John Calvin Commentary Ezekiel 14:9

"And if the prophet be deceived and speak a word, I, Jehovah, have deceived that prophet, and I will stretch out my hand upon him, and will destroy him from the midst of my people Israel." — Ezekiel 14:9 (ASV)

Here God addresses that foolish thought in which many minds are caught up. When they had their own impostors at hand, they thought that all God’s threats could be repelled as if by a shield. They say, "Jeremiah and Ezekiel threaten us, but we have others to cheer us with good hope: they promise that all things will be joyful and prosperous for us. Since, therefore, only two or three deprive us of the hope of safety, and others, who are also far more numerous, promise us security, we do not need to despair."

Since they in this way oppose their impostors to the true prophets, and imagine a kind of conflict in which deception prevails and God’s truth is vanquished, He says there is no reason why the flatteries of the false prophets should deceive you. For if you say that they also bear the prophetic name and office, I reply that they err because of your fault; for I deceive them because your impiety deserves it.

This may still be obscure, but I will endeavor to explain it with a familiar example. At this time, we see that many, through sloth, withdraw from all fear and promise themselves freedom from punishment, while they reject all care for God.

"Oh," they say, "what do I have to do with religion? For this only causes me trouble; whoever wishes to devote himself seriously to God amidst these dissensions and divisions will enter a labyrinth." Therefore, since many think themselves free from fault, even if they reject God, this doctrine may be turned against them.

There are, indeed, today dissensions in religion which disturb many. But do you think that this happens rashly? "Oh! We do not know which party to follow." Then inquire! For God has not given such free rein to Satan and his ministers that the Church is disturbed and people are mutually opposed by chance.

But when this happens by the just judgment of God, it is certain that no one can be deceived unless of his own accord. For the Prophet takes that principle from Moses: whenever false prophets come forth, this is a test of faithfulness and of sincere piety. Thy God tries thee, says Moses, whether you love him (Deuteronomy 8:3).

Since, therefore, no false prophet arises without the just judgment of God, and since God wishes to distinguish between sincere worshipers and hypocrites, it follows that no one can be excused on this pretext of differing opinions, which arise by wise ordination. For since God wishes to make a test, as I have said, concerning His servants and sons, and since false prophets so confuse all things and shroud clear daylight in darkness, no one who truly and heartily seeks God will be entangled in their snares.

But Ezekiel will proceed even further, as I have previously hinted, namely, that all deceptions and errors do not arise rashly, but stem from the ingratitude of the people themselves. For if they had not so willingly given themselves up to the false prophets, God would undoubtedly have spared them.

But, since false prophets abounded on every side and were so plentiful everywhere, from this it may be understood that the people were worthy of such deceptions. So now we perceive the meaning of the Holy Spirit when God pronounces that He is the author of all the error which the false prophets were scattering about in this way.

For it is not sufficient merely to observe the sound of the words and then to elicit the substance of the prophetic teaching; rather, we must pay attention to the Spirit’s purpose. I have already explained why the Prophet says this: namely, that the Israelites should stop their customary turning away, saying that if they remained in doubt amidst various opinions, this should not be imputed to them as a crime.

For he answers that the false prophets only took this license because the people deserved to be blinded. And ultimately, he says that Satan’s lies multiplied not at random or at the will of men, but because God repays an ungrateful and treacherous people with a just recompense. So Paul says that error has a divine efficacy when men prefer embracing a lie to the truth (2 Thessalonians 2:11–12) and do not submit themselves to God, but rather shake off His yoke.

Therefore, whoever wishes to excuse himself for not acquiescing in God’s word under the pretext of simplicity, this answer is at hand: that all things are mixed together in this way by God’s just decree. Therefore, since Satan eclipses the light whenever clouds are scattered to disturb the weak, we find here that God is the author of it, because human impiety deserves it.

For the Prophet does not speak profanely here about God’s absolute power, as some say. Rather, when he mentions God’s name, he assumes that God is not pleased with such disturbance, when false prophets usurp His name.

It is certain, then, that God does not delight in such deception. But the cause must be considered, as we shall soon see. The cause is not always apparent; but it is undeniably established that God justly punishes people when true religion is so torn apart by divisions, and truth is obscured by falsehood.

We must maintain, then, that God does not rage like a tyrant but exercises just judgment. Besides, this passage teaches us that neither fraudulent acts nor deceptions arise without God’s permission. This seems absurd at first sight, for God appears to contend with Himself when He gives Satan license to pervert sound doctrine. And if this happens by God’s authority, it seems completely self-contradictory.

But let us always remember this: God’s judgments are not without reason called a profound abyss (Psalms 36:6), so that when we see rebellious people acting as they do in these times, we should not try to comprehend what far surpasses even the understanding of angels. Therefore, we must judge God’s works soberly and reverently, and especially His secret counsels.

But with the aid of reverence and modesty, it will be easy to reconcile these two things: that God establishes, cherishes, and defends His Church, and confirms the teaching of His prophets, all while He permits it to be torn and distracted by internal strife.

Why is this so? He acts in this way so that He may punish human wickedness whenever He pleases, when He sees people abuse His goodness and patience. When God lights up the flame of His doctrine, this is a sign of His immeasurable compassion; when He allows the Church to be disturbed, and people to be somewhat disoriented, this is to be attributed to human wickedness.

Whatever the explanation, He pronounces that He deceived the false prophets, because Satan could not utter a single word unless he were permitted, and not only permitted, but even ordered, while God exercises His wrath against the wicked.

In another sense, Jeremiah says that he was deceived (Jeremiah 20:7). "I am deceived, but you, Jehovah, have deceived me"; for there he speaks ironically. For when ungodly people boasted that so many of his prophecies were deceptive, and derided him as a foolish and misguided man, he says, "If I am deceived, you, O Lord, have deceived me."

We see, then, that by this ironic statement he rebukes the insolence of those who despised his prophecies; and finally, he shows that God was the author of his teaching. But in this passage, God pronounces without figurative language that He deceived the false prophets. If anyone now objects that nothing is more remote from God’s nature than to deceive, the answer is at hand.

Although the metaphor is rather harsh, yet we know that God attributes to Himself by a figure of speech what does not literally apply to Him. He is said to laugh at the ungodly; but we know that it is not consistent with His nature to ridicule, to laugh, to see, and to sleep (Psalms 2:4; Psalms 37:13).

And so in this instance, I confess, there is an imprecise way of speaking; but the meaning is not doubtful—that all deceptions are spread by God—since Satan, as I have said, can never utter the slightest word unless commanded by God.

But the kind of deceit that will solve this difficulty for us is described in sacred history. For when Ahab had a great crowd of false prophets, Micah alone stood firm and faithfully discharged his duty to God. When brought before King Ahab, he immediately blew away their boastings.

He answers: I saw God sitting on His throne; and when all the armies of heaven were gathered before Him, God inquired, 'Who will deceive Ahab?' And a spirit offered himself, namely, a devil, and said, 'I will deceive him, because I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.'

God answers, Depart, and so it shall be (1 Kings 22; 2 Chronicles 18). Afterwards it follows, Therefore the Lord put a lie in the mouth of all those prophets. Here He distinctly shows us the way in which God maddens the false prophets and deceives them, namely, that He sends forth Satan to fill them with his lies.

Since, then, they are impelled by Satan, the father of lies, what can they do but lie and deceive? The whole of this, then, depends on the just judgments of God, as this passage teaches. God, therefore, does not deceive, so to speak, without an intermediary, but uses Satan and deceivers as instruments of His vengeance.

If anyone resorts to that subtle distinction between ordering and permitting, he is easily refuted by the context. For that cannot be called mere permission when God willingly seeks for someone to deceive Ahab, and then He Himself orders Satan to go forth and do so.

But the last clause I quoted removes all doubt, since God put a lie in the mouth of the prophets; that is, He suggested a lie to all the false prophets. If God suggests, we will see that Satan flies forth not only by His permission to spread his deceptions, but since God wished to use his aid, He provided it on this condition and to this end. But we will leave the rest for the next lecture.

Prayer:

Grant, Almighty God, since we are so prone to error, that Your truth may always shine upon us amid the darkness of this world. Grant, also, that we may gaze upon it with open eyes and subject ourselves to You with true docility, so that being governed by both Your Word and Your Spirit, we may complete our course and at last arrive at that happy rest which Your only begotten Son has prepared for us. Amen.

[Exposition continues from previous day's lecture]

We saw in the last lecture with what purpose God permits so much license to the false prophets to deceive the people. For people would desire to blame God for their errors if He did not confront their rashness. But God has pronounced in this passage that His judgment is just, since the exiles, as well as the Jews remaining in the city, were equally blind.

Therefore, we must understand that there were no grounds for excuse when God’s hand was against an ungodly and wicked people. He now adds that He would be an avenger by destroying the false prophets from among the people. This seems at first sight not to be consistent with justice: that God should impel and precipitate people into error, and then exact punishment from them. And as I have said, people think themselves free from blame if God blinds them, casts them into a reprobate state of mind, and even hurries them into ungodly desires.

But I have already remarked that those are mistaken who evaluate God’s judgment by their own ideas. For how limited is our understanding! God’s judgments are a profound abyss (Psalms 36:6). Therefore, nothing remains except to wait for that day in which we will see face to face the things which we now behold darkly and obscurely, as Paul says (1 Corinthians 13:12).

Whatever the meaning may be, God acts rightly in deceiving the false prophets as a way of punishing an ungodly people; and when He summons the false prophets to judgment, that also is free from blame. But if people are restive through their own rashness and audacity, God will free Himself from all their slanderous accusations.

Therefore, let us diligently note this passage where God pronounces that He is the deceiver; because however Satan may plot with his lies to abolish the truth, yet he can accomplish nothing unless God permits him, as we have already explained in full detail.

But when false prophets are dragged to punishment, they have no grounds for complaint against God, and their complaints gain them nothing, since their own consciences condemn them.

They cannot object that they were compelled or violently drawn aside by God, since of their own accord and by their own efforts they tried to deliver wretched people to destruction by their lies. Since this is the case, God justly extends His hand to punish them, as He now says. But let us proceed to the next verse.