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beware official investigations

Ezekiel 14:6-11 (JDV)

Ezekiel 14:6 “Therefore, say to the household of Israel, ‘This is what the Lord Yahveh says: Repent and turn away from your idols; turn your faces away from all your repulsive things.
Ezekiel 14:7 You see, when anyone from the house of Israel or from the aliens who reside in Israel separates himself from me, setting up idols in his heart and putting his violating stumbling block in front of himself, and then comes to the prophet to investigate me, I, Yahveh, will answer him myself.
Ezekiel 14:8 I will turn against that one and make him a sign and a proverb; I will cut him off from among my people. Then you will know that I am Yahveh.
Ezekiel 14:9 ” ‘But if the prophet is deceived and speaks a message, it was I, Yahveh, who deceived that prophet. I will stick out my hand against him and exterminate him from among my people Israel.
Ezekiel 14:10 They will bear their punishment – the punishment of the one who inquires will be the same as that of the prophet –
Ezekiel 14:11 in order that the household of Israel may no longer stray from following me and no longer defile themselves with all their rebellions. Then they will be my people and I will be their God. This is the declaration of the Lord Yahveh.'”

beware official investigations

Ezekiel was responding to an official investigation by a group of influential elders. On such occasions, the prophet who was being investigated would be tempted to speak softly and avoid controversy. But the LORD did not want that. These elders were influential in Israel, but they also had compromised God’s truth and were themselves, idolaters. God’s message to them was not to be conciliatory. The message was a command to repent and turn away from idols.

If we speak up for God’s truth, we invite such official investigations — and many unofficial ones. God is watching to see if we mean in public what we say in private.

LORD, give us integrity — the courage to hold to our convictions no matter who questions them.