Ezekiel Chapter 14
Ezekiel 14
Noah, Daniel, and Job
Ezekiel 14 exposes the hypocrisy of leaders who outwardly came to inquire of the LORD while inwardly harboring idols in their hearts. The chapter begins with elders of Israel sitting before Ezekiel, but the LORD reveals that their hearts are already occupied by idolatry. God will not be treated as one religious option among many. He demands repentance, not religious inquiry from divided hearts. The chapter then turns to the certainty of Jerusalem’s judgment, declaring that even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were present in the land, their righteousness would deliver only themselves. The point is severe but clear, a guilty nation cannot hide under the righteousness of a few godly individuals. God’s judgment on Jerusalem was not without cause, and even the survivors would prove by their ways and doings that the LORD had judged righteously. The uploaded notes emphasize the elders’ hidden idolatry, God’s refusal to answer hypocritical inquiry on man’s terms, the individual responsibility of Noah, Daniel, and Job, and the righteous cause behind the severe judgments coming on Jerusalem.
A. Rebuking elders and prophets.
1. Ezekiel 14:1-3, The inquiry and the idols of the elders of Israel.
Ezekiel 14:1, Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me.
Ezekiel 14:2, And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Ezekiel 14:3, Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their-iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?
Then came certain of the elders of Israel unto me, and sat before me shows that Ezekiel was approached by recognized leaders among the exiles. These were not careless outsiders. They were elders, men of influence among the Israelite community in Babylon. They came and sat before Ezekiel as though they were ready to hear a word from the LORD.
These elders had appeared earlier in Ezekiel’s ministry. In Ezekiel 8, the elders sat before Ezekiel when the hand of the Lord GOD fell upon him and he was shown the abominations in Jerusalem. Now, in Ezekiel 14, elders again sit before him, but this time the LORD exposes the hidden idolatry in their own hearts.
Ezekiel 8:1, And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the-month, as I sat in mine house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the-Lord GOD fell there upon me.
The scene is powerful because outwardly they appear religious. They come to the prophet. They sit before him. They seem to be seeking counsel from God. Yet the LORD sees what Ezekiel could not naturally see. Their posture looked humble, but their hearts were not clean before God.
These men have set up their idols in their heart exposes the real issue. Their idolatry was not necessarily visible at that moment. They may not have brought carved images into Ezekiel’s house. They may not have bowed before pagan statues in public. But God says they had set up idols in their hearts. Their inward loyalty had been given to false gods, false hopes, false securities, and forbidden desires.
This is one of the strongest Old Testament statements on internal idolatry. Idolatry is not only bowing before an image. It is setting something in the heart where only God belongs. Anything trusted, loved, obeyed, or desired above the LORD becomes an idol of the heart.
Ezekiel 8:10, So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all-the idols of the house of Israel, pourtrayed upon the wall round about.
Ezekiel 8:11, And there stood before them seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel, and in the-midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, with every man his censer in his hand; and a-thick cloud of incense went up.
Ezekiel 8:12, Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel-do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The LORD seeth us not;-the LORD hath forsaken the earth.
Ezekiel 8:16, And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD’S house, and, behold, at the door of-the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs-toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward-the east.
And put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face means their idols had become the very thing causing them to fall deeper into sin. They were not merely tempted by idols. They had placed the stumblingblock before themselves. They had arranged their lives so that sin remained close, accessible, and desirable.
This explains why religious inquiry alone is not enough. A man can ask religious questions while still refusing repentance. He can want guidance without surrender. He can want an answer from God while clinging to the very thing God condemns.
Should I be enquired of at all by them? is the LORD’s piercing question. The assumed answer is no. God is not obligated to answer those who come to Him with divided hearts. These elders wanted to inquire of the LORD, but they had already made room for idols. God refuses to be used as a religious consultant by men who will not submit to Him as Lord.
This same hypocrisy is condemned elsewhere in Scripture. Men may draw near with their mouths while their hearts remain far from God.
Isaiah 29:13, Wherefore the Lord said, Forasmuch as this people draw near me with their mouth, and with their-lips do honour me, but have removed their heart far from me, and their fear toward me is taught by-the precept of men:
Matthew 15:8, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their-heart is far from me.
Matthew 15:9, But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.
The New Testament gives similar warnings through examples of people who appeared spiritual outwardly while their hearts remained captive to sin. Ananias and Sapphira looked generous, but their hearts were full of deceit. The rich young ruler appeared earnest, but his wealth held the place of an idol.
Acts 5:3, But Peter said, Ananias, why hath Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost, and-to keep back part of the price of the land?
Acts 5:4, Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? and after it was sold, was it not in thine-own power? why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.
Matthew 19:21, Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to-the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.
Matthew 19:22, But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.
Matthew 19:23, Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter-into the kingdom of heaven.
Matthew 19:24, And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of-a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
Matthew 19:25, When his disciples heard it, they were exceedingly amazed, saying, Who then can be saved?
Matthew 19:26, But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all-things are possible.
This is why John ends his first epistle with a simple but serious command.
1 John 5:21, Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
2. Ezekiel 14:4-5, God’s promise to the idol-loving inquirers.
Ezekiel 14:4, Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house-of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his-face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of-his idols;
Ezekiel 14:5, That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, because they are all estranged from-me through their idols.
Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart broadens the issue beyond the elders sitting before Ezekiel. This was not only a problem among a few leaders. It was a condition throughout the house of Israel. The people had turned inwardly from the LORD while continuing to maintain religious forms.
And cometh to the prophet shows the hypocrisy again. These men came to inquire of God through the prophet while refusing to remove the idols from their hearts. They wanted prophetic guidance without repentance. They wanted the benefits of divine counsel without the burden of obedience.
I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols is a severe promise. God says He will answer such a man, but not in the comforting way the man expects. The answer will be according to the multitude of his idols. In other words, the answer will be judgment fitted to the inward corruption of the inquirer.
This means that a man can seek a religious answer and receive judgment instead of guidance. If he comes to God while clinging to idols, the first word he needs is not direction, but repentance. God will not bless double-hearted inquiry.
That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart gives the purpose of this severe dealing. God intends to seize Israel by the heart. Their outward life was corrupt because their heart was estranged. Therefore, God’s judgment aims at the heart. He will not merely address their religious behavior. He will confront the inner seat of their rebellion.
The word picture is forceful. God will lay hold of them where the real problem lives. Israel’s issue was not merely bad circumstances, political confusion, Babylonian pressure, or national decline. Israel’s issue was the heart. Their hearts had gone after idols, and God intended to reclaim them by discipline.
Because they are all estranged from me through their idols explains the effect of idolatry. Idols estrange the heart from God. Idolatry is spiritual adultery. It takes the loyalty, affection, trust, and obedience that belong to the LORD and gives them to another. The result is distance from God.
This is still true. Idols do not merely add something sinful to a person’s life. They separate the heart from God. A man cannot cling to idols and walk closely with the LORD. The idol must be turned from, or the heart remains estranged.
3. Ezekiel 14:6-8, A call to repentance and a promise of judgment.
Ezekiel 14:6, Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from-your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations.
Ezekiel 14:7, For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth-himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity-before his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I the LORD will answer him-by myself:
Ezekiel 14:8, And I will set my face against that man, and will make him a sign and a proverb,-and I will cut him off from the midst of my people; and ye shall know that I am the-LORD.
Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols is the direct word of the LORD to the house of Israel. God does not begin by satisfying their curiosity. He commands repentance. Repentance is not merely feeling bad. It is a decisive turning away from idols and turning back to the LORD.
And turn away your faces from all your abominations adds another dimension to repentance. The people had set the stumblingblock before their faces. Now God commands them to turn their faces away from their abominations. Repentance requires a change of direction, a refusal to keep looking at, desiring, and entertaining what God hates.
For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel shows that this standard applies to both native Israelites and strangers dwelling among them. No one living among God’s covenant people had permission to cherish idols while seeking an answer from the LORD. The same God who judged Israel’s secret idolatry would also judge the stranger who participated in it.
Which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart shows that idolatry is self-separation from God. The idolater separates himself from the LORD before God cuts him off. Sin creates the breach, and judgment confirms it.
And cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me again exposes religious hypocrisy. The man separates himself from God by idolatry, then comes to ask a prophet about God. He wants access to divine information while refusing divine authority.
I the LORD will answer him by myself means God will bypass the expected religious mechanism and deal directly with the hypocrite. This is not a promise of comfort. It is a warning. God Himself will answer the idolater, and that answer will be judgment.
And I will set my face against that man is a terrifying phrase. The face of the LORD can shine in blessing, but here His face is set in opposition. The man who sets idols in his heart will have God set His face against him.
This language echoes the covenant warnings of the law.
Leviticus 20:3, And I will set my face against that man, and will cut him off from among his people;-because he hath given of his seed unto Molech, to defile my sanctuary, and to profane my holy-name.
Leviticus 20:5, Then I will set my face against that man, and against his family, and will cut him off,-and all that go a whoring after him, to commit whoredom with Molech, from among their people.
Leviticus 20:6, And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a-whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among-his people.
And will make him a sign and a proverb means the judged idolater will become an example to others. His life will become a warning. He will become proverbial for divine judgment, much like other names in Scripture became associated with notable events or conditions.
Genesis 10:9, He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty-hunter before the LORD.
Genesis 11:9, Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of-all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.
And I will cut him off from the midst of my people shows that secret idolatry has covenant consequences. The man may appear outwardly religious, but God sees his heart and will remove him from among His people.
This also echoes the covenant curse language of Deuteronomy.
Deuteronomy 28:37, And thou shalt become an astonishment, a proverb, and a byword, among all nations whither the LORD-shall lead thee.
And ye shall know that I am the LORD again gives the theological purpose. The idolater may have treated the LORD as one option among many, but through judgment he will know that the LORD alone is God.
4. Ezekiel 14:9-11, God’s promised punishment of the prophets.
Ezekiel 14:9, And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing, I the LORD have deceived that-prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my-people Israel.
Ezekiel 14:10, And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity: the punishment of the prophet shall be even as-the punishment of him that seeketh unto him;
Ezekiel 14:11, That the house of Israel may go no more astray from me, neither be polluted any more with all-their transgressions; but that they may be my people, and I may be their God, saith the Lord-GOD.
And if the prophet be deceived when he hath spoken a thing refers to the false prophet who gives an answer to the idol-hearted inquirer. The setting is important. A hypocritical person comes seeking a word while clinging to idols, and a false prophet speaks in response. The result is deception answering deception.
I the LORD have deceived that prophet is a hard statement, but it must be understood in the context of divine judgment. God is not the author of sin, and He does not lie. Rather, He judicially gives deceived people over to the deception they desire. When people reject truth and seek lies, God may hand them over to the falsehood they have chosen as an act of judgment.
Scripture gives other examples where God uses or permits deception as judgment upon those who reject truth.
1 Kings 22:20, And the LORD said, Who shall persuade Ahab, that he may go up and fall at Ramothgilead?-And one said on this manner, and another said on that manner.
1 Kings 22:21, And there came forth a spirit, and stood before the LORD, and said, I will persuade him.
1 Kings 22:22, And the LORD said unto him, Wherewith? And he said, I will go forth, and I will-be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets. And he said, Thou shalt persuade him, and prevail-also: go forth, and do so.
Job 12:16, With him is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his.
Jeremiah 4:10, Then said I, Ah, Lord GOD! surely thou hast greatly deceived this people and Jerusalem, saying, Ye-shall have peace; whereas the sword reacheth unto the soul.
2 Thessalonians 2:11, And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie:
2 Thessalonians 2:12, That they all might be damned who believed not the truth, but had pleasure in unrighteousness.
The principle is sobering. When men reject the truth because they prefer sin, God may judge them by allowing them to believe the lie they want. This is not injustice. It is judgment upon willful rebellion.
And I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel shows that the false prophet is still accountable. Even if God uses the false prophet as an instrument of judgment upon hypocritical inquirers, the false prophet remains guilty and will be destroyed. God’s sovereignty never removes man’s responsibility.
And they shall bear the punishment of their iniquity applies to both parties. The idol-hearted inquirer and the false prophet will both bear guilt. The one wanted a lie, and the other supplied it. Both are guilty before God.
The punishment of the prophet shall be even as the punishment of him that seeketh unto him means the deceiver and the deceived share judgment. The false prophet cannot excuse himself by blaming the people’s desires, and the people cannot excuse themselves by blaming the prophet’s lies. They sinned together, and they will suffer together.
That the house of Israel may go no more astray from me gives the corrective purpose of judgment. God’s purpose is not arbitrary destruction. He disciplines to stop Israel’s straying. The language suggests sheep wandering from the shepherd. Israel had wandered after idols, false prophets, and corrupt desires. God’s judgment would bring an end to that pattern.
Neither be polluted any more with all their transgressions shows that sin defiles. Israel’s transgressions had polluted the people, the land, the temple, and the nation’s witness. Judgment would cleanse what rebellion had defiled.
But that they may be my people, and I may be their God is covenant language and reveals God’s ultimate purpose. Even in judgment, God’s goal is restored covenant relationship. He is not abandoning His people. He is purging their idolatry so that they may again live as His people under His lordship.
This purpose was historically seen after the exile. When Israel returned to the land in the days of Ezra and Nehemiah, the nation was never again characterized by the same open, widespread idolatry that marked the pre-exilic period. The Babylonian captivity was severe, but God used it to break Israel’s devotion to idols.
B. Noah, Daniel, and Job.
1. Ezekiel 14:12-14, No hope for Judah during famine.
Ezekiel 14:12, The word of the LORD came again to me, saying,
Ezekiel 14:13, Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine-hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will-cut off man and beast from it:
Ezekiel 14:14, Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own-souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord GOD.
When the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously shows that the judgment is not arbitrary. The land is spoken of as sinning because the people responsible for the land have sinned grievously against God. The guilt of the people brings judgment upon the land they inhabit.
The phrase points to persistent unfaithfulness. Israel’s sin was not a momentary lapse. It was covenant treachery. The people had violated their relationship with the LORD in a way comparable to adultery or sacrilege.
The uploaded notes connect this idea with Achan’s sin in Joshua 7 and the language of marital unfaithfulness in Numbers 5.
Joshua 7:1, But the children of Israel committed a trespass in the accursed thing: for Achan, the son of Carmi,-the son of Zabdi, the son of Zerah, of the tribe of Judah, took of the accursed thing:-and the anger of the LORD was kindled against the children of Israel.
Numbers 5:12, Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, If any man’s wife go aside, and commit-a trespass against him,
Then will I stretch out mine hand upon it means God Himself acts against the guilty land. The hand of the LORD is not stretched out here for deliverance, but for judgment. The same God who can save can also strike.
And will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it describes one covenant judgment. Bread is called a staff because food supports life. To break the staff of bread is to remove the basic support of human survival. Famine would strike both man and beast.
This judgment had already been warned in the law.
Leviticus 26:26, And when I have broken the staff of your bread, ten women shall bake your bread in one oven,-and they shall deliver you your bread again by weight: and ye shall eat, and not be satisfied.
Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness is the central point of the chapter. Even if three of the most righteous men known to Israel were present in the land, they could not save the nation from judgment. Their righteousness would deliver only themselves.
Noah was righteous in a wicked generation, yet he did not save the old world. Daniel was righteous and wise in Babylon, even in Ezekiel’s own day, yet his righteousness could not cancel Judah’s guilt. Job was righteous under severe testing, yet his righteousness could not shield others who persisted in sin. The point is individual responsibility before God.
Genesis 6:8, But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.
Genesis 6:9, These are the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man and perfect in his generations, and Noah walked-with God.
Genesis 7:1, And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have-I seen righteous before me in this generation.
Daniel 1:8, But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king’s-meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he-might not defile himself.
Daniel 6:4, Then the presidents and princes sought to find occasion against Daniel concerning the kingdom; but they could find none occasion-nor fault; forasmuch as he was faithful, neither was there any error or fault found in him.
Job 1:1, There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect-and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.
Job 1:8, And the LORD said unto Satan, Hast thou considered my servant Job, that there is none like him-in the earth, a perfect and an upright man, one that feareth God, and escheweth evil?
The mention of Daniel is significant because Daniel was alive in Babylon during Ezekiel’s day. His godliness and wisdom were already known widely enough for the LORD to name him alongside Noah and Job. This also shows that righteousness is not merely theoretical. God points to real men whose lives proved faithfulness under testing.
The lesson is direct. A nation cannot shelter under the righteousness of a few godly people while persisting in rebellion. Intercession matters, and righteous men matter, but there comes a point where national sin reaches such fullness that judgment will not be turned aside by the presence of a few righteous individuals.
2. Ezekiel 14:15-16, No hope for Judah during desolation.
Ezekiel 14:15, If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be-desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts:
Ezekiel 14:16, Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither-sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate.
If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land introduces another form of judgment. After famine, the LORD speaks of wild beasts. When a land is depopulated by war, famine, and disaster, wild animals increase and make the land dangerous. What was once cultivated, inhabited, and ordered becomes desolate and threatening.
This too fits the covenant warnings. God had promised Israel that He would drive out enemies little by little so the land would not be overtaken by beasts. But here, because of judgment, beasts become one of the instruments of desolation.
Deuteronomy 7:22, And the LORD thy God will put out those nations before thee by little and little: thou mayest-not consume them at once, lest the beasts of the field increase upon thee.
Other passages show God using creatures as instruments of judgment.
Numbers 21:6, And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of-Israel died.
2 Kings 2:24, And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And-there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them.
2 Kings 17:25, And so it was at the beginning of their dwelling there, that they feared not the LORD: therefore-the LORD sent lions among them, which slew some of them.
2 Kings 17:26, Wherefore they spake to the king of Assyria, saying, The nations which thou hast removed, and placed-in the cities of Samaria, know not the manner of the God of the land: therefore he hath sent lions-among them, and, behold, they slay them, because they know not the manner of the God of the-land.
Joshua 24:12, And I sent the hornet before you, which drave them out from before you, even the two kings-of the Amorites; but not with thy sword, nor with thy bow.
Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD repeats the solemn assertion with an oath. The presence of Noah, Daniel, and Job would not reverse this judgment. Their righteousness would not serve as a national shield for a rebellious people.
They shall deliver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered presses the point even further. In this hypothetical judgment, even their own sons and daughters would not be delivered by their righteousness. The point is not that righteous parents should not pray for their children. The point is that no person can finally stand before God on another person’s righteousness.
This is a serious doctrine of individual responsibility. A godly father cannot repent for his son. A righteous mother cannot believe for her daughter. A faithful pastor cannot obey for his congregation. Each person must stand before God personally.
But the land shall be desolate confirms the certainty of judgment. The presence of righteous individuals would not preserve the land when the land’s guilt had reached the appointed point of judgment.
3. Ezekiel 14:17-18, No hope for Judah during war.
Ezekiel 14:17, Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that-I cut off man and beast from it:
Ezekiel 14:18, Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they shall deliver neither-sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves.
Or if I bring a sword upon that land introduces the judgment of war. The sword represents invading armies, bloodshed, military defeat, and the destruction that follows conquest. For Jerusalem and Judah, this pointed especially to the Babylonian invasion.
And say, Sword, go through the land shows God’s sovereignty over war. The Babylonians would come as an imperial power, but the LORD says He commands the sword. Nations make decisions, kings move armies, and soldiers fight battles, but God rules over all of it.
So that I cut off man and beast from it again shows the severity of the judgment. War would not merely inconvenience the land. It would devastate life in the land. Men and animals alike would be cut off.
Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD repeats the same principle. Noah, Daniel, and Job would not be able to save the land from the sword. Their righteousness could not cancel the accumulated guilt of Judah.
They shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves again emphasizes individual responsibility. Godly association is not the same as personal righteousness. Being near a righteous man, related to a righteous man, or governed by a righteous man does not automatically deliver the guilty.
This strikes against false confidence. Israel could not say, “We have righteous men among us, therefore judgment cannot come.” The presence of righteous people is a blessing, but it is not a license for national rebellion.
4. Ezekiel 14:19-20, No hope for Judah during a plague.
Ezekiel 14:19, Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my fury upon it in blood,-to cut off from it man and beast:
Ezekiel 14:20, Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD, they-shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness.
Or if I send a pestilence into that land gives the fourth form of judgment. The chapter has named famine, wild beasts, sword, and now pestilence. Together they show comprehensive judgment. Food, safety, military security, and bodily health are all under God’s authority.
And pour out my fury upon it in blood shows the severity of pestilence as an expression of divine wrath. This is not merely natural disease viewed from a human standpoint. In the covenant context, pestilence is one of the judgments of God upon a rebellious people.
To cut off from it man and beast again shows total devastation. The judgment reaches both human and animal life. The land that should have been fruitful under covenant blessing becomes a place of death under covenant curse.
Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord GOD repeats the three names for the final time in this series. The repetition is deliberate. God wants the point settled. Even the greatest righteous men cannot provide borrowed righteousness to a nation determined to rebel.
They shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness is the repeated conclusion. In this context, their righteousness would deliver only themselves. This does not teach salvation by works in the New Testament sense. It teaches that in temporal judgment, the righteous would be distinguished from the wicked, but their righteousness would not be transferred to others as a shield against judgment.
This principle also destroys the false idea that a person can rely on another human being’s piety to stand right before God. A man cannot enter heaven because his wife is godly. A child cannot presume upon his father’s faith. A nation cannot rely on a righteous remnant while continuing in rebellion. Each person must personally repent and believe God.
5. Ezekiel 14:21-23, The lesson from a remnant.
Ezekiel 14:21, For thus saith the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem,-the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and-beast?
Ezekiel 14:22, Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, both sons and daughters:-behold, they shall come forth unto you, and ye shall see their way and their doings: and ye-shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem, even concerning all that I have brought upon-it.
Ezekiel 14:23, And they shall comfort you, when ye see their ways and their doings: and ye shall know that-I have not done without cause all that I have done in it, saith the Lord GOD.
How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem brings the four judgments together, sword, famine, noisome beast, and pestilence. If one judgment would be severe, how much more when all four come upon Jerusalem. The city’s privilege would not spare it. The temple, the land, the history, and the name of Jerusalem would not protect a rebellious people from the covenant curses of God.
These four judgments also appear later in Revelation in connection with the fourth seal, where sword, hunger, death, and beasts are instruments of judgment.
Revelation 6:7, And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come-and see.
Revelation 6:8, And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and-Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill-with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
The connection does not mean Ezekiel 14 is directly the same event as Revelation 6. Ezekiel speaks of Jerusalem’s coming judgment by Babylon. Revelation speaks of future tribulation judgment. But both passages show that the LORD rules over these severe instruments of judgment.
Yet, behold, therein shall be left a remnant that shall be brought forth, both sons and daughters introduces a surprising statement. God will leave survivors. However, in this context the remnant does not appear to be presented mainly as a righteous remnant. The following phrase, their way and their doings, suggests that many of these survivors will display the very wickedness that justified Jerusalem’s judgment.
This does not deny the existence of a righteous remnant elsewhere in Ezekiel. Ezekiel 9 speaks of those who sigh and cry for the abominations done in Jerusalem. But here the emphasis is different. These survivors will become evidence to the exiles that Jerusalem’s judgment was deserved.
Ezekiel 9:4, And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem,-and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that-be done in the midst thereof.
Ezekiel 9:5, And to the others he said in mine hearing, Go ye after him through the city, and smite:-let not your eye spare, neither have ye pity:
Ezekiel 9:6, Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any-man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were-before the house.
Behold, they shall come forth unto you, and ye shall see their way and their doings means that when later survivors arrive in Babylon, the earlier exiles will observe their conduct. They will see that Ezekiel’s dark description of Jerusalem was not exaggerated. The ways and doings of the survivors will prove the justice of God’s judgment.
And ye shall be comforted concerning the evil that I have brought upon Jerusalem does not mean they will take pleasure in Jerusalem’s destruction. It means they will be comforted by understanding the righteousness of God’s action. The exiles might struggle with the severity of the disaster, but when they see the wickedness of those who survived, they will know God had cause.
And they shall comfort you, when ye see their ways and their doings repeats the same point. The conduct of the remnant will vindicate God’s judgment. The survivors themselves will become living evidence that the LORD had not acted unjustly.
And ye shall know that I have not done without cause all that I have done in it is the final lesson of the chapter. God’s severe judgment on Jerusalem was not random, excessive, emotional, or unjust. It had cause. The people’s idolatry, hypocrisy, violence, rebellion, false prophecy, and persistent unfaithfulness brought judgment upon them.
This is a necessary truth. Men often question God’s severity because they do not see sin as God sees it. But when God reveals the full reality of rebellion, His judgments are shown to be righteous. The LORD does nothing without cause.
Ezekiel 14 therefore stands as a warning against hidden idols, hypocritical inquiry, false spiritual confidence, and borrowed righteousness. The elders came to Ezekiel with religious posture, but God saw their hearts. The idolater who came to inquire of God received a call to repent. The false prophet who answered deception with deception came under judgment. The nation could not hide behind Noah, Daniel, and Job. The survivors themselves would prove that Jerusalem’s judgment was deserved. The chapter teaches that the LORD demands the heart, judges hidden idolatry, holds each person responsible, and does nothing without righteous cause.
