Ezekiel 14:6
Therefore tell the house of Israel that this is what the Lord GOD says: 'Repent and turn away from your idols; turn your faces away from all your abominations.
Therefore tell the house of Israel
This phrase establishes the audience and the authority behind the message. "Therefore" connects the preceding context, where God addresses the elders of Israel who have set up idols in their hearts. "The house of Israel" refers to the collective people of Israel, God's chosen nation. Historically, Israel is in exile, and this message is a direct communication from God through the prophet Ezekiel. The phrase underscores the covenant relationship between God and Israel, reminding them of their identity and calling.

this is what the Lord GOD says
This phrase asserts divine authority. "The Lord GOD" in Hebrew is "Adonai Yahweh," emphasizing God's sovereignty and covenantal name. It is a reminder that the message is not from Ezekiel himself but from God, who is both the supreme ruler and the personal, covenant-keeping deity of Israel. This divine authority demands attention and obedience from the listeners.

Repent
The Hebrew word for "repent" is "shuv," which means to turn back or return. It is a call for a radical change of direction, both in thought and action. In the biblical context, repentance involves acknowledging sin, feeling genuine sorrow, and making a decisive turn towards God. This call to repentance is central to the prophetic message, emphasizing God's desire for restoration rather than judgment.

and turn away from your idols
"Turn away" is a continuation of the call to repentance, urging a physical and spiritual distancing from "idols." In Hebrew, "idols" are "gillulim," often associated with detestable things or dung, highlighting their worthlessness and impurity. Historically, Israel struggled with idolatry, adopting the gods of surrounding nations. This phrase calls for a rejection of false gods and a return to exclusive worship of Yahweh.

and turn your faces away from all your abominations
"Turn your faces away" suggests a deliberate and conscious decision to reject and avoid. "Abominations" in Hebrew is "to'evot," referring to practices that are detestable and offensive to God. These include idolatry and other sinful behaviors that violate God's commandments. The phrase emphasizes the need for a holistic rejection of sin, not just in action but in attitude and focus, aligning one's life with God's holiness.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Ezekiel
A prophet during the Babylonian exile, tasked with delivering God's messages to the Israelites.

2. House of Israel
The collective term for the people of Israel, who were in exile due to their disobedience and idolatry.

3. Idols
Objects or entities that the Israelites worshipped instead of the one true God, leading to their spiritual downfall.

4. Abominations
Practices and behaviors that are detestable to God, often associated with idol worship and moral corruption.

5. The Lord GOD
The sovereign and holy God of Israel, who calls His people to repentance and holiness.
Teaching Points
The Call to Repentance
God consistently calls His people to turn away from sin and return to Him. Repentance is not just feeling sorry but involves a decisive turning away from sin and towards God.

The Danger of Idolatry
Idolatry is not just the worship of physical idols but can include anything that takes the place of God in our hearts. We must examine our lives for modern-day idols such as money, power, or relationships.

God's Holiness and Our Response
God's call to turn from abominations highlights His holiness. As believers, we are called to reflect His holiness in our lives by rejecting sin.

The Role of the Prophet
Ezekiel's role as a prophet was to communicate God's truth, even when it was difficult. We are called to speak truth in love, even when it challenges the status quo.

The Promise of Restoration
Repentance leads to restoration. God desires to restore His relationship with us when we turn back to Him.
Bible Study Questions
1. What are some modern-day idols that can distract us from our relationship with God, and how can we identify them in our lives?

2. How does the call to repentance in Ezekiel 14:6 compare to the New Testament calls to repentance, and what does this say about God's character?

3. In what ways can we ensure that our worship remains focused on God alone, avoiding the pitfalls of idolatry?

4. How can we, like Ezekiel, be faithful in delivering God's truth to those around us, even when it is counter-cultural?

5. Reflect on a time when you experienced God's restoration after repentance. How did this impact your faith journey?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 20:3-4
The commandment against idolatry, emphasizing God's desire for exclusive worship.

Isaiah 55:7
A call to repentance, highlighting God's mercy and willingness to forgive.

Acts 3:19
The New Testament call to repentance, showing continuity in God's message across both Testaments.

1 John 5:21
A New Testament warning against idolatry, reinforcing the timelessness of this command.

Revelation 2:5
A call to remember, repent, and return to God, similar to Ezekiel's message.
Repent!J.R. Thomson Ezekiel 14:6
Disastrous Answers to PrayerJ.D. Davies Ezekiel 14:1-11
Heart Disease the Worst DiseaseEzekiel 14:1-11
Heart IdolsJ. Parker, D. D.Ezekiel 14:1-11
Hypocritical Inquirers of GodW. Jones Ezekiel 14:1-11
Idolaters Inquiring of GodR. Einlayson, B. A.Ezekiel 14:1-11
Idolatry in the HeartJohn Bate.Ezekiel 14:1-11
Idols in the HeartJ. Ogle.Ezekiel 14:1-11
Mental IdolatryS. Leathes, D. D.Ezekiel 14:1-11
The Idols in the Heart a Barrier to the TruthEvangelical PreacherEzekiel 14:1-11
Alienation from GodArchdeacon Furse.Ezekiel 14:5-6
RepentanceW. Greenhill, M. A.Ezekiel 14:5-6
Sin not ToleratedAnecdotes of Luther.Ezekiel 14:5-6
Things that Estrange the Heart from GodEzekiel 14:5-6
People
Daniel, Ezekiel, Job, Noah
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Abominations, Cause, Detestable, Disgusting, Faces, Gods, Idols, Practices, Renounce, Repent, Return, Says, Thus, Turn, Yea, Yourselves
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Ezekiel 14:6

     5763   attitudes, positive to God
     6195   impenitence, results
     6627   conversion, nature of
     6733   repentance, nature of
     8468   renunciation

Ezekiel 14:1-11

     8648   enquiring of God

Ezekiel 14:4-9

     7774   prophets, false

Library
Education of Jesus.
This aspect of Nature, at once smiling and grand, was the whole education of Jesus. He learned to read and to write,[1] doubtless, according to the Eastern method, which consisted in putting in the hands of the child a book, which he repeated in cadence with his little comrades, until he knew it by heart.[2] It is doubtful, however, if he understood the Hebrew writings in their original tongue. His biographers make him quote them according to the translations in the Aramean tongue;[3] his principles
Ernest Renan—The Life of Jesus

"Thou Shalt Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother. "
From this Commandment we learn that after the excellent works of the first three Commandments there are no better works than to obey and serve all those who are set over us as superiors. For this reason also disobedience is a greater sin than murder, unchastity, theft and dishonesty, and all that these may include. For we can in no better way learn how to distinguish between greater and lesser sins than by noting the order of the Commandments of God, although there are distinctions also within the
Dr. Martin Luther—A Treatise on Good Works

"All Our Righteousnesses are as Filthy Rags, and we all do Fade as a Leaf, and Our Iniquities, Like the Wind, have Taken us Away. "
Isaiah lxiv. 6, 7.--"All our righteousnesses are as filthy rags, and we all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away." Not only are the direct breaches of the command uncleanness, and men originally and actually unclean, but even our holy actions, our commanded duties. Take a man's civility, religion, and all his universal inherent righteousness,--all are filthy rags. And here the church confesseth nothing but what God accuseth her of, Isa. lxvi. 8, and chap. i. ver.
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

"And There is None that Calleth Upon Thy Name, that Stirreth up Himself to Take Hold on Thee,"
Isaiah lxiv. 7.--"And there is none that calleth upon thy name, that stirreth up himself to take hold on thee," &c. They go on in the confession of their sins. Many a man hath soon done with that a general notion of sin is the highest advancement in repentance that many attain to. You may see here sin and judgment mixed in thorough other(315) in their complaint. They do not so fix their eyes upon their desolate estate of captivity, as to forget their provocations. Many a man would spend more affection,
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Ezekiel
To a modern taste, Ezekiel does not appeal anything like so powerfully as Isaiah or Jeremiah. He has neither the majesty of the one nor the tenderness and passion of the other. There is much in him that is fantastic, and much that is ritualistic. His imaginations border sometimes on the grotesque and sometimes on the mechanical. Yet he is a historical figure of the first importance; it was very largely from him that Judaism received the ecclesiastical impulse by which for centuries it was powerfully
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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