Today's lesson comes from Ezekiel 6: 1-10. Chapter three records Ezekiel's commission. Chapters four and five provides the events that lead up to the message God wants Ezekiel to deliver. The land of Judah had been overrun twice by the Babylonian armies. Yet, the people who dwelt there thought that the captivity would soon end, and everything would return to normal. Thus, they continued in their sin and the worship of idols. Just like today, when a calamity strikes, people momentarily reform. Soon they return to their former sins. We see this in our history: Hurricane Katrina, 9/11/2001, earthquakes, tornadoes, etc. In this chapter, Ezekiel prophesies against the land of Palestine and its inhabitants. Certain destruction was inevitable.
The first section is "A Desolation Determined." vv. 1-7 Through Ezekiel's message appears to be directed to the mountains of Israel, its intended audience was actually those who still remained in the land. God proclaims the utter destruction of the land, and the principle reason is the people's idolatry. I remember preaching in India and actually passing the idol shop. I watched idols being made. People would go to the market and buy a "god" to worship. While that seems foolish to us, people do the same thing today in their houses, cars, boats, clothes, etc. Idols today are not physically bowed down to, except in the heart. Idolatry is a matter of the affections of the heart. It involves a rejection of God's authority over the individual's life. A person might not bow before a heathen god, but he may still have set his will for the gratification of his own desires.
The northern tribes of Israel were carried into captivity in 721B.C. Later, the southern kingdom of Judah was overrun by the Babylonian army in 606B.C. There was a second invasion in 597B.C. and thousands of Jews, including Ezekiel, were taken to the land of the Chaldeans. The Israelites had fallen into practicing the religion of the Canaanites, and had erected stars to idols throughout the land. Ezekiels was to "set" his face against these places. Men and women of God need to set their faces against the idols and sins of today. God was going to bring a "sword" and destroy the high places of idolatry and that "sword" was the Babylonian army. A third invasion would result in the utter destruction of the land. Only the poorest would remain. When the Babylonian army swept in, the people fled to their idols for safety. People were killed as they called on their idols to save them. The people would be slaughtered in the midst of the land. The destruction of the idols testified to their nothingness. However, the next section promised that a remnant would remain. That remnant would be the hope of restoration.
The second section is "A Remnant Repentant." vv. 8-10 The last portion of the lesson reveals that even in the midst of judgment, God extends mercy. A remnant will escape. God deals in judgment to bring men to a place of repentance. He awakens men to the fact that He alone is God, and that they are accountable to Him. He reveals the vileness of sin and His attitude toward sin. Such a revelation should produce humility and the turning away from sin.
In verse 8, God promises to leave a remnant. They would be "scattered through the countries." Yet, God would keep His promise to Abraham that his seed would be as the sand of the seashore. The remnant would escape the sword and forsake their sin of idolatry. After the Babylonian captivity, the Jews who returned to Palestine never engaged in idol worship again.
The heart of man is often portrayed as the seat of the affections, i.e. the origin of drives, desires, and appetites. Those taken in captivity would reach a point of hating their sin, which would lead to humility and then to repentance. While all deserved destruction, it was the mercy of God that a remnant was spared. It is the same with us today. It is not until you get to a place of loathing your sin that you repent and turn to God. I am convinced that no one turns to God until they see themselves for what they are, a wicked sinner. Then, you humble yourself, repent and through the grace and mercy of God, you are born again. Thank God for His saving a remnant today! Are you in that remnant?
The Golden Text is: "And the idols he shall utterly abolish." (Isaiah 2:18) Isaiah spoke of a day when all idolatry would cease. When the Jews returned from the Babylonian Captivity, they were completely cured of idolatry. It is pure folly to worship an idol or place your heart affections on temporal things. One day we will all face the judgment of God. We are to place our confidence in the one true God and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can live a victorious life over sin and make heaven our eternal home.
My summary points:
1. Idolatry brings judgment.
2. God's mercy saved a remnant.
3. We will face God's judgment one day and we need to be ready.
Next week's lesson: "Restoration Promised." Ezekiel 11: 14-21.
Read the Sunday School Beacon for inspiration and encouragement.
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