What is the meaning of Ezekiel 33:31? So My people come to you as usual • Ezekiel pictures the exiles still showing up to hear the prophet. Their physical presence looks faithful, yet it is routine, casual, and comfortable. • The same scene appears earlier: elders “came to inquire of the LORD” yet were turned away (Ezekiel 20:1-3). • Isaiah speaks of people who “draw near to Me with their mouths” while hearts stay far off (Isaiah 29:13). • The simple, literal point: attending a gathering does not equal obedience or devotion. They sit before you and hear your words • They give Ezekiel honor, take their seats, listen respectfully. From the outside it resembles proper worship. • Jesus warned of hearers who never move past admiration: “Why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46). • James underlines the same contrast: “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22). • God’s Word is always true; the issue is never the message but the listener’s response. But they do not put them into practice • The disconnect between hearing and doing exposes empty religion. • Jesus’ parable of the two builders shows the outcome: one hears and acts, the other hears and ignores (Matthew 7:24-27). • Paul affirms, “It is not the hearers of the Law who are righteous before God, but the doers” (Romans 2:13). • Literal obedience is demanded; any other response is self-deception. They express love with their mouths • Warm words flow freely—praise, affection, even compliments toward the preacher. • Yet Psalm 78:36 notes, “They deceived Him with their mouths and lied to Him with their tongues.” • Jesus echoes this in Matthew 15:8: “These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me.” • John challenges believers: “Let us love not in word and speech, but in action and truth” (1 John 3:18). Their hearts pursue dishonest gain • The real motivation emerges: profit, advantage, self-interest. • Earlier God exposed this same sin: “In you they take interest and profit on loans and extort gain” (Ezekiel 22:12). • Peter warns, “In their greed these false teachers will exploit you” (2 Peter 2:3). • Jesus lists greed among the evils that flow “from within, out of men’s hearts” (Mark 7:21-23). • “The love of money is the root of all kinds of evil” (1 Timothy 6:10). Summary Ezekiel 33:31 literally describes people who keep attending, listening, and speaking fine words, yet never surrender their wills or wallets to God. They flatter with lips while pursuing gain, proving that mere exposure to truth cannot save. Genuine faith shows itself in obedient action, heartfelt devotion, and integrity that resists every form of dishonest profit. |
    |