Ezekiel 12-14

Please note, this entry was originally scheduled for August 16.

In chapter 12 the Lord has Ezekiel perform a visual scene for the exiles in Babylon, showing how the king and those left in Jerusalem were going to be taken captive.  He then prophesies against the king in Jerusalem (Zedekiah), saying that he will be caught while trying to escape, and he will be brought to Babylon to die, but he won’t see it.  In Jeremiah 34:3 Zedekiah was told by Jeremiah that he would see the king of Babylon face to face, and he would be taken to Babylon.  Zedekiah believed that these two prophecies were contradictory, yet both of them proved to be true.  In Jeremiah 39 Zedekiah is captured (attempting to escape), and brought before Nebuchadnezzar (who was in Syria at that time).  Zedekiah met him face to face, and saw his sons killed in front of him, and then Nebuchadnezzar had him blinded and then taken as a prisoner to Babylon.  Both prophecies proved to be true.

In 13 Ezekiel prophesies the Lord’s judgement against women who had set themselves up as false prophets, and who gave false signs of peace and prosperity to the people.

The Lord speaks against those (ch 14) who harbor false idols in their hearts.  Even today this is a problem, where anything (or anyone) that is more important than God in our hearts becomes an idol.  Through Ezekiel the Lord declares judgement upon all such people, and said that He would not withhold His judgement, even if Noah, Daniel, and Job were among them, although those 3 alone would be spared.  In spite of this, God said He will preserve a remnant of survivors.