789_Truth in the Inward Parts (Ezekiel 14:1-11)
Ezekiel 14:1-11 Then certain of the elders of Israel came to me and sat before me. 2 And the word of the Lord came to me: 3 “Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their hearts, and set the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces. Should I indeed let myself be consulted by them? 4 Therefore speak to them and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Any one of the house of Israel who takes his idols into his heart and sets the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and yet comes to the prophet, I the Lord will answer him as he comes with the multitude of his idols, 5 that I may lay hold of the hearts of the house of Israel, who are all estranged from me through their idols.
6 “Therefore say to the house of Israel, Thus says the Lord God: Repent and turn away from your idols, and turn away your faces from all your abominations. 7 For any one of the house of Israel, or of the strangers who sojourn in Israel, who separates himself from me, taking his idols into his heart and putting the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face, and yet comes to a prophet to consult me through him, I the Lord will answer him myself. 8 And I will set my face against that man; I will make him a sign and a byword and cut him off from the midst of my people, and you shall know that I am the Lord. 9 And if the prophet is deceived and speaks a word, I, the Lord, have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand against him and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel. 10 And they shall bear their punishment—the punishment of the prophet and the punishment of the inquirer shall be alike— 11 that the house of Israel may no more go astray from me, nor defile themselves anymore with all their transgressions, but that they may be my people and I may be their God, declares the Lord God.”
When we pray, we may say, “Lord, show me what You want me to do.” But deep inside, our minds are already made up. We want to hear only one thing. We are unwilling to surrender our desire. Our prayer is not about seeking God’s will, it is simply a wish to have God approve our will.
This is what makes Ezekiel 14 so terrible. Some of the elders of Israel came and sat before Ezekiel, begging him to enquire of the Lord. But before Ezekiel could answer them, God draws the veil aside, “Son of man, these men have taken their idols into their hearts, and set the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces. Should I indeed let myself be consulted by them?” (Ezekiel 14:3).
The idols were not in their houses. They took their idols into their hearts. This reveals the truth about idolatry.
An idol is not simply a statue before which someone bows. An idol is anything that draws our passionate devotion and love, our fear, our thoughts, and our efforts. One may not have a single physical idol anywhere, yet the heart may idolize something other than God.
Education can become an idol when we trust our qualifications to provide for us, rather than trusting God. Money can become an idol when financial security becomes the goal of our life, more important than obedience to God. Our profession can become an idol when our career determines our identity and controls our choices. Even family can become an idol when we would much rather please those we love than do what God wants us to do. Success, reputation, comfort, possessions, relationships, recognition, or the service of God can all become the focus of our hearts.
Our phones may draw all our attention and time. Certain websites may cause us to stumble in our devotion to God. entertainment, social ambitions, habits, friendships – these may not simply be part of our life with God, but the very things that make our life worth living. They are our new idols.
Then notice the other expression God uses: they had “set the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces.” A stumbling block is something in our path that causes us to fall. But when we place the temptation to sin right before us, we reveal the depth of our alienation from God. How useless to enquire of him in such a case!
When we refuse to walk after the Spirit, disobeying the light he has already given us, we cannot expect God to guide us. When we keep our autonomy to ourselves, refusing to let God control our lives, we cannot expect his blessing. When we refuse his correction, we cannot expect his direction or protection.
Instead, God warns, “Repent and turn away from your idols, and turn away your faces from all your abominations” (Ezekiel 14:6). Repentance precedes genuine prayer for guidance and blessing.
This principle runs throughout Scripture. David prayed, “Search me, O God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts!” (Psalm 139:23). He did not begin with, “Lead me.” God had to search him and test his heart. He prays, “See if there be any grievous way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”
Let us ask the Lord to show us our sin, the unsurrendered passions and habits, the hardness that has never yielded to his mastery, before we ask him to guide us.
Ezekiel 14 also warns us that it is not only the elders or the people who have this problem. The Lord declares that any prophet who allows himself to be deceived, and speaks to the people without confronting their idolatry, will come under God’s judgment. “I will stretch out my hand against him and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel” (Ezekiel 14:9).
Anyone who speaks on God’s behalf – whether preacher, teacher, or counsellor, must not simply give people the answer they want to hear. Sometimes they will need to tell the enquirer in love, not what to do next, but, “Before we ask God about what comes next, you need to deal with what God has already asked you to surrender.”
For as Ezekiel has already shown us, God’s messenger must first listen to God. We cannot speak faithfully for God if we have not first allowed God to speak to us. Scripture says, “Receive in your heart all my words that I shall speak to you, and hear with your ears” (Ezekiel 3:10).
And so this passage gives us a double warning. When we enquire of the Lord, let us examine ourselves for sinful self-preoccupation first. If we speak to or pray for others, let us make sure we are speaking what God has given us, rather than our own assumptions, preferences, or desire to please people.
But as always, God does not simply condemn his people. His purpose is always that of love: “that the house of Israel may no more go astray from me, nor defile themselves anymore with all their transgressions, but that they may be my people and I may be their God, declares the Lord GOD.”
The purpose behind God’s warning is his longing for his people. He does not expose our idols to shame or condemn us, but because he sees them stealing our hearts away from him, in order to ruin and kill us.
For repentance is more than recognizing the stumbling block. It means turning away from every temptation to enthrone our own will.
Before we pray, let us beg God to bring our idols to light. Let us not merely seek answers from God. Rather, let us seek God himself, with all our love, with all our passionate devotion and commitment. Prayer is not simply getting God to bless our choices. It brings our surrendered will to him, to learn what his will is, willing to do it.
The Lord taught us to pray, “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10). He begins, as always, by giving God’s will the utmost priority and the highest place, in love and trust.
And then we will pray truly, seeking God’s presence, God’s will, and God’s rule over all of our lives. God bless
Take a few moments to reflect on these questions
What things, desires, relationships, ambitions, or habits can become “idols in the heart,” and how might you recognize when something has begun to take God’s rightful place?
Why is it important to examine our hearts and repent before asking God for direction, especially when we may already have a preferred answer?
How can you make the prayer “Search me, O God” a practical part of your daily life, and what might genuine surrender look like when God reveals a stumbling block?
Let us pray
Heavenly Father, Your word reveals our sinfulness in putting our temptations to sin before our faces. We repent and turn away from seeking anything other than your will. We confess that our idols are only stumbling blocks. We have come to know and we believe the love that you have for us. We willingly surrender our lives to your authority. We seek you, O Lord, and not just your answers to our prayers. In Jesus Christ’s name. Amen
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