Ezekiel 8

We are now in the sixth year of King Jehoiachin’s captivity (see study note on Ezekiel 1:2). Fourteen months have passed since Ezekiel first saw his opening vision.

During most of that time, the prophet had been acting out the sign acts described in Ezekiel 4. These were symbolic actions that showed what would happen to Jerusalem.

Ezekiel 8–9 describes, in visions, the same defilement (moral and spiritual uncleanness) and judgment of Jerusalem that Ezekiel 7 announces in spoken messages. In these visions, God shows Ezekiel the sins of the city and the punishment that would follow.

This time, Ezekiel spoke to the leaders of Judah (literally elders). They had gathered at his house. They were likely hoping to hear a message of encouragement and comfort from the Lord (see also Ezekiel 14:1; 20:1). Instead, they heard a strong rebuke for the sins of the communities they represented.

In a vision, the prophet Ezekiel saw four ways the people defiled their land. This vision explains why the Lord's presence left his sanctuary.

This section describes how the people defiled (made unclean by sin) the temple in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 8). Because of this sin, the Lord left the temple. After he left, the city and the temple were destroyed (9:1–11:13).

At first, this sounds like only bad news. But for those already living in exile, it was also good news. The Lord was not limited to the temple in Jerusalem. He would come to be with his people in exile.

By coming to dwell with them, the Lord showed that the exiles were not forgotten. They were the ones who carried hope for the future of God’s people.

• While the leaders gathered, Ezekiel saw a vision of what seemed to be a man. The description is similar to the one in Ezekiel 1:26–27. This time, Ezekiel was lifted into the sky and transported to Jerusalem.

• like that of … His appearance was like … looked like: What Ezekiel saw went beyond normal human experience (see study note on Ezekiel 1:4–28).

In the first abomination, the large idol was probably an image of the Canaanite goddess Asherah. The people had placed it at the gate to guard the city from attack.

Most of Jerusalem’s enemies had attacked from the north. This may explain why the idol stood at the north gate. The people believed this false goddess would protect them.

This idol made the Lord very jealous. The Lord alone deserved honor and worship as Israel’s protector (Psalm 121:1–4). The Lord was offended because the people trusted an idol to guard the city he had chosen.

God showed Ezekiel four scenes of increasing abomination (a deeply offensive act). In each scene, the people of Israel were worshiping false gods inside the Lord’s temple.

Jerusalem’s defilement (moral and spiritual uncleanness) was complete. Idolatry (the worship of false gods) took place in many parts of the temple. Different groups of people were involved. They worshiped different gods. These gods came from many foreign cultures.

This was not one small sin. It was a mixture of many false religions brought together in one place. One abomination was added to another.

The first abomination was public, while the second was private. To see it in his vision, the prophet had to dig into the wall to find a hidden doorway.

The practice of worshiping gods shaped like crawling animals and other detestable creatures likely came from Egypt.

In Egypt, people often worshiped gods that were shown in the form of animals. By copying these practices, the people of Israel brought foreign worship into the Lord’s temple.

• These 70 leaders are very different from the 70 leaders from the time of Moses. Those leaders had the special privilege of seeing God (Exodus 24:1–11). They also received the same Spirit that was on Moses (Numbers 11:16–30).

  Jaazaniah led this group. Ironically, he was the son of Shaphan. Shaphan had been a faithful leader who helped carry out King Josiah’s reforms (2 Kings 22:3–14).

• The incense they burned was meant to protect them from demonic spirits (evil spiritual beings). Instead of protecting them, it brought God’s judgment on the land.

The Lord saw the actions of Israel's leaders and shared this with his prophet (compare Luke 12:3).

The third abomination was that women were weeping for the god Tammuz at the north gate of the Lord’s temple.

Tammuz was a Babylonian god. He was also called Dumuzi. This ritual marked his death and descent into the underworld (the place of the dead). Each year, people believed that this god lost his power and later regained it. They connected this cycle to the yearly changes in nature, such as the dying and growing of crops.

The women mourned for Tammuz in a ritual ceremony. They believed that their mourning would help bring back fertility (the ability to produce crops and life) to the land.

Instead of praising and worshiping the true and living God, the people were grieving for a false god who was said to die each year.

• The fourth and final act of idolatry took place in the very center of the temple complex. It happened in the inner courtyard of the temple of the Lord. This was as close as a person could come to the temple building without entering it.

• The 25 men worshiping the sun were likely priests, since only priests should have accessed this area. It is also possible that they were not priests and were openly breaking the rules.

  These men stood physically closer to the Lord’s presence than anyone else. Yet they had turned their backs toward the sanctuary. Instead of worshiping their Creator, they worshiped something he had created (see Romans 1:25).

The abominations that the Israelites were committing in the temple complex were like openly insulting the Lord.

The Hebrew expression literally says they were “putting the twig [or branch] to their nose.” This was likely a rude gesture. It showed defiance and disrespect.

In other words, their actions were not only sinful. They were boldly rebellious against the Lord.