These dogs have fierce appetites; they never have enough. And they are shepherds who have no discernment; all of them turn to their own way, every last one for his own profit.
Her leaders issue rulings for a bribe, her priests teach for payment, and her prophets practise divination for silver. Yet they lean on the Lord, saying, ‘Isn’t the Lord among us? No disaster will overtake us.’
Why, then, do all of you despise my sacrifices and offerings that I require at the place of worship? You have honoured your sons more than me, by making yourselves fat with the best part of all of the offerings of my people Israel.”
because such people do not serve our Lord Christ but their own appetites. , They deceive the hearts of the unsuspecting with smooth talk and flattering words.
‘I wish one of you would shut the temple doors, so that you would no longer kindle a useless fire on my altar! I am not pleased with you,’ says the Lord of Armies, ‘and I will accept no offering from your hands.
For when anyone from the house of Israel or from the foreigners who reside in Israel separates himself from me, setting up idols in his heart and putting his sinful stumbling block in front of himself, and then comes to the prophet to enquire of me, I, the Lord, will answer him myself.
‘Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and have put their sinful stumbling blocks in front of themselves. Should I actually let them enquire of me?
You have ploughed wickedness and reaped injustice; you have eaten the fruit of lies. Because you have trusted in your own way and in your large number of soldiers,
But Ephraim thinks, ‘How rich I have become; I made it all myself. In all my earnings, no one can find any iniquity in me that I can be punished for! ’
The priest, who is one of Aaron’s sons and will be anointed to take his place, is to prepare it. It must be completely burned as a permanent portion for the Lord.