Ezekiel 14

In verse 9, the Lord says that if a false prophet is enticed to utter a prophecy, it is the Lord who has “enticed” him. The Lord does not tempt anyone to do evil (James 1:13–14), but the Lord does “give people over” to their sins (Romans 1:24,26,28). Furthermore, even evildoers and false prophets are under God’s ultimate control; they can do nothing unless He allows it.²³

Judgment Inescapable (14:12–23)

12–20 In this section, the Lord says that a nation or community cannot expect to escape judgment by relying on the righteousness of a few individuals. The Lord cites three RIGHTEOUS individuals as examples—Noah, Daniel²⁴ and Job (verse 14)—and says that their righteousness will save only themselves and no one else.²⁵ Sinful individuals will receive the punishment for their own sins; righteous individuals will receive the reward for their own righteousness (Galatians 6:7). Every individual is responsible for his or her own standing before God (2 Corinthians 5:10).

In these verses the Lord describes four different judgments: famine (verses 12–14), wild beasts (verses 15–16), a sword (verses 17–18), and a plague²⁶ (verses 1920). In each case, the three righteous men would be able to save only themselves. Even their children could not rely on their father’s righteousness for salvation.²⁷

21–23 The Lord says that some people will survive the judgment that is about to fall on Jerusalem (verse 22). These survivors will be as evil and unrepentant as the rest of Jerusalem’s population, but by God’s grace they will escape death and be sent into exile in Babylonia. When the new exiles arrive, then those already exiled will be consoled (verse 23), because they will see from the evil behavior of the new exiles just how wicked the people of Jerusalem had become. Then they will know that God had acted justly in destroying Jerusalem, and this knowledge will give them consolation.