SCRIPTURE: EZEKIEL 6
A PROPHESY AGAINST THE MOUNTAINS OF ISRAEL (vs. 1-14)
This is what the Sovereign Lord asked Ezekiel to prophesy against the mountains of Israel:
- I will bring a sword against you and destroy your high places. (v. 3)
- Your altars will be demolished and your incense altars will be smashed; I will slay your people in front of your idols. (v. 4)
- I will lay the dead bodies of the Israelites in front of their idols and I will scatter your bones around your altars. (v. 5)
- Wherever you live, the towns will be laid waste and the high places demolished. Your altars will be laid waste and devastated, your idols smashed and ruined, your incense altars broken down and what you have made wiped out. (v. 6)
- Your people will fall slain among you, and your will know that I am the Lord.. (v. 7)
- But I will spare some for some of you will escape the sword when you are scattered among the lands and nations. (v. 8)
- Those escape will remember me and locate their evils ways and detestable practices. (v. 9)
CONSEQUENCES OF THE WICKED AND THOSE WHO DID DETESTABLE PRACTICES:
- They will fall by the sword, famine and plague. (v. 11)
- The people will lie slain among their idols around their altars on every high hill and on all the mountaintops. (v. 13)
- Their land will become a desolate waste from the desert to Diblah – wherever they live. (v. 14)
THOUGHTS:
The signs of judgment was coming to the mountains and valleys because the people worship idols in the mountains. They will be destroyed and only a remnant that would repent of their sins will be spared. There are 3 fold judgments upon Jerusalem – war, famine and plague. War was death in battle, famine was when there is no rain and when enemies besiege a city. Plague arises when people got sick and died. Do not ignore biblical warnings because punishment awaits us if we do wrong.
The phrase “Then they will know that I am the Lord” emphasized that the Lord is the only true and living God whom we can trust and worship. Always remember that God may use the difficulties of your life to teach you that He alone is God.
The nation of Judah trusted in prosperity and possessions instead of God. So God destroyed the basis of it prosperity. Always remember that if we put anything such as money, fame, power, prestige above God, those become our idols. If we spend so much time to earn money and so little time seeking God, then money becomes our idol. Do not forget that God is the only true source of satisfaction.
God gave people silver and gold but they used them to make idols. The resources that God gives us should be used to do His work and carry out His will. But too often, we abuse God’s gift and use it selfishly.