Introduction
Here is a summary of Ezekiel 6-7.
1. Denunciation of wickedness.
2. Promise of punishment.
PROPHECY AGAINST THE MOUNTAINS
‘The word of the LORD came to me: ‘Son of man, set your face against the mountains of Israel; prophesy against them and say: ‘You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Sovereign LORD. This is what the Sovereign LORD says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys: I am about to bring a sword against you, and I will destroy your high places. Your altars will be demolished, and your incense altars will be smashed; and I will slay your people in front of your idols. I will lay the dead bodies of the Israelites in front of their idols, and I will scatter your bones around your altars. Wherever you live, the towns will be laid waste and the high places demolished, so that your altars will be laid waste and devastated, your idols smashed and ruined, your incense altars broken down, and what you have made wiped out. Your people will fall slain among you, and you will know that I am the LORD.’ Ezekiel 6:1-7
Notice how the land is addressed by God rather than its inhabitants, Ezekiel 6:1-2. A survey of the religious corruption of this time will show that there were shrines and temples in every valley, on every hill there was. So, it is as if the land had been polluted by this idolatry.
Not only were individual people polluted, but it was so extensive that the whole nation, even as it were the whole land itself was polluted. In Isaiah 1, Mountains are involved in a court case with the idea of God being opposed to their idolatry, Ezekiel 13:7 / Ezekiel 21:2 / Ezekiel 25:2 / Ezekiel 28:21 / Ezekiel 38:2.
These high places, Ezekiel 6:3 / Ezekiel 6:6, ‘bamot’ in Hebrew, were not a new thing but an old problem. They at one time had been tolerated by the prophets, 1 Samuel 9:14 / 1 Kings 3:4, but then they were condemned and reformed, 2 Kings 23:1-30. Their condemnation is clearly outlined in these verses.
Notice how they are addressed, they are not God’s places of worship at all, but your high places, Ezekiel 6:3 / Ezekiel 6:6, your incense altars, Ezekiel 6:4 / Ezekiel 6:6, your altars, Ezekiel 6:4 / Ezekiel 6:6, your idols, Ezekiel 6:4 / Ezekiel 6:6.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The sword mentioned in Ezekiel 6:3, is a reference to the invading armies of Nebuchadnezzar.’
They are going to die pleading before their idols when the siege takes place, Ezekiel 6:5 / Proverbs 14:34. This would desecrate them, ‘unclean’. This is what sin does, this is what idols cannot do. This is what God will do because God is superior. The Mount Carmel incident with Elijah proved God is superior, 1 Kings 18:16-45.
Notice what they have made will be wiped out, Ezekiel 6:6. Isaiah 44:9-20, and Jeremiah 10, refer to the people cutting down trees and using some to carve out a god and from the same tree use wood to make a fire.
Four times God says, ‘And you will know that I am the LORD’, Ezekiel 6:7 / Ezekiel 6:10 / Ezekiel 6:13 / Ezekiel 6:14. It is used 54 times directly in Ezekiel and 18 times indirectly.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following, concerning the words, ‘and you will know that I am the LORD’.
‘One finds it in Exodus 7:5 / Exodus 14:4 / Exodus 14:18, again demonstrating the familiarity of Ezekiel with the Book of Moses.’
A REMNANT
‘But I will spare some, for some of you will escape the sword when you are scattered among the lands and nations. Then in the nations where they have been carried captive, those who escape will remember me—how I have been grieved by their adulterous hearts, which have turned away from me, and by their eyes, which have lusted after their idols. They will loathe themselves for the evil they have done and for all their detestable practices. And they will know that I am the LORD; I did not threaten in vain to bring this calamity on them. ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says: Strike your hands together and stamp your feet and cry out ‘Alas!’ because of all the wicked and detestable practices of the people of Israel, for they will fall by the sword, famine, and plague. One who is far away will die of the plague, and one who is near will fall by the sword, and anyone who survives and is spared will die of famine. So, will I pour out my wrath on them. And they will know that I am the LORD, when their people lie slain among their idols around their altars, on every high hill and on all the mountaintops, under every spreading tree and every leafy oak—places where they offered fragrant incense to all their idols. And I will stretch out my hand against them and make the land a desolate waste from the desert to Diblah—wherever they live. Then they will know that I am the LORD.’ Ezekiel 6:8-14
Even so, a remnant will survive, Ezekiel 6:8-9, but they will have a changed attitude. There is a further denunciation of the idolatry amongst the people, Ezekiel 6:9.
Note, the idols spoken of are a favourite of Ezekiel, Ezekiel 6:9. They are the Hebrew word, ‘gillulim’, which are described as large idols. Ezekiel uses this word for idols thirty-eight times. It is used only nine other times in the Old Testament outside this book. The Hebrew word comes from two roots, one meaning a detested thing, the second referring to a pallet of dung.
Notice again the words, ‘and they will know that I am the LORD’, Ezekiel 6:10 / Ezekiel 6:7 / Ezekiel 6:13-14 / Ezekiel 7:4 / Ezekiel 7:9 / Ezekiel 7:27.
This statement is a common one in Ezekiel. God is asserting His authority here not only by His words but by his acts. Here is Yahweh who revealed to Himself Moses at the bush, Exodus 3:6 / Exodus 3:14 / Exodus 6:7.
God tells Ezekiel to strike his hands together and stamp his feet and cry out “Alas!”, Ezekiel 6:11. This appears to be done to get Isreal’s attention and to show them how serious God has taken their idolatry, Ezekiel 6:11.
Cook, in his commentary, says the following, concerning the clapping of hands and stamping of feet.
‘It was a well-known method of expressing grief.’
God’s wrath will be poured out on them and their destruction will be complete, as seen in the sword, famine and plague, Ezekiel 6:11-12. Notice again the words, ‘and they will know that I am the LORD’, Ezekiel 6:13-14 / Ezekiel 6:10 / Ezekiel 6:7 / Ezekiel 7:4 / Ezekiel 7:9 / Ezekiel 7:27.
This name was the name which identified God to the Israelites. The people would not recognise the identity of God, they were looking for others.
This was an early problem in that they would not give God His place. They would not let God be God, Isaiah 49:9-11. This section of Isaiah proclaims the fact that those of His people who rejected Him, He would reject. The promises would then be given to others.
Some ancient texts use the word, ‘Riblah’ instead of ‘Diblah’, Ezekiel 6:14.
Wiersbe, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Some Hebrew manuscripts read ‘Riblah,’ a city in Syria, and this seems to fit. God promised to devastate the land ‘from the desert to Riblah (Diblah)’ (NIV), that is, from the south to the north. It’s like saying ‘from Dan to Beersheba,’ from the north to the south.’
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This place is unknown, and scholars have attempted to substitute the word Riblah for it; but actually, there is no accurate knowledge of where this place was located. It really makes no difference anyway, for the place is usually held to mean that God would destroy Israel ‘from one end of the country to the other.’ Some have compared what is said here to the expression, ‘From Dan to Beersheba.’ The meaning is clear enough as is.’
Notice again the words, ‘and they will know that I am the LORD’, Ezekiel 6:13-14 / Ezekiel 6:10 / Ezekiel 6:7 / Ezekiel 7:4 / Ezekiel 7:9 / Ezekiel 7:27. Despite the coming desolation, God would look after His people.
Taylor, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The words typify Ezekiel’s message and longing, that Yahweh may be known by all men, Israelite and non-Israelite, for what he is—the one true God, the God of the world, the God of history, the God who speaks and does not speak in vain.’
