Ezekiel 14:1-11 False Seekers
Ezekiel is warned about false seekers. Those that hold onto their idols and their sins while also trying to reach out to God. You cannot do both! You have to drop one or the other.
The wording of this passage is strange to me. I understand the “taken their idols into their hearts” part but the “set the stumbling block of their iniquity before their faces” has me wondering. I understand stumbling blocks. Something that consistently gets in the way or fallen over in the path. The iniquity part is easy too. Iniquity is sin; in this case, idol worship. What is the “setting it before their faces” part mean. Does it mean a sin so obvious that it is no longer hidden and actually accepted instead?
What I see here is a group of men. who have no desire to change, coming to Ezekiel asking for ‘direction’ from God. God says, “Repent! And get rid of your idols first.” That is ALWAYS step one. You CANNOT cling to ‘idols’ and embrace God at the same time. God won’t speak to those who won’t lay aside their sins. Not one who finds himself/herself falling down along the way, but one who wants to ‘swim in the mudpuddles’ all the time.
I’m struggling again with one of my ‘stumbling blocks’. Something that pushes its way back to the surface time and time again. It’s my relationship with food. While I was reading this passage I was grabbing my package of hidden candy. My spirit kept saying I want it and His Spirit kept saying, “You’re not hungry. You don’t need it.” Then my spirit says “It will keep me from falling asleep.” And His Spirit said, “No. It will keep you from focusing on Me.” I pushed away the last words long enough to eat some, but His words kept getting louder until I put it away. It’s not calling to me now that I shared this.
Father God, was this struggle within me a way for me to understand what Your word is saying today? I always ask You to show me how to apply Your words to my life each time I come to spend time with You and Your word. I know You find unique ways to get Your message across. This feels like one of Ezekiel’s ‘street theatre’ pieces played out just for me.
Getting back to the rest of the story Ezekiel is sharing with us. God told Ezekiel that He wouldn’t share deep insights with those who were unwilling to enter into relationship with Him. ‘If you want answers, go ask your idols! See what they have to say.’
God is NOT saying that you have to be perfect to come to Him. What He is saying is that you have to be ready to lay down the things you have been holding fast to that are making your life a mess. The sins that have you in bondage. The things you turn to instead of Him. YES. It can be scary! Putting aside your ‘security blankets’ that are actually wrapped around your neck. But if you want peace, you HAVE to let go.
I’m reminded of a story about how to catch a monkey. You put a ball in a glass jar and burry it partially in the ground. You will need to anchor it so the monkey can’t make off with the jar. The monkey will put his hand into the jar and grab the ball. He will try and pull his hand free of the jar but can’t as long as he is still holding the ball. He will refuse to release the ball, no matter how much sense it makes to us. He will be captured because he won’t let go.
Our sin is our ‘ball’. We have to let go of it to escape. As long as we keep looking at it and desiring it, we will never be free of it. We can’t hold onto both sin and God. Which one will you let go?
Father God, I can’t completely turn lose of food. My body needs it to survive. What my heart’s desire is to have a right, healthy, relationship with food. No more eating it for comfort or boredom. No more eating all the candy in one setting.
Fill my spirit with Your presence SO FULL that there is no room for anything else to creep in. This doesn’t mean that I do nothing but study Your word ALL DAY AND NIGHT but that my heart meditates on it, remembers it, as I go about my day. That You speak to me through the thousand other things that I have to do in my day. And that I don’t feel the emptiness that I try and fill with food any more. Renew a right spirit within me Holy Spirit!
