May 5th - Chapter Fourteen

Ezekiel 14 is actually the only chapter we've read so far about repentance - other places we've read that judgment is inescapable.

Anyways, I think it's fair to bring up the question as to why idolaters (at heart) would seek out a prophet?
Verse 4 and 5 speaks about how God would answer that person himself in judgment of their great idolatry.
This isn't good news, but its also somewhat just because if you have idolatry in your heart, why would you want to seek out God?
This is probably your "lukewarm Christian" today.

We are so quick to turn to someone holy and mighty in Christ, but our hearts are so distant from God due to idolatry within our hearts.
Either through an incorrect perspective of Christ (which can definitely still be an idol) or a lie we've believed through the world or through Satan, we limit ourselves from knowing the truth - the True God.
God wants us to wrestle with Him, He is able to wrestle with us, willing to wrestle with us, and most importantly, WANTS to wrestle with us.
"“Come now, let us reason together, says the LORD: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool." - Isaiah 1:18.
By turning to another source to approach God, we break apart our intimate relationship with God and turn it into a relationship where we still need a priest to intercede for us.
Also after Christ, I think that it is taking away power from the cross because your actions by seeking someone else for God disregards the fact that Christ tore the VEIL of the temple.
Basically Christ is our high priest and through Him can we be intimate with God.
I think we struggle with approaching God ourselves as we're quick to receive advice from godly teachers/mentors.
Sometimes we need the audacity to confront God, not just because we should - because we can!

Verses 12 to 23 speaks about how even Noah, Daniel, and Job could not save the country that sins against God by being unfaithful.
Judgment through natural disaster, famine, and sword is inevitable and no righteous "man" could stop it.
I think that this points to Christ as our ultimate High Priest and the mediator of our faith.
We deserve natural disaster, famine, and sword but God poured out His wrath in Christ where the fullness of God was pleased to dwell within, as we're bought with the price of His blood.
No righteous man such as Noah, Daniel and Job could stop it or withhold it - but Christ, the Son of God and Son of Man was able to.

Verse 23 really gives perspectives as to these form of judgments.
"For you will know that I have done nothing in it without cause."
This really gives me comfort when God disciplines me, or when I see earthquakes in Nepal, or any other natural disaster.
Either a form of judgment or a call to support one another, there is a reason as to why things are done.

This chapter was pretty special

Chapter 14

Elders of Israel come to Ezekiel and Ezekiel prophesizes to them. They have idols in their hearts that prevent them from facing God. God asks Ezekiel whether He should let them inquire of God. God says that He will meet the elders if they have idols in their hearts and meets with a prophet.
At verse 5, it says “I will do this to recapture the hearts of the people of Israel, who have all deserted me for their idols.”
To me, when I first read this verse, I thought God was going to rescue and save the elders when He meets them. Yet, God will cut them off from His people, a punishment towards them for having these idols in their hearts over God.
God also says how if a prophet says a prophecy to one of these elders, then He will also punish Him. When I read this verse, I thought of the chapter 13 in which God condemns false prophets. As they were prophesizing about things that God never said, yet claiming it was from God. Similarly, when these prophets talk to the elders, their prophecies are not from God and thus God punishes the prophets if they speak.
This last verse, verse 11 is when God will “Recapture the hearts of the people of Israel” (verse 5). When these idolaters are gone and they have witnessed those who have been punished, they will come back to God.
Something that was noticed in this chapter was when God uses “my people”. God makes it clear that the people of Israelites are His, not of anyone or anything else’s.
“They will be my people and I will be their God.” We can really see how God is still loving and caring for His people still, regardless of all this idolatry and sin, He still says they are His people.
We really see this relational and jealous God from this chapter. Relational from God saying that the Israelites are His people (My). Jealous God, in which He does not want our hearts to be undivided. He wants us to love Him and Him alone.

The next part of this chapter is how God speaks to Ezekiel saying how if He uses His 4 judgments on a sinful country – Noah, Daniel and Job, only these men would be saved from their righteousness, no one else.
What I find interesting is how God is declaring this, not only saying but also declaring. I find the difference in which declaring is really saying it, like an announcement lol. As well, God continually says, “as surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord…” I find this contrast ironic as God lives forever, and will never cease to exist. So to me, reading this, it’s as if God is saying, that there is no way what God is saying is not true.
Basically, no one can escape this judgment that He will bring as long as they are sinful.

As the Israelites hearts were filled with so much idolatry and other things over God, when I reflect, how often do I put idols before God. And understanding how God punishes the Israelites, His chosen people from having idols, we as Christians, should continually remove all these things that come in our way before God. Feed ourselves with the good stuff over junk yaknow.

God says to Ezekiel how He will be consoled, comforted when God brings His judgments to Jerusalem. Ezekiel will understand that these actions God will do and why He does them.