Ezekiel chapter 14

vs 12

Another new section.

vs 13

So, the country is in pretty dire straits in this example God is painting - it is a country that has sinned against God, and that he is seeking to judge.

vs 14

That's three pretty righteous people. Who is Daniel? Good question. I mean, it can't be the Daniel of the exile, surely. There's a note in the (T)NIV that says it could be Danel, a man of ancient literature who was of great renown. Yeah, him. Anyways, the point is that in the past God has turned his wrath away on the word of a righteous man. But even now, on the word of three, he would not - he would merely save the righteous ones and let the rest perish. God has made it clear again and again that a massive, tragic punishment is on its way.

vs 15

Wow, did that happen? That's a pretty nasty plague I've never heard of.

vs 16

Of course, Job prayed for his sons and daughters every day, and still they weren't saved from being killed in tragic circumstances. But the point here is that God is so set on his punishment that these righteous men could not change his mind.

But this brings up an interesting question about prayer and intercession that I have no real way of answering adequately, but I'll ask it just so it's out there. It's a wonderful paradox where God knows what is going to happen, and has a will that should be done, but holds off on that will under petition from the righteous. But here, God says he wouldn't do that. I guess it's like if I pray for someone to become a Christian, they may or may not. God has a will about it, the person has decisions in it, it's a complex thing. God is patient, and he waits a long, long time in some people's case. It's like wrath is a bucket, and every time we sin, a drop goes in the bucket, until eventually God gets fed up with the dripping noise and tips the bucket over our heads. God will wait a long time, but not forever. This is, I suppose, another way we can know that the end times will actually eventually come. God is patient, but he will close the deal eventually.

vs 17

The sword usually has a guy from a foreign nation on the other end of it - it doesn't just fly around on its own. And it usually has like 99,999 other foreigners with swords with it.

vs 18

God's making his point pretty clear here. This is it. Judah is going into exile, and lots of people are going to die, and there's nothing any righteous person can do about it.

vs 19

I'm sure you can see the pattern here.

vs 20

What interests me is that Moses isn't on the list. I guess Moses has a fair list of faults in the Law, whereas Noah is pretty clean, and Job is too. Not perfect, not little Jesus archtypes quite like Daniel (even though this might be referring to old mate Danel - I'm just saying), but still pretty darn righteous people. Proverbs is right though at least - their righteousness would save someone - themselves. Wives aren't mentioned, out of interest. Job's wife didn't die. Noah's wife didn't die. I wonder?

vs 21

So God has made it clear that if any one of these plagues had befallen a people, he would not turn away his wrath. He is sending all four against Jerusalem. They are boned.

vs 22

God still makes it clear, though, even in all this, that not everyone will die. Some men and women will survive. Some. A few. And they will come to Ezekiel (which in an off-hand way also suggests Ezekiel will survive to see it). And there will be something about their conduct that will make it comforting to know that God has done what he has done regarding the judgment. Does that mean that even these who are left over will still be wicked?

vs 23

This verse to me suggests that yes, you will see that they are wicked, and their actions will prove that the judgment was just. Now, they might be repentant, and that's why they escape death. Or they might just be the ones God has 'blessed' with exile as a punishment instead of death. But they are by no means as righteous as Job, Moses and old mate Danel. That Danel, what a lark.