The Stumbling Block of Iniquity

[Posted February 6, 2022]

Hi Mike,

Hope you are well, I was hoping I could get your feedback on something.

Ezekiel 7:19 tells us when disaster strikes the land of Israel, the people will be “casting their silver in the streets” because it has become worthless to them.

I was reading your study on the “Negative Application of Silver, Part 1”, and silver in the negative connotation represents our self-righteousness.

So, when we read of the Israelites “casting their silver in the streets” the spiritual application for us is the people had come to realize their own efforts, own works, and their self-righteousness were all worthless as far as salvation is concerned.

They had given up on their so-called “free-will” and realized their complete and total dependence on God for their deliverance and salvation.

Am I on the right track? I really would like to hear your interpretation of this highly misunderstood verse in God’s Word. Thanks Mike for all your help and for everything you do for us.

Your brother in Christ,
C​____

Hello C____,

You are on the right track!​ The day is coming when every religion on earth will “cast their silver into the streets… because it is the stumbling block of their iniquity”.

Eze 7:19  They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD : they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.

I wondered for many years about the exact meaning of that phrase “the stumbling block of their iniquity”. This phrase, which establishes a connection between ‘iniquity’ and a ‘stumblingblock’, is peculiar to the book of Ezekiel, and that connection is made in Ezekiel in five different verses. Here are those five verses:

Eze 3:20  Again, When a righteous man doth turn from his righteousness, and commit iniquity, and I lay a stumblingblock before him, he shall die: because thou hast not given him warning, he shall die in his sin, and his righteousness which he hath done shall not be remembered; but his blood will I require at thine hand.

Eze 7:19  They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.

Eze 14:3  Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their heart, and put the stumblingblock of their iniquity before their face: should I be enquired of at all by them?
Eze 14:4  Therefore speak unto them, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Every man of the house of Israel that setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to the prophet; I the LORD will answer him that cometh according to the multitude of his idols;
Eze 14:7  For every one of the house of Israel, or of the stranger that sojourneth in Israel, which separateth himself from me, and setteth up his idols in his heart, and putteth the stumblingblock of his iniquity before his face, and cometh to a prophet to enquire of him concerning me; I the LORD will answer him by myself:

I had always considered ‘iniquity’ to simply be another word for ‘sin’. Indeed ‘iniquity’ is a sin, but it is more than just another word for sin. The thought of searching for the Biblical definition of the word ‘iniquity’ never occurred to me, but that is why the Lord has made us a ‘body’ with many parts. A dear brother finally showed me the verse which defines the meaning of the word ‘iniquity’. When you read this verse you, too, will understand the meaning of “the stumbling block of their iniquity” and you will know that your understanding expressed in this email is spot on. Here is the Biblical definition of the word ‘iniquity’. It is defined in this very same prophet. This is the holy spirit’s definition of what the Lord Himself means when He uses this word ‘iniquity’:

Eze 33:13  When I shall say to the righteous, that he shall surely live; if he trust to his own righteousness, and commit iniquity, all his righteousnesses shall not be remembered; but for his iniquity [“trusting in his own righteousness”] that he hath committed, he shall die for it.

Let’s read again the verse ​about which ​you inquire​d​:

Eze 7:19  They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD : they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.

Self-righteousness is “the stumblingblock of [our] iniquity”, and that is the most insidious of all sins. That is true because we take credit to ourselves for that which the Lord has performed in  us:

Job 23:13  But he is in one mind, and who can turn him? and what his soul desireth, even that he doeth.
Job 23:14  For he performeth the thing that is appointed for me: and many such things are with him.

Rom 4:21  And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.

Php 2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.
Php 2:13  For [G1063: ‘gar‘, because] it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

The iniquity of self-righteousness will come upon every Christian who wants Christ’s name but not His food or His apparel.

Isa 4:1  And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.

Self-righteousness is also common to every Muslem, Buddhist, Hindu, Jew and atheist. “The stumblingblock of [our] iniquity” is inherent in the flesh of every man.

Job speaks for all men when he declares shortly before he comes to see just how “vile” he is:

Job 27:6  My righteousness I hold fast, and will not let it go: my heart shall not reproach me so long as I live.

Job 29:14  I put on righteousness, and it clothed me: my judgment was as a robe and a diadem.

Job 35:2  Thinkest thou this to be right, that thou saidst, My righteousness is more than God’s?

Read our studies in the book of Job.

Job had appeared before the Lord with “the stumblingblock of his iniquity before His face.”  This was the Lord’s reaction to such a presumptuous spirit:

Job 40:1  Moreover the LORD answered Job, and said,
Job 40:2  Shall he that contendeth with the Almighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it.
Job 40:3  Then Job answered the LORD, and said,
Job 40:4  Behold, I am vile; what shall I answer thee? I will lay mine hand upon my mouth.
Job 40:5  Once have I spoken; but I will not answer: yea, twice; but I will proceed no further.
Job 40:6  Then answered the LORD unto Job out of the whirlwind, and said,
Job 40:7  Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
Job 40:8  Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me, that thou mayest be righteous?

There are many commentaries on the book of Job, and they almost always dwell on how good men must suffer in this life. Very few recognize that Job typifies all of mankind and was suffering from the most insidious of all sins, “the stumblingblock of his iniquity”. Job thought his righteousness was of himself, and that is what we all just naturally think.

The tribulation, within and dispensationally, precedes the return of Christ and the resurrection of those who “first trusted in Christ”. Christ’s return strikes “great fear” in the minds of every man and woman on earth at that time of His unexpected appearing to us:

Rev 11:11  And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.

Inwardly we fear the Lord as Job did and want to serve Him. Outwardly and dispensationally the world will also in time want to submit to our Lord and His Christ. Christ and His Christ are coming with great power which will instantly make every military device of mankind obsolete and ineffective against the Lord and His Christ.

Rev 11:11  And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
Rev 11:12  And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
Rev 11:13  And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
Rev 11:14  The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.
Rev 11:15  And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

It is my fervent prayer that you realize y​ou and I must have this experience within first and be judged first or we will be in the resurrection of damnation/great white throne judgement/lake of fire/second death. We must be judged now, at this present time, or we will not take part in the blessed and holy first resurrection:

Eph 1:12  That we should be to the praise of his glory, who first trusted in Christ.

1Pe 4:17  For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God?
1Pe 4:18  And if the righteous scarcely be saved, where shall the ungodly and the sinner appear?

There are great blessings in being counted worthy to be in that blessed and holy first resurrection:

Rev 20:1  AND I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
Rev 20:2  And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
Rev 20:3  And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
Rev 20:4  And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Rev 20:5  But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Rev 20:6  Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

Your brother in Christ, Mike