Ezekiel 14:22-23

Ezekiel 14 is a powerful look into how and why God judges. We see again the idea that God judges for reason, or for purpose (and we have seen in the previous chapters that this purpose is generally that we may know that He is the LORD ie. Bring Him glory).

‘"And they will comfort you, when you see their ways and their doings; and you shall know that I have done nothing without cause that I have done in it," says the Lord GOD.’ (Ezekiel 14:23)

We also glimpse the compassion God has amidst the judging. For he says that the nation is so evil that even if the three great men, Noah, Daniel and Job were in it, their righteousness would save only themselves (and not extend to the rest of the people), indeed verse 16, 18, 20 all say that their righteousness would not even cover their sons or their daughters. This reminds me of Sodom and Gomorrah, where Abraham was pleading for the cities, begging God to save them if he could find but a few righteous men in them...and God agreed that He would, except there were no righteous men. How much more evil must Jerusalem have been! For God says even if there were righteous men in it, their righteousness would not save anyone else.

But look at verse 22:

‘"Yet behold, there shall be left in it a remnant who will be brought out, both sons and daughters; surely they will come out to you, and you will see their ways and their doings. Then you will be comforted concerning the disaster that I have brought upon Jerusalem, all that I have brought upon it.’ (Ezekiel 14:22)

The extent of God’s compassion and mercy for the evil Israel is seen here: because although they are evil enough to be annihilated, God will save a remnant, both sons and daughters (a reference to the three men whose sons and daughters wouldn’t have been covered by their own righteousness). It is saying: there is no way for these people to be saved, but they will be by God’s sovereign grace. And the next verse says that this will show Ezekiel that all that the Lord does is for a cause. What better cause than to show the extents of His grace and mercy!