Lessons From Ezekiel – Lesson 11
Last week we saw what God thinks about false teaching. And chapter 13 covered both false prophets that were claiming they were speaking in the true God’s name and it also covered those who seduce the people away from the true God who do not say they speak in God’s name. So both false Christianity and false religions were covered.
And when God talked about both of those he uses words like anger and wrath.
So over lunch I asked Tina a question. Since God hates false religions and false teachers so much, then why is it allowed to continue?
She said so that they fill their cup up. I said that is one reason. God does allow people to fill up their cup of wrath that they have coming. I said that is true but can you name another major reason.
And she nailed it. Do you want to try? There can be more than 2 reasons God does anything. He is infinite. Why would God allow false teaching to continue?
It has to do with man having a free will. In the garden of Eden God gave man a choice. There had to be a tree of knowledge of good and evil and a command not to eat of it so that man had a choice.
If God said obey and there was no choice then man would say ok. I guess, I have no choice. But the obedience would be a sham, it would not be real. Having a choice makes what you choose real. It’s genuine.
If God struck down and removed all false teaching so that there was only true teaching, then people would not have the free choice to reject the false and turn to the true.
God hates false teaching, He does not like seeing people seduced by it. He is keeping track of it and be rest assured in the end all of the false teachers will pay a heavy price for it. But it is allowed so that there is a free will choice available for people to choose to reject the false and chose to believe the truth.
Since God allows a choice between truth and error, then there must me a yardstick available to measure what is true and what is false.
And of course the yardstick of what is true is God’s precious Word. This is another reason we know that God preserved His Word. It is the yardstick of truth so people have a choice between truth and error.
Today we are going to look at Ezekiel chapter 14.
Remember when the Elders came and sat down before Ezekiel and before the conversation really got started God took Ezekiel away in a vision. His body is sitting there but Ezekiel’s mind is gone on a vision with God to Jerusalem.
And I said we don’t know what the Elders were going to say but most likely it was not going to genuine praise for what Ezekiel was preaching. They might have been there to tell Ezekiel to tone things down or it might have been something else. Whatever they were going to say I inferred that it was not going to be good.
Ezekiel chapter 14 is why I think that.
God had just dealt with what He thinks of false teachers. And now He is going to deal with people who have set up idols in their heart. And He starts off with you guessed it, those Elders.
They come to sit before Ezekiel again and once again God interrupts.
Ezek 14:1 Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me.
Ezek 14:2 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
The Elders are not right with God. Who knows exactly what they came to say or ask, but we know that they are not walking with God and Ezekiel is.
And right before their eyes God shows up and speaks to Ezekiel and basically says I will not speak to them.
Ezek 14:3 Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?
In previous chapters God dealt with the issue of all of the idols and their altars that Israel put all over those mountains in the high places and in the groves. And worshipping statues and trinkets is idol worship. Idols you can see and touch.
However, that is not the only type of idol worship. These Elders have no statues on altars that they are bowing down to. But they do have idols. Instead of setting up their idols on a stand, they set their idols up in their heart.
And instead of their idols being made of wood or stone or metal, their idols are iniquity.
these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face
Iniquity of course is sin. We know that it is sin that separates men from God. And sin that is held onto and liked is a stumblingblock. Think of it as a path and as you try to move forward on this path to God there is this huge block in the road. And every time you try to get over the block you just stumble and fall.
And there is no getting around it or over it or under it. It is not a block that stops the progress some of the time or even 99 percent of the time. The stumblingblock of sin stops the progress to God 100 percent of the time.
The only solution is to get rid of the stumbling block. How do you do that? You have to repent of the sin that is setup as an idol in the heart. Having idols setup in the heart is the problem. The only solution is to tear them down.
You have heard me say it over and over. Salvation and then walking with God afterwards is a matter of the heart. It is a heart matter.
God then has Ezekiel tell the Elders what the problem is.
Ezek 14:4 Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;
For the 2nd time God did not let those Elders even get started with whatever they came for.
The Elders are told that it is no use coming to the prophet with a multitude of idols in their heart.
Ezek 14:5 That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.
Notice it says idols. Plural. They had several. Since idols in the heart are not physical statues what kinds of things can be an idol in the heart. The list would be too long to go thru. It is so vast I don’t think anyone could actually come up with a comprehensive list.
An idol is any replacement for God. It is any iniquity that holds a position in your heart that is above God. Greed, pride, and lust are obvious ones.
I believe it can also be something that is taken way too far. Sports is an example. In their proper place they can be just fine. I think God is fine with someone who likes to play a little softball for exercise. Or how about going to watch a relative play in a basketball game.
That is not an idol in the heart. But can someone take sports to a crazy obsessive place, a place where it is setup as an idol in their heart. A place where the sport takes the love and attention and devotion that belongs to God and God alone. Sure.
Things that are good and fine can be turned into idols. However, in verse 6 we have a clarification that the idols being talked about specifically that was in the hearts of Israel at that time were nasty things. They were not ok things taken too far.
Ezek 14:6 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.
The idols in the Elders hearts as well as a good number of Israelites is called abominations.
Ezek 14:7 For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I the LORD will answer him by myself:
Ezek 14:8 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 my people; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
If they come to see Ezekiel or one of the other few real prophets at that time a warning is given here that they better come correctly. It needs to be genuine. Seeking with a repentant heart. A heart that wants to put God first. A heart that does not love sin.
We know that everyone sins. Being perfect is not required. What is required is simply having a heart that does not have sinful idols setup.
Ok. The heart of the seeker needs to be right. But what about the heart of the prophet? Does he also have to keep his heart right. Yep.
Ezek 14:9 And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel.
Ezek 14:10 And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: the punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeketh unto him;
So if the prophet sets up idols in his heart. That is the context of this section of scripture, then God will deceive the prophet and then the prophet will get the same punishment as the seeker with idols setup in his heart.
Read that punishment again in verse 8.
Ezek 14:8 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 my people; and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
Remember the larger context. God is cleaning house. He is fixing the issue of worshipping statues in groves. He is also working towards the great revival that will happen in Nehemiah’s day.
Ezek 14:11 That the house of Israel may go no more astray from me, neither be polluted any more with all their transgressions; but that they may be my people, and I may be their God, saith the Lord GOD.
It is so important to know the context of the verses that you are looking at. Not only the context of the rest of the chapter but the book and the larger context of the entire Bible. Since we have already went thru Esther and Ezra and Nehemiah we know the context of what God is working toward.
The great revival that starts in Neh chapter 8. So He is putting a stop to some things and cleaning house. The punishment at that time for coming to inquire of God with idols in the heart was severe.
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 my people;
Cut off from the midst of my people means they were no more. They will die. We do not see this later. We did not see it before. This is not being done in the New Testament. This was a specific punishment for a specific time because God was working towards Neh. Chapter 8. He is cleaning house.
It is wrong to take what God is doing in Ezekiel chapter 14 and try to apply that to today.
God is not working towards another revival like Neh chapter 8. O’ He is working but the plan is different today. What is being worked toward now is the return of our Lord.
And His book tells us that things are going to get worse and worse. And that there must be a falling away before the Lord returns.
So people today or in time periods other than Ezekiel people do not get cut off for inquiring of the prophet with idols setup in their hearts.
He still is not going to answer them, but they will not be cut off.
Understanding the larger context helps clear things up. And it always helps to remember to never bring a practice or a punishment out of the Old Testament and into the New Testament age without New Testament authority.
So the Elders are right there sitting before Ezekiel. They no doubt have an agenda. But once again they do not get a word out. They are told all of this right to their face.
End of meeting. They have seen that God is with Ezekiel. They are told of dire consequences to them for coming with idols setup in their heart. We know they have them because God clearly said so.
I think after they heard the message, they took no chances and left. They need to go do some self-reflection and think about it all.
The next message to Ezekiel is yet another message about how Jerusalem is about to fall.
Ezek 14:12 The word of the LORD came again to me, saying,
Ezek 14:13 Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it:
And now a statement of how sure this is. It is so certain that even the best of the best believers could do nothing to change it. Even on the smallest level.
Ezek 14:14 Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD.
This brings up a question about Daniel. I had to look up the timeline. Daniel does come after Ezekiel. Daniel is about 537 B.C. This part of Ezekiel is about 592 B.C. That is over 50 years.
So you have two different options. 1) God has perfect foreknowledge and He is giving scripture to Ezekiel with the knowledge of everything Daniel will do.
2) Or it is a different Daniel. There are other people with the name of Daniel. For example David’s son with Abigail was named Daniel.
I personally think that it was God giving scripture to Ezekiel out of His foreknowledge. We will not know if I am 100 percent correct on that until we get to heaven.
All three of these men walked with God. God was going to wipe it all out but Noah. There was one man who walked with God and that changed things. Job walked with God and he even sought out the need that he did not know of. He was proactive in doing good.
Job lost it all and said the LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. In all this Job sinned not, nor charged God foolishly.
Job’s friends got his attitude and thinking off, at the end God shows up and gets Job’s thinking corrected. And then we find that after that God blessed Job even more than before it all started.
God changed things for Noah, God did things and changed things for Job, and God definitely listened to Daniel’s prayers. But things are so bad in Jerusalem that things are not going to change even if those 3 men were in that land. Not just one of them but even if all 3 of them are in that land at the same time.
This is a very strong way of saying what is about to happen is not changing period.
Ezek 14:15 If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts:
Ezek 14:16 Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate.
Ezek 14:17 Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off man and beast from it:
Ezek 14:18 Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves.
Ezek 14:19 Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast:
Ezek 14:20 Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.
Do you see God just pounding that truth home? If those 3 great men of faith were in that land all of their work and prayers would not change even the smallest thing. Those 3 would be delivered but only them.
Ezek 14:21 For thus saith the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?
What is coming is a sure thing. But it is not all bleak.
Remember those believers who were crying about what was going on. And God showed Ezekiel that they would be protected when the fall comes.
God always has kept a remnant of true believers.
Ezek 14:22 Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, both sons and daughters: behold, they shall come forth unto you,
They are going to be protected just like God showed Ezekiel in that vision. They are going to come out and they are coming to join the people that Ezekiel is with.
Ezek 14:22 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 ye shall see their way and their doings: and ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon it.
Ezek 14:23 And they shall comfort you, when ye see their ways and their doings: and ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord GOD.
The rebellious people that God brought out first and sent Ezekiel to are not a lost cause. The lost cause evil people were left in Jerusalem and will perish there. These were brought out first. No doubt they were upset about that and did not understand why.
But it was for their best. And then God has Ezekiel work with them and work and preach and perform object lessons and preach some more. These people have been watching a real man of God.
And now God is going to bring out true believers who are walking with God to them. And they are going to see how they live and how they act and watch how they set their priorities in life.
And they are going to see that these people still trust God. Even after losing their homes. When they see their ways and their doings they will be comforted.
They will know that God did what He did for a reason. God had a just cause. They will see the difference in these true believers. And they will know that God is real. They will see how they all came out just fine and how the evil people did not.
They will see that God does make a distinction. That God is watching. That He is involved. They will see His great power in caring for the true believers.
And since they will see it all come true just like God said, they can have faith in all the other promises that God will make to them.
They will be comforted because they will know that God is not done with them, that He will not forsake them.
This is part of the embryonic beginning of what will end in the great revival of Nehemiah’s day.
Some of these people will come to faith and join the faithful who were brought out of Jerusalem. And their children, but mostly grandchildren and great grandchildren will be the ones in Nehemiah chapter 8.
God does know what He is doing. He has understanding and foreknowledge that only He has. He has perfect timing for things and works way ahead.