FRAMEWORKS:
Ezekiel
8: Idolatry in the Temple
Context:
Part
3: Revelations of Idolatry in Jerusalem
Ch.8
– Idolatry in the Temple
Ch.9
– Judgment on the Idolaters
Ch.10
– God's Glory Departs from
the Temple
Ch.11
– God's Sure Judgment on
Jerusalem
[Preliminary
Comment: The narrative moves from the land of Babylonia
to Jerusalem, although it is only in the Spirit, while Ezekiel
remained in his home. In the vision he is shown four different
sorts of pagan worship that was actually being carried out in
the temple precincts in Jerusalem.]
v.1-3
Ezekiel is taken in the Spirit to Jerusalem where an idol is
standing
v.4-6
The glory comes & he is shown this idol in the temple
v.7-9
He is told to dig into the wall of the temple
v.11-13
Inside he sees multiple expressions of pagan worship & the
leaders
v.14,15
He is shown another pagan worship expression
v.16
Then he is shown sun worshippers
v.17,18
But it's not only idolatry, it's the violence that angers the
Lord
v.1-3
Ezekiel is taken in the Spirit to Jerusalem where an idol is standing
v.1
In the
sixth year, in the sixth month on the
fifth day, while I was sitting in my house and the elders of Judah
were sitting before me, the hand of the Sovereign LORD came on
me there.
v.2
I
looked, and I saw a figure like that of a man. From what
appeared to be his waist down he was like fire, and from there
up his appearance was as bright as glowing metal.
v.3
He
stretched out what looked like a hand and took me by the hair
of my head. The Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and
in visions of God he took me to Jerusalem, to the entrance of
the north gate of the inner court, where the idol that provokes
to jealousy stood.
[Notes:
Assuming
‘the sixth year' runs on from 1:1,2 it is now fourteen months
since the first vision and prophecies. Ezekiel is in his home
with the exile elders. Suddenly he has a vision of a man picking
him up and taking him to Jerusalem where in the inner court of
the temple he sees an alien idol that would offend God.].
v.4-6
The glory comes & he is shown this idol in the temple
v.4
And
there before me was the glory of the God of Israel, as in the
vision I had seen in the plain.
v.5
Then
he said to me, “Son of man, look toward the north.” So I looked,
and in the entrance north of the gate of the altar I saw this
idol of jealousy.
v.6
And
he said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing—the
utterly detestable things the Israelites are doing here, things
that will drive me far from my sanctuary? But you will see things
that are even more detestable.”
[Notes:
The
vision includes the glory of God's presence he had seen before.
The altar gate was so named because animals were sacrificed on
the north side of the altar. He was told to focus on the north
entrance where, possibly just outside, was an idol, possibly of
the goddess Asherah that seemed so common in the land.]
v.7-9
He is told to dig into the wall of the temple
v.7
Then
he brought me to the entrance to the court. I looked, and I saw
a hole in the wall.
v.8
He
said to me, “Son of man, now dig into the wall.” So I dug into
the wall and saw a doorway there.
v.9
And
he said to me, “Go in and see the wicked and detestable things
they are doing here.”
[Notes:
He
is then shown a hole in the temple wall and told to dig through
it.]
v.11-13
Inside he sees multiple expressions of pagan worship & the
leaders
v.10
So
I went in and looked, and I saw portrayed all over the walls all
kinds of crawling things and unclean animals and all the idols
of Israel.
v.11
In
front of them stood seventy elders of Israel, and Jaazaniah son
of Shaphan was standing among them. Each had a censer in his hand,
and a fragrant cloud of incense was rising.
v.12
He
said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of Israel
are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol?
They say, ‘The LORD does not see us; the LORD has forsaken the
land.' ”
v.13
Again, he said,
“You will see them doing things that are even more detestable.”
[Notes:
Entering
the room on the other side he finds the walls are covered with
all signs of pagan religion but in the room were seventy elders
of Israel, each participating in some part of foreign worship,
thinking that God could not see them hidden away.]
v.14,15
He is shown another pagan worship expression
v.14
Then
he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the house of
the LORD, and I saw women sitting there, mourning the god Tammuz.
v.15
He
said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? You will see things
that are even more detestable than this.”
[Notes:
Tammuz
was a nature god who purportedly died and ruled in the underworld.
Mourning was a part of worship of him and thus Ezekiel sees further
pagan worship in another part of the temple precincts.]
v.16
Then he is shown sun worshippers
v.16
He
then brought me into the inner court of the house of the LORD,
and there at the entrance to the temple, between the portico and
the altar, were about twenty-five men. With their backs toward
the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east, they were
bowing down to the sun in the east.
[Notes:
Finally
he is shown sun worship being carried out in the temple precincts.]
v.17,18
But it's not only idolatry, it's the violence that angers the
Lord
v.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!
v.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.”
[Notes:
The
Lord expresses His anger, not only at the pagan worship that is
going on but also the violence and no doubt associated injustice
that is seen throughout the land.]
[Concluding
Note:
The focus of this chapter has been the idol worship that is being
carried out in the very heart of Jerusalem, within the temple
precincts:
•
an image set up,
possibly of Asherah
•
animal worship
•
nature worship
•
sun worship
and
all this by the supposed holy people of God in HIS house.]
Continue
to Chapter 9