OUR FATHER REQUIRES REPENTANCE FOR HARBOURING IDOLS IN OUR HEARTS AND FOR CLINGING TO WICKED STUMBLING BLOCKS

One day, a number of the elders of Israel came to Ezekiel's home and sat in front of him. 

They wanted to inquire of the Lord through the prophet but the Lord, seeing their hearts, said to Ezekiel these words in the book of  Ezekiel chapter 14 verse 3;

“Son of man, these men have set up idols in their hearts and put wicked stumbling blocks before their faces. Should I let them inquire of me at all?

The Lord informed Ezekiel that the men had come with two conditions; they had idols in their hearts and they had wicked stumbling blocks before their faces.

The Lord, in verse 6, instructed Ezekiel to advise the men with these words;

“Therefore say to the people of Israel, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Repent! Turn from your idols and renounce all your detestable practices!

The two conditions the men of the elders of Israel needed to repent from were harbouring idols in their hearts (which are any alligiances that are held to anyone or anything that are prioritized over the Lord) and having stumbling blocks before their faces ( which are any sinful distractions that draw their attention away from God and towards satiating their lusts or ambitions).

In such a state, one cannot draw near to God and hear from Him. The Lord cannot forcefully interject himself onto a person's affairs in order to displace an idol or a stumbling block that has been incorporated into that person's life.

Such things must be willingly repented of and turned away from before the Lord can be accessible to those who call upon His name.

Amen.