Lesson 11: The men who had connections with God (Ezekiel 14:12-20) (2023)

Have you ever had connections that earned you special treatment? Everyone else was waiting in a long line when your connection got you to the front of the line. Nobody else was able to get tickets to the sold-out event, but your connection got you the best seats in the house. There were 50 applicants for the position, but your connection ensured your CV was given special consideration.

When my uncle was in the Air Force, he knew a colonel who went to his church. One day the colonel at base saw my uncle in the enlisted cafeteria and came over and invited him to join him in the officers' mess. He even carried my uncle's tray through the line! The other teams thought, “Wow! This guy must have something to do with the 'old man'!” He was connected! As they say, “It isn'tWasYou know; It isWHOYou know, that counts!”

When you need connections, the best connection of all is with God. If you can get through to God to get special attention from Him, it goes straight up! You could call him The Ultimate Connection.

But you might be thinking, “Does God have favorites? I thought that he received everyone equally. Can we really have connections with God?” The answer is, God may not have favorites, but He does have familiar ones. Some people have connections to God in ways that others do not. When they pray, God listens. I want us to see how we can join them.

In at least two scriptures, God acknowledges that certain men had a special influence on him. In Jeremiah 15:1 God tells the prophet that even if Moses and Samuel stood before him, his heart would not be with that people, so great is their sin. The implication is that these two men usually had a particular influence, although in this case even they wouldn't pull through. But since we have already studied Moses I would like us to look at another text, Ezekiel 14:14, where God tells Ezekiel that even if Noah, Daniel and Job prayed for this people, He would not grant deliverance except only these men. Noah, Daniel, and Job clearly had connections with God.

Chronologically, these events occurred about five or six years before Jeremiah's prayer (32:16-25, which we studied earlier) during the siege of Jerusalem. A number of Judeans, including Ezekiel, had been captured after Babylon, but Jerusalem had not yet been destroyed. Nebuchadnezzar put Zedekiah over Judah. For a time he tormented himself under Babylonian rule, but then he foolishly ignored Jeremiah's prophetic warnings and rebelled, resulting in the destruction of the city and temple by Nebuchadnezzar.

But five or six years before that final destruction, some Israelite elders living in Babylon came to Ezekiel to inquire if the Lord would spare their homeland. The Lord revealed to Ezekiel that these men, who were outwardly godly, had inwardly set up idols in their hearts (14:3). After Ezekiel admonished them to put off their internal idols, Ezekiel gave them this word from the Lord that Israel's sin was too great for deliverance. Even if these three godly men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, prayed, it would be in vain.

Some scholars doubt that this Daniel is Ezekiel's contemporary because the spelling of his name differs slightly from that in the book of Daniel. They posit that this is a Daniel not mentioned in the Bible, but mentioned in an ancient Canaanite epic poem (whose name is also spelled slightly differently), who was known primarily as a fertility giver but also as a righteous man (John Taylor ,Ezekiel, Tyndale OT CommentaryIVP], p. 129). I find that incredible! The Jews in exile would not have upheld such a pagan mythical figure as a man of influence over God. Although a young man, Daniel had already distinguished himself as a man of prayer by interpreting Nebuchadnezzar's dream. The biblical Daniel is clearly meant, even if the spelling varies slightly (see Ralph Alexander,Bibelkommentar des Expositors[Zondervan], 6:808).

Why he is listed in the middle of two men who lived over 1,500 years ago we cannot be sure. All three men were known for their righteousness, which is why God chose them for special mention. Some suggest that the order reflects an increasingly strict application of the principle: Noah delivered his own family from God's judgment; Daniel betrayed his three friends; but Job lost even his children at his trial (Patrick Fairbairn,An exhibitionIfrom Ezekiel[Sovereign Grace Publishers], p. 75). But in any case, God mentions four times that these three could only deliver themselves in the present situation (14:14, 16, 18, 20). Twice God says that the cause of their deliverance would be their righteousness (14:14, 20). It was clearly their righteousness that provided these men with connections to God.

To pray effectively we must be righteous people.

"Righteous" is a rare word in American Christianity today. It may sound a bit strange to your ears. There are dozens of best-selling Christian books on finding fulfillment in personal life and marriage, but very few teach you how to be righteous. If you were invited to lunch with a man known for his righteousness, would you even want to go? Do you want to be known as a righteous man or woman? But it is the righteous person who has connections with God. James 5:16 tells us that "the effective prayer of a righteous man can do much." Let's look at what it means to be righteous so that we can pray effectively.

1. Righteous people have appropriated the righteousness that comes by faith.

The Bible uses the word "righteous" in two ways. It is used by the faith-righteousness that is namedimputedRighteousness (Rom. 3:21-4:25). This kind of righteousness is contrary to our good works. Paul says: "By the works of the law ['good works'] no flesh is justified ['justified'] in his sight" (Rom. 3:20). A few verses later he repeats, "For we affirm that man is justified by faith apart from the works of the law" (Romans 3:28). Our works cannot justify us because God is perfectly holy. A single sin is enough to separate us forever from God in His holiness. All the good works in the world cannot cover our sin.

Jesus Christ, who is God in human flesh, is the only one who ever lived a sinless life. His death on the cross satisfied God's righteousness as payment for our sins. When a person believes God in relation to the work of Christ to die for his sins, God attributes the righteousness of Jesus Christ to that person. He considers that person judicially just as righteous as Christ. This is imputed justice. We know that Noah was justified by faith because Hebrews 11:7 says his obedience in building the ark shows that he was "an heir of the righteousness that is of faith." In other words, through Noah's faith, God counted him righteous. This belief was manifested in his obedience in building the ark.

It is important that you personally understand and embrace this truth, or you will become hopelessly frustrated in your efforts to be a righteous person. There is a prayer that every unrighteous person, no matter how great their sin, can pray and know that God will answer, "God, be merciful to me a sinner" (see Luke 18:9-14). The moment a person by faith grasps God in this way, God imputes to that person on the basis of grace, apart from good works, the righteousness of Christ. Until we appropriate this righteousness by faith, we have no basis for approaching God and expecting to be heard. Everything else I'm going to say assumes that you have that righteousness through faith in Christ.

2. Righteous people walk with God.

That isThe second way the word righteousness is used in the Bible refers to right conductwhich proceeds from justification (“declared righteous”) by faith. It means "conformity to a standard" and indicates the conduct of those who live by God's revealed standards of right and wrong. When Genesis 6:9 says that "Noah was a righteous man, blameless in his day," that refers to his behavior. Because Noah had found grace in the eyes of the Lord (Gen. 6:8) through faith (Hebrews 11:7), he had a righteous standing before God, which was now revealed in his righteous conduct. Genesis 6:9 adds that Noah walked with God. This applies to all who have been declared righteous by faith: they walk with God. That means at least five things, as you can see in the lives of these three men:

(1) Walking with God means believing in God.

By that I mean not only saving faith, but also a life of constant trust in God. Faith is believing God concerning the unseen, even when the things we see seem to contradict what God said (see Hebrews 11:7). God warned Noah of the coming flood judgment. Probably it had never rained on the earth up to this point, since the earth was watered by a mist that rose from the ground (Genesis 2:6). Surely there had never been anything like a flood that destroyed everything. Noah had to take God's word by faith and act on it, contrary to what he saw with his eyes. He built his whole life around this Word of God barring tangible evidence that it was going to happen.

Daniel displayed the same practical faith in God throughout his long life. When Nebuchadnezzar wanted to kill him and his friends because nobody could interpret his untold dream, Daniel waited for God for this information. Later, when he was thrown into the lions' den because he would not stop praying, he trusted God to protect him.

The same was true of Job. With his children slain, his wealth gone, his body racked with pain, and his friends accusing him of a secret sin, Job affirmed: “I know that my Redeemer lives, and at last he will stand on earth. Even after my skin is destroyed, I will see God from my flesh” (Job. 19:25-26).

That's what the Christian life is all about - relying on God's Word for the future rewards of Heaven and the judgment of Hell. We have moved away from that. We emphasize the present benefits of being a Christian. Christianity is marketed as a product that can do everything from losing weight to being a successful salesman. But righteous people live daily by turning their backs on the glittering visible things of this world and trusting in the invisible promises of God.

(2) Walking with God means obedience to God.

Noah obeyed God and no doubt built the ark in the face of intense ridicule. He obeyed by boarding the ark before there was any sign of a flood. Twice we are told that Noah did all that the Lord commanded him (Genesis 6:22; 7:5). Daniel obeyed God and asked pardon from eating the king's contaminated food. He later obeyed God by continuing his daily prayers in disobedience to the king's edict. Job submitted to God even though he didn't understand why he was suffering.

And each of these men obeyed God in the long run in the face of opposition and adversity. They had what Eugene Peterson calls "a long obedience in the same direction." It probably took Noah 120 years to build the ark (Genesis 6:3). For 120 years he was the laughing stock of the area. It must have been a favorite pastime to go over and watch old Noah work on his ark. There it was, a 450 foot long, 75 foot wide, 45 foot high ship, sitting high and dry in Noah's backyard! Can you imagine the kind of jokes Noah and his family endured? “He says that God will flood the whole earth because of our sin! Ha! What a nut!”

Daniel and Job also obeyed God in the long run against opposition and adversity. Daniel was in his eighties when he was thrown into the lions' den. Some may have thought, "What a reward for living faithfully to God!" But Daniel submitted to God's sovereign control of the situation. Job did not understand why God was treating him this way, and he admitted his intense frustration, but he never defied God or said, "If you are going to treat me this way, see if I still follow you!"

I am afraid that many will obey God as long as it gets them what they want out of life, but if they face extended trials, forget it. When you peel everything away, it is really Self, not God, that you are serving. But righteous people walk with God, which means long-term obedience, despite odds or trials.

(3) Walking with God means integrity with God.

Both Noah and Job were called “blameless” (Genesis 6:9; Job 1:1, 8; 2:3), meaning “to be perfect or whole, to be whole.” Although the word is not used, the description of Daniel by his enemies describes this quality: They could find no charge against him (Dan. 6:4-5). When used for language (Amos 5:10) it refers to what is fully consistent with truth and fact (Brown, Driver, & Briggs,Hebrew and English Lexicon of Old TeSSo[Oxford], p. 1071). Just because these men were blameless doesn't mean they were sinless perfect. Rather, it means that they were not hypocritical; They have not presented themselves well in front of others, but are secretly living in sin. Unlike the elders who came after Ezekiel, they did not openly profess to follow God, but hid idolatry in their hearts.

How do you get that kind of integrity? In a word, by being honest with God and with others. You must walk openly before God at the heart level, not hiding sin or thinking that there is a part of your life that He doesn't see. He even sees our thoughts and motives (Hebrews 4:12-13). In this way you live each day knowing that God sees your life and that one day you will give an account to Him (1 Thess. 2:5, 10). They judge every wrong thought and immediately confess it to Him.

You must also value honesty in your relationships with others. If you're fumbling with the truth (a nice way of saying you're lying), you must do it right by confessing to the Lord and to the one you lied to. God is the God of truth; His people must work to be honest with himself and others.

(4) Walking with God means standing alone with God.

All three of these men lived in particularly ungodly times. In the days of Noah, ungodliness was so widespread that God felt sorry for making man and decided to judge the whole earth with the deluge. At the time of Job (probably around 2000 BC), as far as we know, there was no unified people of God. God may have called Abraham at about the same time, but there were few who called on His name. Daniel and his three friends seem to be the only ones who stood up for the Lord in Nebuchadnezzar's court in Babylon. All of these men were under intense pressure to compromise, but they stood apart from the world and alone with God.

Walking with God means you will encounter situations where you have to face the crowd alone. Of course you are never alone because God is with you. But you may be the only student in a classroom, the only one at a social gathering, or the only one at work who says, "No, I won't do that because I'm a Christian!"

(5) Walking with God means fellowship with God.

It is said that Noah walked with God. Although not stated, it is certain that Job and Daniel also walked with God. The word "go". implies community. As I said, you are not alone when you must stand alone because you enjoy fellowship with God.

Marla and I like to hike together. This time of walking and talking, enjoying the scenery, the trees, the birds and the animals builds closeness in a relationship. You share with one another what is the essence of fellowship. The Christian life is not just obedience to God's commandments; it is also communion with Him throughout life.

Thus righteous people have appropriated the righteousness that comes by faith. As a result, they walk with God, which means trusting him, obeying him, being honest with him, standing alone with him, and having fellowship with him.

3. Righteous people stand up for others.

It is interesting that although the Bible often says that God spoke to Noah, there is no record of Noah praying to God. But we can be sure he did! Job undoubtedly interceded for his children and he prayed for his three "friends" (Job 1:5; 42:8-10). There are many instances when Daniel prayed for himself and others (Dan. 2:18; 6:10-11; 9:3; 10:2-3, 12). You can see it in many other godly people in Scripture - they have interceded with God for others.

Who knows what the world owes to righteous people who pray? We won't know until we get to heaven. God will play the video of our life and we will be surprised when we see it: “Look at that, back when I was saved from sin, my godly mother prayed for me! Back then I was protected from an accident, a godly friend lifted me up to the throne of mercy! Back when I was so discouraged, I was kept from quitting because a godly church member was praying!” Most of us owe our conversion, humanly speaking, to a righteous person who prayed for us into God's kingdom. Righteous people pray for others. But,

4. There are times when even the prayers of the righteous will not prevail.

That is the context of Ezekiel 14. The city of Jerusalem had not yet been destroyed, but it was inevitable now because God decided that it was to be judged as a testament to His separation from the sin of His people. God had graciously warned them time and again for centuries. But eventually they had crossed the line. Now not even the prayers of righteous Noah, Daniel, or Job could prevail.

We make a grave mistake if we believe that God's patience knows no bounds. His grace is great. His patience reaches far beyond human patience could ever go. But there is a limit. There is a national limit when God sovereignly says, "That is enough!" He told Abraham that his descendants would be enslaved in another land for 400 years and then would return to the land of Canaan. Then God added, "The iniquity of the Amorites is not yet finished" (Genesis 15:16). God was patient with the immoral Canaanites for over 400 years, but then He said, "That is enough!" and commanded Israel to destroy them in judgment. Nations like ours that turn away from the knowledge of God bank on His grace.

Also, there is a limit to God's personal patience. If we have not responded to His grace, we face death at that frontier that can strike at any moment. But it can also happen when someone repeatedly hardens their heart against God. He crosses a line where he is so confirmed in sin that even the prayers of the righteous for his salvation will not prevail. We never know exactly when that limit will be crossed. We know that God is both just and merciful. But the fact that the lineage exists should make us tremble at the thought of continuing our sinful ways. "Seek the Lord while he may be found" (Isa. 55:6)!

Diploma

The president of a large city bank was spotted in front of the ATM one day, carrying out a transaction quite slowly. After a short wait, he was heard saying, "Come on - it isMich!” The president of a bank does not give you any special connections to the ATM! But being a righteous person gives you connections to God. When we are righteous people— declared righteous by faith in Christ and lived righteously by walking with him—then we can stand up for a lost and hurting world, knowing that our prayers will make a difference.

Discussion Questions

1. If God answers the prayers of the righteous, how can it be in accord with grace?
2. Is God's refusal to answer prayers because of a person's (or nation's) sin a rare thing or is it common?
3. Is it enough to ask God once, or do we have to keep praying until He answers prayer?
4. How do we know if we should commit to praying for someone? Should we ever stop praying for someone's salvation?

Copyright, Steven J. Cole, 2002, all rights reserved.

Unless otherwise noted, all Bible quotations are from the New American Standard Bible, Updated Edition © The Lockman Foundation