Ezek. 7:1 Moreover the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
Although the word morever is not in the Hebrew, this would seem to introduce a new message from the LORD to Ezekiel.
Ezek. 7:2 Also, thou son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD unto the land of Israel; An end, the end is come upon the four corners of the land.
It seems odd that the Lord would address the land, but the context clarifies that the land is inclusive of the people by the use of the phrase “thy ways” in the following verse. The “four corners of the land” is an expression that directs the message to the entire nation. As I read the word end, my mind immediately questioned, “The end of what?” I think it would be correct to say the end of God’s patience and longsuffering in waiting for them to repent of their rebellion and wickedness.
Ezek. 7:3 Now is the end come upon thee, and I will send mine anger upon thee, and will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense upon thee all thine abominations.
When God’s patience and longsuffering reach His limit, His next response will be in anger. The Israelites had decided to break covenant and reject the blessings associated with obedience, so now God is going to judge them according to their choice. They will be judged according to their wicked way of living. The severity of their judgment will be in direct proportion to their wickedness and idolatry.
Ezek. 7:4 And mine eye shall not spare thee, neither will I have pity: but I will recompense thy ways upon thee, and thine abominations shall be in the midst of thee: and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
The Lord is declaring that His judgment will be enacted without pity or compassion. This is a radical statement from One Whose character possesses a never-ending supply of mercy and compassion. It sounds like a contradiction, until we recognize this judgment as an act of love. The writer of Proverbs recognized chastening as an act of love.
Prov. 19:18 Chasten thy son while there is hope, and let not thy soul spare for his crying.
The Lord affirms that truth in His letter to the church at Laodicea.
Rev. 3:19 As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten: be zealous therefore, and repent.
I like the phrasing of The Complete Jewish Bible for the middle part of the verse: “…but I will bring your ways upon you, and your disgusting practices will be done among you…”
In other words, if they want to worship idols, He is going to cause them to live among other idol worshippers.
“ye shall know…” – Surely if the people have to experience the withdrawal of God’s protective hand and are made to experience life dependent upon the idols they have chosen to worship and the effects of the lifestyle that accompany that worship, they will recognize that YHWH is the one and only GOD. Surely this will cause them to repent of their sin and turn back to Him.
Ezek. 7:5 Thus saith the Lord GOD; An evil, an only evil, behold, is come.
Ezek. 7:6 An end is come, the end is come: it watcheth for thee; behold, it is come.
Again, emphasis is made that this message is from YHWH, the God of Israel. A couple of translations indicate the wording is referencing the idea of evil upon evil. The Hebrew does include the idea of first for the word only, which would indicate more to follow. The word watcheth includes “the idea of abruptness in starting up from sleep.” In other words, at the point the Lord’s patience ceases, judgment starts—and the time is now.
Ezek. 7:7 The morning is come unto thee, O thou that dwellest in the land: the time is come, the day of trouble is near, and not the sounding again of the mountains.
“morning” = turn of affairs
The morning is a time of a new beginning of activity. The morning being referenced here is in connection to the day of judgment. I like the wording of the NAS for this verse: “Your doom has come to you, O inhabitant of the land. The time has come, the day is near—tumult rather than joyful shouting on the mountains.”
I liked the way Ironside expressed it: “Instead of reading, ‘The morning is come unto thee,’ a better translation, we are told, would be, ‘The turn of the wheel is come’-that is, the great wheel of the divine government is rolling on, and nothing can turn it aside. The time had come when the day of trouble, which many prophets had foretold, should actually take place. The storm nearing, they had heard the divine thunder, not merely an echo from the mountains.”
Ezek. 7:8 Now will I shortly pour out my fury upon thee, and accomplish mine anger upon thee: and I will judge thee according to thy ways, and will recompense thee for all thine abominations.
Ezek. 7:9 And mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: I will recompense thee according to thy ways and thine abominations that are in the midst of thee; and ye shall know that I am the LORD that smiteth.
I’m always surprised at the amount of repetition in these messages from the Lord. There is no way the people can mistake His meaning. Other observations:
The judgment is soon to come.
This judgment is a direct result of God’s anger.
God’s anger is going to be “poured out.” It is not going to come in a controlled release. The effects will be experienced suddenly with full force. This reminds me of the final seven bowl judgments during the tribulation period that are detailed in Revelation 16.
Rev. 16:1 And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, Go your ways, and pour out the vials of the wrath of God upon the earth.
The punishment will fit the crime.
“ye shall know” – cf verse 4
Bob Utley: “Normally in the Ancient Near East the defeat of one nation by another was viewed as the superiority of one national deity above another. YHWH wants it clearly understood that He uses Babylon (as He did Assyria, cf. Isa. 10:5) for His purposes. Israel's defeat is due to their covenant infidelity and idolatries, not His impotence!”
Ezek. 7:10 Behold the day, behold, it is come: the morning is gone forth; the rod hath blossomed, pride hath budded.
This statement ties in directly with verse 7. I decided to do a word search on the word rod. It is often used in reference to God’s actions against the wicked and foolish.
Psa. 89:32 Then will I visit their transgression with the rod, and their iniquity with stripes.
Prov. 10:13 In the lips of him that hath understanding wisdom is found: but a rod is for the back of him that is void of understanding.
Its proper use on one’s son is an act of love.
Prov. 13:24 He that spareth his rod hateth his son: but he that loveth him chasteneth him betimes.
It’s a description of God’s chosen human authority to inflict the judgment of God.
Is. 10:5 O Assyrian, the rod of mine anger…
The only other reference to a blossoming rod was an instance of affirming God’s will in the choice of the high priest.
Num. 17:8 And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.
I think there is reason to consider all of these truths in context here. You could say that God is exercising His rod of judgment in loving discipline because of the extent of pride and wickedness in the nation. You could also say that it is a reference to Nebuchadnezzar, the proud ruler of the Babylonians whom God had chosen as the rod that would inflict judgment; and the fact that the rod is blossoming is a sign that affirms the will of God in the matter.
Ezek. 7:11 Violence is risen up into a rod of wickedness: none of them shall remain, nor of their multitude, nor of any of theirs: neither shall there be wailing for them.
The Hebrew for the word violence included “oppressor.” This would seem to be referencing Nebuchadnezzar as the rod of wickedness. Nebuchadnezzar was the logical “rod” for God to wield upon His people at this time because of his prideful, wicked character. He will inflict the judgment of God without hesitation. Because the message is regarding the judgment of Israel, I believe the last half of this verse is a reference to the people of Israel. Though a small remnant will be spared destruction (as we learned in chapter 5), the nation will effectively be destroyed. There won’t even be enough left to provide a proper funeral (as referenced by the wailing). The prophet Jeremiah supports this thought.
Jer. 16:4-6 They shall die of grievous deaths; they shall not be lamented; neither shall they be buried; but they shall be as dung upon the face of the earth: and they shall be consumed by the sword, and by famine; and their carcases shall be meat for the fowls of heaven, and for the beasts of the earth. For thus saith the LORD, Enter not into the house of
mourning, neither go to lament nor bemoan them: for I have taken away my peace from this people, saith the LORD, even lovingkindness and mercies. Both the great and the small shall die in this land: they shall not be buried, neither shall men lament for them, nor cut themselves, nor make themselves bald for them:
Ezek. 7:12 The time is come, the day draweth near: let not the buyer rejoice, nor the seller mourn: for wrath is upon all the multitude thereof.
Ezek. 7:13 For the seller shall not return to that which is sold, although they were yet alive: for the vision is touching the whole multitude thereof, which shall not return; neither shall any strengthen himself in the iniquity of his life.
Upon reading these verses I understood that the coming judgment would effectively remove any reason for rejoicing on the part of someone who acquired new possessions or any reason for someone to sorrow over the fact that they had had to sell treasures due to financial hardship because the nation was being taken captive. I did not, however, make the connection to the year of Jubilee until looking at a few commentaries. I think the NIV explanation was easily understood.
“Most likely this example was given with the law of the sabbatical year (Dt 15:1-2) or the Year of Jubilee in mind (Lev 25:13-16). According to that law, if one sold land to pay for a debt, that land reverted to him on the sabbatical year or the Year of Jubilee, whichever came first. Ezekiel maintained that if one sold land under this arrangement, he would not realize its return since neither he nor the buyer would be in the land of Judah seven years hence. Though the buyer might rejoice over the fact that he would never have to return the land, it would not be a time of rejoicing for either party. When judgment came, neither would own the property. Babylon would possess it!”
Ezek. 7:14 They have blown the trumpet, even to make all ready; but none goeth to the battle: for my wrath is upon all the multitude thereof.
The sounds of the trumpet were used as a signaling device. The call to prepare for battle had been sounded, but no one is responding. They are experiencing the wrath of God and have no courage to try and go it alone. Their false gods have obviously proven impotent.
Ezek. 7:15 The sword is without, and the pestilence and the famine within: he that is in the field shall die with the sword; and he that is in the city, famine and pestilence shall devour him.
Ezek. 7:16 But they that escape of them shall escape, and shall be on the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them mourning, every one for his iniquity.
Outside the walls of the city is the camp of the enemy. Inside the city they will experience terrible sickness and starvation. Most of the people will die as a result of one or the other. A few, however, will escape or become refugees according to the Hebrew. This makes me think of the words of a song that Cynthia Clawson sang so beautifully that is based on a psalm.
Psa. 11:1 In the LORD put I my trust: how say ye to my soul, Flee as a bird to your mountain?
This remnant will recognize that their judgment was deserved and will grieve that they ever rebelled against the Lord. They will recognize that God is their mountain of protection. Maybe they will remember the words of the psalmist.
Psa. 18:2 The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.
Ezek. 7:17 All hands shall be feeble, and all knees shall be weak as water.
Ezek. 7:18 They shall also gird themselves with sackcloth, and horror shall cover them; and shame shall be upon all faces, and baldness upon all their heads.
Ezek. 7:19 They shall cast their silver in the streets, and their gold shall be removed: their silver and their gold shall not be able to deliver them in the day of the wrath of the LORD: they shall not satisfy their souls, neither fill their bowels: because it is the stumblingblock of their iniquity.
Verse 17 seems to give an answer as to why the trumpet call for battle was ignored. The people will be too weak to respond. They will display all the outward signs of mourning and repentance, but the time of God’s mercy has passed. The people will finally understand how wrong they were to equate wealth with power. More importantly, they will understand how utterly worthless their idols are to provide them any protection from the wrath of God.
Both money and idols are useless when it comes to filling the stomach. They may have gold and silver in abundance, but what good is it going to do them? The gold and silver and the idolatry with which it is associated are identified as the stumblingblock of their iniquity, the cause of their ruin.
This makes me think of how I believe many people will feel once the rapture takes place. It would seem that the context indicates that they recognize the danger around them. They are sorrowing because of the results of their sin, but there is no indication of true repentance for their sin. Again, this reminds me of the tribulation time detailed in the book of Revelation.
Rev. 6:15-17 And the kings of the earth, and the great men, and the rich men, and the chief captains, and the mighty men, and every bondman, and every free man, hid themselves in the dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
Revelation 9:20–21 “And the rest of the men which were not killed by these plagues yet repented not of the works of their hands, that they should not worship devils, and idols of gold, and silver, and brass, and stone, and of wood: which neither can see, nor hear, nor walk: Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts.”
Ezek. 7:20 As for the beauty of his ornament, he set it in majesty: but they made the images of their abominations and of their detestable things therein: therefore have I set it far from them.
The ornament could be a reference to the temple, the city and/or the nation. The land of promise was described as a land flowing with milk and honey.
Lev. 20:24 But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land that floweth with milk and honey: I am the LORD your God, which have separated you from other people.
The city was chosen as the one place on earth where God chose to place His name.
2Kings 21:7 And he set a graven image of the grove that he had made in the house, of which the LORD said to David, and to Solomon his son, In this house, and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all tribes of Israel, will I put my name for ever:
The temple was recognized as a place of beauty and was blessed by God.
1Kings 9:3-9 And the LORD said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually. And if thou wilt walk before me, as David thy father walked, in integrity of heart, and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded thee, and wilt keep my statutes and my judgments: Then I will establish the throne of thy kingdom upon Israel for ever, as I promised to David thy father, saying, There shall not fail thee a man upon the throne of Israel. But if ye shall at all turn from following me, ye or your children, and will not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods, and worship them: Then will I cut off Israel out of the land which I have given them; and this house, which I have hallowed for my name, will I cast out of my sight; and Israel shall be a proverb and a byword among all people: And at this house, which is high, every one that passeth by it shall be astonished, and shall hiss; and they shall say, Why hath the LORD done thus unto this land, and to this house? And they shall answer, Because they forsook the LORD their God, who brought forth their fathers out of the land of Egypt, and have taken hold upon other gods, and have worshipped them, and served them: therefore hath the LORD brought upon them all this evil.
I wanted to include this section from 1King because it so specifically states the consequences for rebelling against YHWH and turning to worship false gods. God is always faithful to His word. His word never fails.
Psa. 89:34 My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips.
Psa. 119:89 For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.
Ezek. 7:21 And I will give it into the hands of the strangers for a prey, and to the wicked of the earth for a spoil; and they shall pollute it.
Ezek. 7:22 My face will I turn also from them, and they shall pollute my secret place: for the robbers shall enter into it, and defile it.
These verses continue to emphasize the truth of all that has been stated before. The land of Israel is going to be taken over by the Gentile nations. They will take away everything that is valuable and will pollute/defile it with their wicked ways. God is not going to intervene in their destruction; in fact, He is “giving it” to them. The land as well as the people will be virtually destroyed.
I think “my secret place” has to be a reference to the temple—the place of His covering (from the Hebrew for secret). In other words, they are going to take as plunder the beautiful temple vessels and furnishings.
Ezek. 7:23 Make a chain: for the land is full of bloody crimes, and the city is full of violence.
Ezek. 7:24 Wherefore I will bring the worst of the heathen, and they shall possess their houses: I will also make the pomp of the strong to cease; and their holy places shall be defiled.
The root for chain is a reference to binding. The context shows that the heathen are the ones invading, so the chains must be for the binding of those who would be taken captive. They will be taken with violence and cruelty. This judgment is meant to humble the people, especially those who were in positions of wealth and power. The people had already defiled the temple with their idol worship (cf 5:11), but the fact that God allowed heathen people to plunder the temple would further testify to the fact that His hand was in this judgment. It was no longer recognized as the place where He met with His people.
Ezek. 7:25 Destruction cometh; and they shall seek peace, and there shall be none.
Ezek. 7:26 Mischief shall come upon mischief, and rumour shall be upon rumour; then shall they seek a vision of the prophet; but the law shall perish from the priest, and counsel from the ancients.
These verses indicate that the people will finally think to turn to God for help and instruction from a true prophet, but it will be too late. This brings to mind another verse from previous studies.
Amos 8:11 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord GOD, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD….
The Hebrew for peace is a reference to safety, and they will remember too late that God is their only source of true protection. The spiritual leaders of the people will prove to be ineffective. It’s their lack of faithfulness to the Lord that has contributed to the problem. Jeremiah made point of this truth.
Jer. 50:6 My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace.
Verse 25 made me think of another verse.
Is. 57:21 There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.
“mischief..rumour” – I’m not quite sure what this is saying. Matthew Henry’s explanation made sense to me: “…for there shall come mischief upon mischief to ruin you, and rumour upon rumour to frighten you, like the waves in a storm, one upon the neck of another."
Ezek. 7:27 The king shall mourn, and the prince shall be clothed with desolation, and the hands of the people of the land shall be troubled: I will do unto them after their way, and according to their deserts will I judge them; and they shall know that I am the LORD.
I like the wording of the NLT for this verse: “The king and the prince will stand helpless, weeping in despair, and the people’s hands will tremble with fear. I will bring against them the evil they have done to others, and they will receive the punishment they so richly deserve. Then they will know that I am the LORD!”
Everyone from the king down to the common people will be afraid. They will know that God is on the throne. (cf verse 4)
Warning from Ironside: “Let not us of the Gentiles look with contempt upon the Jews because of their forgetfulness of God and the dire results that followed. Let us remember that we also, as a people, have proved utterly unworthy of the privileges bestowed upon us; and in due time Christendom, too, will be rejected of the Lord because of its apostasy and rebellion.”
Ezek. 8:1 And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in mine house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord GOD fell there upon me.
“sat” = continue, remain
The timing here would seem to tie in directly to the time referenced in 1:1-2.
Ezek. 1:1-2 Now it came to pass in the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I was among the captives by the river of Chebar, that the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God. In the fifth day of the month, which was the fifth year of king Jehoiachin’s captivity….
It would seem that this vision comes 14 months after Ezekiel’s first vision. This time he is in his home and the elders of Judah are seated in front of him. Why are they there? I would assume because Ezekiel is recognized as God’s prophet, and they want to hear from God. Using 30 days per month, 14 months would equal 420 days. Ezekiel would still be lying on his right side at the time he received this vision (cf 4:5-6). It would seem that the prophet has at least gotten the people’s attention.
As I continued reading to see where this vision ended, it continues on through the next three chapters. It kind of makes you wonder what was going through the minds of the elders when Ezekiel zones out. Maybe the time involved for Ezekiel is comparable to “Narnia” time and they didn’t really think anything at all. It also makes you wonder how Ezekiel endured the time. What went through his mind as he patiently endured the silence.
The important thing to note is that Ezekiel always recognized when God was going to speak to him.
Ezek. 8:2 Then I beheld, and lo a likeness as the appearance of fire: from the appearance of his loins even downward, fire; and from his loins even upward, as the appearance of brightness, as the colour of amber.
This description matches exactly the description given in 1:27-28 that Ezekiel identified as “the likeness of the glory of the Lord.” Any reference to God’s image or likeness to a person would seem to be a reference to Jesus, here preincarnate, since He is later identified in scripture as the “express image” of God.
Heb. 1:1-3 God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person….
Ezek. 8:3 And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy.
Ezekiel’s hair would have had plenty of time to grow back by now. In this vision Ezekiel saw the hand of God reach down to lift him up by the hair of the head. There was obviously no pain involved. He knew that he was experiencing a vision. In that vision the Spirit of God transported his spirit to Jerusalem to an inner gate on the north side of the temple. As I read through the next few verses, it would seem that Ezekiel sees an idol standing in this area that has provoked God’s jealousy. We have already established that God is a jealous God regarding His character, and the temple and Jerusalem were publicly associated with the name of God (cf chapter 5).
1 Kings 9:3 “And the LORD said unto him, I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, that thou hast made before me: I have hallowed this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever; and mine eyes and mine heart shall be there perpetually.”
Zechariah 1:14 “Thus saith the LORD of hosts; I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy.”
Isaiah 48:10–11 “Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction. For mine own sake, even for mine own sake, will I do it: for how should my name be polluted? and I will not give my glory unto another.”
Ezek. 8:4 And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision that I saw in the plain.
Ezekiel recognized the Lord’s presence at the temple because he had seen it before. He is clear that it is the God of Israel communicating with him, the very same Being that commissioned him as a prophet and watchman for his people. There is only one God.
Ezek. 8:5 Then said he unto me, Son of man, lift up thine eyes now the way toward the north. So I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the north, and behold northward at the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry.
The Lord directs Ezekiel’s gaze toward this “image” that was standing in the entry of the gate leading to the altar. The fact that it provoked God to jealousy indicates that it is there in direct opposition to Him. Everything in the temple was to be made according to God’s instructions and positioned specifically according to His instructions. This image is obviously something that takes the focus off God and directs worship away from Him.
How many things are in our lives that vie for that position? How many do we allow to fall into that category?
Utley: “This gate is called the Altar Gate in Ezek. 8:5. We learn from Lev. 1:11 that this was the place of sacrifice. It was known as the royal entrance because it faced the palace of the king.”
Ezek. 8:6 He said furthermore unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? even the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? but turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations.
The Lord is establishing Ezekiel as a witness to the abominations (disgusting, immoral things) that the people of Israel are practicing in the house that was built to honor Him, a place where He could establish His presence among them. He seems to be seeking confirmation from Ezekiel, my paraphrase—“Isn’t this just cause for My choosing to leave this place? As if this is not enough, just wait; there’s worse.”
Ezek. 8:7 And he brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold a hole in the wall.
Ezek. 8:8 Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, behold a door.
The Lord next takes Ezekiel to the inner court where he sees a hole in the wall. He is instructed to dig in the wall. When he does, he discovers a door.
Ezekiel always obeys immediately. His response to God in the spirit is the same as his response in the flesh; he obeys immediately—an example we all should follow.
Ezek. 8:9 And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here.
Ezek. 8:10 So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed upon the wall round about.
The room into which Ezekiel enters has walls decorated with unclean creatures and animals and things associated with the idols that the people had chosen to worship instead of God. This room was dedicated to the creatures of earth and the creations of men. The Creator has been left out.
Ezek. 8:11 And there stood before them seventy men of the ancients of the house of Israel, and in the midst of them stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan, with every man his censer in his hand; and a thick cloud of incense went up.
In this room are 70 elders of the people, one of whom is named specifically—Jaazaniah, the son of Shaphan. These men are not identified as priests, yet they are in an area of the temple in which only priests are authorized to be. We know that Moses established a hierarchy of 70 leaders to help him in judging the people, and this tradition probably carried on to become the ruling body identified as the Sanhedrin in Jesus’ time. It would seem that Jaazaniah is the leader of this group. He is leading them in worship of these creatures and idols.
People need direction. When they reject the authority of God and His direction, they automatically seek to fill that position with someone and/or something else. Because we are (until we are saved) of our father, the devil, there are always willing leaders strong in pride willing to step into that vacancy. It’s sad to recognize how weak and willing we are to accept a lie over the truth, to follow men and reject God.
John 8:43-44 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word. Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.
Ezek. 8:12 Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth.
God is adding to the evidence as He establishes Ezekiel as His witness. The leaders of Israel think their actions are hidden. They think that God is unaware of their activities.
“every man” – It is significant that though they have a leader, each man is accountable for his own actions.
“in the chambers of his imagery” – The Hebrew for imagery has a reference to the imagination. That seems to make good sense here because Ezekiel sees the men in a room together, but it is clear that each individual is participating in his own heart and mind.
This is very thought provoking. I’m not sure how many of us are aware of God’s knowledge of our whole being—including our thoughts.
Gen. 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.
Psa. 94:11 The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.
Heb. 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
We Christians in particular focus on outward appearances, but how much do we work on the inner chambers of our minds? Most of my communion with the Lord each day is done with my thoughts. As I reflect on earlier years, I realize now that I was much too occupied with outward appearances. I spent very little time in comparison maintaining my inner person. I discovered far too late the value of maintaining that constant heart/thought connection and awareness.
Ezek. 8:13 He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do.
Ezek. 8:14 Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD’S house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.
Still the Lord has more evidence to show Ezekiel regarding the wicked practices of the people. He takes Ezekiel to the northern gate of the temple to show him a group of women weeping for Tammuz. The NIV Commentary had a good explanation of what was happening.
“Tammuz, later linked to Adonis and Aphrodite by name, was a god of fertility and rain, similar to Hadad and Baal. In the seasonal mythological cycle, he died early in the fall when vegetation withered. His revival, by the wailing of Ishtar, was marked by the buds of spring and the fertility of the land. Such renewal was encouraged and celebrated by licentious fertility festivals.
The date of this vision was in the months of August/September, when this god Tammuz ‘died.’ At the time of this vision, the land of Palestine would have been parched from the summer sun, and the women would have been lamenting Tammuz’s death. They perhaps were also following the ritual of Ishtar, wailing for the revival of Tammuz.”
Ezek. 8:15 Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these.
Ezek. 8:16 And he brought me into the inner court of the LORD’S house, and, behold, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about five and twenty men, with their backs toward the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east; and they worshipped the sun toward the east.
The accumulation of evidence against the people continues. The Lord takes Ezekiel to the inner court of the temple, the area designated for priests only. At the entrance to the temple proper, between the porch and the altar, Ezekiel saw 25 men with their backs to the temple facing east in worship of the sun.
JFB concludes that the 25 men represent the leaders of the 24 groups of priests along with the high priest. This would make sense, although their specific identification is not addressed. I think it is logical to conclude that the men (both these and the 70 mentioned previously) would be recognized as the leaders of the people.
Ezek. 8:17 Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose.
The Lord again addresses Ezekiel. He is basically saying, “Can you believe what you are seeing? Do they think that these are minor transgressions? Their leadership has filled the land with violence and provoked me to anger.” The word for anger is reference to grief and rage.
We used to hear much from the pulpit about causes and results of God’s anger/wrath; but even that has become a subject more often avoided than not. How often have we heard messages that reference how we can grieve God or cause Him sorrow? The messages on His anger were meant to scare people into being saved and living obediently. Messages of how we can grieve God should be a greater motivation to the child of God regarding living obediently and avoiding actions that would cause such grief. He has shown us such an abundance of grace and mercy and love and compassion, that we should be far more focused on guarding against causing Him sorrow than we are in indulging self.
“put the branch to their nose” – Seems to be a reference to their ritual of sun worship. According to JFB they “held up a branch or bundle of tamarisk (called barsom) to their nose at daybreak, while singing hymns to the rising sun.”
Ezek. 8:18 Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.
The actions of the people have finally caused the Lord to declare judgment against them. The time for repentance has passed. His judgment is sure and will be implemented without mercy.
This is a consistent truth in scripture. God is the determining authority as to how long the window of opportunity for faith and repentance remain open for individuals as well as nations. We have no right to question that judgment. The fact that we are even given that opportunity is an act of God’s mercy. The fact that He provides for our deliverance is an act of His grace. When we choose to reject Him and His provision, we surely deserve His judgment.