Ezekiel 12-14
Judgment
Background:
God’s glory departs from the Jewish Temple (ch. 10) because of the wickedness of Judah. God
will not dwell with an unholy and rebellious people! In chapter 11, God promises to execute His
judgment upon twenty-five wicked counselors of Jerusalem, and as Ezekiel is prophesying, one
of the counselors dies (Pelatiah the son of Benaiah). God promises to restore Israel, and His
promise is fulfilled with the establishment of the Church – the Spiritual Israel.
Chapter 11 ends on a positive note, but the tone will change again in Chapter 12. Over the next 3
chapters, Ezekiel will be used as a vessel to show God’s wrath upon the nation of Judah and
those who have led it astray. God’s judgment is right, and those who have gone against the
ordinances of the LORD and rebelled have much to fear. Judgment is the primary theme of these
three chapters (12-14).
Chapter 12:
(1-2) READ
The scene is set – a rebellious house with people that refuse to listen (recall Ezekiel 3:7,
these are hard-hearted people). The recipe for disaster is set for nothing good comes of
those that rebel against God.
Judgment Personified
(3-16)
In this section of scripture, we see that Ezekiel is told by God to prepare his belongings
for captivity, and he is told to do it by day in their sight (v.3-4). This would have
certainly been something that would draw attention to himself. He is also told to dig
through the wall in their sight and carry out his belongings (v.5-7). WHY? God is
personifying his judgment of Israel through Ezekiel. In verse 6, the latter part of the verse
reads “for I have made you a sign to the house of Israel.” Ezekiel is portraying the exile
that is about to come, because the people of Jerusalem would also have to gather their
belongings as they are being driven out of the city.
Ezekiel does as God commands (v.7). He got the attention of the people, which was the
point of this. His duty as a watchman was to warn the people of Israel about the judgment
to come if their sin continues unrepented (Ezek. 3:16-19). The people ask Ezekiel “What
are you doing?” (v. 9). Doesn’t the rebellious world often ask the same question today for
Christians practicing righteousness? Maybe a child is praying in the school cafeteria and
the kids around him tease him by saying, “What are you doing? Don’t you know that God
is not real?” Or maybe a wife is getting ready for Church, and her husband says, “What
are you doing? It is the weekend, we do not need to go to Church when it is OUR
weekend?” One big difference between Ezekiel and the nation of Judah is that Ezekiel
obeys while the Jews just ask questions.
In verses 10-14, Ezekiel gives an explanation for his actions. He says in verse 10 “This
burden concerns the prince in Jerusalem and all the house of Israel who are among them.”
The prince in Jerusalem is a sure reference to Zedekiah. Though Zedekiah is a king,
Ezekiel chooses to ascribe the label of “prince of Jerusalem” to him. I believe there are
two possible reasons for this: 1) Ezekiel views Zedekiah as essentially powerless. Since
Judah is consistently under the thumb of the Caldeans (Babylonians), the only king in the
land is Nebuchadnezzar OR 2) Ezekiel wants everyone to know that God is the true king,
afterall, a true King executes His judgements – just as God is about to do. This prophecy
by Ezekiel is fulfilled in 2 Kings 25 when Judah falls, Zedekiah is captured, his sons
killed, and he is blinded.
In verses 15-18,we see that the Jews will be scattered throughout the land, and a few
people will be spared. These will be part of the remnant that are mentioned in chapter 14!
Dread of Judgement
(17-20) READ
This passage very clearly shows the dread and anxiety that precedes judgment – in this
case, the judgment of Judah for its sins. Again, Ezekiel is called upon to act out this
anxiety. God has already told Ezekiel about the dread and anxiety that will come to
Jerusalem in the middle of chapter 4 (4:16-17). Judgment is a sure thing, even for the
Christian today. Hebrews 9:27 says “And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after
this the judgment…” And in 2 Corinthians 5:10 “For we must all appear before the
judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things done in the body, according
to what he has done, whether good or bad.” There are other passages in the new testament
that show us that judgment is a sure thing. But there are those who can enter judgment
with confidence and not with trembling. Romans 8:1 tells us that “there is therefore now
no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” Only the wicked have something to
fear and dread during the final judgment.
Judgment Coming Soon
(21-28)
In this final pericope in chapter 12, God tells Ezekiel to tell the people that this judgment
will not be postponed any longer. In verse 22, God asks Ezekiel, “Son of man, what is
this proverb that you people have about the land of Israel, which says, ‘The days are
prolonged and every vision fails’?” These people are so used to wicked counsel and false
prophets that they no longer give heed to any counsel, including the counsel of the Lord.
In chapter 13, we will see that God’s judgment is to come upon the false prophets. In
verses 23-25, it is written:
Tell them therefore, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD: “I will lay this proverb to rest, and
they shall no more use it as a proverb in Israel.”’ But say to them, ‘The days are
at hand, and the fulfillment of every vision. For no more shall there be any false
vision or flattering divination within the house of Israel. For I am the LORD. I
speak, and the word which I speak will come to pass; it will no more be
postponed; for in your days, O rebellious house, I will say the word and perform
it,” says the Lord GOD.’”
Since God will cut down the false prophets (as we will see in Ch. 13), the only
prophecies to remain are the true ones that come from God. And God’s prophecy is this:
“None of my words will be postponed any more, but the word which I speak will be
done” (v.28).
Chapter 13:
False Prophets Judged
(1-16)
What we see in the first part of chapter 13 is directly related to what we have read in the
last part of chapter 12. Let us read the first two verses of chapter 13.
And the word of the LORD came to me, saying, “Son of man, prophesy against the
prophets of Israel who prophesy, and say to those who prophesy out of their own
heart, ‘Hear the word of the LORD!’”
Notice where the false-prophecies originate from… out of their own heart! The false
prophets had selfish motivations for the prophecies they uttered. Proverbs 12:20 tells us
“Deceit is in the heart of those who devise evil, but counselors of peace have joy.” The
wicked counselors and false prophets of Judah and Israel had longed to deceive the nation
into listening to them. There are many false teachers today who practice this same thing –
they lead people astray in order to enrich themselves or to excuse sinful pleasures. I am
mindful of denominations like the Episcopal Church that allow homosexuals to serve as
priests and pastors. They use their platform to preach their own desires. I could list many
other denominations that teach and defend other false teachings for their flocks (but time
will prevent me), and we know that these teachings stem out of their own selfish desires
within their hearts. A true prophecy of God is almost always something difficult to bear –
it does not serve self, but rather it calls us into service for God.
In verse 4, the false-prophets are compared to “foxes in the desert.” There are two
primary translations of this: some translations such as the NKJV renders “foxes in the
desert,” whereas some other translations such as the NASB render “jackals among the
ruins.” There are two things I want us to notice regardless of what your translation may
render. 1) Foxes and Jackals are predators that can scavenge AND 2) Both the desert and
ruins are places where there is a lack of resources for predators. Essentially, God is
comparing the false-prophets to predators that are looking and scavenging for any kind of
ears that will listen. They are selfish, attention-seeking individuals seeking to mislead
their prey, and they are in an environment where they do not belong. In verse 10, we see
one of the ways in which they had misled God’s people. They have proclaimed peace
when there was in-fact no peace. Their false prophecies are likened to those who have
built a wall with untempered mortar. The wall, being weak, will not stand the test of time
and will surely fall! This is what God says in verses 13-16:
Therefore thus says the Lord GOD: “I will cause a stormy wind to break forth in
My fury; and there shall be a flooding rain in My anger, and great hailstones in
fury to consume it. So I will break down the wall you have plastered with
untempered mortar, and bring it down to the ground, so that its foundation will be
uncovered; it will fall, and you shall be consumed in the midst of it. Then you
shall know that I am the LORD. Thus I will accomplish My wrath on the wall and
on those who have plastered it with untempered mortar; and I will say to you,
‘The wall is no more, nor those who plastered it, that is the prophets of Israel who
prophesy concerning Jerusalem, and who see visions of peace for her when there
is no peace,’” says the Lord GOD.
God’s false-prophets will be judged, and their prophecies will not stand the test of time. If
a prophet utters something false, and what they say proves to be a lie, then it is like a
weak wall that has been brought down to the ground.
Magicians Judged
(17-23) READ
Along with the false prophets, we also see in these verses that the female sorcerers will
be judged. These female sorcerers have apparently done much harm to the people in the
land. Micah, in chapter 3 verses 5 through 7 his prophecy, shows us that the false
prophets and the “diviners” (sorcerers) were working with each other in deceiving the
people. The prophets needed signs to accompany their false prophecies, and so it makes
sense that they would have these female magicians to aid them. In verses 22 and 23, God
states his judgment of them, and He states that He will deliver His people out of their
hands.
Chapter 14:
Idolatry Judged
(1-11) READ v. 1-5
The elders of the people had come before Ezekiel, and God then spoke negative things
concerning them. He stated that they “have set up their idols in their hearts and put
before them that which causes them to stumble into iniquity.” Again, we see the problem
of the heart. The heart is a place where all kinds of idols can be made. Our idols exist to
serve the desires we have. Do we want money? Then we serve the gods of Wall-Street.
Do we want quick and immoral pleasure? Then let us serve the gods of sexual
promiscuity. Once we set an idol in our hearts, we worship that idol by our behavior.
Thus, we stumble into iniquity.
God does not want His people to continue in idolatry, rather, He wants them to repent.
Let us look at verses 6-8 (READ). Idolatry that persists and is not repented of will result
in the offender being cast out. In judgment, God will show people their pasts and He will
consider both the good deeds and the bad. Bad deeds, unrepented of and uncovered by
the blood of Christ, are to result in the offender being cast out. In verses 9-11, we see that
the false-prophets during this time were encouraging and excusing (NKJV renders
“induce”) peoples’ sins. God that these people are also to be judged. Whatever sin
persists in our heart and behavior now must be repented of, and we must turn to God lest
we face the same fate as the nations of Judah and Israel.
A Remnant Kept
(12-23)
In this final section of Ezekiel 14, we see that God keeps a faithful remnant. The people
of the land continue in persistent sin, and God will judge it. And in His spoken judgment,
He alludes to two past and one present character (who should be familiar to these people
Ezekiel is prophesying to): Noah, Daniel, and Job. He states four severe judgements that
would befall Israel (sword, famine, wild beast, and pestilence), and only these three men
would escape their judgment because of “their righteousness.” Indeed, the land is very
wicked. But God promises to preserve a remnant. In verses 22-23, God states the
following:
Yet behold, there shall be left in it a remnant who will be brought out, both sons
and daughters; surely they will come out to you, and you will see their ways and
their doings. Then you will be comforted concerning the disaster that I have
brought upon Jerusalem, and all that I have brought upon it. And they will
comfort you, when you see their ways and their doings; and you shall know that I
have done nothing without the cause I have done in it,” says the Lord GOD.
God has His reasons for preserving a remnant. Even though there is persistent wickedness
in the land, God has promised to protect those who sigh and cry over all the abominations
that are done within the land (Ezek. 9:4-6). These people were to be taken into captivity,
not slain with the wicked, and this remnant would remember all the wickedness that was
done in the land and strive to stay away from it (Ezek. 6:9-10).
Today, God has His remnant. Those who are in the Church are God’s people; but even
among those of us here in-person on Sunday or Wednesday, we know that there are some
who are falling or who have fallen from God’s grace because of persistent wickedness.
Only those in Christ who sigh and cry over the abominations of this life will remain in
the remnant. We have the seal of promise of the Holy Spirit (Eph. 1:13) when we hear the
Gospel and obey it. So we need to seek to remain in the remnant lest we perish with the
world.
That is our lesson for this evening. Thank you.
Gospel Traveler 