Blessed Night, Loves 😊

I Pray All Is Well With Everyone… And Your Hearts And Minds Are Full Of Love, Joy, And Compassion… For Yourselves… And Everyone Else… All Around The World. Where That Is Not The Case With Many Tho… Now Is The Time… This Is The Age… The Cycle… Or Whatever We Want To Call It… To Open Our Hearts To… And Expand Our Consciousness With The Loving Power… That Can Save Us! So, As We Push On A Lil’ Further Through These Darkened Days… Remember This: Each And Every One Of Us Is A Sacred Element Of Light Projected Into A World Of Chaos And Darkness, That The Illumination Of Our Light May Expand… And That All Darkness Of The Earth Be Consumed; In The Mighty Radiance And Power… Of Our Very Own… “Mighty I AM Presence”! Amen… 

Give Thanks And Praises For Love And Life…   

And Y’all Be Love…  

Ezekiel Chapter 14:

“Here is the address which some of the elders of Israel made to the prophet, as an oracle, to enquire of the Lord by him. They came, and sat before him, Ezekiel 14:1. It is probable that they were not of those who were now his fellow-captives, and constantly attended his ministry… but some occasional hearers, some of the grandees of Jerusalem who had come upon business to Babylon, perhaps public business on an embassy from the king, and in their way called on the prophet, having heard much of him and being desirous to know if he had any message from God which might be some guide to them in their negotiation. By the severe answer given them one would suspect they had a design to ensnare the prophet, or to try if they could catch hold of anything that might look like a contradiction to Jeremiah’s prophecies, and so they might have occasion to reproach them both. However, they feigned themselves just men, complimented the prophet, and sat before him gravely enough, as God’s people used to sit. Note: It is no new thing for bad men to be found employed in the external performances of religion.

The account which God gave the prophet privately concerning them. They were strangers to him; he only knew that they were elders of Israel; that was the character they wore, and as such he received them with respect, and it is likely, was glad to see them so well disposed. But God gives him their real character (Ezekiel 14:3); they were idolaters, and did only consult Ezekiel as they would any oracle of a pretended deity, to gratify their curiosity, and therefore he appeals to the prophet himself whether they deserved to have any countenance or encouragement given them: “Should I be enquired of at all by them? Should I accept their enquiries as an honour to myself, or answer them for satisfaction to them? No; they have no reason to expect it.”

They have set up their idols in their heart; they not only have idols, but they are in love with them, they dote upon them, are wedded to them, and have laid them so near their hearts, and have given them so great a room in their affections, that there is no parting with them. The idols they have set up in their houses, though they are now at a distance from the chambers of their imagery, yet they have them in their hearts, and they are ever and anon worshipping them in their fancies and imaginations. They have made their idols to ascend upon their hearts (so the word is); they have subjected their hearts to their idols; they are upon the throne there. Or when they came to enquire of the prophet, they pretended to put away their idols, but it was in pretense only; they still had a secret reserve for them. They kept them up in their hearts; and, if they left them for a while, it was cum animo revertendi – with an intention to return to them, not a final farewell. Or it may be understood of spiritual idolatry; those whose affections are placed upon the wealth of the world and the pleasures of sense, whose god is their money, whose god is their belly, they set up their idols in their heart. Many who have no idols in their sanctuary have idols in their hearts, which is no less a usurpation of God’s throne and a profanation of his name. Little children, keep yourselves from those idols.

They put the stumbling-block of their iniquity before their face. Their silver and gold were called the stumbling-block of their iniquity (Ezekiel 7:19), their idols of silver and gold, by the beauty of which they were allured to idolatry, and so it was the block at which they stumbled, and fell into that sin; or their iniquity is their stumbling-block, which throws them down, so that they fall into ruin. Note, Sinners are their own tempters, (every man is tempted when he is drawn aside of his own lust), and so they are their own destroyers.

If thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it; and thus, they put the stumbling-block of their iniquity before their own faces, and stumble upon it though they see it before their eyes. It intimates that they are resolved to go on in sin, whatever comes of it. I have loved strangers, and after them I will go; that is the language of their hearts. And should God be enquired of by such wretches? Do they not hereby rather put an affront upon him than do him any honour, as those did who bowed the knee to Christ in mockery? Can those expect an answer of peace from God who thus continue their acts of hostility against him? “Ezekiel, what thinkest thou of it?”

The answer which God, in just displeasure, orders Ezekiel to give them, Ezekiel 14:4: Let them know that it is not out of any disrespect to their persons that God refuses to give them an answer, but it is laid down as a rule for every man of the house of Israel, whoever he be, that if he continue in love and league with his idols, and come to enquire of God, God will resent it as an indignity done to him, and will answer him according to his real iniquity, not according to his pretended piety. He comes to the prophet, who, he expects will be civil to him, but God will give him his answer, by punishing him for his impudence. I the Lord, who speak, and it is done, I will answer him that cometh, according to the multitude of his idols.

Observe, those who set up idols in their hearts, and set their hearts upon their idols, commonly have a multitude of them. Humble worshippers God answers according to the multitude of his mercies, but bold intruders he answers according to the multitude of their idols, that is, according to the desire of their idols; he will give them up to their own hearts’ lust, and leave them to themselves to be as bad as they have a mind to be, till they have filled up the measure of their iniquity. Men’s corruptions are idols in their hearts, and they are of their own setting up; their temptations are the stumbling-block of their iniquity, and they are of their own putting, and God will answer them accordingly; let them take their course. According to the desert of their idols, they shall have such an answer as it is just that such idolaters should have. God will punish them as he usually punishes idolaters, that is, when they stand in need of his help, he will send them to the gods whom they have chosen, Judges 10:13-14.

Note: The judgment of God will dwell with men according to what they are really (that is, according to what their hearts are), not according to what they are in show and profession. And what will be the end of this? What will this threatened answer amount to? He tells them (Ezekiel 14:5): That I may take the house of Israel in their own heart, may lay them open to the world, that they may be ashamed; nay, lay them open to the curse, that they may be ruined.

The sin and shame, and pain and ruin of sinners, are all from themselves, and their own hearts are the snares in which they are taken; they seduce them, they betray them; their own consciences witness against them, condemn them, and are a terror to them. If God take them, if he discovers them, if he convicts them, if he binds them over to his judgment, it is all by their own hearts. O Israel, thou hast destroyed thyself. The house of Israel is ruined by its own hands, because they are all estranged from me through their idols. The ruin of sinners is owing to their estrangement from God. It is through some idol or other that the hearts of men are estranged from God; some creature has gained that place and dominion in the heart that God should have.

The extent of this answer which God had given them – to all the house of Israel, Ezekiel 14:7-8. The same thing is repeated, which intimates God’s just displeasure against hypocrites, who mock him with the shows and forms of devotion, while their hearts are estranged from him and at war with him. Observe, to whom this declaration belongs. It concerns not only every one of the house of Israel as before, (Ezekiel 14:4), but the stranger that sojourns in Israel; let him not think it will be an excuse for him in his idolatries that he is but a stranger and a sojourner in Israel, and does but worship the gods that his father served and that he himself was bred up in the service of. No, let him not expect any benefit from Israel’s oracles or prophets unless he thoroughly renounces his idolatry. Even proselytes shall not be countenanced if they be not sincere. A dissembled conversion is no conversion.

The description here given of hypocrites: They separate themselves from God by their fellowship with idols; they cut themselves off from their relation to God and their interest in him; they break off their acquaintance and intercourse with him, and set themselves at a distance from him. Those that join themselves to idols separate themselves from God; nor shall any be forever separated from the vision and fruition of God, but such as now separate themselves from his service and willfully withdraw their allegiance from him. But there are those who thus separate themselves from God, and yet come to the prophets with a seeming respect and deference to their office, to enquire of them concerning God, in order to satisfy a vain curiosity, to stop the mouth of a clamorous conscience, or to get or save a reputation among men, but without any desire to be acquainted with God or any design to be ruled by him.

The doom of those who thus trifle with God and think to impose upon him: “I the Lord will answer him by myself; let me alone to deal with him; I will give him an answer that shall fill him with confusion, that shall make him repent of his daring impiety.” He shall have his answer, not by the words of the prophet, but by the judgments of God. And I will set my face against that man – which denotes great displeasure against him and a fixed resolution to ruin him. God can outface the most impenitent sinner.

The hypocrite thought to save his credit, nay, and to gain applause, but, on the contrary, God will make him a sign and a proverb, will inflict such judgments upon him as shall make him remarkable and contemptible in the eyes of all about him; his misery shall be made use of to express the greatest misery, as when the worst of sinners are said to have their portion appointed them with hypocrites, Matthew 24:51. God will make him an example; his judgments upon him shall be for warning to others to take heed of mocking God: for thus shall it be done to the man that separates himself from God, and yet pretends to enquire concerning him.

The hypocrite thought to pass for one of God’s people, and to crowd into heaven among them; but God will cut him off from the midst of his people, will discover him, and pluck him out from the thickest of them; and by this, says God, you shall know that I am the Lord. By the discovery of hypocrites, it appears that God is omniscient. Ministers know not how people stand affected when they come to hear the word, but God does. And by the punishment of hypocrites, it appears that he is a jealous God, and one that cannot and will not be imposed upon.

… That national sins bring national judgments. When virtue is ruined and laid waste everything else will soon be ruined and laid waste too, (Ezekiel 14:13). When the land sins against me, when vice and wickedness become epidemical, when the land sins by trespassing grievously, when the sinners have become very numerous and their sins very heinous, when gross impieties and immoralities universally prevail, then will I stretch forth my hand upon it, for the punishment of it. The divine power shall be vigorously and openly exerted; the judgments shall be extended and stretched forth to all the corners of the land, to all the concerns and interests of the nation. Grievous sins bring grievous plagues, and God has a variety of sore judgments wherewith to punish sinful nations, and he has them all at command and inflicts which he pleases.”

Complete Commentary on the Whole Bible, by Matthew Henry, 1706

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