Ezekiel Ezekiel, a priest and prophet, was born around 623 BC. He was probably raised in Jerusalem, and he was married (24:16-18). He went into exile in Babylon with Jehoiachin in 597 BC, where he lived by the Kebar River. He was called to be a prophet in Babylon on July 31, 593 BC (1:1). All that we know of his personal life is from the book named after him. Ezekiel often reinforced his prophetic words with strange actions, such as illustrating his message about the dire lack of food in the final siege of Jerusalem by eating food cooked over dung (4:12). Another time, he lay motionless for 430 days, one day for each year of Israel’s and Judah’s sin (4:4-7). When Ezekiel’s wife died suddenly, he was forbidden to mourn her in public (24:16-18); her death was a solemn warning of what would happen in Judah (24:15-27). Ezekiel’s strange actions were designed to grab people’s attention. At first, Ezekiel’s messages were rejected, but his prophecies were later vindicated as they began to come true and the nation was purged of idolatry. His teaching emphasized holiness, purity, resurrection, and the ritual law. His message of hope encouraged the exiles to remain faithful during t...

Divine Sovereignty and Human Responsibility The Bible ultimately traces all things back to God’s sovereignty. For example, the fact that the rain falls on the just and unjust alike is part of God’s sovereign plan (Matt 5:45). At the same time, God is in no way responsible for our sin; it is our responsibility because it comes from our own sinful desires. Scripture repeatedly demonstrates that people have the ability to choose to follow God or to reject him (see, e.g., Deut 30:15-20; Josh 24:15; John 1:12; Rom 10:9-13). God does not coerce people to have faith in him. Ezekiel 14:9-11 describes an intriguing situation in which God deceives a prophet but then also holds that same prophet accountable for his actions. This leads to a difficult question: How can we reconcile God’s sovereign control over all things with the personal choices and decisions for which we will be called to account? In giving misleading messages to false prophets, God was simply giving them and their hearers exactly what they wanted (cp. 2 Thes 2:11). Even a false prophet could give a prophecy that led people astray only with the Lord’s permission or direction. Unless God restrained them from their...