Ezekiel 14:1-11

content/bible_journal/ezekiel_14:1-11.md

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+title = "Ezekiel 14:1–11"
+date = "2023-04-04"
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+
+### [Read the passage.](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Ezekiel14.1-11)
+
+Now we have a small interlude where the message of the Lord given through
+Ezekiel does not concern the inhabitants of Jerusalem, but the exiles who are
+there near him. In particular we have "certain of the elders of Israel" (_v.
+1_) who have come to the prophet for a word from the Lord, and yet they have
+taken idols into their hearts. This could mean that they actively worship the
+Caananite gods like their compatriots back in Jerusalem, or have begun to
+follow the Babylonian gods of their conquerors, or have forsaken the Lord in a
+more subtle way by turning to wealth and power or putting their ethnicity and
+holy city before God in their hearts. Whatever the case, the Lord knows it and
+they stand condemned.
+
+The Lord does not play second fiddle to anyone or anything. Just as you don't
+ask your spouse what clothes to wear on a date with someone else, you don't ask
+the Lord what the future holds for you when you have asked a funny looking rock
+to bless you as well. It's just asking for trouble. And indeed, that is what He
+says He will bring to these elders: trouble enough to make everyone around them
+to notice and learn from their bad example until they are not around any more.
+
+But it is not just the idolaters who are in danger here. If the prophet agrees
+to give them a prophetic word, the Lord will deceive him and the word he gives
+to the idolaters will be false. And thus he will incur the same punishment as
+the idolater who asked for the word in the first place. Now there's an
+uncomfortable verse. The idea of God being deceptive is not a fun one,
+especially when remembering other verses that tell us that God loves truth and
+hates lies. But other translations use different words like "enticed" or
+"prevailed upon" instead of "deceived". I'll have to do a word study and figure
+out just what the Hebrew word really means here. But for now, we can be sure
+that God is against idolatry, and anyone who enables idolatry in the name of
+the Lord can expect judgement just as severe.
+
+* * *
+
+You are sovereign, and yet we are responsible for our actions, thoughts, and
+feelings. However, we can trust in You and Your goodness even when we don't
+understand.