April 22, Ezekiel 8
He put out the form of a hand and took me by a lock of my head, and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the gateway of the inner court that faces north, where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy. - Ezekiel 8:3
We're used to "seeing" far away places and things. Technology has brought a window on the world into our homes and hands. Our televisions and even our phones can show us live video from the other side of the world. I understand that technology called "virtual reality" can immerse you in a place you've never been, or maybe even a place that doesn't exist, so that you see and hear as if you were really there.
The Lord needed no hi-tech devices to show Ezekiel in Babylon a clear vision of what was happening back in Jerusalem. Ezekiel saw a vision of the Lord similar to what he had seen in Chapter 1. The elders among the exiles were sitting with Ezekiel in his house when the form of a hand picked Ezekiel up (by his hair!) and transported him in visions to Jerusalem. In the visions, the Lord showed his prophet four scenes to explain why the Lord would remove his presence from Jerusalem and the temple. The text uses words such as “image” and “vision” to describe the whole experience. The text doesn't say that Ezekiel experienced a physical, literal, bodily transport.
God first showed Ezekiel a scene on the north side of the temple. Idol worshipers had set up an idol in the entrance to the altar gate of what was supposed to be the temple of the Lord. It was called the image of jealousy, because any idol violated God's law and provoked the Lord to jealousy. It does not matter which idol representing what false god it was. It was an abomination.
Next God showed Ezekiel a scene deep inside the temple. Israel's priests were worshiping images of creatures, burning incense to false gods in the chambers of what was supposed to be God's house. They said that God could not see them there, and that he had forsaken them. There was some forsaking going on, but it was them forsaking God, not the other way around.
In the third scene, the LORD showed Ezekiel a group of women weeping for Tammuz. Intense fits of weeping were a prelude to abandoning all sense of morals and decency to engage in gross immorality as worship to the false god.
Finally, God showed Ezekiel a group of 25 men in the temple court, between the porch and the altar, facing east and worshiping the sun. They turned their backs to the temple of God as they worshiped the host of heaven.
God called all the scenes abominations. These flagrant examples of idol worship insulted God and callously violated plain commandments of the law God gave them. This chapter is the first of four that describe the Spirit of God leaving the temple and Jerusalem. The examples God showed his prophet in exile proved that the people forsook the Lord long before the Lord forsook them.
I doubt that any of us would have any part of worshiping and offering sacrifices to a wood or stone idol. But when we give our attention and our heart's devotion to any other kind of idol, we too are insulting and provoking our jealous God. We must guard our hearts and discipline ourselves to never allow anything or anyone to steal our love and devotion to God. He has promised to never forsake us. We must make and live out our own pledge of allegiance to the Lord, to never forsake him.
Copyright © 2024 by Michael B. McElroy. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Today in God's Word—April 2024
East Tallassee Church of Christ
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