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Idolatry in the Temple
Ezekiel 8:1-18
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Idolatry in the Temple
Text:
Ezekiel 8:1-14,
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 upon me there. 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. 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 to the north gate of the inner
court, where the idol that provokes to jealousy stood. And there
before me was the glory of the God of Israel, as in the vision I had
seen in the plain.
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.
And he said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing—
the utterly detestable things the house of Israel is doing here, things
that will drive me far from my sanctuary? But you will see things
that are even more detestable.”
Then he brought me to the entrance to the court. I looked, and I saw
a hole in the wall. He said to me, “Son of man, now dig into the
wall.” So I dug into the wall and saw a doorway there.
And he said to me, “Go in and see the wicked and detestable things
they are doing here.” So I went in and looked, and I saw portrayed
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all over the walls all kinds of crawling things and detestable animals
and all the idols of the house of Israel. In front of them stood seventy
elders of the house 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.
He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the
house 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.‟” Again, he said, “You will see them doing things
that are even more detestable.”
Then he brought me to the entrance to the north gate of the house of
the Lord, and I saw women sitting there, mourning for Tammuz. He
said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? You will see things that are
even more detestable than this.”
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.
He said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a trivial matter
for the house of Judah to do the detestable things they are doing
here? Must they also fill the land with violence and continually
provoke me to anger? Look at them putting the branch to their
nose! 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.” (NIV 1984)
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Introduction:
I. Hamilton wrote, “Chapters 8-11 comprise a single vision in five
sections.”
A. The vision begins with the Spirit‟s entrance into the temple and
ends with the Spirit‟s departure from the temple. (Hamilton)
B. The first section focuses on Israel‟s idolatry in the temple while
the last four sections portray Yahweh‟s progressive responses.
(Hamilton)
C. Smith wrote that this vision was designed to demonstrate God‟s
justice in destroying Jerusalem.
II. Smith (Fredenburg concurs) outlined this chapter (8) as follows:
A. Introduction to the Vision (8:1-4).
B. The Defilement of the Temple by idolatry. (8:5-18)
III. Fredenburg provides the following vital information:
A. Ezekiel chapters 5-7 emphasize God‟s intention to bring
judgment on Israel and Jerusalem because of their:
1. rebellion against God‟s law.
a. Ezekiel 5:6, Yet in her wickedness she has
rebelled against my laws and decrees more than the
nations and countries around her. She has rejected
my laws and has not followed my decrees. (NIV
1984)
2. depravity worse than heathens.
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a. Ezekiel 5:7, “Therefore this is what the
Sovereign Lord says: You have been more unruly
than the nations around you and have not followed
my decrees or kept my laws. You have not
even conformed to the standards of the nations
around you. (NIV 1984)
3. idol worship.
a. Ezekiel 5:9, Because of all your detestable idols, I
will do to you what I have never done before and
will never do again. (NIV 1984)
4. defiling the temple and destroying its property.
a. Ezekiel 5:11, Therefore as surely as I live, declares
the Sovereign LORD, because you have defiled my
sanctuary with all your vile images and detestable
practices, I myself will withdraw my favor; I will not
look on you with pity or spare you. (NIV 1984)
5. murder of innocent people.
a. Ezekiel 5:11, Therefore as surely as I live, declares
the Sovereign LORD, because you have defiled my
sanctuary with all your vile images and detestable
practices, I myself will withdraw my favor; I will not
look on you with pity or spare you. (NIV 1984)
B. Fredenburg noted that God had had “enough!”
C. These Israelites thought they could live any way they pleased
and God would continue to bless them.
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1. Some today hold this foolish notion!
IV. Ezekiel 8-11 “form a connected whole,” Coffman wrote.
A. Apostate Israel had sinfully and horribly defiled the Temple
which would lead to God‟s departure from the Temple. (See
chapter 8.)
B. The supernatural means of Israel‟s punishment are presented in
chapter 9.
C. The cherubim made preparatory movements to depart the
Temple. (Chapter 9)
D. God actually departs from the Temple in chapter 11:22-25.
Israel defiled the Temple and God departed from it!
V. Coffman stated that the abominations mentioned in this chapter were
being practiced by Judah at the time this vision was seen by Ezekiel and
as dated by Ezekiel 8:1.
A. Of course, Israel had long been a sinful people with periodic
reformations as under Hezekiah and Josiah.
B. The sins mentioned were demanding current divine punishment.
Commentary:
Ezekiel 8:1, 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 upon me there.
(NIV 1984)
I. In the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day, …
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A. Hamilton and Fredenburg date this event to September 18, 592
B.C.E. which Smith identified as being the sixth year, in the sixth
month, on the fifth day of King Jehoiachin‟s captivity and,
according to Clarke, in the sixth (6th
) year of Ezekiel‟s captivity.
1. Smith and Fredenburg further observed that fourteen (14)
months had elapsed since the call of Ezekiel.
a. The Pulpit Commentary stated that thirteen (13)
months had passed since the vision at Chebar during
which time things in Jerusalem were getting
progressively worse.
2. The present vision, by some commentators, is dated within
the 430 days Ezekiel was lying on his side, but Coffman
quoting Greenberg wrote that the time Ezekiel was lying on
his sides ended just “three weeks before the date given here.”
B. Politically Jerusalem‟s situation had not changed. Zedekiah was
still ruling, and the rulers and citizens of Jerusalem were
determined to free themselves of Babylon‟s domination. (See
Smith.)
C. Communication between Jerusalem and the exiles in Babylon
was frequent. (The Pulpit Commentary)
1. Jeremiah 29:1-3, 9, 25, This is the text of the letter that
the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the
surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the
prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had
carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. (This was
after King Jehoiachin and the queen mother, the court
officials and the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the
craftsmen and the artisans had gone into exile from
Jerusalem.) He entrusted the letter to Elasah son of
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Shaphan and to Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom
Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in
Babylon. It said: ... They are prophesying lies to you in
my name. I have not sent them,” declares the LORD. “This
is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You
sent letters in your own name to all the people in
Jerusalem, to Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the priest, and
to all the other priests. You said to Zephaniah, (NIV
1984)
II. while I was sitting in my house and the elders of Judah were sitting
before me, …
A. Smith wrote that the elders were sitting before Ezekiel as his
students.
B. Fredenburg observed this visitation was possible because
Ezekiel did not lie on his side day and night without interruption.
C. Smith and Fredenburg suggest the elders may have visited
Ezekiel to hear his explanations of the pantomimes they had
observed by watching Ezekiel.
D. The fact that the elders visited Ezekiel in his home, Coffman
observed, indicates Ezekiel had a certain amount of prestige among
the exiles.
1. The elders, Coffman further wrote, were apparently
seeking counsel and information from Ezekiel.
III. the hand (power) of the Sovereign Lord came upon me there.
A. This was sudden and unexpected! (Fredenburg)
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B. The Pulpit Commentary suggests this involved Ezekiel‟s being
in a trance state after which he had recorded what he had seen in
the trance.
1. Ezekiel 3:14, 22, The Spirit then lifted me up and took
me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my
spirit, with the strong hand of the LORD upon me. The
hand of the LORD was upon me there, and he said to me,
“Get up and go out to the plain, and there I will speak to
you.” (NIV 1984)
Ezekiel 8:2, 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. (NIV 1984)
I. I looked, and I saw a figure like that of a man.
A. This figure of a man in awesome glory represents God himself.
(See Smith.)
B. Compare this divine appearance with: (Smith)
1. Ezekiel 3:23, So I got up and went out to the plain. And
the glory of the Lord was standing there, like the glory I
had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown. (NIV
1984)
2. Ezekiel 1:1-3, In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month
on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the
Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw
visions of God. On the fifth of the month—it was the fifth
year of the exile of King Jehoiachin — the word of
the Lord came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, by
the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians. There the
hand of the Lord was upon him. (NIV 1984)
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II. From what appeared to be his waist down he was like fire, …
A. This vision was unspeakably awe inspiring.
B. This was clearly a representation of the Lord, majestic beyond
description.
1. Ezekiel 1:27, I saw that from what appeared to be his
waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire,
and that from there down he looked like fire; and
brilliant light surrounded him. (NIV 1984)
III. and from there up his appearance was as bright as glowing metal.
A. In different ways, God‟s appearance was truly awesome from
head to foot!
Ezekiel 8:3, 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 to the north gate of the inner court, where the idol that
provokes to jealousy stood. (NIV 1984)
I. He stretched out what looked like a hand and took me by the hair on
my head.
A. The figure of a man reached out its hand and took hold of
Ezekiel‟s hair.
1. Ezekiel 2:9-10, Then I looked, and I saw a
hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll, which he
unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written
words of lament and mourning and woe. (NIV 1984)
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2. Daniel 5:5-6, Suddenly the fingers of a human hand
appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the
lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand
as it wrote. His face turned pale and he was so
frightened that his knees knocked together and his legs
gave way. (NIV 1984)
B. Of course, God is a spirit. This is a figure of speech called an
anthropomorphism which is an interpretation of what is not human
or personal in terms of human or personal characteristics.
(Webster)
1. McGee wrote, “Scripture uses our own finite terms to aid
our understanding of the infinite.”
C. Ezekiel had shaved his head about a year previously so that by
this time his hair had grown out again. (McGee)
II. The Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and in visions of
God he took me to Jerusalem, …
A. Ezekiel was lifted up and transported to Jerusalem.
1. This was done in a vision, not physically, not literally,
although some commentators hold Ezekiel‟s transport to
Jerusalem was literal.
2. Coffman wrote, “Ezekiel was not bodily transported to
Jerusalem. Apparently the elders of Judah were in Ezekiel‟s
house when this vision occurred and presumably were still
there when it was over.”
3. McGee and Coffman compared Ezekiel‟s experience with
Paul‟s.
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a. 2 Corinthians 12:1-3, I must go on
boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I
will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. I
know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was
caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the
body or out of the body I do not know—God
knows. And I know that this man—whether in the
body or apart from the body I do not know, but God
knows— (NIV 1984)
4. The word for visions (mareh) is used elsewhere, but other
words are also used for visions indicating various types of
visions existed. (See the Pulpit Commentary.)
a. Ezekiel 11:24, The Spirit lifted me up and brought
me to the exiles in Babylonia in the vision given by
the Spirit of God. Then the vision I had seen went
up from me, (NIV 1984)
b. Ezekiel 43:3, The vision I saw was like the vision I
had seen when he came to destroy the city and like
the visions I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell
facedown. (NIV 1984)
c. Daniel 8:26-27, “The vision of the evenings and
mornings that has been given you is true, but seal up
the vision, for it concerns the distant future.” (NIV
1984)
III. to the entrance (door) to the north gate of the inner court, where the
idol that provokes to jealousy stood.
A. In the vision (in the spirit), Ezekiel was taken to the north gate
of the inner court of the temple.
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1. Ezekiel was familiar with the Temple area as a priest
would have been. (See The Pulpit Commentary.)
B. This idol that provoked to jealousy and which stood near the
north gate was destroyed by Josiah (See Fredenburg.), but the
people soon reverted to idolatry.
1. 2 Kings 21:2,7, He did evil in the eyes of
the LORD, following the detestable practices of the nations
the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. He took the
carved Asherah pole he had made and put it in the
temple, of which the LORD had said to David and to his
son Solomon, “In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I
have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my
Name forever. (NIV 1984)
2. 2 Kings 23:6, He took the Asherah pole from the temple
of the LORD to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem and
burned it there. He ground it to powder and scattered the
dust over the graves of the common people. (NIV 1984)
3. Deuteronomy 32:16, 21, They made him jealous with their
foreign gods and angered him with their detestable idols. (NIV
1984)
4. Psalm 78:58, They angered him with their high
places; they aroused his jealousy with their idols. (NIV
1984)
5. This idol may have been the popular Assyrian goddess
Astarte (Ishtar, Asherah). (Fredenburg)
6. However, as Coffman well wrote, any idol in the temple
would have provoked God to jealousy.
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7. For verses containing references to the north gate of the
altar, upper gate, high gate, higher gate and new gate which
The Pulpit Commentary states may all be the same, see the
following references:
a. Ezekiel 8:3, 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 to the north gate of the inner court, where
the idol that provokes to jealousy stood. (NIV 1984)
b. Ezekiel 8:5, 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. (NIV 1984)
c. Ezekiel 9:2, And I saw six men coming from the
direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each
with a deadly weapon in his hand. With them was a
man clothed in linen who had a writing kit at his
side. They came in and stood beside the bronze
altar. (NIV 1984)
d. Jeremiah 20:2, he had Jeremiah the prophet
beaten and put in the stocks at the Upper Gate of
Benjamin at the LORD‟s temple. (NIV 1984)
e. 2 Kings 15:35, The high places, however, were not
removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices
and burn incense there. Jotham rebuilt the Upper
Gate of the temple of the LORD. (NIV 1984)
f. Jeremiah 36:10, From the room of Gemariah son
of Shaphan the secretary, which was in the upper
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courtyard at the entrance of the New Gate of the
temple, Baruch read to all the people at the LORD‟s
temple the words of Jeremiah from the scroll. (NIV
1984)
8. The Pulpit Commentary also states this gate (area) was one
of the most conspicuous portions of the temple, where the
people gathered in large numbers.
Ezekiel 8:4, And there before me was the glory of the God of Israel,
as in the vision I had seen in the plain. (NIV 1984)
I. And there before me was the glory of the God of Israel, …
A. Ezekiel did not literally see God because no one could do that
and live.
1. He saw a vision depicting the glory of the God of Israel.
B. This is a marvelous contrast between the detestable idol that
provokes to jealousy and the glory of the God of Israel.
1. “The guilt of Judah was measured by this contrast.” (See
The Pulpit Commentary.)
II. as in the vision I had seen in the plain.
A. Ezekiel 1:1-28, In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month on
the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar
River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. On
the fifth of the month—it was the fifth year of the exile of King
Jehoiachin — the word of the LORD came to Ezekiel the priest,
the son of Buzi, by the Kebar River in the land of the
Babylonians. There the hand of the LORD was upon him. I
looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north —an
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immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by
brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing
metal, and in the fire was what looked like four living
creatures. In appearance their form was that of a man, but
each of them had four faces and four wings. Their legs were
straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like
burnished bronze. Under their wings on their four sides they
had the hands of a man. All four of them had faces and
wings, and their wings touched one another. Each one went
straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved. Their faces
looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a man, and on
the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the
face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle. Such were
their faces. Their wings were spread out upward; each had two
wings, one touching the wing of another creature on either
side, and two wings covering its body. Each one went straight
ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without
turning as they went. The appearance of the living creatures
was like burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire moved back
and forth among the creatures; it was bright, and
lightning flashed out of it. The creatures sped back and forth
like flashes of lightning. As I looked at the living creatures, I
saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four
faces. This was the appearance and structure of the wheels:
They sparkled like chrysolite, and all four looked alike. Each
appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel. As they
moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the
creatures faced; the wheels did not turn about as the creatures
went. Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims
were full of eyes all around. When the living creatures moved,
the wheels beside them moved; and when the living creatures
rose from the ground, the wheels also rose. Wherever the spirit
would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise along with
them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the
wheels. When the creatures moved, they also moved; when the
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creatures stood still, they also stood still; and when the
creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose along with
them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the
wheels. Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was
what looked like an expanse, sparkling like ice, and
awesome. Under the expanse their wings were stretched out
one toward the other, and each had two wings covering its
body. When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their
wings, like the roar of rushing waters, like the voice of the
Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still,
they lowered their wings. Then there came a voice from above
the expanse over their heads as they stood with lowered
wings. Above the expanse over their heads was what looked
like a throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a
figure like that of a man. I saw that from what appeared to be
his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and
that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light
surrounded him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the
clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This
was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of
the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice
of one speaking. (NIV 1984)
B. Ezekiel 3:23, So I got up and went out to the plain. And the
glory of the LORD was standing there, like the glory I had seen
by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown. (NIV 1984)
Note: Coffman wrote, “There are four abominations mentioned in the
balance of the chapter, where they appear in an ascending order of
offensiveness to God.” These involved (1) the image of jealousy, (2)
worship of beasts, reptiles and creeping things, (3) the worship of
Tammuz, and (4) the worship of the Sun by the priests.
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Ezekiel 8:5, 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. (NIV 1984)
I. Then he said to me, “Son of man, look toward the north.”
A. Ezekiel was first taken to the area north of the altar gate.
II. So I looked, and in the entrance north of the gate of the altar I saw
this idol of jealousy.
A. This “idol of jealousy” had been erected by Manasseh, likely an
Asherah pole, Hamilton advised, and Josiah had removed it.
1. 2 Kings 21:7, He took the carved Asherah pole he had
made and put it in the temple, of which the LORD had
said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this temple and
in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of
Israel, I will put my Name forever. (NIV 1984)
2. 2 Kings 23:6-7, He took the Asherah pole from the
temple of the LORD to the Kidron Valley outside
Jerusalem and burned it there. He ground it to
powder and scattered the dust over the graves of the
common people. He also tore down the quarters of the
male shrine prostitutes, which were in the temple of
the LORD and where women did weaving for Asherah.
(NIV 1984)
3. Deuteronomy 5:8, “You shall not make for yourself an
idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the
earth beneath or in the waters below. (NIV 1984)
4. Deuteronomy 12:3, Break down their altars,
smash their sacred stones and burn their Asherah poles
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in the fire; cut down the idols of their gods and wipe out
their names from those places. (NIV 1984)
B. Looking north from the temple gate Ezekiel could see the idol
of jealousy.
1. Coffman noted that the identity of this idol is immaterial
because any idol was offensive to God; and the placement of
such an abomination within the Temple was an outrageous
desecration.
2. Coffman wrote that the popular view of the idol of
jealousy was an idol with an altar to Ashera, Asheroth,
Astarte, or some other female fertility goddess of the ancient
Canaanites. The worship of such idols was vile, licentious,
depraved and disgusting.
Ezekiel 8:6, And he said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they
are doing—the utterly detestable things the house of Israel is doing
here, things that will drive me far from my sanctuary? But you will
see things that are even more detestable.” (NIV 1984)
I. And he said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing — …
A. In other words, pay careful attention to what you see and
understand what you see.
II. the utterly detestable things the house of Israel is doing here, things
that will drive me far from my sanctuary?
A. God would not co-habit the temple with idols.
1. If the Israelites insisted on worshiping idols in his Temple,
God would leave.
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a. Exodus 20:5, You shall not bow down to them or
worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a
jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the
fathersto the third and fourth generation of those
who hate me, (NIV 1984)
b. Deuteronomy 6:4-6, Hear, O Israel: The LORD
our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your
God with all your heart and with all your soul and
with all your strength. These commandments that I
give you today are to be upon your hearts. (NIV
1984)
2. “They are committing great abominations here to drive me
from my sanctuary,” Eichrodt wrote via Coffman.
a. God left the temple because of the abominations
practiced there by the apostate Israelites, Coffman
wrote.
III. But you will see things that are even more detestable.”
A. Polluting the temple by idol worship, horrible as this was, was
not the worst thing Israel was doing.
1. Ezekiel would be shown more detestable things Israel had
done.
2. These detestable things had been premeditative and
consistently done over a long period of time, but what they
were currently continuing to do caused God to forsake Israel.
Ezekiel 8:7, Then he brought me to the entrance to the court. I
looked, and I saw a hole in the wall. (NIV 1984)
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I. Then he brought me to the entrance (door) to the court.
A. Ezekiel was secondly taken to the entrance of the inner Temple
court, the gate that opened from the inner to the outer court which
was surrounded by chambers or cells. (The Pulpit Commentary)
1. Jeremiah 35:4, I brought them into the house of the
Lord, into the room of the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah
the man of God. It was next to the room of the officials,
which was over that of Maaseiah son of Shallum the
doorkeeper. (NIV 1984)
II. I looked, and I saw a hole in the wall.
A. The location of this “hole in the wall” cannot exactly be
determined.
B. The hole was not large enough for Ezekiel to get a clear view of
what was happening on the other side of the wall (Clarke), so
Ezekiel, as God commanded, started to dig.
1. The Pulpit Commentary asked “If this hole was too small
for Ezekiel, how did the others get to the chamber on the
other side of the wall?”
a. There may have been another entrance to that
chamber. (The Pulpit Commentary)
b. Also, we are not warranted in making minute
interpretations based on visions. (See The Pulpit
Commentary.)
Ezekiel 8:8, He said to me, “Son of man, now dig into the wall.” So I
dug into the wall and saw a doorway there. (NIV 1984)
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I. He said to me, “Son of man, now dig into the wall.”
A. God commanded Ezekiel to dig into the wall.
1. Something was to be discovered, found by this digging.
II. So I dug into the wall and saw a doorway there.
A. This is the way it was with Ezekiel and most certainly the way
it must be with us!
1. God commanded and Ezekiel obeyed without question or
hesitation!
B. Ezekiel dug so that he could see a doorway and go through the
hole he had enlarged and the doorway beyond. (Clarke)
Ezekiel 8:9, And he said to me, “Go in and see the wicked and
detestable things they are doing here.” (NIV 1984)
I. And he said to me, “Go in and see the wicked and detestable things
they are doing here.”
A. To make these bad matters worse, these wicked and detestable
things were done in the temple.
Ezekiel 8:10, So I went in and looked, and I saw portrayed all over
the walls all kinds of crawling things and detestable animals and all
the idols of the house of Israel. (NIV 1984)
I. So I went in and looked, and I saw portrayed all over the walls all
kinds of crawling things and detestable animals and all the idols of the
house of Israel.
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A. Israel had gone rapidly, totally, rampantly into heathen idolatry
appropriating all manner of heathen gods for their own worship
and in fact may have invented some idols of their own.
1. Some of these idols were likely representations of various
Egyptian gods.
a. Similar designs were inscribed on the walls of the
tombs of Egyptian kings and nobles. (Clarke)
b. “The alliance between Jehoiakim and Pharaoh and
which Zedekiah was endeavoring to renew, would
naturally bring about a revival of that culture,” The
Pulpit Commentary reads.
2. Israel was worshiping the creature rather than the Creator.
a. Romans 1:21-25, For although they knew God,
they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to
him, but their thinking became futile and their
foolish hearts were darkened. Although they
claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged
the glory of the immortal God for images made to
look like mortal man and birds and animals and
reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful
desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the
degrading of their bodies with one another. They
exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped
and served created things rather than the Creator—
who is forever praised. Amen. (NIV 1984)
Ezekiel 8:11, In front of them stood seventy elders of the house 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. (NIV 1984)
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I. In front of them stood seventy (70) elders of the house of Israel, and…
A. Numbers 11:16-25, The Lord said to Moses: “Bring me
seventy of Israel‟s elders who are known to you as leaders and
officials among the people. Have them come to the Tent of
Meeting, that they may stand there with you. I will come down
and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit that is on
you and put the Spirit on them. They will help you carry the
burden of the people so that you will not have to carry it alone.
“Tell the people: „Consecrate yourselves in preparation for
tomorrow, when you will eat meat. The Lord heard you when
you wailed, “If only we had meat to eat! We were better off in
Egypt!” Now the Lord will give you meat, and you will eat it.
You will not eat it for just one day, or two days, or five, ten or
twenty days, but for a whole month—until it comes out of your
nostrils and you loathe it—because you have rejected the Lord,
who is among you, and have wailed before him, saying, “Why
did we ever leave Egypt?”‟” But Moses said, “Here I am
among six hundred thousand men on foot, and you say, „I will
give them meat to eat for a whole month!‟ Would they have
enough if flocks and herds were slaughtered for them? Would
they have enough if all the fish in the sea were caught for
them?” The Lord answered Moses, “Is the Lord‟s arm too
short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come
true for you.” So Moses went out and told the people what the
Lord had said. He brought together seventy of their elders and
had them stand around the Tent. Then the Lord came down in
the cloud and spoke with him, and he took of the Spirit that
was on him and put the Spirit on the seventy elders. When the
Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they did not do so
again. (NIV 1984)
B. Exodus 24:9-10, Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and
the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel.
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Under his feet was something like a pavement made of
sapphire, clear as the sky itself. (NIV 1984)
C. Horrible as it is, the leaders, elders of Israel were chief in this
evil and even acted as priests in this corrupt heathen worship.
1. They would influence Israel to follow their sinful ways.
2. These elders were leading the people into sinful idolatious
behaviors.
D. Clarke suggested these seventy (70) elders could have
constituted an early Sanhedrin, Jewish council, or court.
1. The actual Sanhedrin did not exist until after the Captivity.
(The Pulpit Commentary)
II. Jaazaniah (The Lord is listening.) son of Shaphan was standing
among them.
A. Jaazaniah was a leader of elders who were offering incense to
idols. (New Illustrated Bible Dictionary)
1. “Jaazaniah was a black sheep from the godly family of
Shaphan.” (Smith)
a. Shaphan presumably, Smith wrote, in all these cases
was the famous scribe who supported the reform efforts
of King Josiah.
i. 2 Kings 22:3-20, In the eighteenth year of his
reign, King Josiah sent the secretary, Shaphan
son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, to the
temple of the Lord. He said: “Go up to Hilkiah
the high priest and have him get ready the
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money that has been brought into the temple of
the Lord, which the doorkeepers have collected
from the people. Have them entrust it to the
men appointed to supervise the work on the
temple. And have these men pay the workers
who repair the temple of the Lord— the
carpenters, the builders and the masons. Also
have them purchase timber and dressed stone
to repair the temple. But they need not account
for the money entrusted to them, because they
are acting faithfully.” Hilkiah the high priest
said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found
the Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord.”
He gave it to Shaphan, who read it. Then
Shaphan the secretary went to the king and
reported to him: “Your officials have paid out
the money that was in the temple of the Lord
and have entrusted it to the workers and
supervisors at the temple.” Then Shaphan the
secretary informed the king, “Hilkiah the
priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan
read from it in the presence of the king. When
the king heard the words of the Book of the
Law, he tore his robes. He gave these orders to
Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan,
Acbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary
and Asaiah the king‟s attendant: “Go and
inquire of the Lord for me and for the people
and for all Judah about what is written in this
book that has been found. Great is the Lord‟s
anger that burns against us because our
fathers have not obeyed the words of this book;
they have not acted in accordance with all that
is written there concerning us.” Hilkiah the
priest, Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan and Asaiah
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went to speak to the prophetess Huldah, who
was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son
of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in
Jerusalem, in the Second District. She said to
them, “This is what the Lord, the God of
Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me,
„This is what the Lord says: I am going to
bring disaster on this place and its people,
according to everything written in the book the
king of Judah has read. Because they have
forsaken me and burned incense to other gods
and provoked me to anger by all the idols their
hands have made, my anger will burn against
this place and will not be quenched.‟ Tell the
king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the
Lord, „This is what the Lord, the God of Israel,
says concerning the words you heard: Because
your heart was responsive and you humbled
yourself before the Lord when you heard what
I have spoken against this place and its people,
that they would become accursed and laid
waste, and because you tore your robes and
wept in my presence, I have heard you,
declares the Lord. Therefore I will gather you
to your fathers, and you will be buried in
peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I
am going to bring on this place.‟” So they took
her answer back to the king. (NIV 1984)
b. Coffman observed that a Jaazaniah had helped Josiah
in his reforms and that, if this were the same person, he
had certainly not remained faithful to the Lord.
2. Four men, Smith wrote, are said to be the sons of the
Shaphan:
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a. Gemaniah, one of the princes sympathetic to the
reading of the scroll written by Jeremiah.
i. Jeremiah 36:10-12, From the room of
Gemariah son of Shaphan the secretary, which
was in the upper courtyard at the entrance of
the New Gate of the temple, Baruch read to all
the people at the Lord‟s temple the words of
Jeremiah from the scroll. When Micaiah son of
Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, heard all the
words of the Lord from the scroll, he went
down to the secretary‟s room in the royal
palace, where all the officials were sitting:
Elishama the secretary, Delaiah son of
Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Acbor, Gemariah
son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah,
and all the other officials. (NIV 1984)
b. Ahikam, who rescued Jeremiah from certain
execution in the temple…
i. 2 Kings 22:12, He gave these orders to
Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan,
Acbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary
and Asaiah the king‟s attendant: (NIV 1984)
ii. Jeremiah 26:24, Furthermore, Ahikam son
of Shaphan supported Jeremiah, and so he was
not handed over to the people to be put to
death. (NIV 1984)
c. Elesah, who rescued a letter from Jeremiah to the
exiles in Babylon.
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i. Jeremiah 29:3, He entrusted the letter to
Elasah son of Shaphan and to Gemariah son of
Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to
King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It said:
(NIV 1984)
d. Jaazaniah, who was among those elders worshiping
animals in the secret chambers of the Temple.
i. Ezekiel 8:11, In front of them stood seventy
elders of the house 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. (NIV 1984)
III. Each had a censer in his hand, and a fragrant cloud of incense was
rising.
A. This was a priestly function. Elders were not eligible to perform
these functions, and most certainly, priests or not, not to idols.
Ezekiel 8:12, He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the
elders of the house 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.‟” (NIV 1984)
I. He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the
house of Israel are doing in the darkness (secret), each at the shrine of
his own idol?
A. Each of the elders had his very own personal idol.
1. Genesis 31:30-37, Now you have gone off because you
longed to return to your father‟s house. But why did you
steal my gods?” Jacob answered Laban, “I was afraid,
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because I thought you would take your daughters away
from me by force. But if you find anyone who has your
gods, he shall not live. In the presence of our relatives, see
for yourself whether there is anything of yours here with
me; and if so, take it.” Now Jacob did not know that
Rachel had stolen the gods. So Laban went into Jacob‟s
tent and into Leah‟s tent and into the tent of the two
maidservants, but he found nothing. After he came out of
Leah‟s tent, he entered Rachel‟s tent. Now Rachel had
taken the household gods and put them inside her camel‟s
saddle and was sitting on them. Laban searched through
everything in the tent but found nothing. Rachel said to
her father, “Don‟t be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand
up in your presence; I‟m having my period.” So he
searched but could not find the household gods. Jacob
was angry and took Laban to task. “What is my crime?”
he asked Laban. “What sin have I committed that you
hunt me down? Now that you have searched through all
my goods, what have you found that belongs to your
household? Put it here in front of your relatives and mine,
and let them judge between the two of us. (NIV 1984)
B. They thought God did not know what they were doing because
he had forsaken the land.
1. Isaiah 29:15, Woe to those who go to great depths to
hide their plans from the Lord, who do their work in
darkness and think, “Who sees us? Who will know?”
(NIV 1984)
2. Isaiah 30:1-5, “Woe to the obstinate children,”
declares the Lord, “to those who carry out plans that are
not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit,
heaping sin upon sin; who go down to Egypt without
consulting me; who look for help to Pharaoh‟s protection,
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to Egypt‟s shade for refuge. But Pharaoh‟s protection will
be to your shame, Egypt‟s shade will bring you disgrace.
Though they have officials in Zoan and their envoys have
arrived in Hanes, everyone will be put to shame because
of a people useless to them, who bring neither help nor
advantage, but only shame and disgrace.”(NIV 1984)
II. They say, „The Lord does not see us; the Lord has forsaken the
land.‟”
A. Smith stated the first accusation was blasphemous because they
were saying God was not omniscient.
B. The second charge was hypocritical because they otherwise
claimed God would not permit the destruction of Jerusalem nor the
Temple while here they claim God had forsaken the entire land.
Ezekiel 8:13, Again, he said, “You will see them doing things that
are even more detestable.” (NIV 1984)
I. Again, he said, “You will see them doing things that are even more
detestable.”
A. These, as bad as they were, were not the most detestable things
Israel had done.
1. Ezekiel would be shown even more abhorrent, detestable
sins of Israel.
B. Their worship was not a blending of the worship of God with
idols. It was a total departure from God and a total devotion to
idols.
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Ezekiel 8:14, Then he brought me to the entrance to the north gate
of the house of the LORD, and I saw women sitting there, mourning
for Tammuz. (NIV 1984)
I. Then he brought me to the entrance to the north gate of the house of
the Lord,…
A. Ezekiel‟s third stop was at the entrance to the north gate of the
Temple, the house of the Lord.
II. and I saw women sitting there, mourning for Tammuz (Adonis).
A. Tammuz (Dumuzi) was a Babylonian fertility god (New
Illustrated Bible Dictionary), the god of spring vegetation.
(McGee)
1. Hamilton noted that, in some forms of Babylonian
mythology, Tammuz would die (and rise) yearly in tandum
with seasonal changes.
a. These women were grieving for a dead god.
(Hamilton)
b. Tammuz was a vegetation god whose legendary
annual birth and death corresponded with the spring and
fall seasons. (See Smith.)
c. Tammuz had a consort, Ishtar, who mourned his
annual death. (See Smith.)
d. Smith wrote, “The worst kinds of immoralities were
employed by this cult in an effort to magically control
nature.”
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e. The worship of Tammuz was actually the worship of
nature and connected with it were some vile and
immoral ceremonies. (McGee)
B. Israelite sins had become more and more detestable now
progressing from the leaders, elders of Israel secretly worshiping
foreign deities to the worship of heathen gods in the temple area by
women. (Fredenburg)
C. Fredenburg further wrote, “Rather than mourning at the
defilement of pure Yahweh worship, these women were openly
and unashamedly mourning for the minor Babylonian god,
Tammuz.
D. “Babylonian mythology taught that Tammuz‟s wife Ishtar sent
their shepherd god to replace her sister Ereshkigal among the dead.
In his honor, Ishtar required an annual weeping ritual to
commemorate Tammuz‟s death,” Fredenburg wrote quoting
Handy.
E. Coffman wrote that worship of this ancient god dated to 3000
B.C. and was known by different names in different countries. In
Greece it was Adones and Aphrodite, in Egypt Osiris and Isis, and
in Babylon Tammuz (Adonis) and Ishtar.
Ezekiel 8:15, He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? You will
see things that are even more detestable than this.” (NIV 1984)
I. He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man?
A. Ezekiel had not seen the worst yet.
II. You will see things that are even more detestable than this.”
A. How bad can things get? We are soon to find out.
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Ezekiel 8:16, 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. (NIV 1984)
I. He then brought me into the inner court of the house of the Lord,
and…
A. Ezekiel‟s fourth stop was in the inner court of the Temple, the
house of the Lord.
B. These abominations, Fredenburg wrote, were taking place on
the very steps of the Temple itself in the shadow of the altar which
was the place of public weeping before Yahweh for national sins.
1. Joel 2:17, Let the priests, who minister before the Lord,
weep between the temple porch and the altar. Let them
say, “Spare your people, O Lord. Do not make your
inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the
nations. Why should they say among the peoples, „Where
is their God?‟” (NIV 1984)
C. The last and the worst form of desecration is now to be
presented to Ezekiel.
II. there at the entrance to the temple, between the portico (porch) and
the altar, were about twenty-five men.
A. Smith and Clarke suggested these twenty-five men were
representing David‟s twenty-four courses of priests plus the high
priest.
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1. 1 Chronicles 24:1-19, These were the divisions of the
sons of Aaron: The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu,
Eleazar and Ithamar. But Nadab and Abihu died before
their father did, and they had no sons; so Eleazar and
Ithamar served as the priests. With the help of Zadok a
descendant of Eleazar and Ahimelech a descendant of
Ithamar, David separated them into divisions for their
appointed order of ministering. A larger number of
leaders were found among Eleazar‟s descendants than
among Ithamar‟s, and they were divided accordingly:
sixteen heads of families from Eleazar‟s descendants and
eight heads of families from Ithamar‟s descendants. They
divided them impartially by drawing lots, for there were
officials of the sanctuary and officials of God among the
descendants of both Eleazar and Ithamar. The scribe
Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, recorded their names
in the presence of the king and of the officials: Zadok the
priest, Ahimelech son of Abiathar and the heads of
families of the priests and of the Levites—one family
being taken from Eleazar and then one from Ithamar.
The first lot fell to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah, the
third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim, the fifth to
Malkijah, the sixth to Mijamin, the seventh to Hakkoz,
the eighth to Abijah, the ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to
Shecaniah, the eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim,
the thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab,
the fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer, the
seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Happizzez, the
nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezkel, the
twenty-first to Jakin, the twenty-second to Gamul, the
twenty-third to Delaiah and the twenty-fourth to
Maaziah. This was their appointed order of ministering
when they entered the temple of the Lord, according to
the regulations prescribed for them by their forefather
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Aaron, as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded
him. (NIV 1984)
2. 2 Chronicles 36:14, Furthermore, all the leaders of the
priests and the people became more and more unfaithful,
following all the detestable practices of the nations and
defiling the temple of the Lord, which he had consecrated
in Jerusalem. (NIV 1984)
III. 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.
A. Israel had turned their backs on God and worshiped the sun god,
Shamash.
B. These men were worshiping the sun from God‟s temple.
1. 2 Kings 21:5, In both courts of the temple of the Lord,
he built altars to all the starry hosts. (NIV 1984)
2. 2 Kings 23:11-12, He removed from the entrance to the
temple of the Lord the horses that the kings of Judah had
dedicated to the sun. They were in the court near the
room of an official named Nathan-Melech. Josiah then
burned the chariots dedicated to the sun. He pulled down
the altars the kings of Judah had erected on the roof near
the upper room of Ahaz, and the altars Manasseh had
built in the two courts of the temple of the Lord. He
removed them from there, smashed them to pieces and
threw the rubble into the Kidron Valley. (NIV 1984)
C. Coffman quoted Keil as saying this worship was not limited to
the worship of the sun, but extended to the heavenly bodies in
general.
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1. Deuteronomy 4:19, And when you look up to the sky
and see the sun, the moon and the stars—all the heavenly
array—do not be enticed into bowing down to them and
worshiping things the Lord your God has apportioned to
all the nations under heaven. (NIV 1984)
2. Deuteronomy 17:3, and contrary to my command has
worshiped other gods, bowing down to them or to the sun
or the moon or the stars of the sky, (NIV 1984)
D. Clarke wrote, “This was the Persian worship, as their turning
their faces to the east plainly shows they were worshipping the
rising sun. (The Pulpit Commentary agrees.)
Ezekiel 8:17, He said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a
trivial matter for the house of Judah to do the detestable things they
are doing here? Must they also fill the land with violence and
continually provoke me to anger? Look at them putting the branch
to their nose! (NIV 1984)
I. He said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man?
A. God continued to guide Ezekiel so that he would see and
understand all that God wanted him to see and understand.
1. God gave Ezekiel the message and Ezekiel was to
faithfully deliver this message to the exiles.
II. Is it a trivial matter for the house of Judah to do the detestable things
they are doing here?
A. Jerusalem, as so often is the case with too many of us, evidently
did not regard their sins as serious matters.
1. There is nothing trivial about sin!
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2. Certainly not its consequences.
III. Must they also fill the land with violence and continually provoke
me to anger?
A. Judah had already done terribly detestable things, but their sins
were becoming progressively worse and worse.
1. Genesis 6:11, Now the earth was corrupt in God‟s sight
and was full of violence. (NIV 1984)
2. Amos 5:21-24, “I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I
cannot stand your assemblies. Even though you bring me
burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept
them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will
have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your
songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let
justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-
failing stream! (NIV 1984)
3. Sins have a way of becoming more and more grievous, like
a growing, spreading cancer.
IV. Look at them putting the branch to their nose!
A. While it is not clear exactly what is included in this expression,
it is certain that it is an offensive, discourteous, obscene, insulting
act, gesture.
1. This may mean, “They break wind in my nose,” Smith and
Fredenburg suggested.
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2. Jewish commentators of the past have said that this
expression speaks of shocking, low and degrading religious
rites. (McGee)
3. Some translate this sentence as, “They send a stench to my
nostrils.”
4. Others remind us that, “Assyrian reliefs identify this
gesture as an act of reverence and worship.”
5. Clarke wrote that ancient idol worship often included the
carrying of fragrant branches.
a. The Jews may have included this in their idol
worship rituals having long been in the habit of
incorporating all manner of other idolatrous activities in
their religious practice.
Ezekiel 8:18, 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.” (NIV 1984)
I. Therefore I will deal with them in anger; I will not look on them with
pity or spare them.
A. Because of their sins, horrible and grievous sins, God would
show them no pity, would not spare them and would deal with
them in anger!
1. Ezekiel 5:11, Therefore as surely as I live, declares the
Sovereign Lord, because you have defiled my sanctuary
with all your vile images and detestable practices, I
myself will withdraw my favor; I will not look on you
with pity or spare you. (NIV 1984)
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2. Ezekiel 7:4, I will not look on you with pity or spare
you; I will surely repay you for your conduct and the
detestable practices among you. Then you will know that
I am the Lord. (NIV 1984)
B. “These people would experience the full wrath of God,” Smith
stated.
II. Although they shout in my ears, I will not listen to them.”
A. Fredenburg wrote, “God is now their adversary, not their
protector.”
B. This is a sad reversal all because of Israel‟s terrible sins.
1. Exodus 2:23-25, During that long period, the king of
Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and
cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery
went up to God. God heard their groaning and he
remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and
with Jacob. So God looked on the Israelites and was
concerned about them. (NIV 1984)
C. God does not hear everyone‟s prayers!
Note: “This verse serves as a transition to chapter 9.” (The Pulpit
Commentary)
Conclusion:
I. God is merciful, but he is also just.
A. God will save the faithful in heaven.
B. God will destroy the wicked in hell.
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C. Which will it be for you, heaven or hell?
1. The choice, decision is yours.
II. The nation‟s political and religious leaders influenced the people to
sin against God.
A. The nation‟s leadership was actively engaged in the pursuit of
evil.
1. The people followed their corrupt leaders into sin.
2. When electing leaders remember that righteousness exalts
a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.
B. The elder‟s sins were rooted in a loss of faith and in stubborn
arrogance.
1. Don‟t be among those Jesus would address as, “Oh you of
little faith.”
2. Proverbs 16:18, Pride goes before destruction, a
haughty spirit before a fall. (NIV 1984)
3. Matthew 18:1-4, At that time the disciples came to
Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of
heaven?” He called a little child and had him stand
among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you
change and become like little children, you will never
enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever
humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the
kingdom of heaven. (NIV 1984)
C. The elders thought their sins were secret.
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1. “There are no secrets from God” and we can be sure our
sins will find us out.
2. As for other people, we don‟t know who knows of our sins
and who doesn‟t.
a. More may know than we could ever imagine. (See
Peter C Craigie.)
D. Sins grow, they become bigger and more offensive to God and
injurious to mankind (See Hinton.)
1. Idolatry, social injustice, violence,…
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Questions
on
Ezekiel 8:1-18
(Questions based on NIV text.)
1. According to Hamilton, chapters 8-11 comprise a single
vision in five sections. What is the content, subject of this single
vision and what is the content, subject of each of these five
sections? ____________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
2. How did Smith and Fredenburg outline Ezekiel 8? _________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
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3. According to Fredenburg, Ezekiel 5-7 emphasizes God‟s
intention to bring judgment on Israel and Jerusalem because of
their _______________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
4. Those ____________ thought they could ____________
____________ ____________ they ____________ and
____________ would ____________ to ____________
____________. Some ____________ hold this ____________
____________! The time comes when ____________ has had
____________!
5. Why did God depart from the Temple? __________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
6. The hand of the Lord came upon Ezekiel in the
______________ ______________, in the ______________
____________ on the ____________ ____________.
7. This time was calculated from the ______________ of
______________ ______________ and from the time of
______________‟s ______________. ______________ or
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____________ ____________ had elapsed since the
____________ of ____________.
8. This is dated to ______________ ______________,
______________ BCE.
9. ______________ ______________‟s situation had not
____________. ____________ was still ____________, and the
____________ and ____________ of ____________ were
determined to ____________ themselves from ____________‟s
____________.
10. Did the vision of Ezekiel 8 occur during or after the 430
days Ezekiel was to lie on his sides? Give reasons for your
answer. _____________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
11. What were the results, effects of the on-going
communication between Jerusalem and the Babylonian exiles?
____________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
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12. Where did the hand of the Lord come upon Ezekiel? Who
else was present on this occasion? Why were they there? ______
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
13. What is meant by the hand of the Lord coming upon
Ezekiel? How did this affect Ezekiel? _____________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
14. What did Ezekiel see in verse 2? Tell how Ezekiel saw in
verse 2, literally or otherwise? Be descriptive and precise. _____
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
15. Describe what Ezekiel saw? What did this represent? ______
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
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16. What is an anthropomorphisim? Illustrate this by what is
said in verse 3. _______________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
17. How could this “hand” take Ezekiel by the hair of his head
in view of what is said in Ezekiel 5:1? ____________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
18. The ____________ lifted Ezekiel up between ____________
and ____________ and ____________ in ____________ of
____________ the ____________ took him to ____________.
19. Was this journey to Jerusalem literal or otherwise? What did
Coffman say? What do you think? ________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
20. Identify “the idol that provokes to jealousy.” Why would an
idol provoke God to jealousy? ___________________________
___________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
21. By what other names was the north gate of the Temple
known? _____________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
22. Exactly where was the north gate located? ______________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
23. There before Ezekiel was the ______________ of the
____________ of ____________. This is a ____________
____________ with the ____________ ____________ that
____________ to ____________. The ____________ of
____________ was ____________ by this ____________.
24. How was Yahweh “the God of Israel?” Was Yahweh
exclusively the God of Israel? Contrast Yahweh as the God of
Israel and as God of other nations? _______________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
25. Contrast or compare the vision of God as given in Ezekiel 8
with the vision of God as given in Ezekiel 1:1-28. ___________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
26. List and describe the sinful abominations of Ezekiel 8. Show
how these sins progressed from bad to worse to worst. ________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
27. Give as much information about the idol of jealousy as
possible. ____________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
28. How many times is “son of man” used in Ezekiel 8? What is
the meaning and significance of this term? _________________
___________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
29. God wanted Ezekiel to see and understand the
____________ ____________ things the ____________ of
____________ was doing in the ____________, sins that would
____________ the Lord ____________ from his
____________. God left the ____________ because of the
____________ ____________ there by the ____________
____________.
30. These ____________ things had been ____________ and
____________ done over a ____________ ____________ of
____________, but what they were ____________
____________ to do caused God to ____________
____________.
31. Locate precisely the entrance (door) to the court of the
Temple. ____________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
32. If the hole in the wall was too small for Ezekiel, how did the
others get to the chamber on the other side of the wall? _______
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
33. God told Ezekiel to dig, so he dug. God told Ezekiel to go in
and see the wicked and detestable things that were being done
there, so he went in and looked. What lesson does this hold for
us? ________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
34. What made these bad matters worse? __________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
35. What did Ezekiel see on the other side of the wall? _______
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
36. What possible connections were there between Egypt and
the things discussed in Ezekiel 8:10? ______________________
___________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
37. ____________ as it is, the ____________, ____________ of
____________ were ____________ in this ____________ and
even acted as ____________ in this ____________
____________ ____________. They would ____________
____________ to ____________ their ____________
____________.
38. Who was Shaphan? Give as much information as you can
about this person. _____________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
39. Who was Jaazaniah? Give as much information as possible
about this person. _____________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
40. Who was Gemariah? Give as much information as possible
about this person. _____________________________________
___________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
41. Who was Ahikam? Give as much information as you can
about this person. _____________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
42. Who was Alasah? Give as much information as you can
about this person. _____________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
43. What qualified the seventy (70) elders of Ezekiel 8:11 to
serve as priests in that they offered incense to their gods. ______
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
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44. How many times in Ezekiel 8 is Ezekiel referenced as “son
of man?” __________ What is the meaning, significance of this
designation? ________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
45. Why did the elders believe God was unaware of their sins?
____________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
46. Do people today commit more sins in public or in private?
Why is this the way it is? _______________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
47. In the sight of God are all sins equally serious or are some
worse than others, some misdemeanors and some felonies? Give
reasons for your answer. _______________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
48. Each of the elders had a shrine to his own idol. How would
you like to have your very own personal god? Or do you indeed
have your very own personal God already? _________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
49. What were women at the north gate doing? ______________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
50. Who was Tammuz? Give all the information you can. _____
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
51. How bad did things get for Jerusalem and its people? In your
lifetime, how bad have things gotten? _____________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
52. Exactly where in the Temple was the inner court? ________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
53. The ____________ which were committed in the inner court
of the temple were taking place on the very ____________ of
the ____________ itself in the ____________ of the
____________ which was the place of ____________
____________ before ____________ for ____________
____________.
54. What were the twenty-five men at the entrance to the temple
doing? What did they represent? _________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
55. There is _______________ _______________ about
____________. The ____________ of ____________ are
certainly not ____________.
56. _______________ had already done _______________
____________ things, but their ____________ were becoming
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______________ ______________ and ______________.
____________ have a way of becoming more and more
______________, like a ______________, ______________
____________.
57. The Lord asked, “____________ they also fill the
____________ with _____________ and ______________
____________ me to anger?”
58. What does, “Look at them putting the branch to their nose!”
mean? ______________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
59. God said, because of Jerusalem‟s sins, he would deal with
them in ____________ and would not look on them with
____________ nor ____________ them. They would experience
the ____________ ____________ of ____________.
60. God does not hear everyone‟s prayers. Whose prayers does
God hear and grant? ___________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
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61. ____________ is ____________, but he is also just.
____________ will ____________ the ____________ in
____________. ____________ will ____________ the
____________ in ____________. Which will it be for you,
____________ or ____________. The ____________ is yours.
62. The ____________‟s ____________ was ____________
____________ in the ____________ of ____________. The
____________ followed their ____________ ____________
into ____________.
63. When electing our country‟s leaders, remember that ______
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
___________________________________________________
64. The ____________‟s ____________ were ____________ in
a ____________ of ____________ and in ____________
____________. The ____________ thought their ____________
were ____________, but there are no ____________ from God
and we can be sure our ____________ will find us out.
____________ ____________, they become ____________ and
more ____________ to ____________ and ____________ to
____________.