Ezekiel 8
Remember, it was Ezekiel’s unenviable task to remind the people of their sins and their transgressions against the Holy and Mighty God. During a time where the people believed they were doing ‘just fine,’ Ezekiel had to call out their sins in a way that would almost seem like a burden that was difficult to carry. Imagine being the lone voice in a room full of people and having to tell them that their miserable situation was due to their actions and the actions of their loved ones.
Previously, we know that God called Ezekiel to be a WATCHMAN. We know Ezekiel had to ‘play in the dirt’ and draw a city to show the siege that was going to happen. We know he had to act out the sins of the people by laying on his side and eat scarcely. We know that he had to shave, which was something the Levitical priests were not supposed to do unless instructed by God.
In chapter 7, God told them that they would be repaid for their sins and for their transgressions. The end is here for them, and even though they will try to hide, they will not be able to hide from God.
23 “‘Prepare chains!
For the land is full of bloodshed,
and the city is full of violence.
24 I will bring the most wicked of nations
to take possession of their houses.
I will put an end to the pride of the mighty,
and their sanctuaries will be desecrated.
25 When terror comes,
they will seek peace in vain.
26 Calamity upon calamity will come,
and rumor upon rumor.
They will go searching for a vision from the prophet,
priestly instruction in the law will cease,
the counsel of the elders will come to an end.
27 The king will mourn,
the prince will be clothed with despair,
and the hands of the people of the land will tremble.
I will deal with them according to their conduct,
and by their own standards I will judge them.
“‘Then they will know that I am the Lord.’”
We now move into Chapter 8, where God shows Ezekiel things that God sees but man either (1) sees nothing wrong with the things or (2) believes he can hide his wicked ways from God.
God came to Ezekiel in similar ways to the way he did in Ezekiel 1:27-28 (8:4). I feel that by appearing in a similar way, Ezekiel is quick to recognize this is God. By appearing in the form of a man, he communicates to Ezekiel that he is personal and relatable. By appearing as fire, he is showing Ezekiel that he is a consuming fire and will destroy all sin and that he is light and will light the way to truth. This light will also show that “there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13). This description also gives the impression that God is indescribable.
God showed Ezekiel many things, but we can narrow it down to 4 abominations.
1. The image of Jealousy (8:3,5)—it is not known what this image was, but it was one that has become a rival to Jehovah. I believe we are not told what it was because it could be anything. It is one that has taken the hearts of the people and their focus and diverted it from God. It was the focus of the people’s attention before they would walk into the altar area.
God even told Ezekiel that the idols will drive Him far from His sanctuary. ANYTHING WE PUT BEFORE GOD IS AN IDOL. God is a jealous God. What ever this idol was, it provoked God to jealousy.
2. The second abomination is seen when God tells Ezekiel to dig through a hole in the wall to see what is taking place (8:7-12). What he sees is not only appalling but devastating. He sees the elders of Israel offering incense to graven images. They do not believe that God sees what they are doing, so they are offering up prayers to objects of worship. WORSHIP IS ATTRIBUTING REVERANT HONOR AND HOMAGE TO SOMETHING. Do we give reverential honor to tradition? To people? To the past?
Even though man (Ezekiel) has to dig to see what is going on, God
already knows what is going on.
3. The third abomination is seen when God brings Ezekiel to the north gate were the women are weeping for Tammuz (8:14). Tammuz was the god of fertility. They believed that if they worshipped Tammuz, he would come back to life and bring a spring that would eventually bring a bountiful harvest. In order to appease this deity, the women would often act out shameful acts of sexual immorality.
Keep in mind, this still happens today. About one year ago, a church in Georgia began to advertise that they were having scantily clad women dance on stage during worship. Other churches are using sex as a selling tool to try to ‘win the world.’
4. The fourth abomination was the worst one. This one showed 25 men with their backs to the altar of God worshipping the rising sun (8:16). THEY TURNED THEIR BACKS ON GOD. They came to the temple. They went through the outer court. They went to the inner court. They went right before the altar…and then they turned their backs on God.
MANY PEOPLE COME TO CHURCH. COME TO THE ALTAR…AND THEN TURN THEIR BACKS ON GOD.
Each abomination was worse than the previous one. The first three had to do with worship. The last one was a clear rejection of God. God promises to bring wrath upon the people.
Ezekiel 8:17-18--17 He said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a trivial matter for the people of Judah to do the detestable things they are doing here? Must they also fill the land with violence and continually arouse my anger? Look at them putting the branch to their nose! 18 Therefore I will deal with them in anger; I will not look on them with pity or spare them. Although they shout in my ears, I will not listen to them.”
With all this said, there are a couple of things I want to point out…
1. God sees everything and knows everything.
In Genesis, God knew that the people were banding together for evil so he confused their language and separated them. God saw the imaginations of man’s heart and that it was only evil continually, so he brought about a flood.
1 Chronicles 28:9 (Amp)-- 9 “As for you, Solomon my son, know the God of your father [have personal knowledge of Him, be acquainted with, and understand Him; appreciate, heed, and cherish Him] and serve Him with a blameless heart and a willing mind; for the Lord searches all hearts and minds, and understands every intent and inclination of the thoughts. If you seek Him [inquiring for and of Him and requiring Him as your first and vital necessity] He will let you find Him; but [b]if you abandon (turn away from) Him, He will reject you forever.
Heb 4:13 (Amp)-- And not a creature exists that is concealed from His sight, but all things are open and exposed, and revealed to the eyes of Him with whom we have to give account.
God will see everything that is in your heart and on your mind. Despite a limited concept of god and limited understanding of Him, God has a great understanding of you. While you may not have studied God, He created you and studies you every day. To think that a creator would have no understanding or desire about what is going on in your life is to minimize the power of the Almighty.
My question to you is, if God were to bring Ezekiel to see what is going on with you as you sit in church or proclaim to be a Christian, what would he see? Would he see someone who is more fascinated by idols, traditions, or the latest fads in churches? Would he see someone who is more into the sexiness of a church or the people and is more interested in worshipping the glamor? Would he see someone who is turned their backs on God when trials have come and only give Him lip service, but instead worship the gods of this world? What do you fantasize about in church, or late at night when you are all alone?
Many people seem to think that God has forsaken the earth and forsaken them. They feel as if God is so disconnected from human affairs that He is unknowable. It seems as if today’s church is made up of more CHRISTIAN AGNOSTICS than CHRISTIANS.
Christian agnostic-- Christian agnostics practice a distinct form of agnosticism that applies only to the properties of God. They hold that it is difficult or impossible to be sure of anything beyond the basic tenets of the Christian faith. If there is a God, it is impossible to know Him.
People seem to becoming more of a New Age Movement Christian. They think of God as an impersonal force despite the continued emphasis in the Bible that God is personal and has an interest in His creation. According to Jesus, God knows every hair on our heads, every sparrow that falls to the ground, and the plans He had for you before you were born.
2. There is an evil that is lurking around.
This evil desires to sift you as wheat. This evil desires for you to teach hate, teach immorality to others, teach abominations against God to others. The bible tells us clearly that the heart is deceitful above all else. It is desperately wicked. The moment you begin to allow an idol to creep into your mind and allow a thought to steal your focus from God, you begin to remove the restraining force of an all knowing, all seeing, and all powerful God. Once your mind wanders, so to will your heart. Once you are morally bankrupt, you will become a pawn for the devil. The devil will use you anywhere he can. At work, with your families, even at church. Once you are morally bankrupt, you become an agent of the devil.
CONCLUSION
Romans 14:12-- So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God.
