3 “Son of man, speak to the elders of Israel and say to them, ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “Do you come to inquire of Me? As I live,” declares Lord Yahweh, “I will not be inquired of by you.”’ Ezekiel 20:3 (LSB)
The Visible Church has become largely corrupt and apostate. Some are going the direction of Joel Osteen’s Word of Faith gospel that tells us that God wants to bless us, but cannot because we are not asking Him for it or we are not doing something right. Then there are those denominations that are affirming same-sex marriage, which is expressly condemned in God’s Word….
There are apostasy examples all across the board and there is not room enough or time enough to address them all here. However, these things all have one thing in common. These are people seeking to be seen as “Christian,” but on their own terms rather than what the Word of God clearly teaches us.
Apostate Israel and Judah in the Old Testament are prime examples of this. God had clearly given them the right way to worship Him and the things that were an abomination to Him. This is all contained in the Law. Ezekiel was a captive in Babylon prior to the destruction of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar. He was a priest. In Ezekiel 20 we are given a very long oracle from God spoken to the prophet to be given to the elders who came to him to hear God’s Word and to inquire or pray to Him. However, God gives them the exact reason why they are under His judgment and why He will not be inquired of by them. In other words, He was not going to listen to their prayers.
In Ezekiel 20 God gives us the truth of Israel’s apostasy starting in the Exodus all through the hundreds of years up to the destruction of both nations, Judah and Israel, as His judgment against them. What was their crime?
Repost from November 2016: ‘As I Live,’ Declares The Lord, ‘I Will Not Be Inquired Of By You.’