Ezekiel 14
Certainty of Judgment
~ Upon Idolaters
Open your Bibles to…
Deut. 5:6 “I am
the LORD your God who brought you out of the
Deut. 5:7 “You shall have no other gods before Me.
Deut. 5:8 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;
Deut. 5:9 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,
Deut. 5:10 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
Pray
Intro
√ Certainty of Judgment ~ upon Idolaters
Chapter 14 contains the final 2 of 5 sermons that Ezekiel
preached to reinforce in the minds of the Jewish captives that God’s judgment
of
Certain
Inescapable
Coming soon
They also reveal the heart of Israel’s sin, that is their persistent unfaithfulness toward God as expressed through about 400 years of Idol worship revealing that they had left their first love ~ God.
Ap. The most important quality
The most important aspect in our life is our love for God.
God will put up with a lot in our lives if our love for Him is sure!
Just look at the men and woman of the Bible who failed miserably…
…yet God endured their sin and failure because of their love for Him.
Ex. Heroes of the faith
Abraham was a liar, Jacob a con man and cheat, David a murderer and adulterer, and Peter denied he even knew the Lord!
What was the one thing that concerned Jesus when He restored Peter?
“Peter, will you ever deny Me again?”
“Peter, have you learned your lesson about your foolish pride?”
No, the only thing that was important to Jesus was…
“Peter, do you love Me?”
Our study in Ezekiel 14 reminds us of this fact, that of greatest import to God is our love for Him!
The Sin of Idolatry (vs. 1-5)
Ezek. 14:1 Now some
of the elders of
Ezek. 14:2 And the word of the LORD came to me, saying,
Ezek. 14:3 “Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and put before them that which causes them to stumble into iniquity. Should I let Myself be inquired of at all by them?
Ezek. 14:4 “Therefore speak to them, and say to them, “Thus says the Lord GOD: ‘Everyone of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will answer him who comes, according to the multitude of his idols,
Ezek. 14:5 that I
may seize the house of
√ The sin of idolatry
Note the familiar words of Ezekiel in vs. 2 that signal the beginning of his 4th sermon…
“And the word of the LORD came to me…”
Notice also that the Lord speaks to Ezekiel in response to the elders who had come to him seeking a word from the Lord.
“Now some of the elders of
Knowing what’s on their hearts God says…
“Should I let Myself be inquired of at all by them?”
vs. 3
The point is that the leaders of God’s people in captivity had come to seek a word from the Lord…
…but the Lord’s not so sure He wants to speak to them!
Why not!?
Because they sought a Word from the Sovereign God while serving idols in their hearts!
√ Subtle sins
As we’ve already come to understand in our study of ancient
…was idolatry!
This was the sin that God could no longer overlook.
As we read in chapter 8 of Ezekiel the people had set up altars images of their idols all over the nation and even in God’s House…
…the
While idol worship in
But God could see it and esteemed it no less evil than the idolatry practiced openly!
So, rather than answer the questions they came to ask about God is going to speak to them about the sin of idolatry!
Ex. Subtle sin is still sin!
It’s easy to see sin that is practiced openly, and miss the sin that is hidden…
I think of cities like
Or,
And,
Yet, while we might be tempted to point an accusing finger at cities where sin is practiced openly…
…the reality is that those same sins are practiced right here in NW Arkansas hidden beneath the façade of a family-friendly community!
Ap. Unanswered prayer
God’s response in vs. 3 reminds us that God is not obligated to answer our prayers when we’re harboring idols in our heart, as the Psalmist declares…
“If I regard iniquity in my heart,
The Lord will not hear.” ~ Ps. 66:18
An idol is more than a statue, an idol is simply something or someone that has become the master passion of your life…
…in place of God.
The Bible equates the “love of money” to idolatry.
Hobbies can become idols when they rule our lives.
Lust for things or for people can easily capture a heart.
So, if you’re praying and God isn’t answering, make sure that there aren’t any idols in your heart!
The Punishment for Idolatry (vs. 6-11)
Ezek. 14:6 “Therefore
say to the house of
Ezek. 14:7 For anyone of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who dwell in Israel, who separates himself from Me and sets up his idols in his heart and puts before him what causes him to stumble into iniquity, then comes to a prophet to inquire of him concerning Me, I the LORD will answer him by Myself.
Ezek. 14:8 I will set My face against that man and make him a sign and a proverb, and I will cut him off from the midst of My people. Then you shall know that I am the LORD.
Ezek. 14:9 “And if
the prophet is induced to speak anything, I the LORD have induced that prophet,
and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people
Ezek. 14:10 And they shall bear their iniquity; the punishment of the prophet shall be the same as the punishment of the one who inquired,
Ezek. 14:11 that the house of Israel may no longer stray from Me, nor be profaned anymore with all their transgressions, but that they may be My people and I may be their God,” says the Lord GOD.’ ”
√ The punishment for idolatry
As I mentioned in the preceding verses the hypocritical
elders had come seeking an
answer from the True God of
…while serving idols in their heart!
So, while God is certainly under no obligation to speak to them at all…
…He chooses to respond but not with the answers they desire, rather with the information they needed!
The word that He speaks…
“Repent!” ~ vs. 6
Specifically He tells them to turn away from their idols!
If they don’t then God promises to answer them not with words, but with action!
He tells them in vs. 8 that He will make them a sign and a proverb by cutting them off from the people of God.
Ex. A sign against idolatry
The word of the Lord through Ezekiel wasn’t new, it was
simply restating the warning that God had spoken to
Deut. 28:37 And you shall become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword among all nations where the LORD will drive you.
That is, the warning recorded in Deuteronomy 28 outlines what God will do to His own people if they reject Him and embrace false gods ~ idols.
Cast them out of the Promised Land
Carry them as captives to nations all around the world
In those nations they would be a sign and a proverb to all who would look upon them that they were under the judgment of God.
√ The punishment of the prophets
God also warns the prophets, that when the people come seeking a word from the Lord…
…and they speak when He hasn’t spoken, then they’ll be judged just as the people will be.
That way the punishment for the prophet will be the same as the punishment of the idol worshiper.
That’s easy to understand, but what’s a bit confusing is vs. 9, which, implies that God is the One Who inspired the prophet to speak!
How then could God hold the prophet accountable!?
I think it’s best to understand these words to be directed
at the false prophets who were
operating in
The point then is that if a false prophet chose to open his mouth and say…
“Thus says the Lord”
…when in fact God hasn’t spoken.
Then the Lord will give them something to say that bring upon them the judgment they deserve.
Ex. Zedekiah ~ I Kings 22
The idol worshipping king Ahab sought for a word from the Lord.
Zedekiah, a false prophet, claimed to speak for the Lord when in fact God wasn’t speaking through him.
So, God allowed a lying spirit to inspire Zedekiah to predict victory over the Syrians when in fact Ahab would be killed in the battle.
The end result was that both Ahab and Zedekiah were judged for their sin!
The point is that just as God judged both Ahab and the false prophet Zedekiah...
…so in like manner His judgment upon the idol worshippers of His people and the false prophets is certain.
The Persistence of Idolatry (vs. 12-20)
Ezek. 14:12 The word of the LORD came again to me, saying:
Ezek. 14:13 “Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it.
Ezek. 14:14 Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness,” says the Lord GOD.
Ezek. 14:15 “If I cause wild beasts to pass through the land, and they empty it, and make it so desolate that no man may pass through because of the beasts,
Ezek. 14:16 even though these three men were in it, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters; only they would be delivered, and the land would be desolate.
Ezek. 14:17 “Or if I bring a sword on that land, and say, ‘Sword, go through the land,’ and I cut off man and beast from it,
Ezek. 14:18 even though these three men were in it, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “they would deliver neither sons nor daughters, but only they themselves would be delivered.
Ezek. 14:19 “Or if I send a pestilence into that land and pour out My fury on it in blood, and cut off from it man and beast,
Ezek. 14:20 even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live,” says the Lord GOD, “they would deliver neither son nor daughter; they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.”
√ The persistence of idolatry
Vs. 12 begins the 5th and final sermon on the certainty of God’s coming judgment upon
The reason for the certainty of His judgment is the persistent unfaithfulness of His people.
Note vs. 13…
“Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness…”
God’s point is that His judgment wasn’t for an occasional or random sin…
…rather His judgment was due to their persistent unfaithfulness as displayed by generations of idol worship.
Ex. God is longsuffering
God is revealed to us throughout the Bible as a Being of great patience when it comes to our rebellion toward Him!
In fact, at the smallest indication of repentance God is quick to forgive and to turn away His wrath.
Joel says…
Joel 2:13 So rend your heart, and not your garments;
Return to the LORD your God,
For He is gracious and merciful,
Slow to anger, and of great kindness;
And He relents from doing harm.
But, where a nation or a person demonstrates a pattern, a practice, or lifestyle of sin…
…then God’s judgment is unavoidable.
√ But not
God really couldn’t be any more clear about His intentions
to bring certain and inescapable judgment upon
Yet, the Jewish captives in
Why not?
Our text indicates that they may have been operating under
the false hope that the few faithful servants of God still living in
Ex.
Every Jewish person knew the story of God’s judgment upon these two wicked cities.
They also knew that God had promised Abraham that He wouldn’t destroy even these cities if 10 righteous people could be found within them.
So, they figured that there were at least 10 righteous
people still living in
…therefore, God wouldn’t really destroy the city!
√ Judgment is certain
So, God sets the record straight by telling the Jews that even if some of the heroes of the faith…
Noah
Daniel
Job
…were there they couldn’t save the nation by their righteousness.
Ex. The righteousness of the saints
Noah’s family was saved because of his righteous life
Daniel’s friends were saved by his righteous request
Job’s 3 friends were saved from God’s judgment by his righteous prayers!
Yet, God tells the Jews that the sin of the nation is so great, and His judgment so sure…
…that even the presence of these Super Saints wouldn’t turn away His wrath and that only they would survive!
Notice that He makes this truth even stronger by telling them that the righteousness of these heroes wouldn’t even save their own children from God’s judgment! (ref. vs. 16, 18 & 20)
Wow! The point is that God wanted the people to turn from their false prophets, their false gods, and their false hopes…
…and know that His judgment was sure.
√ Tools of His judgment
God has many tools available by which He can bring judgment upon a nation or a people, four mentioned here are…
Famine ~ vs. 13
Wild beasts ~ vs. 15
Sword ~ vs. 17
Pestilence ~ vs. 19
Typically God would use just one of these tools to chastise His people.
Ex. David’s sin of numbering the people (ref. 2 Sam. 24)
God judged his sin, but allowed David to chose the tool of disciple…
Famine
Sword
Pestilence
The point is that God used only one of the tools of His judgment on
√ No repentance
But now God tells the people that He’s going to use all 4 methods of judgment upon this nation…
…because the nation was repentant!
Ex. The 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse
There’s an interesting parallel here with the final judgment of God upon Mankind as recorded in the Revelation!
Rev. 6:8 So I looked, and behold, a pale horse. And the name of him who sat on it was Death, and Hades followed with him. And power was given to them (the 4 Horsemen) over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword, with hunger, with death, and by the beasts of the earth.
While we can’t be certain as to the reasoning for four tools of judgment, it may be that the idea is that the person upon whom judgment is coming…
…cannot escape by fleeing to any of the four corners of the earth for one of God’s tools of judgment would surely find them.
It could also simply communicate that His judgment would be total.
Ap. God is gracious!
Remember, God’s judgment is for persistent unfaithfulness, not that random sin! Young believers often get hung up on Galatians 5:21…
“…that those who practice such things will not inherit
the
The key is the word “practice”, it implies a habitual lifestyle of sin and rebellion against God.
All Christians fail to some degree as we’re not yet made perfect.
But those who are in danger of missing out on the
The Judgment of Idolatry (vs. 21-23)
Ezek. 14:21 For thus
says the Lord GOD: “How much more it shall be when I send My four severe judgments on
Ezek. 14:22 Yet
behold, there shall be left in it a remnant who will be brought out, both sons
and daughters; surely they will come out to you, and you will see their ways
and their doings. Then you will be comforted concerning the disaster that I
have brought upon
Ezek. 14:23 And they will comfort you, when you see their ways and their doings; and you shall know that I have done nothing without cause that I have done in it,” says the Lord GOD.
√ The judgment of idolatry
These closing verses drive home God’s message to the
captives that His judgment on
Yet, God holds out a bit of consolation by promising that even though they don’t deserve His mercy…
…He will save a small remnant of the people and thereby
comfort the captives in
But what kind of comfort will the remnant bring?
The comfort that God’s judgment was just and necessary!
Note vs. 23…
“And they will comfort you, when you see their ways and their doings; and you shall know that I have done nothing without cause that I have done in it,” says the Lord GOD.’”
Bible students suggest there are a couple of ways that we might understand this.
1) The testimony of the remnant
Some suggest that the remnant will bring word of just how
evil the people of
…thereby confirming Ezekiel’s word and proving by the testimony of the remnant that God had to judge the city.
Ex. Soldiers returning from WWII and testifying of the horrors of the Nazi Death Camps.
The point is that as awful the sacrifice made by our nation and service men…
…there was comfort in the knowledge that the evil of Nazism was ended.
2) The wickedness of the remnant
It’s also possible that the remnant themselves were so wicked that once the captives in
That view is derived from the fact that every other time that Ezekiel speaks of…
“their ways and their doings” ~ vs. 22-23
It always refers to sinful activity, not acts of righteousness!
Either way, the testimony of the remnant that would survive
the siege of
Close
√ Certainty of Judgment ~ upon Idolaters
Idolatry is not limited to ancient