Ezekiel 14:1-23
Idols in the Heart
Read the passage
1Then some of the elders of Israel came and sat down before me.
2And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
3“Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I consult with them in any way?
4Therefore speak to them and tell them that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘When any Israelite sets up idols in his heart and puts a wicked stumbling block before his face, and then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will answer him according to his great idolatry,
5so that I may take hold of the hearts of the people of Israel. For because of their idols, they are all estranged from Me.’
6Therefore tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘Repent and turn away from your idols; turn your faces away from all your abominations.
7For when any Israelite or any foreigner dwelling in Israel separates himself from Me, sets up idols in his heart, and puts a wicked stumbling block before his face, and then comes to the prophet to inquire of Me, I the LORD will answer him Myself.
8I will set My face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb; I will cut him off from among My people. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
9But if the prophet is enticed to speak a message, then it was I the LORD who enticed him, and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel.
10They will bear their punishment—the punishment of the inquirer will be the same as that of the prophet—
11in order that the house of Israel may no longer stray from Me and no longer defile themselves with all their transgressions. Then they will be My people and I will be their God, declares the Lord GOD.’”
12And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
13“Son of man, if a land sins against Me by acting unfaithfully, and I stretch out My hand against it to cut off its supply of food, to send famine upon it, and to cut off from it both man and beast,
14then even if these three men—Noah, Daniel, and Job—were in it, their righteousness could deliver only themselves, declares the Lord GOD.
15Or if I send wild beasts through the land to leave it childless and desolate, with no man passing through it for fear of the beasts,
16then as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, even if these three men were in it, they could not deliver their own sons or daughters. They alone would be delivered, but the land would be desolate.
17Or if I bring a sword against that land and say, ‘Let a sword pass through it,’ so that I cut off from it both man and beast,
18then as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, even if these three men were in it, they could not deliver their own sons or daughters. They alone would be delivered.
19Or if I send a plague into that land and pour out My wrath upon it through bloodshed, cutting off from it both man and beast,
20then as surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, they could not deliver their own sons or daughters. Their righteousness could deliver only themselves.
21For this is what the Lord GOD says: ‘How much worse will it be when I send against Jerusalem My four dire judgments—sword, famine, wild beasts, and plague—in order to cut off from it both man and beast?
22Yet, behold, some survivors will be left in it—sons and daughters who will be brought out. They will come out to you, and when you see their conduct and actions, you will be comforted regarding the disaster I have brought upon Jerusalem—all that I have brought upon it.
23They will bring you consolation when you see their conduct and actions, and you will know that it was not without cause that I have done all these things within it,’ declares the Lord GOD.”
Berean Standard Bible
Read aloud
Some elders of Israel come and sit before Ezekiel. God reveals that they have set up idols in their hearts. They are consulting a prophet while holding to loyalties that separate them from the LORD. He tells the house of Israel to repent and turn away from their idols and abominations.
God will answer the idolater Himself, setting His face against that person. The prophet who is enticed to speak will also face judgment. God even says that He is the one who enticed that prophet, yet both prophet and inquirer will bear their punishment. Neither can escape His judgment by blaming the other. His stated purpose is that Israel will stop straying and again be His people, with Him as their God.
God then describes an unfaithful land facing famine, wild beasts, sword, or plague. Even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were there, their righteousness could deliver only themselves, not their sons and daughters. Jerusalem will face all four judgments. The presence of righteous people will not shield the city from the consequences of its unfaithfulness.
Yet some sons and daughters will survive and be brought out to the exiles. Seeing their conduct and actions will bring the exiles consolation concerning the disaster. God says they will know that He has not done these things without cause.
Questions
1 Where had the elders set up idols?
AnswerThey had set up idols in their hearts and placed stumbling blocks before themselves.
2 How would God answer the idolater who consulted a prophet?
AnswerGod would answer according to the multitude of the person's idols.
3 Which three righteous people are named?
AnswerNoah, Daniel, and Job are named as examples of righteous people.
4 What would the survivors help the exiles understand?
AnswerTheir conduct would help the exiles understand why Jerusalem had been judged.
What This Means for Us
An outwardly religious question can hide an inward decision. We can ask God for guidance while protecting the idol we have already chosen.
Let prayer make us available to correction, not merely more confident in our preferred outcome. Another person's faith may encourage us, but it cannot replace our own repentance and obedience.
Prayer
LORD, reveal the loyalties we keep hidden behind religious words. Make us willing to change, grateful for faithful examples, and honest about the choices for which we ourselves are accountable. Amen.