Ezekiel 14
COMMENTARY:
: 3 Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumbling block of their iniquity before their face: should I be inquired of at all by them? (1875 “inquired” [darash] means to be sought, be consulted, to be approached, or let search.)
DEVOTION: God knows the thought and intents of all human beings. HE cannot be fooled by a false pretense of someone coming to HIM to find out what the LORD required of these individuals.
Here we find that the leaders of the nation were coming to Ezekiel for advice as to what they should do in their present circumstances. They knew that judgment was coming. They knew that their sins were real. They knew all about the God of the Bible but they didn’t know HIM.
HE instructed Ezekiel to confront them about the false pretenses that they were coming to HIM concerning their future. They had no intentions of changing their ways.
They desired a quick answer. The LORD told Ezekiel to inform that that HE saw what was happening in their heart. They were not making HIM sovereign in their lives. They had false gods as sovereign in their lives. Their hearts were full of false teaching.
These false teachings regarding who the real God was to be in their live were causing them to stumble. Not only did they stumble over their false god but they were causing the people to follow their example.
Confrontation was the only answer that they received from the LORD through the ministry of Ezekiel.
The LORD asked a question that had an answer that needs to be understood today. HE asked if those who were faking their belief in HIM should be able to come into HIS presence with their requests. The answer was NO!!
God wants us to repent of our sins first before we come with any request for blessing. HE wants a proper order to be followed by those who are HIS children. First there needs to be confession. Second we can ask HIM for direction in our life.
If the order is broken HE will not answer. HE is holy. HE has to have requirements for those who follow HIM. To be a follower means work. Works don’t earn salvation but they continue to establish fellowship with the LORD.
Too often we want our blessings without any confession of sin. God waits for confession before HE will answer the prayers of those who genuinely want to follow HIM.
CHALLENGE: Do we expect God to look over our sins just because we claim to be followers of HIM? If we are genuine followers we will examine ourselves and confess sin and then make our request to HIM.
: 8 And I will set MY face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of the people; and you shall know that I AM the LORD. (4912 “proverb” [mashal] means byword, ethical maxims, song of jest, mocking, negative connotation, ingenious comparison, byword, taunt, ridicule, or object of scorn.)
DEVOTION: There seems to be two meanings to this word. It is used in a positive sense and in a negative sense. The proverbs of the LORD are good. The people who are not honoring the LORD are given a different meaning. It is a negative meaning.
They are individuals who are not honoring the LORD. They are following their own path which is away from the LORD. The LORD wants us to learn truth through the book of Proverbs in the Bible. Here we find that there is a majority of people who are not learning from the LORD but are listening to false prophets who tell them that everything is good and that their sins will not bother the LORD.
This group of people are lying to the people and the people like to be lied too and so they go their merry way thinking because they have talked to someone who calls themselves a prophet they are OK. Wrong thinking!!
God is against those who listen to people who tell them they can do as they please and still have a proper relationship with HIM. HE makes this plain throughout the Word of God. HIS face is against such individuals. If HIS face is against them then they are ripe for judgment which the children of Israel were going through at this time.
Change is what is necessary to please the LORD. These people didn’t want to change. They didn’t want to repent. They didn’t want to pray properly. So the LORD judged them properly with four types of judgment. We know that judgment is coming as we enter eternity. Those who are following the LORD properly will spend eternity in heaven. Those who are not following will spend eternity in the lake of fire with the devil and his angels.
CHALLENGE: We have a choice to make. We have to ask ourselves who we are following. Are we genuinely following the LORD or are we following false prophets or teachers? The Word of God gives us the answer!!
: 22 Yet, behold therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth unto you, and you shall see their way and their doings: and you shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon it. (5164 “comforted” [nacham] means to be sorry, console oneself, repent, regret, have compassion, or be moved to pity.)
DEVOTION: The leader came to Ezekiel for him to pray for them. However, the LORD gave a message to him regarding the idols these leaders had in their heart. They were showing outward signs of repentance but inwardly they were still worshiping their false gods.
Ezekiel was to confront them with these facts. The LORD still wanted them to repent and turn back to HIM. HE wanted them to learn from their sins. If they didn’t repent HE was going to judge them for their false beliefs.
The LORD speaks of four types of judgment. HE is going to send famine. HE is going to send wild animals. HE is going to send enemy armies against them. Finally, HE is going to send an epidemic. All four of these warning are going to be ignored by the people.
Even if Noah, Daniel and Job had lived in Jerusalem at the time, HE would not have spared the city. They were too far-gone. HIS long-suffering was over. HE would spare these three men but the rest would fall.
These last two verses instruct us about those who survived the four judgments. They would join the other exiles in Babylon. Then the people who had been in Babylon would look at the ways and actions of those who survived and realize that the LORD needed to condemn those who were living in Jerusalem. They were totally evil.
The remnant would return after the seventy years that Jeremiah prophesied concerning the captivity. God keeps HIS promises to HIS people. There is always a remnant who are faithful followers of the LORD.
If judgment begins at the house of the LORD, where do we fit into God’s plans? Are we going to be part of a remnant when the LORD judges our nation? Are we listening to the LORD and repent? Are we going to turn from our personal idols that take priority over the Creator of the universe? Are we going to stop following the world’s example and follow the LORD? Are we going to be moving closer to the LORD?
CHALLENGE: There are many Pharisees in our churches today. There is a remnant in all Bible believing churches that genuinely love the LORD. Where do we fit?
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