B-A-C
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- Dec 18, 2008
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Whenever I read passage like this in the Bible lately, I can't help but think of many world governments. Including my own here in this country.
But as I read, a few things struck me this morning.
Ezek 14:1; Then some elders of Israel came to me and sat down before me.
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 have put right before their faces the stumbling block of their iniquity. Should I be consulted by them at all?
Does God listen to the prayers of wicked people? (Even those who claim to be "Christians")? Prov 28:9; Zech 7:12-13; Prov 15:29; Should God listen to them? (Be consulted by them)
Ezek 14:4; "Therefore speak to them and tell them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Any man of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will be brought to give him an answer in the matter in view of the multitude of his idols,
Ezek 14:5; in order to lay hold of the hearts of the house of Israel who are estranged from Me through all their idols."'
Ezek 14:6; "Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Repent and turn away from your idols and turn your faces away from all your abominations.
Ezek 14:7; "For anyone of the house of Israel or of the immigrants who stay in Israel who separates himself from Me, sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and then comes to the prophet to inquire of Me for himself, I the LORD will be brought to answer him in My own person.
These rules apply to immigrants (Gentiles) who want to be Jews as well, not just the Jews themselves.
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 among My people. So you will know that I am the LORD.
Ezek 14:9; "But if the prophet is prevailed upon to speak a word, it is I, the LORD, who have prevailed upon that prophet, and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel.
How many times has God said He would turn His face away from evil people?
Ezek 14:10; "They will bear the punishment of their iniquity; as the iniquity of the inquirer is, so the iniquity of the prophet will be,
Ezek 14:11; in order that the house of Israel may no longer stray from Me and no longer defile themselves with all their transgressions. Thus they will be My people, and I shall be their God,"' declares the Lord GOD."
Jerusalem Will Not Be Spared
Ezek 14:12; Then the word of the LORD came to me saying,
Ezek 14:13; "Son of man, if a country sins against Me by committing unfaithfulness, and I stretch out My hand against it, destroy its supply of bread, send famine against it and cut off from it both man and beast,
Ezek 14:14; even though these three men, Noah, Daniel and Job were in its midst, by their own righteousness they could only deliver themselves," declares the Lord GOD.
If you read the stories of these three men, you see that were three of the most righteous men in the Bible. The Bible says at least two of these men were "blameless" before the Lord.
There are no sins recorded by these men anywhere in the Bible. Now Noah not only saved himself, but also his sons and their families from the flood. But God says here, even the righteousness of
these men could not save Israel under the current circumstances. God told Lot He would spare Sodom and Gomorrah if he could just find a few righteous people there. But there were none.
It seems that Israel was past even this point, no one could save Israel at this time.
Ezek 14:15; "If I were to cause wild beasts to pass through the land and they depopulated it, and it became desolate so that no one would pass through it because of the beasts,
Ezek 14:16; though these three men were in its midst, as I live," declares the Lord GOD, "they could not deliver either their sons or their daughters. They alone would be delivered, but the country would be desolate.
Ezek 14:17; "Or if I should bring a sword on that country and say, 'Let the sword pass through the country and cut off man and beast from it,'
Ezek 14:18; even though these three men were in its midst, as I live," declares the Lord GOD, "they could not deliver either their sons or their daughters, but they alone would be delivered.
Ezek 14:19; "Or if I should send a plague against that country and pour out My wrath in blood on it to cut off man and beast from it,
Ezek 14:20; even though Noah, Daniel and Job were in its midst, as I live," declares the Lord GOD, "they could not deliver either their son or their daughter. They would deliver only themselves by their righteousness."
Again we see these same three men listed, and they are called righteous. But even their righteousness couldn't save anyone but themselves.
Ezek 14:21; For thus says the Lord GOD, "How much more when I send My four severe judgments against Jerusalem: sword, famine, wild beasts and plague to cut off man and beast from it!
Ezek 14:22; "Yet, behold, survivors will be left in it who will be brought out, both sons and daughters. Behold, they are going to come forth to you and you will see their conduct and actions; then you will be comforted for the calamity which I have brought against Jerusalem for everything which I have brought upon it.
... and yet God says some will be saved. It seems by their "conduct and actions".
I wonder at what point, this will happen again to the nations of the world.
But as I read, a few things struck me this morning.
Ezek 14:1; Then some elders of Israel came to me and sat down before me.
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 have put right before their faces the stumbling block of their iniquity. Should I be consulted by them at all?
Does God listen to the prayers of wicked people? (Even those who claim to be "Christians")? Prov 28:9; Zech 7:12-13; Prov 15:29; Should God listen to them? (Be consulted by them)
Ezek 14:4; "Therefore speak to them and tell them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Any man of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the LORD will be brought to give him an answer in the matter in view of the multitude of his idols,
Ezek 14:5; in order to lay hold of the hearts of the house of Israel who are estranged from Me through all their idols."'
Ezek 14:6; "Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'Thus says the Lord GOD, "Repent and turn away from your idols and turn your faces away from all your abominations.
Ezek 14:7; "For anyone of the house of Israel or of the immigrants who stay in Israel who separates himself from Me, sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and then comes to the prophet to inquire of Me for himself, I the LORD will be brought to answer him in My own person.
These rules apply to immigrants (Gentiles) who want to be Jews as well, not just the Jews themselves.
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 among My people. So you will know that I am the LORD.
Ezek 14:9; "But if the prophet is prevailed upon to speak a word, it is I, the LORD, who have prevailed upon that prophet, and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel.
How many times has God said He would turn His face away from evil people?
Ezek 14:10; "They will bear the punishment of their iniquity; as the iniquity of the inquirer is, so the iniquity of the prophet will be,
Ezek 14:11; in order that the house of Israel may no longer stray from Me and no longer defile themselves with all their transgressions. Thus they will be My people, and I shall be their God,"' declares the Lord GOD."
Jerusalem Will Not Be Spared
Ezek 14:12; Then the word of the LORD came to me saying,
Ezek 14:13; "Son of man, if a country sins against Me by committing unfaithfulness, and I stretch out My hand against it, destroy its supply of bread, send famine against it and cut off from it both man and beast,
Ezek 14:14; even though these three men, Noah, Daniel and Job were in its midst, by their own righteousness they could only deliver themselves," declares the Lord GOD.
If you read the stories of these three men, you see that were three of the most righteous men in the Bible. The Bible says at least two of these men were "blameless" before the Lord.
There are no sins recorded by these men anywhere in the Bible. Now Noah not only saved himself, but also his sons and their families from the flood. But God says here, even the righteousness of
these men could not save Israel under the current circumstances. God told Lot He would spare Sodom and Gomorrah if he could just find a few righteous people there. But there were none.
It seems that Israel was past even this point, no one could save Israel at this time.
Ezek 14:15; "If I were to cause wild beasts to pass through the land and they depopulated it, and it became desolate so that no one would pass through it because of the beasts,
Ezek 14:16; though these three men were in its midst, as I live," declares the Lord GOD, "they could not deliver either their sons or their daughters. They alone would be delivered, but the country would be desolate.
Ezek 14:17; "Or if I should bring a sword on that country and say, 'Let the sword pass through the country and cut off man and beast from it,'
Ezek 14:18; even though these three men were in its midst, as I live," declares the Lord GOD, "they could not deliver either their sons or their daughters, but they alone would be delivered.
Ezek 14:19; "Or if I should send a plague against that country and pour out My wrath in blood on it to cut off man and beast from it,
Ezek 14:20; even though Noah, Daniel and Job were in its midst, as I live," declares the Lord GOD, "they could not deliver either their son or their daughter. They would deliver only themselves by their righteousness."
Again we see these same three men listed, and they are called righteous. But even their righteousness couldn't save anyone but themselves.
Ezek 14:21; For thus says the Lord GOD, "How much more when I send My four severe judgments against Jerusalem: sword, famine, wild beasts and plague to cut off man and beast from it!
Ezek 14:22; "Yet, behold, survivors will be left in it who will be brought out, both sons and daughters. Behold, they are going to come forth to you and you will see their conduct and actions; then you will be comforted for the calamity which I have brought against Jerusalem for everything which I have brought upon it.
... and yet God says some will be saved. It seems by their "conduct and actions".
I wonder at what point, this will happen again to the nations of the world.
