Ezekiel 14:12-16 - They alone would be saved

14:12-14

We need to remember how psychologically incapable of believing that God would let Jerusalem be destroyed the people were. So here God emphasises how inescapable the judgement is. They had sinned, and done so repeatedly and generation after generation, so judgement was coming their way. Note the “if a country”, this principle of sin leading to judgement does not just apply to Israel.  Three men, Noah, Daniel and Job are mentioned, with God saying that if even of these three men were in the country, it would still be destroyed. They would save themselves, but no one else. Remember that Abraham prayed to God for Him to spare Babylon if there were ten righteous men in the city. Noah and Job are the righteous men of the Bible, but Daniel is not the Daniel of the lion’s den, but a figure of renown from ancient literature.

14:15,16

The same message will be repeated in various forms, but the message is the same. Judgement is coming. The only way out was repentance. Here God makes the situation even more poignant. Surely these righteous men would save their own families, surely God would spare them? But no, He would not. Indeed, one of the points that comes out from Ezekiel is individual responsibility. We are responsible for our own sins. We will do everything we can to avoid facing up to the fundamental fact that sin leads to judgement. “God is a God of love ....” is the sort of argument we are likely to make today, but it will not wash. Sins without repentance leads to judgement.