Eze 14:1-3 | KingComments | STEP | Ezekiel is visited by a delegation of elders of Israel ( ; cf. ). They come to seek counsel of the LORD through him. They sit down before him, at his feet, an attitude that indicates they recognize him as a true prophet of God and want to listen to him. Before any of these elders even say a word, God Himself speaks to Ezekiel ( ). He knows their hypocrisy and tells Ezekiel what He sees in the hearts of the elders (cf. ; ). He sees that the hearts of these people are full of “idols” literally “stink gods” that they themselves have set up in their hearts ( ). Several times He says that their hearts are full of those stink gods. Possibly they are not openly serving the idols, but are cherishing them in their hearts. By doing so, they have set before their faces the stumbling block of their iniquity. This inner idolatry is the cause of their misery. Even today there is much sneaky idolatry, inner bondage to sins that are secretly cherished. When we think of inner bondage, we can think of addiction to the ‘social media’, of the internet and smartphone use. This addiction is justified by ‘needing’ it, but studies have shown that many can no longer live without social media. Every person who claims to be a child of God would does well to ask himself honestly before the Lord whether this kind of hypocrisy is also present in him. Now these elders addicted to idolatry come to the LORD to consult Him. They come to Him just as they go to their idols which they cherish in their hearts while consulting Him. But will He allow Himself to be consulted by those who live in hypocrisy in this way? This double-mindedness He abhors ( ; ). He is entitled to their undivided reverence. Ezekiel is to pass on to them the word of the LORD ( ). The answer is general: it applies to “any man of the house of Israel” who commits this hidden idolatry. This idolatry is a stumbling block over which they fall and by which they close the way to God to themselves. A person who comes to God while clinging to the multitude of his stink gods can count on a personal response from God. That response is not a word from the prophet, but a direct act of God Himself. God will respond by an act of judgment. How dare such a person appear in the presence of the Holy One! The LORD will “lay hold of the hearts of the house of Israel”, where the stink gods dwell ( ). They do come to Him, but because of their stink gods they are estranged from Him. They no longer know Him and He can no longer acknowledge them. Yet the LORD in His grace still speaks of an opportunity to repent ( ). Then they must turn away from their stink gods, which means to condemn and reject them. They must also turn their faces away from all their abominations, which is to stop all their idolatrous practices that they secretly engage in. True repentance is self-judgment, confession of evil and ceasing to do evil. The word about the stink gods in the heart and the stumbling block that each puts right before his face applies to both the born Israelite and the immigrant who stays in their midst ( ). Whoever comes to the prophet with his stink gods in his heart to consult God through him will receive the appropriate answer from God. He will have to deal with God Himself, Who will judge him ( ). This will happen in a way that people will make a proverb out of it. Thus that man will be eradicated from God’s people and he will live on in memory through the proverb. That will be connected with the testimony of the LORD that He is truly the LORD. A prophet can be prevailed upon by these people, with stink gods in their hearts ( ). The key for him is to live close to the LORD in order not to be prevailed upon (cf. ; ; ). The LORD will make it clear what needs to be done. If people come to a false prophet to consult the LORD through him, those people will be prevailed upon by the LORD Himself. Then He will give them over to “a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false” ( ; ) and to their “depraved mind” ( ). Evil does not come from God ( ), but He in His wisdom and power can use it to accomplish His purpose ( ). He will judge the false prophet and eradicate him from the midst of His people. He cannot let any deception go unpunished. The prophet will bear his iniquity as well as the inquirer ( ). One (the prophet) has put his own views and the other (the inquirer) has put his own lusts above the truth of God and thus despises God and His truth. The purpose of all God’s punishments is that the evil will be removed and the remaining people – that is then His entire people – will not stray from Him again ( ). When they no longer stray from Him and also “no longer defile themselves with all their transgressions”, He can again recognize them as His people. Then the connection between Him and His people is restored; they will be His people and He shall be their God. That situation is what He desires. Here a ray of hope lights up in Ezekiel’s otherwise so menacing message. He cannot leave out the foreshadowing of judgments, but he also sees the silver lining around the dark, threatening clouds. In the end, some good will come out of it as well. God’s purposes will not be undone by the destruction of earthly Jerusalem.

‏ Ezekiel 14:1-3

Punishment of the Idolaters

Ezekiel is visited by a delegation of elders of Israel (Eze 14:1; cf. Eze 8:1 ; Eze 20:1). They come to seek counsel of the LORD through him. They sit down before him, at his feet, an attitude that indicates they recognize him as a true prophet of God and want to listen to him. Before any of these elders even say a word, God Himself speaks to Ezekiel (Eze 14:2). He knows their hypocrisy and tells Ezekiel what He sees in the hearts of the elders (cf. Eze 8:12; Mt 15:19).

He sees that the hearts of these people are full of “idols” literally “stink gods” that they themselves have set up in their hearts (Eze 14:3). Several times He says that their hearts are full of those stink gods. Possibly they are not openly serving the idols, but are cherishing them in their hearts. By doing so, they have set before their faces the stumbling block of their iniquity. This inner idolatry is the cause of their misery.

Even today there is much sneaky idolatry, inner bondage to sins that are secretly cherished. When we think of inner bondage, we can think of addiction to the ‘social media’, of the internet and smartphone use. This addiction is justified by ‘needing’ it, but studies have shown that many can no longer live without social media. Every person who claims to be a child of God would does well to ask himself honestly before the Lord whether this kind of hypocrisy is also present in him.

Now these elders addicted to idolatry come to the LORD to consult Him. They come to Him just as they go to their idols which they cherish in their hearts while consulting Him. But will He allow Himself to be consulted by those who live in hypocrisy in this way? This double-mindedness He abhors (Mt 6:22-24; Jam 4:8). He is entitled to their undivided reverence.

Ezekiel is to pass on to them the word of the LORD (Eze 14:4). The answer is general: it applies to “any man of the house of Israel” who commits this hidden idolatry. This idolatry is a stumbling block over which they fall and by which they close the way to God to themselves. A person who comes to God while clinging to the multitude of his stink gods can count on a personal response from God. That response is not a word from the prophet, but a direct act of God Himself. God will respond by an act of judgment.

How dare such a person appear in the presence of the Holy One! The LORD will “lay hold of the hearts of the house of Israel”, where the stink gods dwell (Eze 14:5). They do come to Him, but because of their stink gods they are estranged from Him. They no longer know Him and He can no longer acknowledge them.

Yet the LORD in His grace still speaks of an opportunity to repent (Eze 14:6). Then they must turn away from their stink gods, which means to condemn and reject them. They must also turn their faces away from all their abominations, which is to stop all their idolatrous practices that they secretly engage in. True repentance is self-judgment, confession of evil and ceasing to do evil.

The word about the stink gods in the heart and the stumbling block that each puts right before his face applies to both the born Israelite and the immigrant who stays in their midst (Eze 14:7). Whoever comes to the prophet with his stink gods in his heart to consult God through him will receive the appropriate answer from God. He will have to deal with God Himself, Who will judge him (Eze 14:8). This will happen in a way that people will make a proverb out of it. Thus that man will be eradicated from God’s people and he will live on in memory through the proverb. That will be connected with the testimony of the LORD that He is truly the LORD.

A prophet can be prevailed upon by these people, with stink gods in their hearts (Eze 14:9). The key for him is to live close to the LORD in order not to be prevailed upon (cf. Jos 9:9-15; 1Kgs 14:1-5; Acts 5:1-5 ; 7-9). The LORD will make it clear what needs to be done. If people come to a false prophet to consult the LORD through him, those people will be prevailed upon by the LORD Himself. Then He will give them over to “a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false” (2Thes 2:11; 1Kgs 22:23) and to their “depraved mind” (Rom 1:28). Evil does not come from God (Jam 1:13), but He in His wisdom and power can use it to accomplish His purpose (Job 12:16).

He will judge the false prophet and eradicate him from the midst of His people. He cannot let any deception go unpunished. The prophet will bear his iniquity as well as the inquirer (Eze 14:10). One (the prophet) has put his own views and the other (the inquirer) has put his own lusts above the truth of God and thus despises God and His truth.

The purpose of all God’s punishments is that the evil will be removed and the remaining people – that is then His entire people – will not stray from Him again (Eze 14:11). When they no longer stray from Him and also “no longer defile themselves with all their transgressions”, He can again recognize them as His people. Then the connection between Him and His people is restored; they will be His people and He shall be their God. That situation is what He desires.

Here a ray of hope lights up in Ezekiel’s otherwise so menacing message. He cannot leave out the foreshadowing of judgments, but he also sees the silver lining around the dark, threatening clouds. In the end, some good will come out of it as well. God’s purposes will not be undone by the destruction of earthly Jerusalem.