seekeroftruth
Well-Known Member
Ezekiel 14:1 Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me. 2 Then the word of the Lord came to me: 3 “Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all? 4 Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: When any of the Israelites set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet, I the Lord will answer them myself in keeping with their great idolatry. 5 I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted me for their idols.’
6 “Therefore say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!
7 “‘When any of the Israelites or any foreigner residing in Israel separate themselves from me and set up idols in their hearts and put a wicked stumbling block before their faces and then go to a prophet to inquire of me, I the Lord will answer them myself. 8 I will set my face against them and make them an example and a byword. I will remove them from my people. Then you will know that I am the Lord.
9 “‘And if the prophet is enticed to utter a prophecy, I the Lord have enticed that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from among my people Israel. 10 They will bear their guilt—the prophet will be as guilty as the one who consults him. 11 Then the people of Israel will no longer stray from me, nor will they defile themselves anymore with all their sins. They will be my people, and I will be their God, declares the Sovereign Lord.’”
12 The word of the Lord came to me: 13 “Son of man, if a country sins against me by being unfaithful and I stretch out my hand against it to cut off its food supply and send famine upon it and kill its people and their animals, 14 even if these three men—Noah, Daniel[a] and Job—were in it, they could save only themselves by their righteousness, declares the Sovereign Lord.
15 “Or if I send wild beasts through that country and they leave it childless and it becomes desolate so that no one can pass through it because of the beasts, 16 as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved, but the land would be desolate.
17 “Or if I bring a sword against that country and say, ‘Let the sword pass throughout the land,’ and I kill its people and their animals, 18 as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if these three men were in it, they could not save their own sons or daughters. They alone would be saved.
19 “Or if I send a plague into that land and pour out my wrath on it through bloodshed, killing its people and their animals, 20 as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, even if Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, they could save neither son nor daughter. They would save only themselves by their righteousness.
21 “For this is what the Sovereign Lord says: How much worse will it be when I send against Jerusalem my four dreadful judgments—sword and famine and wild beasts and plague—to kill its men and their animals! 22 Yet there will be some survivors—sons and daughters who will be brought out of it. They will come to you, and when you see their conduct and their actions, you will be consoled regarding the disaster I have brought on Jerusalem—every disaster I have brought on it. 23 You will be consoled when you see their conduct and their actions, for you will know that I have done nothing in it without cause, declares the Sovereign Lord.”
a. Ezekiel 14:14 Or Danel, a man of renown in ancient literature; also in verse 20
In other words.... it could have been worse. Right?
This is from the easy English site.
These men were the leaders of the Israelites who were in exile. They came to Ezekiel to ask him about his prophecies. They recognised that Ezekiel was the prophet of God to the exiles. So, they had come to him to inquire of the Lord. However, they were not sincere. They did not really want to obey the Lord. But they expected Ezekiel to give them some message of hope for the future.
God showed Ezekiel the inner thoughts of these men. In their hearts, they worshipped false gods. Their desire for false gods had led them to sin. And they had caused the people to turn from God. They could have no right to expect anything from the Lord. But, they had come to inquire of the Lord God.
There was no good reason why God should listen to them. God knows the thoughts of all people. He knows what they think. And he knows what is in their hearts. These leaders were insulting God when they inquired of him with false gods in their hearts. But God did answer these leaders. He would punish them for their worship of false gods. But his purpose was to persuade them to return to the real God. The people had left God because of the false gods. But God still loved his people and he wanted them to come back to him.
What the false prophets said had caused the people to sin. They had told the people what the people wanted to hear. They did not speak the words of God. God could have stopped these prophets. But he permitted them to speak their lies. We should test what prophets tell us. We need to be sure that they speak the truth from God (1 John 4:1).
The Lord will punish these false prophets. He will remove them from among his people. He will destroy them. Both the false prophets and those people who follow them are guilty of sin. God will destroy them both.
Maybe if some good men were there, they could save the country. (Compare Genesis 18:23-32.) Noah had been a good man. He obeyed God and God saved him and his family from the flood. Daniel trusted God. He was a great man. He was at that time in Babylon. (But it is not certain that Ezekiel meant that Daniel.) Job was a good man who served God. When he had great troubles, he still trusted God. If these three men were there, God would save them. But even they could not save the people.
Back before Sodom was destroyed..... A couple of angels told Noah about it. Now Noah had a cousin, Lot, who lived in Sodom. If Lot lived there.... and Lot was Noah's family.... he must have been a good man... right? And if Lot lived in Sodom and he was a good man.... then there had to be other good men in Sodom..... and Noah wanted to know what would happen to them. God said He would not destroy Sodom if He could find three good men in the whole town..... and the only family that escaped the destruction of Sodom was Lot's family..... [well almost.... his wife was a reluctant participant and didn't make it out].
Later.... when Noah built his boat.... Lot's family wasn't there. Only Noah's family made it out alive.
I think the message here isn't so much about how great Noah, Daniel, and Job were..... their families wouldn't make it on their reputation. This message is about individual repentance. I think this is another example of "swim or sink you are on your own". That guy in the linen clothes gave the mark to those who would survive. The future of the descendants of Jacob [Israel] was NOT a forgone conclusion anymore. Now, just being part of a family wasn't enough.... just as it wasn't enough for Lot's wife.
This message is about the individual. Noah couldn't save his family..... Job couldn't save his family..... and Daniel.... well the commentaries aren't sure which Daniel Ezekiel is talking about..... but if it's the Daniel who was castrated..... the Prophet Daniel.... well he couldn't save his family either.
It's about the individual. I can pray for my children and my husband and my sisters and my brother and my parents and so on and so on..... but their fate is in their own hands. If they are buying the feel good "peace" preaching of the day.... or worshiping idols.... or magical illusions..... the only thing I can do is pray that God will heal their idol hardened hearts.
I'm supposed to ask..... How's your heart?
