Ezekiel 6
Ezekiel 6 begins with a scene in which God declares judgment concerning the land of Israel—especially the mountains and hills, the rivers, and the valleys. The prophet Ezekiel brings God’s deep sorrow and anger over the idolatry of Judah and Israel, and proclaims the unavoidable judgment that results from idolatry. This chapter can be divided into a warning about the judgment (verses 1-7), a reference to the remnant (verses 8-10), a repeated declaration of judgment (verses 11-14)].
1verseThe LORD’s word came to me, saying,
2verse“Son of man, set your face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy to them,
3verseand say, ‘You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD! The Lord GOD says to the mountains and to the hills, to the watercourses and to the valleys: “Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword on you, and I will destroy your high places.
4verseYour altars will become desolate, and your incense altars will be broken. I will cast down your slain men before your idols.
5verseI will lay the dead bodies of the children of Israel before their idols. I will scatter your bones around your altars.
6verseIn all your dwelling places, the cities will be laid waste and the high places will be desolate, so that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, and your idols may be broken and cease, and your incense altars may be cut down, and your works may be abolished.
7verseThe slain will fall among you, and you will know that I am the LORD.
8verse“‘“Yet I will leave a remnant, in that you will have some that escape the sword among the nations, when you are scattered through the countries.
9verseThose of you that escape will remember me among the nations where they are carried captive, how I have been broken with their lewd heart, which has departed from me, and with their eyes, which play the prostitute after their idols. Then they will loathe themselves in their own sight for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations.
10verseThey will know that I am the LORD. I have not said in vain that I would do this evil to them.”’
11verse“The Lord GOD says: ‘Strike with your hand, and stamp with your foot, and say, “Alas!”, because of all the evil abominations of the house of Israel; for they will fall by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence.
12verseHe who is far off will die of the pestilence. He who is near will fall by the sword. He who remains and is besieged will die by the famine. Thus I will accomplish my wrath on them.
13verseYou will know that I am the LORD when their slain men are among their idols around their altars, on every high hill, on all the tops of the mountains, under every green tree, and under every thick oak—the places where they offered pleasant aroma to all their idols.
14verseI will stretch out my hand on them and make the land desolate and waste, from the wilderness toward Diblah, throughout all their habitations. Then they will know that I am the LORD.’”
The Content of the Judgment
God clearly points out the idolatry carried out in every natural setting, including the mountains and hills. As a result of this sin, He declares that the high places (places of idolatry) will be brought down, the altars will be broken, and the idols will be destroyed (verses 1-7). This is not merely a formal judgment; it is a comprehensive judgment that affects the entire land and its people. Through the tragic deaths of many people falling by the sword, God’s holiness and justice are revealed.
The Appearance of the Remnant and Confession of Repentance
However, God says that even in complete destruction, some remnant will be left (verses 8-10). These remnant people in the land of exile will deeply grieve over their sins and over the life they lived away from God. They come to recognize how much their idols and evil deeds hurt God, and feeling convicted, they weep and look for God again. This shows that even amid judgment, God’s kindness and hope of salvation still exist.
Confirmation and Purpose of the Judgment
Ezekiel again proclaims God’s direct word and emphasizes that if evil continues, judgment cannot be avoided (verses 11-14). Yet the purpose of this judgment is not simply destruction; "Then you will know that I am the LORD"—as reflected in the repeated declaration—confirms that it is meant to make them realize that only God is the true sovereign. This suggests that the fundamental purpose of all discipline and judgment is to lead human beings to recognize God and return to a covenant relationship.
Meditation Points
- We should remember that God’s judgment is not merely punishment, but an expression of deep love and justice to set sin right.
- Take time to meditate together on the causes that led the people of Israel to fall into idolatry, and on the attitude of repentance shown by the remnant after the judgment.
- You also need to seriously reflect on what “idols,” big and small, might be taking the place of God in your life.
Try Applying It to Yourself
- Look back on which part of your heart and life is close to God, and which part is far from Him.
- Think about whether the things you may be repeatedly obsessing over or relying on are replacing God’s place.
- Remember God’s kindness, which gives hope even during judgment, and you can also attempt to make decisions of repentance and new obedience.
