Chapter 8
Verses 2-4 – Some scholars believe the man who appeared to Ezekiel was the pre-incarnate Christ. The Spirit of God took Ezekiel to a gate where stood an Idol. In subsequent verses we see that Israel had become deeply involved in the worship of idols. Exodus 20:4 tells us that God is “jealous” and will not tolerate idol worship. How can we of the New Covenant worship any other “god” if we are focused on Jesus?
Verses 16-18 – God’s reaction to idol worship is unpleasant is powerful. Those who do not worship Him alone are subject to eternal destruction. If we are in Christ, how can we even think about worshiping an idol?
Chapter9
Verses 1-4 – Six angels are instructed to execute God’s judgement. God’s glory leaves the cherubim and He instructs them to “defile the temple with the slain.” Ezekiel collapses in worship and asks God His intent. God tells him that putting anything before Him is eternally fatal. They will get what they deserve. Do you want what you deserve? You had better want the mercy of God in Christ. God promises a remnant that will be spared.
Verses 5-11 – The frightful judgement is executed. It is a bad idea to place faith in anything other than the finished work of Christ at the cross of Calvary. The consequence is eternally deadly.
Chapter 10
Verse 4-19 – The glory fills the temple for the last time. Ezekiel again sees the wheels. The Holy Spirit leads the cherubim to lift up, and God’s glory left the temple and “stood” at the eastern gate. From this moment on, the temple was dead. Now, those in Christ are the temple.
Chapter 11
Verses 1-7 – Ezekiel was led by the Spirit to the gate. There it was revealed to him what the sins of the rulers was.
Verses 8-15 – Here we see the judgement of the rulers. In God’s economy, leaders are both important and are beset with the responsibility of leading in right doctrine. Remember: at any given moment a church is where it has been led and where it has allowed its leaders to lead it. We must ensure that our leaders are leading Christward.
Verses 16-20 – God once again promises a remnant.
Verses 21-23 – The Shekinah glory leaves Jerusalem and stands, significantly, over the Mount of Olives.
Chapter 12
Verses 1-6 – Because the people will not hear the prophet, he is to adopt a sensational and strange method of commanding their attention.
Verses 7-16 – Ezekiel locks himself in the house, digs through the wall and takes his possessions our through the hole in the wall.
Chapter 13 – In this chapter, Ezekiel warns about false prophets and prophetesses. Check out the book of 1 Timothy, which is ALL about false prophets and the importance of not following them or allowing them into positions of leadership.
Verses 1-15 – God tells Ezekiel to prophesy against false prophets. He calls them foolish, jackals, thieves, whitewashed liars and that they have NO PLACE in service to the Lord. If we have false prophets in the church, they must be called out, weeded out and thrown out. We must not be tolerant of them. They, if they are in leadership positions, are the human equivalent of idols.
Verse 16 – The false prophets predict peace for Jerusalem. Their mantra is “Don’t worry. Be happy.” God is love and will not bring harm to those who lead with erroneous doctrine.
Since King Nebuchadnezzar had besieged Jerusalem twice and God didn’t destroy it, the false prophets assumed He would not.
Verses 17-23 – God soundly condemns the lying prophetesses who use their femininity to “convince” men to believe and follow them. Women have that kind of power, you know.
Chapter 14 – Here is a prophecy against idolatry of ELDERS and the certain destruction of Jerusalem.
In the Old Testament, the word “elder” is translated from several Hebrew words: gadol, meaning “great”; zaqen meaning “old”, “aged” or “bearded”, rab, meaning “great”, sab, meaning “grey headed” and zeqenim le-yamim, meaning “aged as to days.”
The Old Testament (Greek) words for “elder” are: meizon, meaning “greater” (used only once), presbuterios, meaning “aged person”, sumpresbuteros, meaning “fellow elder”, presbuterion, meaning “eldership” or “presbytery” (Luke 22:66 and Acts 22:5) and presbuteros, meaning “aged person.
Although context in SOME instances seems to indicate some kind of office (like Acts 4:8), there is no definitive use of the terms to cause us to believe that an office known as ELDERS is either required or desired. The terms simply mean older, more experienced leaders in the congregation.
That certain denominations have chosen to identify themselves by such an office (most notably Presbyterians, but others as well), is interesting in that Scripture does not require it.
Verses 1-3 – Ezekiel was sent to the older leaders of the Jews to tell them that they were idolatrous and would bring certain destruction to Jerusalem.
Verses 4-11 – Ezekiel takes God’s warning about idolatry to the “house of Israel,” warning them to turn from idolatry or else God would “set His face against” them.
Verses 12-20 – Even Noah, Daniel, and Job could not deliver Jerusalem. (Daniel was prime minister at this time in the court of Nebuchadnezzar.)
If you are a Christian and your family, your work, your finances, your hobbies, your vacations, your playtimes or any other aspect of your life takes precedence over serving Christ, you are guilty of idolatry. “Serving Christ” does NOT mean serving the church. It means serving Christ through the church – the Body of Christ.
This is heavy stuff, because it seems to indicate that I have to include Christ in everything I think or do. EXACTLY! Christ must be the in-all, of-all, by-all and through-all of everything we are, everything we think and everything we do.
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