Sun.’s Devo - The Idolatry of Jerusalem

Read: Ezekiel 7:1-9:11; Hebrews 5:1-14; Psalm 105:1-15; Proverbs 26:28 Ezekiel heard a message from the Lord that said the end was here. All hope was gone and it was time for God’s wrath to be poured out on his people for their detestable sins. God would send disaster after disaster until they were all destroyed. No one who was twisted by sin would survive. *** Jerusalem was experiencing war outside the walls and famine and disease within the city. The soldiers had given up hope and refused to gather for battle. The things they once held dear meant nothing to them now. God had brought the most ruthless of nations against them to break through their pride and their fortresses. The evil they had done to others would now fall on them. They will receive the punishment due them. *** During the sixth year of Jehoachin’s captivity the leaders of Judah were in Ezekiel’s house in Babylon where they had been taken into exile. Ezekiel saw a vision of a man with fire from his waist down. His upper torso looked like gleaming amber. He reached out and took Ezekiel by the hair and took him to Jerusalem in a vision. He was taken to the north gate of the Temple where he was shown a large idol that made the Lord very jealous. It was the grove of Astarte, set up by Manasseh as a rival to Jehovah in His temple. It was the Syrian Venus, worshipped with licentious rites; the "queen of heaven," wife of Phoenician Baal. All who came to worship the Lord had to pass by this scene. *** Next, the angel took Ezekiel to the door of the Temple courtyard where he could see a hole in the wall. He was told to dig through the wall where he found a hidden doorway. He was told to go in and look. He saw the walls covered with engravings of all kinds of crawling animals and detestable creatures. Seventy of the elders were there with Jaazaniah in the center. These were the religious leaders who were suppose to be guarding the Temple from idolatry. The one whose name means “Jehovah will listen” was standing in the midst of them to show that God was hearing everything they said. Instead of keeping the people from idolatry, they entered into the rituals to Tammuz. *** Tammuz was a Sumerian shepherd who married the goddess Ishtar. When he died, fertility ceased on Earth. Since he was a vegetation deity, the women of Judah were weeping for him in order to restore fertility by bringing him back from the dead. They would turn their back on the Temple to face the east and worship the sun. In the King James version verse 17 says they provoked the Lord’s anger by ‘putting the branch to their nose.’ This was a cedar branch which was the symbol of immortality associated with the cult of Tammuz. To inhale the cedar was supposed to give life-giving powers to revive Tammuz. *** God then called forth six men who carried a battle-ax in their hand. One of them was clothed in linen and had a writer’s horn at his side. The glory of the Lord left the Temple and God sent the men throughout the city of Jerusalem to mark the foreheads who cried over the abominations of the Temple. They were to kill all who didn’t receive the mark. *** Ezekiel cried out for mercy, but the Lord would have none. He would recompense everyone’s sins upon their own head. *** In Hebrews, God explains the office of the high priest. He must be called by God like Jesus was. He must first offer sacrifices for his own sins, then he could offer them for others. *** Jesus learned to obey God through the things he suffered. He offered him self as the sacrifice for all sins. God qualified him to be the perfect High Priest in the order of Melchizedek which was God’s priest in heaven. *** The writer gives the definition of a mature Christian - one who has trained himself to recognize the difference between right and wrong. *** Lord, may we train ourselves to recognize the difference between right and wrong. Thank you for being our High Priest and for making atonement for our sins. We worship You, alone!