In Ezekiel 14 verse 1: "Some of the elders of Israel came to me and sat down in front of me. 2 Then the word of the LORD came to me: 3 "Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and have put sinful stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I be consulted by them at all?" 4 "Therefore, speak to them and tell them: This is what the Lord GOD says: When anyone from the house of Israel sets up idols in his heart, puts a sinful stumbling block before his face, and then comes to the prophet, I, the LORD, will answer him appropriately. [I will answer him] according to his many idols, 5 so that I may take hold of the house of Israel by their hearts, because they are all estranged from Me by their idols."
What were they setting up as idols in their hearts? Idols can come in may forms. They can be anything from lust to other God's. It stems from a desire for something we do not have or for something we think we need. Israel became involved in different sins and did not consider or recognize them to be a problem. Discontent with the parameters God had established in their life and a desire for what others were involved in set God's face against them. Here is what the Lord says:
6 "Therefore, say to the house of Israel: This is what the Lord GOD says: Repent and turn away (E) from your idols; turn your faces away from all your abominations. 7 For when anyone from the house of Israel or from the foreigners who reside in Israel separates himself from Me, setting up idols in his heart and putting a sinful stumbling block before his face, and then comes to the prophet to inquire of Me, [b] I, the LORD, will answer him Myself. 8 I will turn against that one and make him a sign and a proverb; I will cut him off from among My people. Then you will know that I am the LORD.
9 "But if the prophet is deceived and speaks a message, it was I, the LORD, who deceived that prophet. I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel. 10 They will bear their punishment—the punishment of the one who inquires will be the same as that of the prophet— 11 in order that the house of Israel may no longer stray from following Me and no longer defile themselves with all their transgressions. Then they will be My people and I will be their God." [This is] the declaration of the Lord GOD .
The Lord's ways are always for restoration and reconciliation. He will stretch out his hand and bring judgment against an entire nation until we return to Him. The righteous will be spared vs 14 "even [if] these three men —Noah, Daniel, and Job —were in it, they would deliver [only] themselves by their righteousness." [This is] the declaration of the Lord GOD." In this case the four judgments are hunger, Dangerous animals, the sword (other people and nations rising up against us) or plague. Do we see signs of these today?
Ezekiel 15 tells us about the wood of the useless vine. It is not able to be used for anything productive so it is cut down and thrown into the fire as fuel. 6 "Therefore, this is what the Lord GOD says: Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest, which I have given to the fire as fuel, so I will give up the residents of Jerusalem. 7 I will turn against them. They may have escaped from the fire, but it will [still] consume them. And you will know that I am the LORD when I turn against them. 8 I will make the land desolate because they have acted unfaithfully." [This is] the declaration of the Lord GOD ."
God wants our life to be useful to Him and for His desires. If we have given our life to Him we are to follow the Lord daily and He will guide our path. It is a life of servanthood that begins with obedience and includes all the promises and blessings God has throughuot scripture. At times we may expect to reap the promises of God without the the obedience of a servant. As we remain faithfully in Him and are content with where He has us, we have the peace that comes with obedience and the blessings of servanthood.
In John 11 we see a picture of this servanthood. Jesus is told of Lazarus' death (He was nearly stoned last time they were in Judea). He waited two days and said I'm going. vs. 16 Then Thomas (called "Twin") said to his fellow disciples, "Let's go so that we may die with Him." This is a real twist from when he said I will not believe unless I put my hand in His side. The difference is the first time He could see the Lord at work among them and the second time He was discouraged and grieving. He demanded to use sight instead of faith. This is so easy for any believer to do regardless of our closeness to the Savior. Lazareth's sister Martha is struggling with her belief in the Lord in this. 25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in Me, even if he dies, will live. 26 Everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die—ever. Do you believe this?" Jesus does this for the glory of the father. Lets do something today to glorify the father.
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