Ezek 14.1-23 shows Yehovah’s displeasure at the idolaters who sought him and the false prophets, which was hypocritical. The judgments upon them are revealed and will not be averted. But a remnant is promised.
v 1…Then some elders (zekanim) of Israel came to me and sat down before me (leaders of the exiles came to gather some information about the fate of Jerusalem and the people because they were concerned).
v 2…And the word of the Lord (Yehovah) came to me saying,
v 3…”Son of man (when this is used Ezekiel represents the people), these men have set up their idols in their hearts (where corruption begins), and have put right before their faces the stumbling block of their iniquity (idols). Should I be consulted by them at all (they should consult their idols).
v 4…Therefore speak to them and tell them (as a prophet), ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Any man of the house of Israel who sets up idols in his heart (secretly) puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and then comes to the prophet (increasing his guilt of idolatry by his insolence), I the Lord (Yehovah) will be brought to give him an answer in the matter in view of the multitude of his idols (in proportion to the idolatry he has done),
v 5…In order to lay hold of the hearts of Israel (by judgment) who are estranged from me through their idols (if the judgments don’t succeed in bringing repentance, they would act as appropriate punishments).”
v 6…”Therefore say to the house of Israel ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Repent and turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations (with the proper revulsion and disgust).
v 7…For anyone of the house of Israel or of the stranger (ger) who stay in Israel who separates himself from me (through idolatry), sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his idolatry (as described previously), and then comes to the prophet to inquire of me for himself, I the Lord (Yehovah) will be brought to answer him in my own person (not in words, but blows; not in mercy, but in wrath).
v 8…And I shall set my face against that man and make him a sign (an example) and a proverb (spectacle), and I shall cut him off from among my people (Num 26.10; Deut 28.37). So you will know that I am the Lord (proof that what he says will come true).
v 9…But if the prophet is enticed (he is a false prophet who projected themselves as a believer) when he speaks a word, it is I, the Lord (Yehovah) who have deceived that prophet (permitting a spirit of falsehood that pleases sinful people), and I will stretch out my hand against him and destroy him from among my people Israel (to make an example like in 1 Kings 22.22-23).
v 10…And they (the false prophet and those who sought them) will bear the punishment of their iniquity; as the iniquity of the inquirer is, so the iniquity of the prophet will be (both deserved the same treatment),
v 11…in order that the house of Israel may no longer stray from me and no longer defile themselves with all their transgressions. Thus they will be my people, and I shall be their God,” declares the Lord God (the goal is to produce a repentant people and preserve their souls in mercy).
v 12…Then the word of the Lord came to me saying,
v 13…”Son of man, if a country sins (national sins) against me by committing unfaithfulness and I stretch out my hand against it, destroy its supply of bread, send famine against it, and cut off from it both man and beast (much of the famine today is in areas where they worship idols and false gods, or no god whatsoever),
v 14…even these three men, Noah (symbolizing the world), Daniel (a nation) and Job (a family) were in its midst (to intercede), by their own righteousness they could only deliver themselves,” declares the Lord God (the city of Jerusalem was doomed and not even these three could avert its judgment by their intercessions).
v 15…”If I were to cause wild beasts to pass through the land (the four punishments mentioned in these verses are taken from Lev 26.22-26 and all four are in Rev 6.8), and they depopulate it, and it became desolate so that no one would pass through it because of the beasts,
v 16…though these three men were in its midst, as I live,” declares the Lord God (Adonai Yehovah), “they could not deliver either sons or their daughters. They alone would be delivered, but the country would be desolate.
v 17…Or if I bring a sword on that country (war) and say, ‘Let the sword pass through the country and cut off man and beast from it,’
v 18…even though these three men were in its midst, as I live (an oath),” declares the Lord God, “they could not deliver either their sons or daughters, but they alone would be delivered.
v 19…Or if I should send a plague (pestilence) against that country and pour out my wrath in blood on it, to cut off man and beast from it,
v 20…even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in its midst, as I live,” declares the Lord God, “they could not deliver either their son or their daughter. They would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.”
v 21…For thus says the Lord God, “How much more when I send my four severe judgments against Jerusalem (who knew the Lord, the Torah and had the truth); sword, famine, wild beasts, and plague to cut off man and beast from it!
v 22…Yet behold (take note of), a remnant will be left in it who will be brought out (of Jerusalem when it falls), sons and daughters (to reproduce and rebuild the nation again). Behold they are going to come forth to you (brought to the exiles in Babylon), and you will see their conduct and actions (their wicked life and actions which brought on such judgments); then you will be comforted for the calamity (satisfied with the judgments and justice of Yehovah) which I have brought against Jerusalem for everything which I have brought upon it.
v 23…Then they will comfort you when you see their conduct and actions (know what happened and that Yehovah was just for bringing on these judgments), for you will know that I have not done in vain (or for no reason) whatever I did to it,” declares the Lord God (there was a reason for it).
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