S) "1 Then some elders of Israel came to me and sat down before me. 2 And the word of the Lord came to me, saying, 3 'Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts and have put right before their faces the stumbling block of their iniquity. Should I be consulted by them at all? 4 Therefore speak to them and tell them, "Thus says the Lord God, 'Any man of the house of Israel who sets up his idols in his heart, puts right before his face the stumbling block of his iniquity, and then comes to the prophet, I the Lord will be brought to give him an answer in the matter in view of the multitude of his idols, 5 in order to lay hold of the hearts of the house of Israel who are estranged from Me through all their idols.'"'"
Ezekiel 14:1-5 (NASB)
O) Commonly, elders and kings would seek prophets, that they might gain certain answers to their questions. Here, Ezekiel was approached, but the LORD cuts off their inquisition. In fact, we don't actually ever learn what exactly they wanted to ask. We could guess based on history, but the story never gets that far, because God interrupts the meeting to call these elders to account for the idolatry of their hearts. God cut to the real issue. Whether these men had physical idols erected in their homes, or if they went to temples to worship idols, wasn't the main issue. Whatever their questions for God, wasn't His main concern. Before aiding these elders, before even answering them, God wanted to address the idolatry of their hearts. This is what it means in v.4, when the LORD said he would give an answer "in view of the multitude of his idols," because God knows that nothing will truly change unless and until their hearts change. These men erected their heart-idols themselves (v.3), and until those idols were removed, even receiving true answers from the LORD wasn't going to help their issues, because everything would be skewed based on their idolatry. Until their hearts were purified, and until they decided to devote themselves wholly to the LORD as their God, there was nothing else worth discussing. When there are heart-idols erected, it is the primary concern of the LORD our God.
A) God does not change. This must grab my attention, because it was clearly a big deal to the LORD at that time, and I would be a fool to think that He feels any differently about the topic now. It would also be foolish of me to think that I do not have the same issue that these elders of Israel had. I have certainly found myself with a propensity toward erecting idols in my heart. Those idols can be anything from my marriage to money, videogames to lust. Idolizing anything in my heart is an easy pitfall, and it should always be a primary concern of mine. Purging my heart of idols is necessary, before I can really expect God to answer any of my prayers. Cleaning the house of my heart must be done, if I have any interest in serving and worshiping the LORD. Otherwise, everything I do will be tainted. Knowing my own heart is hard, though. Sin is deceitful, and men have difficulty seeing beyond the outward appearance, even our own. This is why the Word of God is so important. This is why accountability with others is so important. I must be transparent with my wife. I must hold myself accountable to other Christian men. As I mentioned yesterday, I should be inviting others to carefully, critically, and lovingly examine my life. My heart should be open, because it is my desire to have no one on the throne in my most secret place, other than Jesus Christ, my Lord, my King.
P) Father, only You are worthy of my worship. There is a throne in my heart, and it is rightfully Yours alone. However, I confess that I have a terrible habit of erecting idols in that holy sanctuary. In the secret room of my heart, I am less than faithful. But, I know that You are ever-faithful. I confess to the sin of idolatry of heart, and I ask for forgiveness. I know that in Christ Jesus, I am washed clean. I know that through the Holy Spirit, I can walk in freedom. Open my eyes, though. Help me to clearly see my own heart. Convict me and make it plain, to me and others, when I have put right before my face, the stumbling block of my iniquity. Discipline me as a son, Father God. Let me worship You in purity, in spirit and in truth. Let me be wholly devoted to You. Let Your will be done. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen.
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