INDIVIDUAL RESPONSIBILITY Having spoken of the necessity of receiving the counsel of the true prophets, and rejecting the words of the false prophets and the deceptive prophetesses, He started to clarify the need for holy people to inquire a true prophet with a repentant heart; then God would listen to them. The one who inquires should be holy; and so should be the prophet. If the one who inquires transgresses, he will be responsible for his transgression; and likewise, if the prophet went astray, he will be punished for his iniquity. 1- Individual iniquity of the one who inquires 8. 2- Individual iniquity of the prophet 9-11. 3-Man’s commitment to his actions 12-20. 4- God’s care for the repentant remnant 21-23. 1- INDIVIDUAL INIQUITY OF THE ONE WHO INQUIRES When the elders of Israel came to the prophet to inquire, the word of God to him was: “Son of Adam, these men have set up their idols in their hearts, and put before them that which causes them to stumble into iniquity. Should I let Myself be inquired of at all by them?” (Ez 14:3). They came to ask God and not the idols; to ask Him through Ezekiel, His true prophet. Yet how would God respond to those, who worship the idols in their hearts?! Their concealed iniquity became a stumbling rock that closes the door of God’s response before their faces. God responds, not according to the heart of the prophet, but according to the multitude of their idols that reigned over their hearts (Ez 14:4, 5). He did not respond to their request, to provoke in them the spirit of repentance... “Repent, turn away from your idols, and turn your faces away from all your abominations” (Ez 14:6). He frankly tells them, that He will not respond to them before they drive out the idols from their hearts; so that God Himself reigns in the heart. 2- INDIVIDUAL INIQUITY OF THE PROPHET “If the prophet is induced to speak anything, I the Lord have induced that prophet, and I will stretch out My hand against him and destroy him from among My people Israel.” And they shall bear their iniquity; The punishment of the prophet shall be the same as the punishment of the one who inquired” (Ez 14:9, 10). I have no partiality. If the one who inquires sins, I shall punish him according to his evil heart. And if the prophet sins, I shall punish him according to his heart. God condemns the priest as well as the people; the minister as well as those he ministers to. 3- MAN’S COMMITMENT TO HIS ACTIONS God’s words came to him saying: “‘Son of Adam, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it. Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness,’ says the Lord God” (Ez 14:13, 14). He says, “When a land sins.” What does He mean by “land”? a- Origen believes that God does not mean the inhabitants of the earth. b- According to him, every sinner is considered as ‘earth’: [The sinner is called ‘earth,’ as it was said to Adam: “You return to the (earth), for out of it you were taken” 5 (Gen 3:19). Thus we can say that committing sin makes man as ‘earth’... You notice how the earth quakes and trembles... And we, like the earth, quake and tremble because of our sins1.] The Lord confirmed that when a land sins against Him and betrays Him, and He sends famine on it; and in it were these three: ‘Noah, Daniel, and Job,’ they would deliver no one but themselves by their righteousness. Then He confirmed that if a land is struck by wild beasts that its inhabitants are bereaved these three men would not deliver neither sons nor daughters. For a third time, if God brings a sword on that land, and cuts off man and beast from it, again these three men would not deliver neither sons nor daughters. Then finally, and for the fourth time, if God sends a pestilence into that land, and poured out His fury on them by blood; these three men would not deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they will only deliver themselves by their righteousness. The Lord, in the Book of Ezekiel, is confirming the personal responsibility of man for his faith and his life. We saw how the one who inquires (the people) bears his own iniquity; and so does the prophet. Here he confirms that even if a righteous man is there, he would be delivered, but he would never deliver even his own son or daughter, if the children do not follow righteousness like their fathers. Even though that generation was the seed of Abraham, the Patriarch and the man of faith; yet that would benefit them nothing. And if the generation before them, have diverted to idolatry, that would not commit their descendants to God’s wrath; they are only responsible for themselves. That, will be reconfirmed more clearly in chapter 18. In the light of this chapter, we understand the role of the saints in our life. St. John Chrysostom says: [If we are slothful, we cannot gain our salvation even with the help of others... I say this, not to deny the intercession of saints, but to provoke you to forsake your slothfulness and your leaning upon others, while lying on your backs.] And he also says: [How great is the blessing of the prayers of the saints, if we also work.] Intercession on behalf of the people was a living part of the work of prophets and priests; the prophet Samuel says: “As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord in ceasing to pray for you” (1 Sam 12:23). And at Mizpah, as the Philistines gathered together against the children of Israel, they said to Samuel: “Do not cease to cry out to the Lord our God for us, that he may save us from the hand of the Philistines” (1 Sam 7:8). Also Moses kept interceding for his people, until the Lord said to him: “Let Me alone, that My wrath may burn hot against them, and I may consume them. And I will make of you a great nation” (Exod 32:10). The prayers of saints support the striving soul that is ready to repent; but in case it persists on its stubbornness, it would benefit nothing. The Lord says to the prophet Jeremiah: “Do not pray for this people, nor lift up a cry or prayer for them, nor make intercession to Me; for I will not hear you” (Jer 7:16; 11:14). God, who said in the days of Hezekiah, the righteous king: “I will defend this city, to save it for My own sake, and for My servant David’s sake” (2 Kings 19:34), did not utter these words in the days of increasing evil, when He delivered the city to Nebuchadnezzar. Why has God chosen those three men: Noah, Daniel, and Job? Probably that is because they represent a sample of righteous men, who live among wicked people. Noah lived among a corrupt generation who was worthy of the great flood. Job kept his righteousness amid a pagan atmosphere. As for Daniel, he was 1 In Ezek. hom 4:2. 6 either that Daniel who lived pure, together with the three young men in the land of captivity, far from every possibility of holy life; or he probably was Daniel, mentioned in the tablets of ‘Ras-shamra,’ dating back to the year 1400 B. C.; a Phoenician wise man and a judge, who used to deal with justice in the cases of widows and orphans1. By that, the Lord would have rebuked the Jewish people, presenting three non-Hebrew righteous men: Noah and Job, before the time of Abraham; and Daniel, a Phoenician. It is as though, He wished to confirm to them His impartiality; that He wanted the salvation of every soul, whatever its race is, as long as it responds to His love and commandment. St. Augustine believes that through those three men, God undoubtedly presents symbols of three categories of people who would be saved: [I believe that Noah represents the righteous rulers of the Gentiles, because of his preparations for the great flood, as a symbol of the Church. Daniel represents the righteous in purity; and Job represents the righteous in marriage2.] Origen3 believes that each of those three men passed through three stages: a stage of happiness, followed by one of grief and suffering; then a return to joy and happiness. So also man, he starts his spiritual life by divine comforts, to be followed by a narrow way and troubles that bring him into new spiritual glories. This is the way of the glorified cross, or that of the fellowship with the suffering Christ, risen from the dead; namely, the way of salvation. As to the bitter punishments under which man falls because of his sins, these are four: a- Famine, that cuts off man and beast from the land (Ez 14:13). b- Wild beasts that make land desolate, and mothers bereaved (Ez 14:15). c- The sword that cut off man and beast from the land (Ez 14:17). d- A pestilence and pouring out God’s fury on the land by blood (Ez 14:19). Mentioning both “man and beast” is because “man” refers to the mental or psychological side; and “beast” to the physical side. It is as though sin that deprives man of God, makes him lose both the temporal and the spiritual blessings; namely those of the inner soul, as well as those of the body. Famine, loss of security (wild beasts), loss of peace (the sword), and loss of health (pestilence) are all natural fruits that man gets from sin, that separates man from God, the source of his fulfillment, security, peace, and health. That is why, when St. Augustine feels hunger and worry, he resorts to God, praying: [O my God,... You made my soul capable of accommodating Your infinite glory; so that nothing else would fill it but You!.] [O my God,... You made us for Your own sake... That is why our heart will stay always, troubled, worried, and with no peace, until it finds comfort in You4.] Those plagues, with the symbols they carry, represent four aspects resulting from the work of sin in man’s life; namely: hunger, that represents the loss of knowledge of the Truth; wild beasts that represent the dominion of the devils over the soul, to destroy every virtue in it, and to make the soul as hopeless as a woman who has lost her child; the sword, that represents man’s loss of his vitality, to become useless like a corpse; and 1 W.H. Morton : "Ras-Shnmra - Ugarit and Old Testament Exegesis" Review and Exposition 45 (1048), p. 70-72. 2 On Forgiveness of Sins and Baptism. 3 In Ezek. hom. 4. . 4 المؤلف: الحب الإلهي ، 1967 ، ص 43 7 finally pestilence, as man becomes like germs, that spread corruption all around. It is as though these plagues symbolize man’s deprivation of the Truth, his submission to the dominion of the devil, his deprivation of every vitality, and becoming a focus of corruption for others surrounding him. 4- GOD’S CARE FOR THE REPENTANT REMNANT Every time God speaks of chastening His people, or pouring His fury on them, because of their increasing sins, He would never forget to emphasis His care for the repentant remnant. 8 AN INSPIRATION FROM THE BOOK OF E ZEKIEL 14 I SINNED! I SINNED! My God... How difficult it is for me to confess! Expose to me my hidden depths; so that I should cry out: I sinned! I sinned! In the old days, the people used to cast the blame on the priests; And the priests used to cast the blame on the people! And every generation think that it is punished for sins of their fathers. As for me, I confess to You: I sinned! I sinned! My father will not intercede on my behalf, if I neglect my salvation! And I will not be punished for his weaknesses! I admit to You my personal responsibility! I sinned! Forgive me, and absolve me! The prophet Moses interceded on behalf of his people. And the prophet Samuel kept on praying for them. A cloud of witnesses surrounds us, who intercede and pray for us, and support us! Instruct me on how to care for my salvation, Then this cloud would become my support! I complain about myself to You; Sin has destroyed me: A famine for God’s word has come on me! I became like a desolate land, in which evil thoughts dwell, like wild beasts! The sword of sin strokes my depths, destroying my talents! By my sin, I became like a pestilence, corrupting those around me. I confess my sin to You; The responsibility is all mine! Save me... Rescue me!
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