June 30, 2011
WHAT HAPPENED TO MY KINGDOM!?
Ezekiel 6
Nick Chilton
Central Truth
God alone makes life meaningful. He will not tolerate any idolatrous worship that challenges His absolute sovereignty or holiness.
Key Verse | Ezekiel 6:9
"[H]ow I have been hurt by their adulterous hearts which turned away from Me, and by their eyes which played the harlot after their idols . . . ." (Ezekiel 6:9b)
Ezekiel 6
Judgment Against Idolatry
1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 “Son of man, set your face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them, 3 and say, You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord God! Thus says the Lord God to the mountains and the hills, to the ravines and the valleys: Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places. 4 Your altars shall become desolate, and your incense altars shall be broken, and I will cast down your slain before your idols. 5 And I will lay the dead bodies of the people of Israel before their idols, and I will scatter your bones around your altars. 6 Wherever you dwell, the cities shall be waste and the high places ruined, so that your altars will be waste and ruined, 1 6:6 Or and punished your idols broken and destroyed, your incense altars cut down, and your works wiped out. 7 And the slain shall fall in your midst, and you shall know that I am the LORD.
8 Yet I will leave some of you alive. When you have among the nations some who escape the sword, and when you are scattered through the countries, 9 then those of you who escape will remember me among the nations where they are carried captive, how I have been broken over their whoring heart that has departed from me and over their eyes that go whoring after their idols. And they will be loathsome in their own sight for the evils that they have committed, for all their abominations. 10 And they shall know that I am the LORD. I have not said in vain that I would do this evil to them.”
11 Thus says the Lord God: “Clap your hands and stamp your foot and say, Alas, because of all the evil abominations of the house of Israel, for they shall fall by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence. 12 He who is far off shall die of pestilence, and he who is near shall fall by the sword, and he who is left and is preserved shall die of famine. Thus I will spend my fury upon them. 13 And you shall know that I am the LORD, when their slain lie among their idols around their altars, on every high hill, on all the mountaintops, under every green tree, and under every leafy oak, wherever they offered pleasing aroma to all their idols. 14 And I will stretch out my hand against them and make the land desolate and waste, in all their dwelling places, from the wilderness to Riblah. 2 6:14 Some Hebrew manuscripts; most Hebrew manuscripts Diblah Then they will know that I am the LORD.”
Dive Deeper | Ezekiel 6
In Ezekiel 6 God is declaring judgment on the sins of Israel for placing idols before Him. It talks about how God is hurt by the people's adulterous ways, and the lengths to which He will go to remind His people that He alone is God.
Wow! God hurt? He's omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent. He's in need of nothing and is fully complete in Himself. But God allows Himself to become emotionally involved enough to be vulnerable to the behavior of His people.
I was blessed to grow up in a home of strong believers. My parents made sure we attended church, knew the Bible, said our prayers, and gave all thanks to God. But when I was 16 years old, I was given a unique job opportunity that gave me my own income. It allowed me to travel and buy things I couldn't normally afford. Throughout the subsequent years I turned my back on God and pursued worldly things. Even my girlfriend at the time fell victim to this materialistic life I had created. I had it all, and life was all about me!
But it was all an illusion. I didn't realize how far these things pulled me away from God until I lost everything in a single year. Financial troubles had fallen on my family, my parents separated, and I was laid-off and arrested for old traffic warrants. Released home, I found that my girlfriend had left and taken everything. I was completely broken. There was nothing left but to hope that God would take back this lost sheep.
This world still has struggles, but my life has changed gloriously since then. I look back now thanking God for being just and righteous. It was all part of God's perfect plan to show that His grace is enough! James 1:2-3 says, "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance." God longs for a captivating relationship with His children--not through people or things, but through His Son, Jesus Christ. Hallelujah!
Discussion Questions
1. What are the idols that separate you from having a deep relationship with God? Is it work, a relationship, materialism, or success in the world's eyes? See Matthew 6:19-21.
2. Do these things give you lasting joy? Why or why not? See Romans 12:2.
3. What do you do to find peace when this world is not enough? See Philippians 4:6-7.
WEEKLY FAMILY ACTIVITY
EZEKIEL 3-7 (JUNE 27-JULY 1)
Read Ezekiel 3:1-11.
What did God have Ezekiel do in verses 1-3? What did Ezekiel say the scroll tasted like?
How does God say the people will respond to His truth? What does God tell Ezekiel to do anyway?
In verse 10, what does it mean to take God's words into your heart? Why should you know God's truth before you share it with others?
How is God's Word like the food that you eat for your body? How can you treat God's Word like food?
ACTIVITY: Get a package of tortillas, honey, cinnamon, and sugar. Read Psalm 1 and commit to memorizing it as a family. Now warm up your tortillas and write out Psalm 1:2 on them with honey, sprinkle with cinnamon and sugar, roll it up like a scroll and enjoy the sweetness of God's Word!