CLARITY EDITION · OLD TESTAMENT
Ezekiel 14
Chapter 14 of 48
Chapter Overview
What happens in Ezekiel 14
Some of Israel's elders come to Ezekiel to ask for a word from God, but God sees that they have set up idols in their hearts. God warns that even if the three most righteous men in history -- Noah, Daniel, and Job -- were in the land, they could only save themselves, not the nation.
Scripture
Ezekiel 14
Idols in the Heart
Study note
Some elders came to consult Ezekiel, but God revealed that they had idols in their hearts. Even though they were asking for God's guidance, they were secretly devoted to other gods. God said he would answer these people according to their many idols, meaning he would let them experience the consequences of their divided loyalty. The goal was to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel who had turned away from him.
1 Several Israelite elders came and sat down with me. Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me.
2 Then the Lord gave me a message. And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
3 "Son of man, these men are secretly worshiping idols in their hearts. They have placed wicked stumbling blocks before their own faces. Why should I let people like this come and consult me?" 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 inquired of at all by them?
4 "Speak to them. Tell them the Lord God says: Any Israelite who sets up idols in their heart and puts a wicked trap in their own path, and then comes to a prophet asking for my help -- I, the Lord, will answer them based on how many idols they serve." 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;
5 "My goal is to win back the hearts of the Israelites who deserted me for their idols." That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from me through their idols.
6 "So tell the people of Israel that the Lord God says: Come back! Leave your idols behind, and walk away from every disgusting practice." 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.
7 "This applies to any Israelite or any foreigner living in Israel. If they turn away from me and give their heart to idols, they put a wicked block in their own path. Then they go to a prophet to ask me for answers. I, the Lord, will answer that person myself." 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 inquire of him concerning me; I the LORD will answer him by myself:
8 "I will set my face against them and turn them into a cautionary example. I will remove them from my people. Then you will understand that I am the Lord." 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.
9 "If a prophet is tricked into giving a false message, it is because I, the Lord, let it happen. I will raise my hand against that prophet. I will remove him from among my people Israel." 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.
10 "The prophet and the person who sought false guidance will share equal punishment for their sin." 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;
11 "I am doing this so that the Israelites will finally stop wandering away from me and stop polluting themselves with all their sins. Then they will truly be my people, and I will truly be their God, says the Lord God." 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.
Noah, Daniel, and Job
Study note
God described four types of judgment: famine, wild animals, war, and plague. In each case, he said that even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were living in the land, they could only save themselves by their righteousness. They could not save even their own sons or daughters. These three men represented the most righteous people in biblical history. This showed how serious Israel's sin was and that no one could intercede on behalf of the guilty nation.
12 The Lord gave me another message. The word of the LORD came again to me, saying,
13 "Son of man, suppose a country sins against me by being unfaithful. I could reach out my hand against it, destroy its food supply, send famine, and wipe out both people and livestock." 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:
14 "What if Noah, Daniel, and Job all lived there? Only they would be saved. Their righteous lives would save them alone," says the Lord God. 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.
15 "Or suppose I send deadly wild animals across the land. The land becomes so dangerous that nobody dares walk through it." 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:
16 "I swear on my life, says the Lord God: even if those three men lived there, they could rescue neither sons nor daughters. They alone would survive, while the land became a wasteland." 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.
17 "Or suppose I send enemy armies into that land. I order the sword to sweep through it, killing both people and animals." 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:
18 "I swear on my life, says the Lord God: even if those three men were there, they could not save their own sons or daughters. Only they themselves would survive." 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.
19 "Or what if I send a deadly sickness on that land? I would pour out my anger through widespread death, killing people and animals alike." 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:
20 "I swear on my life, says the Lord God: even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were there, they could rescue neither son nor daughter. Their personal righteousness would save only themselves." 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.
21 The Lord God says: "Now think about how much worse things will be when I send all four of my terrible punishments against Jerusalem at once! I will send war, famine, wild animals, and plague. They will destroy people and animals alike!" 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?
A Remnant Will Survive
Study note
Despite the severe judgment, God promised that some survivors would escape from Jerusalem. When the exiles in Babylon saw how these survivors behaved, they would understand why God had judged Jerusalem so severely. The survivors' continued sinful behavior would actually comfort the exiles by showing that God's judgment had been justified and necessary.
22 "Yet some survivors will manage to escape, both sons and daughters. They will come out to you, and when you see the way they behave and the things they have done, you will understand why I brought such disaster on Jerusalem." 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.
23 "When you see how they act, it will comfort you. You will see that all I did to Jerusalem was fair," says the Lord God. 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.
Key Themes
Themes in Ezekiel 14
Idols of the heartGod refuses to be consulted by the insincerePersonal responsibilityRighteousness cannot be borrowed
Apply This Today
Living Ezekiel 14
God looks at the condition of our hearts, not just our outward actions. Coming to God while holding on to secret idols does not work — He sees right through it. This chapter calls us to examine what we truly worship and to approach God with an honest and open heart.
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