October 27, 2020: Day 66 – Ezekiel 14

You don’t normally see a reference to Old Testament characters lifted up as examples of faith within the Old Testament.  You see it all the time in the New Testament where Abraham and Moses are lifted up as examples of faith.  Even in James you have Rahab mentioned and other Old Testament characters lifted up as people that we ought to emulate.  But this chapter contains three fairly unlikely heroes of Scripture who are lifted up as examples of righteousness, but that even in all of their own righteousness they are not able to save others, only themselves.

The three that are mentioned are Noah, Daniel, and Job.  Noah was one who refused to back down to the people of the land who ridiculed him for building a boat in sunny skies.  He had the last laugh.  Daniel was one who was persecuted for his faith by the king of the time, but he eventually was made to be in the royal court himself.  Job was one who was ridiculed by his wife and his friends for his non-existent sin which must have been horrendous because of the state in which he found himself.  God blessed him with a double portion.

So here Ezekiel speaks out against the religious leaders who have idols ingrained in their way of life and have completely embraced the idolatry of the region and have estranged themselves from God.  No amount of prayer or righteousness could save them if they did not separate themselves from the idols.  No matter how much Ezekiel might want to intervene on their behalf, God would not spare them from the 4 deadly acts of judgment.  God says that he has done all things for a reason.  Something good for us to remember.