IDOLATRY AND ITS TERRIBLE

CONSEQUENCES[11.05.14]

EZEKIEL CHAPTERS 8,9,10

Recap of Chapters 1-7:1. A vision of the Glory of God and

4 Living creatures2,3 Called as prophet to rebellious

Jews and warned of sufferings: eat scroll, be watchman, be mute

4. Play war, lie on left & right sides, cook food with dung

5. Fate indicated with hair cut: to burn, strike with sword, scatter

6. High place idolatry destroyed7. Everyone’s judgment was

imminent

1.DEFINITION: IDOLATRYWebster: worship of idols •OT times: worship of pagan

deities, images •God’s covenant with Israel [Ex20:3,De5:7]

•Mention of their names was not allowed, why?• Intermarriages forbidden, why • To Hosea idolatry was adultery

2. IDOLATRY IN ISRAEL:EZEKIEL 8

592BC:Leaders of captive Jews went to Ezekiel, purpose?

Holy Spirit lifted Ezekiel by the hair, gave him a vision of Jerusalem

[1]Ez8:5: Saw an idolatrous image at the entrance of the Temple, provoking the Lord to jealousy. Why?

Because God will not share His glory and praise! [Isa42:8]

For this idolatry, God would take away His Glory from the Temple [Ez8:6]

[2]Ch8:7-10: In the inner Court, Ezekiel dug through a hole, saw vile idolatry

70 elders were worshiping pictures in the dark, thinking the Lord does not see

But He does [Ps90:8]

[3]Ez8:14: More evil: Worshiping Tammuz by weeping and immoral sex acts

[4]8:16-18: 25 priests worshiping the sun [De17:3], a created object

3.CH9: CONSEQUENCES OF IDOLATRY

• In a vision [Ez9:1-11] God shows Ezekiel how He will punish Israel• 6 men with deadly weapons and

one with pen and ink to mark whom He will save

Mark of God is a recurrent theme:• Exodus, Revelation [Re7:3]

Ch9: No one could avoid God’s judgment; children, women, men even leaders hiding in the Temple

None should try to hide from God but should embrace His love and forgiveness & repent of our sins

But [Ez9:4,6]: some were spared•Wept over sins and sinners with

inner brokenness• repentant [2Cor7:10] [2Chr7:14]

4.DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM[CH10]

Winged creatures appeared againMan in linen gather burning coal and

scatter over city to purge it [10:2]Prophesy to destroy Jerusalem [586BC]

2. God’s Glory departed the Temple [10:18]

Temple will not feel God’s presence again until Jesus enters it again in NT times.

What a consequence!!

Would God make a complete end of Israel? [Ez11:13b]

God promised a day of restoration [ch36-48]

5. SUMMARY OF EZEKIEL CH8,9,10

1. OT idolatry: worship of idols, images 2. Idolatry in Ezekiel [Ch8] [4 instances]3. Consequences of idolatry [Ch9]: :slaughter of idolaters [Ch9] :destruction of Jerusalem [Ch10] :Temple bereft of God until NT times 4. Modern idolatry: anything that

replaces God in a man’s heart:

1. Obsession or love for more material things

• Buy more products, need more space, bigger houses

• Keeping up with the Joneses:Foolish to satisfy lust of the eye

2. Obsession with wealth, work, career is making them idols• Fool themselves doing it for

their children•Actually trying to increase self-

esteem by appearing to be more successful : Pride of life:

3. Excessive seeking of pleasure•Manifests itself in overuse of

food, wine, pleasure leading to NCDs, [obesity, DM, HPT, VD..,]

Beware the Lust of the flesh: •Whether OT or modern, there

are consequences for idolatry