Deut 12
1 These are
the statutes and judgments, which ye shall observe to do in the land, which the
LORD God of thy fathers giveth thee to possess it, all the days that ye live
upon the earth.
2 Ye shall
utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess
served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every
green tree:
3 And ye
shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves
with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy
the names of them out of that place.
Bible
study note on Ezekiel 6.
Bible
Study – the Book of Ezekiel 09 March
2016
Ezekiel 6
“They shall loathe themselves for the evils...”
Introduction
a. “Son
of man, set thy face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against it.”
- The
long days of silent, dramatized messages against Jerusalem and its inhabitants
are over. The attention turns to the whole house of Judah, against all the
mountains in the land of Israel. 3:27
- “But
when I speak to thee, I will open thy mouth, and thou shalt say unto them,
‘Thus saith the Lord GOD.”
b. The
mountains represent the sites for the high places where idolatry is carried out
throughout the land.
- These
were formerly Canaanites shrines which the Israelites had taken over for their
own purpose; how pragmatic! Their own religious activities in those places were
soon corrupted with brazen idolatry.
- Once
the distinctiveness of Jehovah’s religious is blurred, all kinds of corruptions
will inevitably creep in.
- The
specific command of Jehovah was to completely destroy all those shrines when
they enter the land so that they would not be ensnared. Ex 23:24, 34:12; Deut
12:3.
- The
prophets of God, to a man, denounced this abomination, and fought the destruction
of such places. Most kings tolerated these high places, and balked at the
wholesale destruction of those idolatrous shrines. The two exceptions were Hezekiah (ca
633-604bc) and Josiah (557-526bc) – 2Ki 21:3. 2Ki 23:24.
- The
hearts are deceitful above all things... and desperately wicked; and how easily are they ensnared.
1.
Prophesy against the mountains
a. “The
word of the Lord came to me”: this indicates a new section.
- “Set
thy face toward...” set thy face in opposition, a particular irony to the
common practice of the exiles facing towards Jerusalem in their prayers.
b. “I
will bring a sword upon you” (the high places) found in all those places
already mentioned.
- “your
altars”, “your images”, your idols”: these places of idolatry shall be
desolate, shall be laid waste, shall be broken, may cease, cut down... Your
works of idolatry may be abolished, completely destroyed.
- “your
slain”, “dead carcasses of the children of Israel” and “your bones” shall be
scattered round about the feet of the gods they worship. None of them will be
able to protect them from the sword of the Lord GOD.
- “The
slain shall fall in the midst of you (high places of idolatry)”. These places
of idolatry shall be defiled.
- The
scattering of bones is an ultimate humiliation of the ungodly. Ps 53:5, 141:7
- The
Hebrew word for idols “gillulim” is a favourite with Ezekiel. He uses it no
less than 38 times, in contrast to 9 times in the rest of the OT. Its basic
meaning is “detested thing, like a pellet of dung.”
- And
turning to idolatry is pictured in such revolting term, turning to pellets of
dung!
## How
capable are God’s people to sink into abominable idolatry, which the LORD
detests and abhors.
c. All
these prophesied judgment to what purpose?
- When
these things come to pass, then “Ye shall know and that I am the LORD,” the
LORD who has
spoken
against their idolatry, and warned them against it, and denounced them against
it.
- The
LORD does not threaten in vain. But He warns and pleads before sending forth
His righteous wrath.
2. A
remnant will be spared, v8-10
a. Why
does the LORD spare a remnant? That they may be witnesses for the LORD’s
righteous judgment.
- That
those who are spared shall REMEMBER the LORD among the nations.
- They
will remember why the LORD scattered them as captives among the nations,
because of their
abominable
and detestable idolatry.
-
“Because I am broken with their WHORISH heart... hath departed from me... their
eyes go a whoring...”
- That
“they shall lothe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all
their abominations.”
- That
“they shall know that I am the LORD...” That “they shall know that I have not
said in vain” that He would execute wrath upon them for all their abominations.
- That
they may know that the LORD does not warn or threaten in vain. Be not
presumptuous!
3.
Rejoice in the vindication of God’s honour in His righteous judgment, v11-14
a. “Smite
with thine hand, and stamp with thy foot”: be filled with gladness and rejoice
at the LORD’s judgment against the house of Israel. It is celebrating the
triumph of God in His righteous judgment.
- “He
that is far off... he that is near” is a comprehensive term meaning “all
without distinction.”
b. “Thus
I will accomplish my fury upon them... I will stretch out my hand upon them”
expresses the
certainty
and immutability of His purpose in executing His righteous judgment.
- By this
“then shall ye know that I am the LORD” ((v7,10,13,14) and that the idols whom
they worship and serve are no more than mere pellets of dung that are impotent
to protect or deliver them.
- Diblath
(Riblath) is located at the extreme north of river Orentes in the region of
Hamath, an arid semi-desert region in the north.
