Ezekiel 13:5 Study Bible: You have not gone up into the breach, neither built up the wall for the house of Israel, to stand in the battle in the day of the LORD."

◄ Ezekiel 13:5 ►

You did not go up to the gaps or restore the wall around the house of Israel so that it would stand in the battle on the Day of the LORD.

Study Bible

You did not go up to the gaps
This phrase addresses the failure of the false prophets in Ezekiel's time. In ancient warfare, gaps in city walls were critical vulnerabilities. The prophets were expected to act as spiritual watchmen, standing in the breaches to protect the people. Their failure to do so symbolizes neglect in spiritual leadership and guidance. This imagery is echoed in Isaiah 58:12, where the faithful are called to be "repairers of the breach."

or restore the wall around the house of Israel
The wall represents spiritual and moral fortification. The prophets' duty was to strengthen the people’s faith and adherence to God's laws, akin to Nehemiah's physical rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls. The failure to restore the wall signifies a lack of true spiritual teaching and leadership, leaving the community vulnerable to spiritual decay and external threats.

so that it would stand in the battle
The battle refers to spiritual warfare, a recurring theme in scripture. Ephesians 6:12 speaks of the struggle against spiritual forces of evil. The prophets' failure to prepare the people for this battle left them defenseless. This highlights the importance of spiritual readiness and the role of leaders in equipping believers for challenges.

on the Day of the LORD
The Day of the LORD is a prophetic term for a time of divine judgment and intervention. It is a day of reckoning, as seen in passages like Joel 2:1-2 and Zephaniah 1:14-18. This phrase underscores the urgency and seriousness of the prophets' neglect, as they failed to prepare Israel for God's impending judgment. The Day of the LORD also foreshadows eschatological events, pointing to the ultimate fulfillment in Christ's return and final judgment.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Ezekiel
A prophet called by God to deliver His messages to the Israelites during their exile in Babylon. He is known for his vivid visions and symbolic actions.

2. False Prophets
Individuals in Israel who claimed to speak for God but delivered false messages, leading the people astray and failing to prepare them spiritually.

3. House of Israel
Refers to the people of Israel, God's chosen nation, who were in a covenant relationship with Him but often strayed from His commands.

4. Breaches in the Wall
Symbolic of the spiritual and moral gaps in the community that needed to be addressed and repaired to ensure the nation's security and faithfulness to God.

5. Day of the LORD
A future time of divine intervention and judgment, often associated with both immediate historical events and eschatological fulfillment.

Teaching Points

The Role of True Prophets
True prophets are called to address and repair spiritual breaches, guiding people back to God’s truth.

Spiritual Preparedness
Believers must be vigilant and prepared for spiritual battles, ensuring their faith is strong and uncompromised.

Accountability in Leadership
Leaders in the church are accountable for the spiritual well-being of their communities and must not neglect their responsibilities.

The Importance of Truth
Upholding and speaking God’s truth is crucial in preventing spiritual decay and deception.

The Urgency of Repentance
The "day of the LORD" serves as a reminder of the urgency to repent and align with God’s will.

Bible Study Questions

1. How can we identify and address the "breaches" in our own spiritual lives or communities today?

2. In what ways can we ensure that we are listening to true, God-inspired messages rather than false teachings?

3. How does the concept of the "day of the LORD" influence our daily walk with God and our priorities?

4. What responsibilities do we have as members of the body of Christ to support and uphold one another in truth?

5. How can we apply the lessons from Ezekiel 13:5 to strengthen our faith and prepare for spiritual battles?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Isaiah 58:12
This verse speaks about being a "repairer of the breach," which connects to the idea of addressing spiritual gaps and restoring righteousness.

Jeremiah 23:16-22
Jeremiah also condemns false prophets who lead people astray, similar to Ezekiel's message.

Nehemiah 4:6-9
Nehemiah's physical rebuilding of Jerusalem's walls parallels the spiritual rebuilding that Ezekiel calls for.

Sermons

The Breaches of Sin, and the Duty of Closing Them	W. Jones	Ezekiel 13:5
Pretended Prophets	J.R. Thomson	Ezekiel 13:1-9
The Perils of Falseness	J.D. Davies	Ezekiel 13:1-9
The Sin and Punishment of False Prophets	W. Jones	Ezekiel 13:1-16

People

Ezekiel

Places

Jerusalem

Topics

Battle, Breaches, Broken, Build, Built, Fence, Fight, Firm, Gaps, Hedge, Places, Repair, Stand, Wall

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Ezekiel 13:5

9220 day of the LORD

Ezekiel 13:1-7

5468 promises, human

Ezekiel 13:1-9

9250 woe

Ezekiel 13:1-12

1466 vision

Ezekiel 13:1-23

7760 preachers, responsibilities

Ezekiel 13:3-7

9130 future, the

Library

That the Ruler Should not Set his Heart on Pleasing Men, and yet Should Give Heed to what Ought to Please Them.
Meanwhile it is also necessary for the ruler to keep wary watch, lest the lust of pleasing men assail him; lest, when he studiously penetrates the things that are within, and providently supplies the things that are without, he seek to be beloved of those that are under him more than truth; lest, while, supported by his good deeds, he seems not to belong to the world, self-love estrange him from his Maker. For he is the Redeemer's enemy who through the good works which he does covets being loved …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

Of the Character of the Unregenerate.
Ephes. ii. 1, 2. And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins; wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience. AMONG all the various trusts which men can repose in each other, hardly any appears to be more solemn and tremendous, than the direction of their sacred time, and especially of those hours which they spend in the exercise of public devotion. …
Philip Doddridge—Practical Discourses on Regeneration

That the Ruler Should be Discreet in Keeping Silence, Profitable in Speech.
The ruler should be discreet in keeping silence, profitable in speech; lest he either utter what ought to be suppressed or suppress what he ought to utter. For, as incautious speaking leads into error, so indiscreet silence leaves in error those who might have been instructed. For often improvident rulers, fearing to lose human favour, shrink timidly from speaking freely the things that are right; and, according to the voice of the Truth (Joh. x. 12), serve unto the custody of the flock by no means …
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

"Now the End of the Commandment," &C.
1 Tim. i. 5.--"Now the end of the commandment," &c. We come now, as was proposed, to observe, Thirdly,(474) That faith unfeigned is the only thing which gives the answer of a good conscience towards God. Conscience, in general, is nothing else but a practical knowledge of the rule a man should walk by, and of himself in reference to that rule. It is the laying down a man's state, and condition, and actions beside the rule of God's word, or the principles of nature's light. It is the chief piece …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Purity and Peace in the Present Lord
PHILIPPIANS iv. 1-9 Euodia and Syntyche--Conditions to unanimity--Great uses of small occasions--Connexion to the paragraphs--The fortress and the sentinel--A golden chain of truths--Joy in the Lord--Yieldingness--Prayer in everything--Activities of a heart at rest Ver. 1. +So, my brethren beloved and longed for+, missed indeed, at this long distance from you, +my joy and crown+ of victory (stephanos), +thus+, as having such certainties and such aims, with such a Saviour, and looking for such …
Handley C. G. Moule—Philippian Studies

Ezekiel
To a modern taste, Ezekiel does not appeal anything like so powerfully as Isaiah or Jeremiah. He has neither the majesty of the one nor the tenderness and passion of the other. There is much in him that is fantastic, and much that is ritualistic. His imaginations border sometimes on the grotesque and sometimes on the mechanical. Yet he is a historical figure of the first importance; it was very largely from him that Judaism received the ecclesiastical impulse by which for centuries it was powerfully …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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