes, the modern day religious leaders, mislead the
people by giving lying messages and by glossing over men's sins and not
giving to them the Word of the Lord. Like priests, like people! The
people were lovers of money and oppressors of the poor. Jehovah looked
for a man to stand in the gap between Him and the land, but there was
none. There is no help and hope in man, for all have gone astray and
there is none that doeth good. But there is One--blessed be God!--who
has stood in the gap, our Lord Jesus Christ. "And He saw that there was
no man, and wondered that there was none to interpose, therefore His
own arm brought salvation to Him, and His righteousness, it upheld Him"
(Isaiah lix:16). Through Him "all Israel" is yet to be saved and receive
the promised blessings.