Questioning God

“Son of man, these leaders have set up idols in their hearts. They have embraced things that will make them fall into sin. Why should I listen to their requests? Tell them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: The people of Israel have set up idols in their hearts and fallen into sin, and then they go to a prophet asking for a message. So I, the LORD, will give them the kind of answer their great idolatry deserves. I will do this to capture the minds and hearts of all my people who have turned from me to worship their detestable idols.’ [Ezekiel 14.3-5]

I want to focus on this sentence: The people of Israel have set up idols in their hearts and fallen into sin, and then they go to a prophet asking for a message.

These were religious people. They could be compared to the Church today! They go through all the motions of religion, but things don't go as planned, and so they seek a word from God. They are "doing everything right" in their own eyes so they ask God, "What's wrong?"

This sounds way too familiar! I confess, it sounds way too familiar in my own life as well.

When idols are so much a part of our lives, we fail to see that they are even idols. In this deceived state of mind, we naturally turn to God bewildered how such curses could be upon our lives. But instead of accepting what God says about curses (that they are the result of sin), we further add to our idolatry by academically formulating religious ideologies like, "bad things can happen to good people..." and preach consoling messages and write popular books that deny the basest principle of sin and death, "If you eat this fruit, you will die."

And, if the indictment above is not enough, we go so far as to call it faith to "trust God when bad things happen" instead of recognizing the Biblically clear need to repent. This, because we use faith adulterously, is an idol. Idolatry is trusting anything or anyone other than God for that which He promised to provide. To trust our modified religious version of God (doctrine, we sometimes call it) that is based on our experience instead of God's Word is idolatry!

Idolatry in modern times is no longer an easily identifiable statue or trinket! Step for step, along with the knowledge of man, idolatry has advanced greatly! Only those most committed to the purity of God's Word will recognize the infiltration of idolatry in life and religion as we know it today. The rest, will run to God asking, "What's wrong?"

What Ezekiel so aptly pointed out here is that idolatry causes people to question God.

May God help us abide by the purity of His Word! May prophets of God be faithful to declare the pure unadulterated truth of God!

Father, forgive me for being so lazy about You and Your Word. Forgive me for the idol of self-prescribed ignorance of You. Help me change.