Ezekiel 6:1-14

Ezekiel is in Babylon so he is called to turn his face to the west and proclaim a message to the mountains of Jerusalem.  The mountains are a representation of the high places where the children of Israel would build unauthorized altars for making sacrifices to the Lord that eventually became altars to their pagan gods and centers for idolatry.  The worship of idols had gotten so bad in Israel that there was an altar or a place for burning incense on every street.  Baal had become far more worshiped than God.  Ezekiel is called to proclaim a message against the nation because of all its idolatrous activity.  Our idols may be different today but they are no less common.  We worship our possessions and our comfort.  We have convinced ourselves that we have no need of God so we have become our own gods and we worship at the altars of our own pleasure and prosperity.

THE DESTRUCTION OF IDOLATRY: God does not tolerate idolatry within His people without retribution.  Israel had sought after idols for generations.  They had turned their street, the hills outside the city, the forests and the fields into temples of idolatry.  They worshiped the gods of the nations God had called them to destroy.  This was the reason for God’s judgment on Israel.  God had determined to destroy idolatry from His nation.  The worshipers of idols would be lying dead in front of or even on top of their altars.  These sacred altars would be defiled with the rotting flesh and the human bones scattered all around them.  The places for burning incense on the streets of Jerusalem would be burnt to a crisp and remembered no more.  God is very capable of bringing about the destruction of any people and any nation that refuses to worship Him.  Pride and idolatry walk hand in hand and they both lead to destruction.  God calls us to humble ourselves under His mighty hand and worship Him alone.


THE DEVASTATION OF IDOLATERS: The vast majority of the idolaters in Israel would be slaughtered by the wars that filled their lands.  God would not just stand idly by as His people worshiped idols of their own inventions.  However, there would be a small remnant of people who would be taken captive into the nations so they could see the destruction of idolatry and the devastation of idolaters.  The purpose of this taking place was so that the small remnant would repent before the Lord.  Ezekiel says these people would loathe themselves while they were in captivity.  This is a sign of true repentance.  God brings people to a place of self-loathing in order that they might turn to Him in worship.  Only after the people saw the devastation of idolaters would they repent of their sin and know that only the Lord is God.  People like to pretend there is no God, or that they are god but God is determined to be worshiped and recognized as the only God.  He will bring about any amount of destruction and devastation to make sure we worship Him and Him alone.

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