Today’s passage: Ezekiel 6
Helpful thoughts:
- The Israelites had worshipped false idols and committed terrible sin on their mountains (“High places”). (e.g. 1 Kings 14:23)
- This prophecy of judgment is against those who have been committing this idolatry.
- God promises a remnant who will survive this judgment. Through their observation of the judgment of God against Israel, those who remain will know that God is the true Lord.
Questions to consider:
- Besides the judgment, righteous anger and jealousy of God against this idolatry, what more do we learn about His heart in this prophecy? What does verse 9 tell us about His heart’s response to His people’s sin against Him?
- It can be tempting to see God as harsh and violent in reading these judgments, but how might it help to remember that this idolatry being done by the Jews would include things like human sacrifice, cutting/bleeding, adultery and other sexual sins, etc.? Was God being unjust?
- God had been patient and longsuffering with His people since the beginning of the nation’s existence, what might His patience have to do with the warning at the end of verse 10? If God shows patience and mercy to a people for a time, does that mean He can never bring judgment? When people start to question God’s justice, what are they really doing? Who is truly the Lord?