Eze 14:16 | KingComments | STEP | A new word from the LORD comes to Ezekiel ( ). Very generally the LORD speaks of “a country” ( ). So it does not refer only to Israel, although it is later applied again specifically to Israel and also the words “committing unfaithfulness” does remind one strongly of Israel. Nevertheless, God has a right that every nation should fear and serve Him. His judgments are therefore general. He stretches out His hand against every nation that does not reckon with Him. In His judgment on unfaithfulness to Him, He uses four means, which He calls “My four severe judgments” later, in . The number four indicates dominion over the earth (cf. “the fourth day”, ). Every land, everywhere on earth in each of the four winds, is under the dominion of God. The four means He uses to judge belong to the earth. The first judgment is a “famine”. He will send it in countries that have cast Him aside. As a result, He will wipe out man and beast there through this plague. There is, however, the possibility of escaping this judgment, namely through personal repentance and doing righteousness ( ). The LORD points to three outstanding men, Noah, Daniel and Job, who despite their righteousness would still not be able to deliver their land from this judgment (cf. ). By their righteousness, they could only deliver themselves. Two of these three men have been in very critical situations; the third is still living in it. Noah has lived in a world full of corruption and violence ( ). Daniel lives in an environment that has sought to tempt him to give in to the lusts of the flesh and thus deny the faith of the fathers, the faith in the LORD, the God of Israel ( ). Job has been the direct target of satan’s fiercest attacks ( ). We see in them victors over the world (Noah), the flesh (Daniel) and satan (Job). But they delivered only themselves, without being able to change the situation around them. Each is delivered only by a life of righteousness, which can only be lived if there is repentance to and faith in God. Among the exiles there is a hope that God will spare the people who have fallen into idolatry for the sake of a few God-fearing people who are sparingly found in Jerusalem. After all, He would also have spared Sodom if ten righteous people had been found there ( ). The LORD smashes that completely unjustified hope. There is no ground for thinking such a thing. The men He mentions, who are held in high regard by Him because of their righteousness and godliness, if they lived in the threatened land, they would deliver only themselves, but no one else. No one should hide behind the fact that he has a praying mother and therefore it will be all right with him, while he continues to live in sin. That these three men are mentioned also speaks to the fact that these judgments are not just on Israel. Noah and Job are not Israelites, Daniel is, but he lived most of his life in exile outside of Israel. These three men did manage to do something for others. Noah delivered his home ( ) and Daniel and Job their friends ( ; ). That great has been their righteousness before God and men (Noah), their intercession with the mighty of the earth, Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel), and their intercession for friends with God (Job). This does not mean that the righteousness of these three men for their families and friends also meant the salvation of the souls of their families and friends before God. Each must come before God with his own sins and confess them. Only the Lord Jesus suffered substitutionary for others. On the basis of His work, Noah, Daniel and Job also received righteousness before God. The second judgment God uses is that of the “wild beasts” He allows to pass through the land ( ). Those wild beasts will rob the people of children and make the land depopulated and desolate. No one will dare to cultivate the land or pass through it for fear of the wild beasts. Even in this judgment, these three excellent men, if they had been in their midst, would not have been able to provide relief ( ). The sons and daughters will die and the land will become desolate, while only these three men would be delivered. The third judgment is that of “the sword” ( ). God will also be able to command the sword to pass through the land, such as in the form of war. As a result, man and beast will be cut off by Him. Again, outstanding believers like the three men mentioned above would not be able to help them escape this judgment ( ). They would not be able to deliver sons and daughters. They themselves alone would be delivered. The fourth judgment is that of the deadly disease the “plague” ( ). Of this God says that He pours out His wrath in blood on them. Man and beast are killed by it. Noah, Daniel and Job also would not have been able to reverse this plague if they lived in the midst of the people ( ). They would not have been able to deliver any descendants of the people from God’s wrath. The only thing they could deliver is their own lives and that is because of their righteous lives. There is only one righteous One Who by His righteousness delivered not only His own life, but also the lives of countless others. The Lord Jesus is the Just Who suffered for unjust people so that He might bring them to God ( ). He unites in Himself all the excellencies of the three righteous men mentioned above. He is able to deliver sons and daughters and bring them to glory ( ). God mentions the judgments again, calling them “My four severe judgments” ( ). He sends all four of them “against Jerusalem”. He now specifically mentions Jerusalem and no longer generally “a country” ( ). He will cut off man and beast from Jerusalem. Yet immediately afterwards He speaks of “survivors”, literally “escaped ones” ( ). He introduces this with the word “behold”. Not all the inhabitants of Jerusalem will perish. There are those, the escaped ones, who “will be left in it”. These will be taken out of Jerusalem and “are going to come forth to you”, that is, they will be taken to Babylon, where Ezekiel and his fellow exiles are now. When they get there, they will tell the exiles about “their conduct and actions”. As a result, the exiles will be “comforted” ( ). The comfort is in the fact that what the LORD has brought upon Jerusalem is the fulfillment of His word. He could not have acted otherwise than He did and He did what He said He would do. They will be at peace with God’s judgment on Jerusalem and recognize that the judgment is deserved. It is always a comfort to remember that the Lord fulfills His Word.

‏ Ezekiel 14:16

Four Severe Judgments and Three Righteous Men

A new word from the LORD comes to Ezekiel (Eze 14:12). Very generally the LORD speaks of “a country” (Eze 14:13). So it does not refer only to Israel, although it is later applied again specifically to Israel and also the words “committing unfaithfulness” does remind one strongly of Israel. Nevertheless, God has a right that every nation should fear and serve Him. His judgments are therefore general. He stretches out His hand against every nation that does not reckon with Him.

In His judgment on unfaithfulness to Him, He uses four means, which He calls “My four severe judgments” later, in Eze 14:21. The number four indicates dominion over the earth (cf. “the fourth day”, Gen 1:14-19). Every land, everywhere on earth in each of the four winds, is under the dominion of God. The four means He uses to judge belong to the earth.

The first judgment is a “famine”. He will send it in countries that have cast Him aside. As a result, He will wipe out man and beast there through this plague. There is, however, the possibility of escaping this judgment, namely through personal repentance and doing righteousness (Eze 14:14). The LORD points to three outstanding men, Noah, Daniel and Job, who despite their righteousness would still not be able to deliver their land from this judgment (cf. Jer 15:1-4). By their righteousness, they could only deliver themselves.

Two of these three men have been in very critical situations; the third is still living in it. Noah has lived in a world full of corruption and violence (Gen 6:6 ; 13). Daniel lives in an environment that has sought to tempt him to give in to the lusts of the flesh and thus deny the faith of the fathers, the faith in the LORD, the God of Israel (Dan 1:5-8). Job has been the direct target of satan’s fiercest attacks (Job 1:8-12 ; Job 2:1-7). We see in them victors over the world (Noah), the flesh (Daniel) and satan (Job). But they delivered only themselves, without being able to change the situation around them. Each is delivered only by a life of righteousness, which can only be lived if there is repentance to and faith in God.

Among the exiles there is a hope that God will spare the people who have fallen into idolatry for the sake of a few God-fearing people who are sparingly found in Jerusalem. After all, He would also have spared Sodom if ten righteous people had been found there (Gen 18:32). The LORD smashes that completely unjustified hope. There is no ground for thinking such a thing. The men He mentions, who are held in high regard by Him because of their righteousness and godliness, if they lived in the threatened land, they would deliver only themselves, but no one else. No one should hide behind the fact that he has a praying mother and therefore it will be all right with him, while he continues to live in sin.

That these three men are mentioned also speaks to the fact that these judgments are not just on Israel. Noah and Job are not Israelites, Daniel is, but he lived most of his life in exile outside of Israel. These three men did manage to do something for others. Noah delivered his home (Gen 6:18) and Daniel and Job their friends (Dan 2:17-18; Job 42:7-10). That great has been their righteousness before God and men (Noah), their intercession with the mighty of the earth, Nebuchadnezzar (Daniel), and their intercession for friends with God (Job).

This does not mean that the righteousness of these three men for their families and friends also meant the salvation of the souls of their families and friends before God. Each must come before God with his own sins and confess them. Only the Lord Jesus suffered substitutionary for others. On the basis of His work, Noah, Daniel and Job also received righteousness before God.

The second judgment God uses is that of the “wild beasts” He allows to pass through the land (Eze 14:15). Those wild beasts will rob the people of children and make the land depopulated and desolate. No one will dare to cultivate the land or pass through it for fear of the wild beasts. Even in this judgment, these three excellent men, if they had been in their midst, would not have been able to provide relief (Eze 14:16). The sons and daughters will die and the land will become desolate, while only these three men would be delivered.

The third judgment is that of “the sword” (Eze 14:17). God will also be able to command the sword to pass through the land, such as in the form of war. As a result, man and beast will be cut off by Him. Again, outstanding believers like the three men mentioned above would not be able to help them escape this judgment (Eze 14:18). They would not be able to deliver sons and daughters. They themselves alone would be delivered.

The fourth judgment is that of the deadly disease the “plague” (Eze 14:19). Of this God says that He pours out His wrath in blood on them. Man and beast are killed by it. Noah, Daniel and Job also would not have been able to reverse this plague if they lived in the midst of the people (Eze 14:20). They would not have been able to deliver any descendants of the people from God’s wrath. The only thing they could deliver is their own lives and that is because of their righteous lives.

There is only one righteous One Who by His righteousness delivered not only His own life, but also the lives of countless others. The Lord Jesus is the Just Who suffered for unjust people so that He might bring them to God (1Pet 3:18a). He unites in Himself all the excellencies of the three righteous men mentioned above. He is able to deliver sons and daughters and bring them to glory (Heb 2:10).

God mentions the judgments again, calling them “My four severe judgments” (Eze 14:21). He sends all four of them “against Jerusalem”. He now specifically mentions Jerusalem and no longer generally “a country” (Eze 14:13). He will cut off man and beast from Jerusalem. Yet immediately afterwards He speaks of “survivors”, literally “escaped ones” (Eze 14:22). He introduces this with the word “behold”. Not all the inhabitants of Jerusalem will perish. There are those, the escaped ones, who “will be left in it”. These will be taken out of Jerusalem and “are going to come forth to you”, that is, they will be taken to Babylon, where Ezekiel and his fellow exiles are now.

When they get there, they will tell the exiles about “their conduct and actions”. As a result, the exiles will be “comforted” (Eze 14:23). The comfort is in the fact that what the LORD has brought upon Jerusalem is the fulfillment of His word. He could not have acted otherwise than He did and He did what He said He would do. They will be at peace with God’s judgment on Jerusalem and recognize that the judgment is deserved. It is always a comfort to remember that the Lord fulfills His Word.