Ezekiel 14

The messages in this section address the issue of true and false prophecy.

The leaders of the exiled community of Israel visited Ezekiel again, likely seeking encouragement (see Ezekiel 8:1; 20:1). The people were involved in similar sins, such as idolatry, that also affected those in Judah (see Ezekiel 8:10–12).

The exiles acted as if they were seeking the Lord. But they were only going through the motions. They performed the outward actions, yet their hearts had turned away from him. They were worshiping idols, which the Lord calls detestable (deeply hateful and unclean).

It was easy for them to think that Babylon’s many military victories proved something. They could begin to believe that real power belonged to the Babylonian gods, not to the Lord.

When people rebel against God and then ask for his guidance, they should expect only one answer: Repent (turn back from wrongdoing and return to God).

Rather than using a false prophet to give divine guidance, the Lord would respond directly with a severe act of judgment. This would remove them from among his people. Whether this means death or excommunication, these insincere leaders would be taken out of the covenant community, the only place where true life exists.

False prophets tried to oppose God's will by predicting things God had not said. However, they unknowingly fulfilled God's will. They and other rebels were misled and remained in their rebellion. Both false prophets and rebellious people faced punishment for their sins (see also Deuteronomy 13; 1 Kings 22:6–23).

The goal of God’s judgment was not the total destruction of the exiles but their salvation, so that the people of Israel would learn not to remain faithful to the Lord.

• Israel had not been treated unfairly. God did not judge Israel without reason. If any nation sinned against the Lord in this way, that nation would face the same result.

  However, this passage clearly speaks about Israel. The words used to describe their sin also describe breaking the covenant (the binding promises between God and his people). Israel had broken this covenant. Because of that, the nation would rightly experience the covenant curses (the punishments promised for disobedience) listed in Leviticus 26. The people had agreed to these terms when the covenant was first made.

• The covenant curses appear here in four test cases. Each case shows one of the judgments listed in Leviticus 26:

  1. Famine (a severe lack of food), as described in Ezekiel 14:13–14 and Leviticus 26:26.

  2. Wild animals attacking the land, as described in Ezekiel 14:15–16 and Leviticus 26:22.

  3. War, as described in Ezekiel 14:17–18 and Leviticus 26:25.

  4. Disease, as described in Ezekiel 14:19–20 and Leviticus 26:25.

  These examples show that Israel’s suffering was not random. It was the direct result of breaking the covenant with the Lord.

• Noah, Daniel, and Job: Each of these men was known for remaining faithful in a wicked generation. They lived among people who did evil, but they obeyed God.

  If anyone could deserve a delay in God’s judgment, it would be these men. However, even if a land included these three righteous men, their righteousness would not save their own sons or daughters from coming disaster (Ezekiel 14:20). Their obedience could only save themselves. It would certainly not save a rebellious nation.

• Some people question whether Ezekiel meant the prophet Daniel. In Ezekiel 14 and 28:3, the Hebrew spelling of the name Daniel (Dani’el) is slightly different from the spelling in the book of Daniel (Daniyye’l). Because of this difference, some scholars suggest that Ezekiel referred to a legendary pagan hero named Danel.

  However, small differences in spelling are common in the Hebrew Old Testament. Ezekiel and his listeners would have known about the prophet Daniel, who lived in Babylon at the same time as Ezekiel. Daniel was already known as a model of righteousness and wisdom. It is unlikely that Ezekiel, who strongly opposed idolatry, would choose a pagan hero to represent perfect righteousness. For this reason, Ezekiel most likely meant the prophet Daniel.

Jerusalem was worse than the imaginary land described in Ezekiel 14:12–20 in two ways.

First, Jerusalem did not have men like Noah, Daniel, and Job. Instead, the city was full of unrighteous people. There were no well-known righteous leaders whose faithfulness might stand out before God.

Second, Jerusalem would not suffer only one judgment. It would face all four terrible punishments at the same time. These included famine, wild animals, war, and disease, as described earlier in the chapter.

Because of this, it is not surprising that many people and animals in the city would die. The judgment would be complete and severe.

Some survivors would emerge from the devastating judgment (Ezekiel 14:21) and join those already in exile. They would not survive because of their own righteousness or that of their relatives, but as an object lesson for those in exile. As the exiles saw the depravity of this remnant, they would feel better about what God had done to Jerusalem. The exiles would understand that God had acted with justice in his judgment upon Jerusalem, not without cause.