In The Word
Read: Ezekiel 14-15
Idolatrous Elders Condemned
14 Then some elders of Israel came to me and sat down before me. 2 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 3 “Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts and have put in front of their faces the stumbling block of their wrongdoing. Should I let Myself be consulted by them at all? 4 Therefore speak to them and tell them, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Anyone of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, puts in front of his face the stumbling block of his wrongdoing, and then comes to the prophet, I the Lord will let Myself answer him in the matter in view of the multitude of his idols, 5 in order to take hold of the hearts of the house of Israel who have turned away from Me due to all their idols.”’
6 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord God says: “Repent and turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations. 7 For anyone of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who reside in Israel, who deserts Me, sets up his idols in his heart, puts in front of his face the stumbling block of his wrongdoing, and then comes to the prophet to request something of Me for himself, I the Lord will let Myself answer him Myself. 8 I will set My face against that person and make him a sign and a proverb, and I will eliminate him from among My people. So you will know that I am the Lord.
9 “But if the prophet is persuaded so that he speaks a word, it is I, the Lord, who have persuaded that prophet; and I will stretch out My hand against him and eliminate him from among My people Israel. 10 And they will bear the punishment for their wrongdoing; as the wrongdoing of the inquirer is, so the wrongdoing of the prophet will be, 11 in order that the house of Israel may no longer stray from Me and no longer defile themselves with all their offenses. So they will be My people, and I shall be their God,”’ declares the Lord God.”
The City Will Not Be Spared
12 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 13 “Son of man, if a country sins against Me by being unfaithful, and I stretch out My hand against it, destroy its supply of bread, send famine against it, and eliminate from it both human and animal life, 14 even though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job were in its midst, by their own righteousness they could only save themselves,” declares the Lord God. 15 “If I were to cause vicious animals to pass through the land and they depopulated it, and it became desolate so that no one would pass through it because of the animals, 16 though these three men were in its midst, as I live,” declares the Lord God, “they could not save either their sons or their daughters. They alone would be saved, but the country would be desolate. 17 Or if I were to bring a sword on that country and say, ‘A sword is to pass through the country,’ and I eliminated human and animal life from it, 18 even though these three men were in its midst, as I live,” declares the Lord God, “they could not save either theirsons or their daughters, but they alone would be saved. 19 Or if I were to send a plague against that country and pour out My wrath on it in blood to eliminate man and animal from it, 20 even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in its midst, as I live,” declares the Lord God, “they could not save either their son or theirdaughter. They would save only themselves by their righteousness.”
21 For this is what the Lord God says: “How much more when I send My four severe judgments against Jerusalem: sword, famine, vicious animals, and plague to eliminate human and animal life from it! 22 Yet, behold, survivors will be left in it who will be brought out, both sons and daughters. Behold, they are going to come out to you, and you will see their conduct and actions; then you will be comforted for the disaster which I have brought against Jerusalem for everything which I have brought upon it. 23 Then they will comfort you when you see their conduct and actions, for you will know that I have not done without reason whatever I did to it,” declares the Lord God.
Jerusalem like a Useless Vine
15 Then the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 2 “Son of man, how is the wood of the vine better than any wood of a branch which is among the trees of the forest? 3 Can wood be taken from it to make anything, or can even a peg be taken from it on which to hang any utensil? 4 If it has been put into the fire for fuel, andthe fire has consumed both of its ends and its middle part has been charred, is it then good for anything? 5 Behold, while it is intact, it is not made into anything. How much less, when the fire has consumed it and it is charred, can it still be made into anything! 6 Therefore, this is what the Lord God says: ‘As the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire for fuel, so have I given up the inhabitants of Jerusalem; 7 and I set My face against them. Though they have come out of the fire, yet the fire will consume them. Then you will know that I am the Lord, when I set My face against them. 8 So I will make the land desolate, because they have acted unfaithfully,’” declares the Lord God.
New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation
Walking In The Word
As we read today, we see God speaking to the elders of Israel. They were being challenged to repent and turn from their idol worship. They were a poor display of leadership to God’s people during this time. God spoke of four different types of judgment to His people for their wickedness and state of unrepentance. The four judgments were war, famine, wild animals, and disease. These judgments would destroy all of Israel’s people and animals.
Something interesting that God said here was that even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were there, they would be unable to save the people. These were all great men of faith and worship. The truth that God was communicating was that everyone was responsible for their own actions.
Maybe you come from a difficult background where the things done to you and the things you saw were ungodly. Those things, unfortunately, do have a result of how we are shaped in our childhood. However, they are no excuse for our service unto the Lord. God is love and is there to help you to become conformed into the image of His Son Jesus.
I encourage you, today, to realize that no matter what background you were brought up in or the things you may have done in your life, God is right there for you. Cast your cares upon Him, and He will sustain you (Psalm 55:2). He will lift up your head to overcome anything you face. Seek Him, and you will find Him in the midst of your storms, trials, and pains. He is God!