John Calvin Commentary Ezekiel 14:7

"For every one of the house of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that separateth himself from me, and taketh his idols into his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet to inquire for himself of me; I Jehovah will answer him by myself:" — Ezekiel 14:7 (ASV)

Ezekiel again returns to threats, because exhortations were not effective enough with such hardened people; for we have seen that they were stubborn in their vices and almost like untamed beasts. For unless God’s judgment had often been set before them, there would have been little fruit from teaching and exhortation.

This then is the reason why God here sets before them his vengeance: a man, a man, he says, or a stranger who sojourns among Israel. When he adds strangers, he undoubtedly speaks of the circumcised who professed to be worshipers of the true God, and so submitted to the law as to refrain from all impieties.

For there were two kinds of strangers: those who transacted business there but were profane men, remaining uncircumcised; and others who were not descended from the sacred race and were not native to the land, but yet had been circumcised and, as far as religion was concerned, had become members of the Church. God wanted them to be regarded in the same class and rank as the sons of Abraham.

The law shall be the same for the stranger and the home-born, wherever the promise is concerned (Numbers 15:15–16), and the same sentiment is repeated in many places. This is how the word 'foreigners' is now to be explained. But this circumstance exaggerates the crime of the chosen people. For if anyone settled in the land of Canaan and embraced God’s law, this was an incidental event; but the Israelites were by nature heirs of eternal life, because the adoption was continued through successive ages.

Since, then, they were born sons of God, it was all the more disgraceful to depart from his worship. And so, when Ezekiel here gravely rebukes the strangers, he shows how much more atrocious the crime was for those who were bound by a more sacred bond to the worship of God.

He says, and he was separated from after me. The Prophet yesterday said מעלי, megneli, from near or from towards me; here he more clearly expresses departure, when men reject the teaching of the law and openly show that they pay no obedience to God. For a person is said to follow God or to walk after him who sets God before himself as a guide, is devoted to his precepts, and continues in the way God pointed out. Thus, by the obedience of faith we follow God or walk after him; so we draw back from him when we reject his law and are openly unwilling to bear his yoke any longer. Hence, he shows what kind of separation of the people or of individuals from God occurs: namely, when they refuse to follow his law. The Israelites indeed wished God always to remain united to them, but they initiated the divorce, although they denied it. Therefore, the Prophet preemptively removes this excuse for backsliding when he says that they separated from God by not following him.

Finally, he repeats what we saw yesterday: he who caused his idols to ascend into his heart, he who placed the stumbling block of his iniquity before his face—that is, one who was drowned in his own superstitions, so that his idols held sway in his heart. Lastly, he speaks of one who is so audacious that he did not conceal his wish to oppose the Almighty: if anyone, he says, came to a prophet to inquire of him in me, or in my name, I will answer him.

He confirms what we saw yesterday: that he could no longer bear the hypocrites who so proudly deluded themselves. And certainly, when they openly worshiped idols and were defiled with many superstitions, what audacity and pride it was to consult true prophets! It is much the same as if a person should wantonly insult and rail at a physician, not only loading him with reproaches but even spitting in his face, and should afterwards go and ask his advice, saying, “What do you advise me to do?”

Such pride could not be tolerated between people. How then will God permit such insults to go unpunished?

For this reason he says that he would answer, but in his own way, as if he had said—they seek flatteries, but I will answer in myself: that is, in my natural character. I will not change it according to their pleasure, for they change my character by their fictions, but they are deceived. They gain nothing when they expect me to answer according to their views.

I will answer, he says, in myself; that is, they will feel that the answer proceeds from me, and they will have no reason for thinking that my servants will be submissive to them, as they are accustomed to abuse the false prophets whom they buy for reward, because they are venal.

For when anyone is venal, he is compelled to flatter like a slave. For there is no freedom except in a good and upright conscience. Therefore, God here distinguishes his servants from impostors who make a trade of their flatteries.