38 lines
1.9 KiB
Markdown
38 lines
1.9 KiB
Markdown
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title = "Ezekiel 6:1–10"
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date = "2023-03-13"
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### [Read the passage.](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Ezekiel6.1-10)
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Now the Lord gives Ezekiel a condemnation against the mountains of Israel. The
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mountains, or "high places" were often the sites of altars and shrines,
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sometimes to the Lord, in spite of His prohibition against them, but oftentimes
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to the gods of Canaan or the surrounding nations. The idea is that if you are
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higher up on the mountain, you are closer to heaven, and your sacrifices are
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quicker to be noticed. After suffering them for Israel's entire history, the
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Lord declares that He is going to destroy all of these idolatrous sites. The
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people who prayed there and sacrificed to the idols will be killed and left
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there at the altars. The rocks and statues will be shown to have no power
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before the Lord God. The gods the people relied upon have no power to protect
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themselves, much less their worshippers.
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Despite this desolation, a few people will survive and be scattered abroad into
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other nations. They will escape the sword and plagues that fall on Judah and
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will tell of the calamity that God has visited upon them. They will tell how
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their "whoring" (_v. 9_) after other gods has broken the Lord's heart. It is no
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coincidence that _idolatry_ and _adultery_ are such similar words. God's
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covenant with Israel is very much like the covenant of marriage. God faithfully
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loves and protects His chosen people for centuries, but they continually spurn
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Him by following after idols that cannot save, even literally whoring
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themselves by employing temple prostitutes to curry the favor of the gods of
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rain and harvest. As they become refugees, the Lord says the Israelites will
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realize how vile they have been and that the curses that God has pronounced on
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them is completely justified.
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* * *
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Help us understand the depths of our sin, so that we can appreciate the
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immensity of Your love for us that lets You forgive us before we were even
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born.
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