41 And he shall cause the house to be scraped completely, and they shall pour out the dust that they scrape off outside the city into an unclean place (spiritually unclean place): This scraping of the stones and the carrying away of even the dust could be compared to repentance. Just as each and every microbe of the plague had to be removed to keep it from returning, so also must every spot, every blemish, every sin be cast aside when we repent. Even a little speck of sin, one tiny lie, one drop of hatred, conceit, ....will grow and grow until we find ourselves in an even worse state being good for nothing except to be cast into the unclean place outside of the gates of the city.

After the afflicted stones had been removed...the rest of the house was to be thoroughly scraped and even the dust was to be carried to the unclean place out side the city. The priest was to see to it that the other stones not be afflicted also, if possible.

42 And they shall take other stones, and put them in the place of those stones; and he shall take other mortar, and shall plaster the house.

Then there should be other stones put in place, un-afflicted stones so that the house be strong as well as clean. After that, plaster was to be put over the stones, old and new for protection, that they might not again be taken by the plague.

43 And if the plague come again, and breaks out in the house, after that he has taken away the stones, and after he has scraped the house, and after it is plastered;

We then see that although the plague, the affliction, the ‘spot’ had been removed, it could return even after all attempts to cleanse it by the priest.

44 Then the priest shall come and look, and, behold, if the plague has again spread in the house, it is ‘a fretting leprosy’ (painful scourge) in the house: it is unclean (in a spiritually unclean sense).

If the priest comes back and looks at the house and behold, in spite of all the care that had been taken in removing the plague, the affliction, the ‘spot’..the plague has returned, more drastic measures must be taken.

45 And he shall break down the house, the stones of it, and the timber thereof, and all the mortar of the house; and he shall carry them forth out of the city into an unclean place.

If the plague returns to this house, the entire house must be torn down, every stone, every timber, even the mortar (which had held the stones together) must be gathered together and taken to the unclean place, outside the gates of the city.

46 Moreover he that goes into the house all the while that it is shut up shall be unclean until the even.

47 And he that lies in the house shall wash his clothes; and he that eats in the house shall wash his clothes.

During this time of the house being given a chance to become once again clean, no one is to enter, to lie at rest or partake of food in the house else they will become unclean until the evening comes and they have washed their clothing.

48 And if the priest shall come in, and look upon it, and, behold, the plague has not spread in the house, after the house was plastered: then the priest shall pronounce the house clean, because the plague is healed.

However, if the priest comes after that week and looks upon the house and there had been no spread of the plague, the affliction, the ‘spot’, he shall then proclaim the house ...clean...fit once again for habitation.

We have looked here at the house...which may be seen, symbolically as the groups of human beings who have gathered together to build a ‘house’ wherein YHWH is asked to bring His Presence to teach, to bless and to nurture and a house wherein humans can join together to spread the message of Shalom and Redemption.

Now we will look at the ‘wall’ which was daubed with untempered mortar to see if there is a connection.

Ezek 13:1-15

CHAPTER 13

1 And the word of YHWH came to me, saying,

2 Son of man, prophesy against the prophets of Israel that prophesy, and you say to them that prophesy out of their own hearts, Hear you the word of YHWH;

YHWH warns that we must speak His words, from His Ruach Qodesh if we are going to say ‘thus says YHWH’.

3 Thus says YHWH, Elohim; Woe unto the foolish prophets, that follow their own spirit, and have seen nothing!

We must be very careful that we do not speak words of our own desire to further whatever our own personal agenda may be.

4 O Israel, your prophets are like the foxes in the deserts.

5 You have not gone up into the gaps, neither made up the hedge for the house of Israel to stand in the battle in the day of YHWH.

We read of the hedges placed around Torah (for its protection) and we see here that the prophets in Israel are being told they have neither stood in the gap nor placed hedges around Israel so the she might stand in the day of battle.

6 They have seen vanity and lying divination, saying, YHWH says: and YHWH has not sent them: and they have made others to hope that they would confirm the word.

7 Have you not seen a vain vision, and have you not spoken a lying divination, whereas you say, YHWH says it; even though I have not spoken?

Rather than reliance on ‘thus says YHWH’, they were putting forth the words that came from their own hearts, minds and egos. There is no protection at all in the imaginings of our own hearts.

8 Therefore YHWH, Elohim says; Because you have spoken vanity, and seen lies, therefore, behold, I am against you, says YHWH, Elohim.

9 And My hand shall be upon the prophets that see vanity, and that divine lies: they shall not be in the assembly of My people, neither shall they be written in the writing of the house of Israel, neither shall they enter into the land of Israel; and you shall know that I am YHWH, Elohim

YHWH clearly announces that He is not on the side of the foolish, vain prophet, speaking lies.

Now, there is the wall. False security, false protection, false assurances.

10 Because, they have seduced my people, saying, Peace; and there was no peace; and one built up a wall, and, look, others daubed it with untempered mortar:

11 Say to them which daub it with untempered mortar, that it shall fall: there shall be an overflowing shower; and you, O great hailstones, shall fall; and a stormy wind shall rend it.

12 Look, when the wall is fallen, shall it not be said unto you, Where is the daubing that you have daubed it with?

First of all the people were lead astray by hearing words that sounded good to them, that made them feel comforted, made them feel safe, made them think they were just fine the way they were...a proclamation of peace.

One builds the wall...the false sense of safety and protection. Then when one questions the safety of this wall and its ability to protect them from the enemy...another stands up and says...better cover this breach...but do they cover the breach with truth, with ‘thus says YHWH’? No they bring the untempered mortar and begin to cover the wall with it.

Untempered mortar..have you ever seen a wall, a walkway, any structure which had been made by one who knows nothing of the way mortar must be mixed? It will crumble, crack and fall apart completely if it is not mixed properly. This is like truth...if a lie is mixed into truth..it will crumble, crack and fall apart for truth mixed with lie is no longer truth.

13 Therefore YHWH Elohim says; I will even rend it with a stormy wind in my fury; and there shall be an overflowing shower in My anger, and great hailstones in My fury to consume it.

14 Thus shall I break down the wall that you have daubed with untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that the foundation of it shall be clearly visible, and it shall fall, and you shall be consumed in the midst of it: and you shall know that I am YHWH.

Our Father says He will not only cause this wall to fall apart but will reveal its very foundation. Without the foundation being truth, it can never stand.

15 Thus will I accomplish my wrath upon the wall, and upon them that have daubed it with untempered mortar, and will say unto you, The wall is no more, neither anymore are they that daubed it;

Once His wrath is completed.. the wall will not stand.. neither the ones who built it or the ones who daubed it with the untempered mortar to cover its cracks.

The house, if not healed and cleansed, is torn down and thrown into the unclean place, outside the walls of the city. The wall, although built of stones, was put together not with the tempered mortar of truth, but with the untempered mortar of lies and deceit and then rather than the prophets and watchmen truly being ‘repairers of the breach’ they simply daubed over the cracks until even the entire wall must fall.

If there is affliction in our house, if our walls are cracked and crumbling, will we simply ‘patch up’ the bad looking fissures or will we truly be repairers of the breach?