Idolatry in the Temple Ezekiel 8:1-18 - Bible Study...

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Idolatry in the Temple

Ezekiel 8:1-18



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Idolatry in the Temple

Text:

Ezekiel 8:1-14,

In the sixth year, in the sixth month on the fifth day, while I was

sitting in my house and the elders of Judah were sitting before me,

the hand of the Sovereign Lord came upon me there. I looked, and I

saw a figure like that of a man. From what appeared to be his waist

down he was like fire, and from there up his appearance was as

bright as glowing metal. He stretched out what looked like a

hand and took me by the hair of my head. The Spirit lifted me

up between earth and heaven and in visions of God he took me to

Jerusalem, to the entrance to the north gate of the inner

court, where the idol that provokes to jealousy stood. And there

before me was the glory of the God of Israel, as in the vision I had

seen in the plain.

Then he said to me, “Son of man, look toward the north.” So I

looked, and in the entrance north of the gate of the altar I saw this

idol of jealousy.

And he said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing—

the utterly detestable things the house of Israel is doing here, things

that will drive me far from my sanctuary? But you will see things

that are even more detestable.”

Then he brought me to the entrance to the court. I looked, and I saw

a hole in the wall. He said to me, “Son of man, now dig into the

wall.” So I dug into the wall and saw a doorway there.

And he said to me, “Go in and see the wicked and detestable things

they are doing here.” So I went in and looked, and I saw portrayed



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all over the walls all kinds of crawling things and detestable animals

and all the idols of the house of Israel. In front of them stood seventy

elders of the house of Israel, and Jaazaniah son of Shaphan was

standing among them. Each had a censer in his hand, and a fragrant

cloud of incense was rising.

He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the

house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the shrine of his

own idol? They say, „The Lord does not see us; the Lord has

forsaken the land.‟” Again, he said, “You will see them doing things

that are even more detestable.”

Then he brought me to the entrance to the north gate of the house of

the Lord, and I saw women sitting there, mourning for Tammuz. He

said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? You will see things that are

even more detestable than this.”

He then brought me into the inner court of the house of

the Lord, and there at the entrance to the temple, between the

portico and the altar, were about twenty-five men. With their backs

toward the temple of the Lord and their faces toward the east, they

were bowing down to the sun in the east.

He said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a trivial matter

for the house of Judah to do the detestable things they are doing

here? Must they also fill the land with violence and continually

provoke me to anger? Look at them putting the branch to their

nose! Therefore I will deal with them in anger; I will not look on

them with pity or spare them. Although they shout in my ears, I will

not listen to them.” (NIV 1984)



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Introduction:

I. Hamilton wrote, “Chapters 8-11 comprise a single vision in five

sections.”

A. The vision begins with the Spirit‟s entrance into the temple and

ends with the Spirit‟s departure from the temple. (Hamilton)

B. The first section focuses on Israel‟s idolatry in the temple while

the last four sections portray Yahweh‟s progressive responses.

(Hamilton)

C. Smith wrote that this vision was designed to demonstrate God‟s

justice in destroying Jerusalem.

II. Smith (Fredenburg concurs) outlined this chapter (8) as follows:

A. Introduction to the Vision (8:1-4).

B. The Defilement of the Temple by idolatry. (8:5-18)

III. Fredenburg provides the following vital information:

A. Ezekiel chapters 5-7 emphasize God‟s intention to bring

judgment on Israel and Jerusalem because of their:

1. rebellion against God‟s law.

a. Ezekiel 5:6, Yet in her wickedness she has

rebelled against my laws and decrees more than the

nations and countries around her. She has rejected

my laws and has not followed my decrees. (NIV

1984)

2. depravity worse than heathens.



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a. Ezekiel 5:7, “Therefore this is what the

Sovereign Lord says: You have been more unruly

than the nations around you and have not followed

my decrees or kept my laws. You have not

even conformed to the standards of the nations

around you. (NIV 1984)

3. idol worship.

a. Ezekiel 5:9, Because of all your detestable idols, I

will do to you what I have never done before and

will never do again. (NIV 1984)

4. defiling the temple and destroying its property.

a. Ezekiel 5:11, Therefore as surely as I live, declares

the Sovereign LORD, because you have defiled my

sanctuary with all your vile images and detestable

practices, I myself will withdraw my favor; I will not

look on you with pity or spare you. (NIV 1984)

5. murder of innocent people.

a. Ezekiel 5:11, Therefore as surely as I live, declares

the Sovereign LORD, because you have defiled my

sanctuary with all your vile images and detestable

practices, I myself will withdraw my favor; I will not

look on you with pity or spare you. (NIV 1984)

B. Fredenburg noted that God had had “enough!”

C. These Israelites thought they could live any way they pleased

and God would continue to bless them.



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1. Some today hold this foolish notion!

IV. Ezekiel 8-11 “form a connected whole,” Coffman wrote.

A. Apostate Israel had sinfully and horribly defiled the Temple

which would lead to God‟s departure from the Temple. (See

chapter 8.)

B. The supernatural means of Israel‟s punishment are presented in

chapter 9.

C. The cherubim made preparatory movements to depart the

Temple. (Chapter 9)

D. God actually departs from the Temple in chapter 11:22-25.

Israel defiled the Temple and God departed from it!

V. Coffman stated that the abominations mentioned in this chapter were

being practiced by Judah at the time this vision was seen by Ezekiel and

as dated by Ezekiel 8:1.

A. Of course, Israel had long been a sinful people with periodic

reformations as under Hezekiah and Josiah.

B. The sins mentioned were demanding current divine punishment.

Commentary:

Ezekiel 8:1, In the sixth year, in the sixth month on the fifth day,

while I was sitting in my house and the elders of Judah were sitting

before me, the hand of the Sovereign LORD came upon me there.

(NIV 1984)

I. In the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day, …



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A. Hamilton and Fredenburg date this event to September 18, 592

B.C.E. which Smith identified as being the sixth year, in the sixth

month, on the fifth day of King Jehoiachin‟s captivity and,

according to Clarke, in the sixth (6th

) year of Ezekiel‟s captivity.

1. Smith and Fredenburg further observed that fourteen (14)

months had elapsed since the call of Ezekiel.

a. The Pulpit Commentary stated that thirteen (13)

months had passed since the vision at Chebar during

which time things in Jerusalem were getting

progressively worse.

2. The present vision, by some commentators, is dated within

the 430 days Ezekiel was lying on his side, but Coffman

quoting Greenberg wrote that the time Ezekiel was lying on

his sides ended just “three weeks before the date given here.”

B. Politically Jerusalem‟s situation had not changed. Zedekiah was

still ruling, and the rulers and citizens of Jerusalem were

determined to free themselves of Babylon‟s domination. (See

Smith.)

C. Communication between Jerusalem and the exiles in Babylon

was frequent. (The Pulpit Commentary)

1. Jeremiah 29:1-3, 9, 25, This is the text of the letter that

the prophet Jeremiah sent from Jerusalem to the

surviving elders among the exiles and to the priests, the

prophets and all the other people Nebuchadnezzar had

carried into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon. (This was

after King Jehoiachin and the queen mother, the court

officials and the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the

craftsmen and the artisans had gone into exile from

Jerusalem.) He entrusted the letter to Elasah son of



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Shaphan and to Gemariah son of Hilkiah, whom

Zedekiah king of Judah sent to King Nebuchadnezzar in

Babylon. It said: ... They are prophesying lies to you in

my name. I have not sent them,” declares the LORD. “This

is what the LORD Almighty, the God of Israel, says: You

sent letters in your own name to all the people in

Jerusalem, to Zephaniah son of Maaseiah the priest, and

to all the other priests. You said to Zephaniah, (NIV

1984)

II. while I was sitting in my house and the elders of Judah were sitting

before me, …

A. Smith wrote that the elders were sitting before Ezekiel as his

students.

B. Fredenburg observed this visitation was possible because

Ezekiel did not lie on his side day and night without interruption.

C. Smith and Fredenburg suggest the elders may have visited

Ezekiel to hear his explanations of the pantomimes they had

observed by watching Ezekiel.

D. The fact that the elders visited Ezekiel in his home, Coffman

observed, indicates Ezekiel had a certain amount of prestige among

the exiles.

1. The elders, Coffman further wrote, were apparently

seeking counsel and information from Ezekiel.

III. the hand (power) of the Sovereign Lord came upon me there.

A. This was sudden and unexpected! (Fredenburg)



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B. The Pulpit Commentary suggests this involved Ezekiel‟s being

in a trance state after which he had recorded what he had seen in

the trance.

1. Ezekiel 3:14, 22, The Spirit then lifted me up and took

me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my

spirit, with the strong hand of the LORD upon me. The

hand of the LORD was upon me there, and he said to me,

“Get up and go out to the plain, and there I will speak to

you.” (NIV 1984)

Ezekiel 8:2, I looked, and I saw a figure like that of a man. From

what appeared to be his waist down he was like fire, and from there

up his appearance was as bright as glowing metal. (NIV 1984)

I. I looked, and I saw a figure like that of a man.

A. This figure of a man in awesome glory represents God himself.

(See Smith.)

B. Compare this divine appearance with: (Smith)

1. Ezekiel 3:23, So I got up and went out to the plain. And

the glory of the Lord was standing there, like the glory I

had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown. (NIV

1984)

2. Ezekiel 1:1-3, In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month

on the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the

Kebar River, the heavens were opened and I saw

visions of God. On the fifth of the month—it was the fifth

year of the exile of King Jehoiachin — the word of

the Lord came to Ezekiel the priest, the son of Buzi, by

the Kebar River in the land of the Babylonians. There the

hand of the Lord was upon him. (NIV 1984)



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II. From what appeared to be his waist down he was like fire, …

A. This vision was unspeakably awe inspiring.

B. This was clearly a representation of the Lord, majestic beyond

description.

1. Ezekiel 1:27, I saw that from what appeared to be his

waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire,

and that from there down he looked like fire; and

brilliant light surrounded him. (NIV 1984)

III. and from there up his appearance was as bright as glowing metal.

A. In different ways, God‟s appearance was truly awesome from

head to foot!

Ezekiel 8:3, He stretched out what looked like a hand and took me

by the hair of my head. The Spirit lifted me up between earth and

heaven and in visions of God he took me to Jerusalem, to the

entrance to the north gate of the inner court, where the idol that

provokes to jealousy stood. (NIV 1984)

I. He stretched out what looked like a hand and took me by the hair on

my head.

A. The figure of a man reached out its hand and took hold of

Ezekiel‟s hair.

1. Ezekiel 2:9-10, Then I looked, and I saw a

hand stretched out to me. In it was a scroll, which he

unrolled before me. On both sides of it were written

words of lament and mourning and woe. (NIV 1984)



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2. Daniel 5:5-6, Suddenly the fingers of a human hand

appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall, near the

lampstand in the royal palace. The king watched the hand

as it wrote. His face turned pale and he was so

frightened that his knees knocked together and his legs

gave way. (NIV 1984)

B. Of course, God is a spirit. This is a figure of speech called an

anthropomorphism which is an interpretation of what is not human

or personal in terms of human or personal characteristics.

(Webster)

1. McGee wrote, “Scripture uses our own finite terms to aid

our understanding of the infinite.”

C. Ezekiel had shaved his head about a year previously so that by

this time his hair had grown out again. (McGee)

II. The Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and in visions of

God he took me to Jerusalem, …

A. Ezekiel was lifted up and transported to Jerusalem.

1. This was done in a vision, not physically, not literally,

although some commentators hold Ezekiel‟s transport to

Jerusalem was literal.

2. Coffman wrote, “Ezekiel was not bodily transported to

Jerusalem. Apparently the elders of Judah were in Ezekiel‟s

house when this vision occurred and presumably were still

there when it was over.”

3. McGee and Coffman compared Ezekiel‟s experience with

Paul‟s.



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a. 2 Corinthians 12:1-3, I must go on

boasting. Although there is nothing to be gained, I

will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord. I

know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was

caught up to the third heaven. Whether it was in the

body or out of the body I do not know—God

knows. And I know that this man—whether in the

body or apart from the body I do not know, but God

knows— (NIV 1984)

4. The word for visions (mareh) is used elsewhere, but other

words are also used for visions indicating various types of

visions existed. (See the Pulpit Commentary.)

a. Ezekiel 11:24, The Spirit lifted me up and brought

me to the exiles in Babylonia in the vision given by

the Spirit of God. Then the vision I had seen went

up from me, (NIV 1984)

b. Ezekiel 43:3, The vision I saw was like the vision I

had seen when he came to destroy the city and like

the visions I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell

facedown. (NIV 1984)

c. Daniel 8:26-27, “The vision of the evenings and

mornings that has been given you is true, but seal up

the vision, for it concerns the distant future.” (NIV

1984)

III. to the entrance (door) to the north gate of the inner court, where the

idol that provokes to jealousy stood.

A. In the vision (in the spirit), Ezekiel was taken to the north gate

of the inner court of the temple.



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1. Ezekiel was familiar with the Temple area as a priest

would have been. (See The Pulpit Commentary.)

B. This idol that provoked to jealousy and which stood near the

north gate was destroyed by Josiah (See Fredenburg.), but the

people soon reverted to idolatry.

1. 2 Kings 21:2,7, He did evil in the eyes of

the LORD, following the detestable practices of the nations

the LORD had driven out before the Israelites. He took the

carved Asherah pole he had made and put it in the

temple, of which the LORD had said to David and to his

son Solomon, “In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I

have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will put my

Name forever. (NIV 1984)

2. 2 Kings 23:6, He took the Asherah pole from the temple

of the LORD to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem and

burned it there. He ground it to powder and scattered the

dust over the graves of the common people. (NIV 1984)

3. Deuteronomy 32:16, 21, They made him jealous with their

foreign gods and angered him with their detestable idols. (NIV

1984)

4. Psalm 78:58, They angered him with their high

places; they aroused his jealousy with their idols. (NIV

1984)

5. This idol may have been the popular Assyrian goddess

Astarte (Ishtar, Asherah). (Fredenburg)

6. However, as Coffman well wrote, any idol in the temple

would have provoked God to jealousy.



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7. For verses containing references to the north gate of the

altar, upper gate, high gate, higher gate and new gate which

The Pulpit Commentary states may all be the same, see the

following references:

a. Ezekiel 8:3, He stretched out what looked like a

hand and took me by the hair of my head. The Spirit

lifted me up between earth and heaven and in

visions of God he took me to Jerusalem, to the

entrance to the north gate of the inner court, where

the idol that provokes to jealousy stood. (NIV 1984)

b. Ezekiel 8:5, Then he said to me, “Son of man, look

toward the north.” So I looked, and in the entrance

north of the gate of the altar I saw this idol of

jealousy. (NIV 1984)

c. Ezekiel 9:2, And I saw six men coming from the

direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each

with a deadly weapon in his hand. With them was a

man clothed in linen who had a writing kit at his

side. They came in and stood beside the bronze

altar. (NIV 1984)

d. Jeremiah 20:2, he had Jeremiah the prophet

beaten and put in the stocks at the Upper Gate of

Benjamin at the LORD‟s temple. (NIV 1984)

e. 2 Kings 15:35, The high places, however, were not

removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices

and burn incense there. Jotham rebuilt the Upper

Gate of the temple of the LORD. (NIV 1984)

f. Jeremiah 36:10, From the room of Gemariah son

of Shaphan the secretary, which was in the upper



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courtyard at the entrance of the New Gate of the

temple, Baruch read to all the people at the LORD‟s

temple the words of Jeremiah from the scroll. (NIV

1984)

8. The Pulpit Commentary also states this gate (area) was one

of the most conspicuous portions of the temple, where the

people gathered in large numbers.

Ezekiel 8:4, And there before me was the glory of the God of Israel,

as in the vision I had seen in the plain. (NIV 1984)

I. And there before me was the glory of the God of Israel, …

A. Ezekiel did not literally see God because no one could do that

and live.

1. He saw a vision depicting the glory of the God of Israel.

B. This is a marvelous contrast between the detestable idol that

provokes to jealousy and the glory of the God of Israel.

1. “The guilt of Judah was measured by this contrast.” (See

The Pulpit Commentary.)

II. as in the vision I had seen in the plain.

A. Ezekiel 1:1-28, In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month on

the fifth day, while I was among the exiles by the Kebar

River, the heavens were opened and I saw visions of God. On

the fifth of the month—it was the fifth year of the exile of King

Jehoiachin — the word of the LORD came to Ezekiel the priest,

the son of Buzi, by the Kebar River in the land of the

Babylonians. There the hand of the LORD was upon him. I

looked, and I saw a windstorm coming out of the north —an



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immense cloud with flashing lightning and surrounded by

brilliant light. The center of the fire looked like glowing

metal, and in the fire was what looked like four living

creatures. In appearance their form was that of a man, but

each of them had four faces and four wings. Their legs were

straight; their feet were like those of a calf and gleamed like

burnished bronze. Under their wings on their four sides they

had the hands of a man. All four of them had faces and

wings, and their wings touched one another. Each one went

straight ahead; they did not turn as they moved. Their faces

looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a man, and on

the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the

face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle. Such were

their faces. Their wings were spread out upward; each had two

wings, one touching the wing of another creature on either

side, and two wings covering its body. Each one went straight

ahead. Wherever the spirit would go, they would go, without

turning as they went. The appearance of the living creatures

was like burning coals of fire or like torches. Fire moved back

and forth among the creatures; it was bright, and

lightning flashed out of it. The creatures sped back and forth

like flashes of lightning. As I looked at the living creatures, I

saw a wheel on the ground beside each creature with its four

faces. This was the appearance and structure of the wheels:

They sparkled like chrysolite, and all four looked alike. Each

appeared to be made like a wheel intersecting a wheel. As they

moved, they would go in any one of the four directions the

creatures faced; the wheels did not turn about as the creatures

went. Their rims were high and awesome, and all four rims

were full of eyes all around. When the living creatures moved,

the wheels beside them moved; and when the living creatures

rose from the ground, the wheels also rose. Wherever the spirit

would go, they would go, and the wheels would rise along with

them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the

wheels. When the creatures moved, they also moved; when the



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creatures stood still, they also stood still; and when the

creatures rose from the ground, the wheels rose along with

them, because the spirit of the living creatures was in the

wheels. Spread out above the heads of the living creatures was

what looked like an expanse, sparkling like ice, and

awesome. Under the expanse their wings were stretched out

one toward the other, and each had two wings covering its

body. When the creatures moved, I heard the sound of their

wings, like the roar of rushing waters, like the voice of the

Almighty, like the tumult of an army. When they stood still,

they lowered their wings. Then there came a voice from above

the expanse over their heads as they stood with lowered

wings. Above the expanse over their heads was what looked

like a throne of sapphire, and high above on the throne was a

figure like that of a man. I saw that from what appeared to be

his waist up he looked like glowing metal, as if full of fire, and

that from there down he looked like fire; and brilliant light

surrounded him. Like the appearance of a rainbow in the

clouds on a rainy day, so was the radiance around him. This

was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of

the LORD. When I saw it, I fell facedown, and I heard the voice

of one speaking. (NIV 1984)

B. Ezekiel 3:23, So I got up and went out to the plain. And the

glory of the LORD was standing there, like the glory I had seen

by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown. (NIV 1984)

Note: Coffman wrote, “There are four abominations mentioned in the

balance of the chapter, where they appear in an ascending order of

offensiveness to God.” These involved (1) the image of jealousy, (2)

worship of beasts, reptiles and creeping things, (3) the worship of

Tammuz, and (4) the worship of the Sun by the priests.



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Ezekiel 8:5, Then he said to me, “Son of man, look toward the

north.” So I looked, and in the entrance north of the gate of the altar

I saw this idol of jealousy. (NIV 1984)

I. Then he said to me, “Son of man, look toward the north.”

A. Ezekiel was first taken to the area north of the altar gate.

II. So I looked, and in the entrance north of the gate of the altar I saw

this idol of jealousy.

A. This “idol of jealousy” had been erected by Manasseh, likely an

Asherah pole, Hamilton advised, and Josiah had removed it.

1. 2 Kings 21:7, He took the carved Asherah pole he had

made and put it in the temple, of which the LORD had

said to David and to his son Solomon, “In this temple and

in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of

Israel, I will put my Name forever. (NIV 1984)

2. 2 Kings 23:6-7, He took the Asherah pole from the

temple of the LORD to the Kidron Valley outside

Jerusalem and burned it there. He ground it to

powder and scattered the dust over the graves of the

common people. He also tore down the quarters of the

male shrine prostitutes, which were in the temple of

the LORD and where women did weaving for Asherah.

(NIV 1984)

3. Deuteronomy 5:8, “You shall not make for yourself an

idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the

earth beneath or in the waters below. (NIV 1984)

4. Deuteronomy 12:3, Break down their altars,

smash their sacred stones and burn their Asherah poles



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in the fire; cut down the idols of their gods and wipe out

their names from those places. (NIV 1984)

B. Looking north from the temple gate Ezekiel could see the idol

of jealousy.

1. Coffman noted that the identity of this idol is immaterial

because any idol was offensive to God; and the placement of

such an abomination within the Temple was an outrageous

desecration.

2. Coffman wrote that the popular view of the idol of

jealousy was an idol with an altar to Ashera, Asheroth,

Astarte, or some other female fertility goddess of the ancient

Canaanites. The worship of such idols was vile, licentious,

depraved and disgusting.

Ezekiel 8:6, And he said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they

are doing—the utterly detestable things the house of Israel is doing

here, things that will drive me far from my sanctuary? But you will

see things that are even more detestable.” (NIV 1984)

I. And he said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing — …

A. In other words, pay careful attention to what you see and

understand what you see.

II. the utterly detestable things the house of Israel is doing here, things

that will drive me far from my sanctuary?

A. God would not co-habit the temple with idols.

1. If the Israelites insisted on worshiping idols in his Temple,

God would leave.



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a. Exodus 20:5, You shall not bow down to them or

worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a

jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the

fathersto the third and fourth generation of those

who hate me, (NIV 1984)

b. Deuteronomy 6:4-6, Hear, O Israel: The LORD

our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your

God with all your heart and with all your soul and

with all your strength. These commandments that I

give you today are to be upon your hearts. (NIV

1984)

2. “They are committing great abominations here to drive me

from my sanctuary,” Eichrodt wrote via Coffman.

a. God left the temple because of the abominations

practiced there by the apostate Israelites, Coffman

wrote.

III. But you will see things that are even more detestable.”

A. Polluting the temple by idol worship, horrible as this was, was

not the worst thing Israel was doing.

1. Ezekiel would be shown more detestable things Israel had

done.

2. These detestable things had been premeditative and

consistently done over a long period of time, but what they

were currently continuing to do caused God to forsake Israel.

Ezekiel 8:7, Then he brought me to the entrance to the court. I

looked, and I saw a hole in the wall. (NIV 1984)



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I. Then he brought me to the entrance (door) to the court.

A. Ezekiel was secondly taken to the entrance of the inner Temple

court, the gate that opened from the inner to the outer court which

was surrounded by chambers or cells. (The Pulpit Commentary)

1. Jeremiah 35:4, I brought them into the house of the

Lord, into the room of the sons of Hanan son of Igdaliah

the man of God. It was next to the room of the officials,

which was over that of Maaseiah son of Shallum the

doorkeeper. (NIV 1984)

II. I looked, and I saw a hole in the wall.

A. The location of this “hole in the wall” cannot exactly be

determined.

B. The hole was not large enough for Ezekiel to get a clear view of

what was happening on the other side of the wall (Clarke), so

Ezekiel, as God commanded, started to dig.

1. The Pulpit Commentary asked “If this hole was too small

for Ezekiel, how did the others get to the chamber on the

other side of the wall?”

a. There may have been another entrance to that

chamber. (The Pulpit Commentary)

b. Also, we are not warranted in making minute

interpretations based on visions. (See The Pulpit

Commentary.)

Ezekiel 8:8, He said to me, “Son of man, now dig into the wall.” So I

dug into the wall and saw a doorway there. (NIV 1984)



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I. He said to me, “Son of man, now dig into the wall.”

A. God commanded Ezekiel to dig into the wall.

1. Something was to be discovered, found by this digging.

II. So I dug into the wall and saw a doorway there.

A. This is the way it was with Ezekiel and most certainly the way

it must be with us!

1. God commanded and Ezekiel obeyed without question or

hesitation!

B. Ezekiel dug so that he could see a doorway and go through the

hole he had enlarged and the doorway beyond. (Clarke)

Ezekiel 8:9, And he said to me, “Go in and see the wicked and

detestable things they are doing here.” (NIV 1984)

I. And he said to me, “Go in and see the wicked and detestable things

they are doing here.”

A. To make these bad matters worse, these wicked and detestable

things were done in the temple.

Ezekiel 8:10, So I went in and looked, and I saw portrayed all over

the walls all kinds of crawling things and detestable animals and all

the idols of the house of Israel. (NIV 1984)

I. So I went in and looked, and I saw portrayed all over the walls all

kinds of crawling things and detestable animals and all the idols of the

house of Israel.



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A. Israel had gone rapidly, totally, rampantly into heathen idolatry

appropriating all manner of heathen gods for their own worship

and in fact may have invented some idols of their own.

1. Some of these idols were likely representations of various

Egyptian gods.

a. Similar designs were inscribed on the walls of the

tombs of Egyptian kings and nobles. (Clarke)

b. “The alliance between Jehoiakim and Pharaoh and

which Zedekiah was endeavoring to renew, would

naturally bring about a revival of that culture,” The

Pulpit Commentary reads.

2. Israel was worshiping the creature rather than the Creator.

a. Romans 1:21-25, For although they knew God,

they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to

him, but their thinking became futile and their

foolish hearts were darkened. Although they

claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged

the glory of the immortal God for images made to

look like mortal man and birds and animals and

reptiles. Therefore God gave them over in the sinful

desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the

degrading of their bodies with one another. They

exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped

and served created things rather than the Creator—

who is forever praised. Amen. (NIV 1984)

Ezekiel 8:11, In front of them stood seventy elders of the house of

Israel, and Jaazaniah son of Shaphan was standing among them.

Each had a censer in his hand, and a fragrant cloud of incense was

rising. (NIV 1984)



24

I. In front of them stood seventy (70) elders of the house of Israel, and…

A. Numbers 11:16-25, The Lord said to Moses: “Bring me

seventy of Israel‟s elders who are known to you as leaders and

officials among the people. Have them come to the Tent of

Meeting, that they may stand there with you. I will come down

and speak with you there, and I will take of the Spirit that is on

you and put the Spirit on them. They will help you carry the

burden of the people so that you will not have to carry it alone.

“Tell the people: „Consecrate yourselves in preparation for

tomorrow, when you will eat meat. The Lord heard you when

you wailed, “If only we had meat to eat! We were better off in

Egypt!” Now the Lord will give you meat, and you will eat it.

You will not eat it for just one day, or two days, or five, ten or

twenty days, but for a whole month—until it comes out of your

nostrils and you loathe it—because you have rejected the Lord,

who is among you, and have wailed before him, saying, “Why

did we ever leave Egypt?”‟” But Moses said, “Here I am

among six hundred thousand men on foot, and you say, „I will

give them meat to eat for a whole month!‟ Would they have

enough if flocks and herds were slaughtered for them? Would

they have enough if all the fish in the sea were caught for

them?” The Lord answered Moses, “Is the Lord‟s arm too

short? You will now see whether or not what I say will come

true for you.” So Moses went out and told the people what the

Lord had said. He brought together seventy of their elders and

had them stand around the Tent. Then the Lord came down in

the cloud and spoke with him, and he took of the Spirit that

was on him and put the Spirit on the seventy elders. When the

Spirit rested on them, they prophesied, but they did not do so

again. (NIV 1984)

B. Exodus 24:9-10, Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and

the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel.



25

Under his feet was something like a pavement made of

sapphire, clear as the sky itself. (NIV 1984)

C. Horrible as it is, the leaders, elders of Israel were chief in this

evil and even acted as priests in this corrupt heathen worship.

1. They would influence Israel to follow their sinful ways.

2. These elders were leading the people into sinful idolatious

behaviors.

D. Clarke suggested these seventy (70) elders could have

constituted an early Sanhedrin, Jewish council, or court.

1. The actual Sanhedrin did not exist until after the Captivity.

(The Pulpit Commentary)

II. Jaazaniah (The Lord is listening.) son of Shaphan was standing

among them.

A. Jaazaniah was a leader of elders who were offering incense to

idols. (New Illustrated Bible Dictionary)

1. “Jaazaniah was a black sheep from the godly family of

Shaphan.” (Smith)

a. Shaphan presumably, Smith wrote, in all these cases

was the famous scribe who supported the reform efforts

of King Josiah.

i. 2 Kings 22:3-20, In the eighteenth year of his

reign, King Josiah sent the secretary, Shaphan

son of Azaliah, the son of Meshullam, to the

temple of the Lord. He said: “Go up to Hilkiah

the high priest and have him get ready the



26

money that has been brought into the temple of

the Lord, which the doorkeepers have collected

from the people. Have them entrust it to the

men appointed to supervise the work on the

temple. And have these men pay the workers

who repair the temple of the Lord— the

carpenters, the builders and the masons. Also

have them purchase timber and dressed stone

to repair the temple. But they need not account

for the money entrusted to them, because they

are acting faithfully.” Hilkiah the high priest

said to Shaphan the secretary, “I have found

the Book of the Law in the temple of the Lord.”

He gave it to Shaphan, who read it. Then

Shaphan the secretary went to the king and

reported to him: “Your officials have paid out

the money that was in the temple of the Lord

and have entrusted it to the workers and

supervisors at the temple.” Then Shaphan the

secretary informed the king, “Hilkiah the

priest has given me a book.” And Shaphan

read from it in the presence of the king. When

the king heard the words of the Book of the

Law, he tore his robes. He gave these orders to

Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan,

Acbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary

and Asaiah the king‟s attendant: “Go and

inquire of the Lord for me and for the people

and for all Judah about what is written in this

book that has been found. Great is the Lord‟s

anger that burns against us because our

fathers have not obeyed the words of this book;

they have not acted in accordance with all that

is written there concerning us.” Hilkiah the

priest, Ahikam, Acbor, Shaphan and Asaiah



27

went to speak to the prophetess Huldah, who

was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son

of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in

Jerusalem, in the Second District. She said to

them, “This is what the Lord, the God of

Israel, says: Tell the man who sent you to me,

„This is what the Lord says: I am going to

bring disaster on this place and its people,

according to everything written in the book the

king of Judah has read. Because they have

forsaken me and burned incense to other gods

and provoked me to anger by all the idols their

hands have made, my anger will burn against

this place and will not be quenched.‟ Tell the

king of Judah, who sent you to inquire of the

Lord, „This is what the Lord, the God of Israel,

says concerning the words you heard: Because

your heart was responsive and you humbled

yourself before the Lord when you heard what

I have spoken against this place and its people,

that they would become accursed and laid

waste, and because you tore your robes and

wept in my presence, I have heard you,

declares the Lord. Therefore I will gather you

to your fathers, and you will be buried in

peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I

am going to bring on this place.‟” So they took

her answer back to the king. (NIV 1984)

b. Coffman observed that a Jaazaniah had helped Josiah

in his reforms and that, if this were the same person, he

had certainly not remained faithful to the Lord.

2. Four men, Smith wrote, are said to be the sons of the

Shaphan:



28

a. Gemaniah, one of the princes sympathetic to the

reading of the scroll written by Jeremiah.

i. Jeremiah 36:10-12, From the room of

Gemariah son of Shaphan the secretary, which

was in the upper courtyard at the entrance of

the New Gate of the temple, Baruch read to all

the people at the Lord‟s temple the words of

Jeremiah from the scroll. When Micaiah son of

Gemariah, the son of Shaphan, heard all the

words of the Lord from the scroll, he went

down to the secretary‟s room in the royal

palace, where all the officials were sitting:

Elishama the secretary, Delaiah son of

Shemaiah, Elnathan son of Acbor, Gemariah

son of Shaphan, Zedekiah son of Hananiah,

and all the other officials. (NIV 1984)

b. Ahikam, who rescued Jeremiah from certain

execution in the temple…

i. 2 Kings 22:12, He gave these orders to

Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan,

Acbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary

and Asaiah the king‟s attendant: (NIV 1984)

ii. Jeremiah 26:24, Furthermore, Ahikam son

of Shaphan supported Jeremiah, and so he was

not handed over to the people to be put to

death. (NIV 1984)

c. Elesah, who rescued a letter from Jeremiah to the

exiles in Babylon.



29

i. Jeremiah 29:3, He entrusted the letter to

Elasah son of Shaphan and to Gemariah son of

Hilkiah, whom Zedekiah king of Judah sent to

King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon. It said:

(NIV 1984)

d. Jaazaniah, who was among those elders worshiping

animals in the secret chambers of the Temple.

i. Ezekiel 8:11, In front of them stood seventy

elders of the house of Israel, and Jaazaniah son

of Shaphan was standing among them. Each

had a censer in his hand, and a fragrant cloud

of incense was rising. (NIV 1984)

III. Each had a censer in his hand, and a fragrant cloud of incense was

rising.

A. This was a priestly function. Elders were not eligible to perform

these functions, and most certainly, priests or not, not to idols.

Ezekiel 8:12, He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the

elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness, each at the

shrine of his own idol? They say, „The LORD does not see us;

the LORD has forsaken the land.‟” (NIV 1984)

I. He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the

house of Israel are doing in the darkness (secret), each at the shrine of

his own idol?

A. Each of the elders had his very own personal idol.

1. Genesis 31:30-37, Now you have gone off because you

longed to return to your father‟s house. But why did you

steal my gods?” Jacob answered Laban, “I was afraid,



30

because I thought you would take your daughters away

from me by force. But if you find anyone who has your

gods, he shall not live. In the presence of our relatives, see

for yourself whether there is anything of yours here with

me; and if so, take it.” Now Jacob did not know that

Rachel had stolen the gods. So Laban went into Jacob‟s

tent and into Leah‟s tent and into the tent of the two

maidservants, but he found nothing. After he came out of

Leah‟s tent, he entered Rachel‟s tent. Now Rachel had

taken the household gods and put them inside her camel‟s

saddle and was sitting on them. Laban searched through

everything in the tent but found nothing. Rachel said to

her father, “Don‟t be angry, my lord, that I cannot stand

up in your presence; I‟m having my period.” So he

searched but could not find the household gods. Jacob

was angry and took Laban to task. “What is my crime?”

he asked Laban. “What sin have I committed that you

hunt me down? Now that you have searched through all

my goods, what have you found that belongs to your

household? Put it here in front of your relatives and mine,

and let them judge between the two of us. (NIV 1984)

B. They thought God did not know what they were doing because

he had forsaken the land.

1. Isaiah 29:15, Woe to those who go to great depths to

hide their plans from the Lord, who do their work in

darkness and think, “Who sees us? Who will know?”

(NIV 1984)

2. Isaiah 30:1-5, “Woe to the obstinate children,”

declares the Lord, “to those who carry out plans that are

not mine, forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit,

heaping sin upon sin; who go down to Egypt without

consulting me; who look for help to Pharaoh‟s protection,



31

to Egypt‟s shade for refuge. But Pharaoh‟s protection will

be to your shame, Egypt‟s shade will bring you disgrace.

Though they have officials in Zoan and their envoys have

arrived in Hanes, everyone will be put to shame because

of a people useless to them, who bring neither help nor

advantage, but only shame and disgrace.”(NIV 1984)

II. They say, „The Lord does not see us; the Lord has forsaken the

land.‟”

A. Smith stated the first accusation was blasphemous because they

were saying God was not omniscient.

B. The second charge was hypocritical because they otherwise

claimed God would not permit the destruction of Jerusalem nor the

Temple while here they claim God had forsaken the entire land.

Ezekiel 8:13, Again, he said, “You will see them doing things that

are even more detestable.” (NIV 1984)

I. Again, he said, “You will see them doing things that are even more

detestable.”

A. These, as bad as they were, were not the most detestable things

Israel had done.

1. Ezekiel would be shown even more abhorrent, detestable

sins of Israel.

B. Their worship was not a blending of the worship of God with

idols. It was a total departure from God and a total devotion to

idols.



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Ezekiel 8:14, Then he brought me to the entrance to the north gate

of the house of the LORD, and I saw women sitting there, mourning

for Tammuz. (NIV 1984)

I. Then he brought me to the entrance to the north gate of the house of

the Lord,…

A. Ezekiel‟s third stop was at the entrance to the north gate of the

Temple, the house of the Lord.

II. and I saw women sitting there, mourning for Tammuz (Adonis).

A. Tammuz (Dumuzi) was a Babylonian fertility god (New

Illustrated Bible Dictionary), the god of spring vegetation.

(McGee)

1. Hamilton noted that, in some forms of Babylonian

mythology, Tammuz would die (and rise) yearly in tandum

with seasonal changes.

a. These women were grieving for a dead god.

(Hamilton)

b. Tammuz was a vegetation god whose legendary

annual birth and death corresponded with the spring and

fall seasons. (See Smith.)

c. Tammuz had a consort, Ishtar, who mourned his

annual death. (See Smith.)

d. Smith wrote, “The worst kinds of immoralities were

employed by this cult in an effort to magically control

nature.”



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e. The worship of Tammuz was actually the worship of

nature and connected with it were some vile and

immoral ceremonies. (McGee)

B. Israelite sins had become more and more detestable now

progressing from the leaders, elders of Israel secretly worshiping

foreign deities to the worship of heathen gods in the temple area by

women. (Fredenburg)

C. Fredenburg further wrote, “Rather than mourning at the

defilement of pure Yahweh worship, these women were openly

and unashamedly mourning for the minor Babylonian god,

Tammuz.

D. “Babylonian mythology taught that Tammuz‟s wife Ishtar sent

their shepherd god to replace her sister Ereshkigal among the dead.

In his honor, Ishtar required an annual weeping ritual to

commemorate Tammuz‟s death,” Fredenburg wrote quoting

Handy.

E. Coffman wrote that worship of this ancient god dated to 3000

B.C. and was known by different names in different countries. In

Greece it was Adones and Aphrodite, in Egypt Osiris and Isis, and

in Babylon Tammuz (Adonis) and Ishtar.

Ezekiel 8:15, He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man? You will

see things that are even more detestable than this.” (NIV 1984)

I. He said to me, “Do you see this, son of man?

A. Ezekiel had not seen the worst yet.

II. You will see things that are even more detestable than this.”

A. How bad can things get? We are soon to find out.



34

Ezekiel 8:16, He then brought me into the inner court of the house

of the LORD, and there at the entrance to the temple, between the

portico and the altar, were about twenty-five men. With their backs

toward the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east, they

were bowing down to the sun in the east. (NIV 1984)

I. He then brought me into the inner court of the house of the Lord,

and…

A. Ezekiel‟s fourth stop was in the inner court of the Temple, the

house of the Lord.

B. These abominations, Fredenburg wrote, were taking place on

the very steps of the Temple itself in the shadow of the altar which

was the place of public weeping before Yahweh for national sins.

1. Joel 2:17, Let the priests, who minister before the Lord,

weep between the temple porch and the altar. Let them

say, “Spare your people, O Lord. Do not make your

inheritance an object of scorn, a byword among the

nations. Why should they say among the peoples, „Where

is their God?‟” (NIV 1984)

C. The last and the worst form of desecration is now to be

presented to Ezekiel.

II. there at the entrance to the temple, between the portico (porch) and

the altar, were about twenty-five men.

A. Smith and Clarke suggested these twenty-five men were

representing David‟s twenty-four courses of priests plus the high

priest.



35

1. 1 Chronicles 24:1-19, These were the divisions of the

sons of Aaron: The sons of Aaron were Nadab, Abihu,

Eleazar and Ithamar. But Nadab and Abihu died before

their father did, and they had no sons; so Eleazar and

Ithamar served as the priests. With the help of Zadok a

descendant of Eleazar and Ahimelech a descendant of

Ithamar, David separated them into divisions for their

appointed order of ministering. A larger number of

leaders were found among Eleazar‟s descendants than

among Ithamar‟s, and they were divided accordingly:

sixteen heads of families from Eleazar‟s descendants and

eight heads of families from Ithamar‟s descendants. They

divided them impartially by drawing lots, for there were

officials of the sanctuary and officials of God among the

descendants of both Eleazar and Ithamar. The scribe

Shemaiah son of Nethanel, a Levite, recorded their names

in the presence of the king and of the officials: Zadok the

priest, Ahimelech son of Abiathar and the heads of

families of the priests and of the Levites—one family

being taken from Eleazar and then one from Ithamar.

The first lot fell to Jehoiarib, the second to Jedaiah, the

third to Harim, the fourth to Seorim, the fifth to

Malkijah, the sixth to Mijamin, the seventh to Hakkoz,

the eighth to Abijah, the ninth to Jeshua, the tenth to

Shecaniah, the eleventh to Eliashib, the twelfth to Jakim,

the thirteenth to Huppah, the fourteenth to Jeshebeab,

the fifteenth to Bilgah, the sixteenth to Immer, the

seventeenth to Hezir, the eighteenth to Happizzez, the

nineteenth to Pethahiah, the twentieth to Jehezkel, the

twenty-first to Jakin, the twenty-second to Gamul, the

twenty-third to Delaiah and the twenty-fourth to

Maaziah. This was their appointed order of ministering

when they entered the temple of the Lord, according to

the regulations prescribed for them by their forefather



36

Aaron, as the Lord, the God of Israel, had commanded

him. (NIV 1984)

2. 2 Chronicles 36:14, Furthermore, all the leaders of the

priests and the people became more and more unfaithful,

following all the detestable practices of the nations and

defiling the temple of the Lord, which he had consecrated

in Jerusalem. (NIV 1984)

III. With their backs toward the temple of the Lord and their faces

toward the east, they were bowing down to the sun in the east.

A. Israel had turned their backs on God and worshiped the sun god,

Shamash.

B. These men were worshiping the sun from God‟s temple.

1. 2 Kings 21:5, In both courts of the temple of the Lord,

he built altars to all the starry hosts. (NIV 1984)

2. 2 Kings 23:11-12, He removed from the entrance to the

temple of the Lord the horses that the kings of Judah had

dedicated to the sun. They were in the court near the

room of an official named Nathan-Melech. Josiah then

burned the chariots dedicated to the sun. He pulled down

the altars the kings of Judah had erected on the roof near

the upper room of Ahaz, and the altars Manasseh had

built in the two courts of the temple of the Lord. He

removed them from there, smashed them to pieces and

threw the rubble into the Kidron Valley. (NIV 1984)

C. Coffman quoted Keil as saying this worship was not limited to

the worship of the sun, but extended to the heavenly bodies in

general.



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1. Deuteronomy 4:19, And when you look up to the sky

and see the sun, the moon and the stars—all the heavenly

array—do not be enticed into bowing down to them and

worshiping things the Lord your God has apportioned to

all the nations under heaven. (NIV 1984)

2. Deuteronomy 17:3, and contrary to my command has

worshiped other gods, bowing down to them or to the sun

or the moon or the stars of the sky, (NIV 1984)

D. Clarke wrote, “This was the Persian worship, as their turning

their faces to the east plainly shows they were worshipping the

rising sun. (The Pulpit Commentary agrees.)

Ezekiel 8:17, He said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man? Is it a

trivial matter for the house of Judah to do the detestable things they

are doing here? Must they also fill the land with violence and

continually provoke me to anger? Look at them putting the branch

to their nose! (NIV 1984)

I. He said to me, “Have you seen this, son of man?

A. God continued to guide Ezekiel so that he would see and

understand all that God wanted him to see and understand.

1. God gave Ezekiel the message and Ezekiel was to

faithfully deliver this message to the exiles.

II. Is it a trivial matter for the house of Judah to do the detestable things

they are doing here?

A. Jerusalem, as so often is the case with too many of us, evidently

did not regard their sins as serious matters.

1. There is nothing trivial about sin!



38

2. Certainly not its consequences.

III. Must they also fill the land with violence and continually provoke

me to anger?

A. Judah had already done terribly detestable things, but their sins

were becoming progressively worse and worse.

1. Genesis 6:11, Now the earth was corrupt in God‟s sight

and was full of violence. (NIV 1984)

2. Amos 5:21-24, “I hate, I despise your religious feasts; I

cannot stand your assemblies. Even though you bring me

burnt offerings and grain offerings, I will not accept

them. Though you bring choice fellowship offerings, I will

have no regard for them. Away with the noise of your

songs! I will not listen to the music of your harps. But let

justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-

failing stream! (NIV 1984)

3. Sins have a way of becoming more and more grievous, like

a growing, spreading cancer.

IV. Look at them putting the branch to their nose!

A. While it is not clear exactly what is included in this expression,

it is certain that it is an offensive, discourteous, obscene, insulting

act, gesture.

1. This may mean, “They break wind in my nose,” Smith and

Fredenburg suggested.



39

2. Jewish commentators of the past have said that this

expression speaks of shocking, low and degrading religious

rites. (McGee)

3. Some translate this sentence as, “They send a stench to my

nostrils.”

4. Others remind us that, “Assyrian reliefs identify this

gesture as an act of reverence and worship.”

5. Clarke wrote that ancient idol worship often included the

carrying of fragrant branches.

a. The Jews may have included this in their idol

worship rituals having long been in the habit of

incorporating all manner of other idolatrous activities in

their religious practice.

Ezekiel 8:18, Therefore I will deal with them in anger; I will not

look on them with pity or spare them. Although they shout in my

ears, I will not listen to them.” (NIV 1984)

I. Therefore I will deal with them in anger; I will not look on them with

pity or spare them.

A. Because of their sins, horrible and grievous sins, God would

show them no pity, would not spare them and would deal with

them in anger!

1. Ezekiel 5:11, Therefore as surely as I live, declares the

Sovereign Lord, because you have defiled my sanctuary

with all your vile images and detestable practices, I

myself will withdraw my favor; I will not look on you

with pity or spare you. (NIV 1984)



40

2. Ezekiel 7:4, I will not look on you with pity or spare

you; I will surely repay you for your conduct and the

detestable practices among you. Then you will know that

I am the Lord. (NIV 1984)

B. “These people would experience the full wrath of God,” Smith

stated.

II. Although they shout in my ears, I will not listen to them.”

A. Fredenburg wrote, “God is now their adversary, not their

protector.”

B. This is a sad reversal all because of Israel‟s terrible sins.

1. Exodus 2:23-25, During that long period, the king of

Egypt died. The Israelites groaned in their slavery and

cried out, and their cry for help because of their slavery

went up to God. God heard their groaning and he

remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac and

with Jacob. So God looked on the Israelites and was

concerned about them. (NIV 1984)

C. God does not hear everyone‟s prayers!

Note: “This verse serves as a transition to chapter 9.” (The Pulpit

Commentary)

Conclusion:

I. God is merciful, but he is also just.

A. God will save the faithful in heaven.

B. God will destroy the wicked in hell.



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C. Which will it be for you, heaven or hell?

1. The choice, decision is yours.

II. The nation‟s political and religious leaders influenced the people to

sin against God.

A. The nation‟s leadership was actively engaged in the pursuit of

evil.

1. The people followed their corrupt leaders into sin.

2. When electing leaders remember that righteousness exalts

a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.

B. The elder‟s sins were rooted in a loss of faith and in stubborn

arrogance.

1. Don‟t be among those Jesus would address as, “Oh you of

little faith.”

2. Proverbs 16:18, Pride goes before destruction, a

haughty spirit before a fall. (NIV 1984)

3. Matthew 18:1-4, At that time the disciples came to

Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of

heaven?” He called a little child and had him stand

among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you

change and become like little children, you will never

enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever

humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the

kingdom of heaven. (NIV 1984)

C. The elders thought their sins were secret.



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1. “There are no secrets from God” and we can be sure our

sins will find us out.

2. As for other people, we don‟t know who knows of our sins

and who doesn‟t.

a. More may know than we could ever imagine. (See

Peter C Craigie.)

D. Sins grow, they become bigger and more offensive to God and

injurious to mankind (See Hinton.)

1. Idolatry, social injustice, violence,…



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Questions

on

Ezekiel 8:1-18

(Questions based on NIV text.)

1. According to Hamilton, chapters 8-11 comprise a single

vision in five sections. What is the content, subject of this single

vision and what is the content, subject of each of these five

sections? ____________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

2. How did Smith and Fredenburg outline Ezekiel 8? _________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________



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3. According to Fredenburg, Ezekiel 5-7 emphasizes God‟s

intention to bring judgment on Israel and Jerusalem because of

their _______________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

4. Those ____________ thought they could ____________

____________ ____________ they ____________ and

____________ would ____________ to ____________

____________. Some ____________ hold this ____________

____________! The time comes when ____________ has had

____________!

5. Why did God depart from the Temple? __________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

6. The hand of the Lord came upon Ezekiel in the

______________ ______________, in the ______________

____________ on the ____________ ____________.

7. This time was calculated from the ______________ of

______________ ______________ and from the time of

______________‟s ______________. ______________ or



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____________ ____________ had elapsed since the

____________ of ____________.

8. This is dated to ______________ ______________,

______________ BCE.

9. ______________ ______________‟s situation had not

____________. ____________ was still ____________, and the

____________ and ____________ of ____________ were

determined to ____________ themselves from ____________‟s

____________.

10. Did the vision of Ezekiel 8 occur during or after the 430

days Ezekiel was to lie on his sides? Give reasons for your

answer. _____________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

11. What were the results, effects of the on-going

communication between Jerusalem and the Babylonian exiles?

____________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________



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12. Where did the hand of the Lord come upon Ezekiel? Who

else was present on this occasion? Why were they there? ______

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

13. What is meant by the hand of the Lord coming upon

Ezekiel? How did this affect Ezekiel? _____________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

14. What did Ezekiel see in verse 2? Tell how Ezekiel saw in

verse 2, literally or otherwise? Be descriptive and precise. _____

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

15. Describe what Ezekiel saw? What did this represent? ______

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________



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16. What is an anthropomorphisim? Illustrate this by what is

said in verse 3. _______________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

17. How could this “hand” take Ezekiel by the hair of his head

in view of what is said in Ezekiel 5:1? ____________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

18. The ____________ lifted Ezekiel up between ____________

and ____________ and ____________ in ____________ of

____________ the ____________ took him to ____________.

19. Was this journey to Jerusalem literal or otherwise? What did

Coffman say? What do you think? ________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

20. Identify “the idol that provokes to jealousy.” Why would an

idol provoke God to jealousy? ___________________________

___________________________________________________



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___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

21. By what other names was the north gate of the Temple

known? _____________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

22. Exactly where was the north gate located? ______________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

23. There before Ezekiel was the ______________ of the

____________ of ____________. This is a ____________

____________ with the ____________ ____________ that

____________ to ____________. The ____________ of

____________ was ____________ by this ____________.

24. How was Yahweh “the God of Israel?” Was Yahweh

exclusively the God of Israel? Contrast Yahweh as the God of

Israel and as God of other nations? _______________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________



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___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

25. Contrast or compare the vision of God as given in Ezekiel 8

with the vision of God as given in Ezekiel 1:1-28. ___________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

26. List and describe the sinful abominations of Ezekiel 8. Show

how these sins progressed from bad to worse to worst. ________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

27. Give as much information about the idol of jealousy as

possible. ____________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

28. How many times is “son of man” used in Ezekiel 8? What is

the meaning and significance of this term? _________________

___________________________________________________



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___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

29. God wanted Ezekiel to see and understand the

____________ ____________ things the ____________ of

____________ was doing in the ____________, sins that would

____________ the Lord ____________ from his

____________. God left the ____________ because of the

____________ ____________ there by the ____________

____________.

30. These ____________ things had been ____________ and

____________ done over a ____________ ____________ of

____________, but what they were ____________

____________ to do caused God to ____________

____________.

31. Locate precisely the entrance (door) to the court of the

Temple. ____________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

32. If the hole in the wall was too small for Ezekiel, how did the

others get to the chamber on the other side of the wall? _______

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________



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___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

33. God told Ezekiel to dig, so he dug. God told Ezekiel to go in

and see the wicked and detestable things that were being done

there, so he went in and looked. What lesson does this hold for

us? ________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

34. What made these bad matters worse? __________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

35. What did Ezekiel see on the other side of the wall? _______

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

36. What possible connections were there between Egypt and

the things discussed in Ezekiel 8:10? ______________________

___________________________________________________



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___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

37. ____________ as it is, the ____________, ____________ of

____________ were ____________ in this ____________ and

even acted as ____________ in this ____________

____________ ____________. They would ____________

____________ to ____________ their ____________

____________.

38. Who was Shaphan? Give as much information as you can

about this person. _____________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

39. Who was Jaazaniah? Give as much information as possible


___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

40. Who was Gemariah? Give as much information as possible


___________________________________________________



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___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

41. Who was Ahikam? Give as much information as you can


___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

42. Who was Alasah? Give as much information as you can


___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

43. What qualified the seventy (70) elders of Ezekiel 8:11 to

serve as priests in that they offered incense to their gods. ______

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________



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44. How many times in Ezekiel 8 is Ezekiel referenced as “son

of man?” __________ What is the meaning, significance of this

designation? ________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

45. Why did the elders believe God was unaware of their sins?

____________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

46. Do people today commit more sins in public or in private?

Why is this the way it is? _______________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

47. In the sight of God are all sins equally serious or are some

worse than others, some misdemeanors and some felonies? Give

reasons for your answer. _______________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________



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___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

48. Each of the elders had a shrine to his own idol. How would

you like to have your very own personal god? Or do you indeed

have your very own personal God already? _________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

49. What were women at the north gate doing? ______________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

50. Who was Tammuz? Give all the information you can. _____

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

51. How bad did things get for Jerusalem and its people? In your

lifetime, how bad have things gotten? _____________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________



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___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

52. Exactly where in the Temple was the inner court? ________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

53. The ____________ which were committed in the inner court

of the temple were taking place on the very ____________ of

the ____________ itself in the ____________ of the

____________ which was the place of ____________

____________ before ____________ for ____________

____________.

54. What were the twenty-five men at the entrance to the temple

doing? What did they represent? _________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

55. There is _______________ _______________ about

____________. The ____________ of ____________ are

certainly not ____________.

56. _______________ had already done _______________

____________ things, but their ____________ were becoming



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______________ ______________ and ______________.

____________ have a way of becoming more and more

______________, like a ______________, ______________

____________.

57. The Lord asked, “____________ they also fill the

____________ with _____________ and ______________

____________ me to anger?”

58. What does, “Look at them putting the branch to their nose!”

mean? ______________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

59. God said, because of Jerusalem‟s sins, he would deal with

them in ____________ and would not look on them with

____________ nor ____________ them. They would experience

the ____________ ____________ of ____________.

60. God does not hear everyone‟s prayers. Whose prayers does

God hear and grant? ___________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________



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61. ____________ is ____________, but he is also just.

____________ will ____________ the ____________ in

____________. ____________ will ____________ the

____________ in ____________. Which will it be for you,

____________ or ____________. The ____________ is yours.

62. The ____________‟s ____________ was ____________

____________ in the ____________ of ____________. The

____________ followed their ____________ ____________

into ____________.

63. When electing our country‟s leaders, remember that ______

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

64. The ____________‟s ____________ were ____________ in

a ____________ of ____________ and in ____________

____________. The ____________ thought their ____________

were ____________, but there are no ____________ from God

and we can be sure our ____________ will find us out.

____________ ____________, they become ____________ and

more ____________ to ____________ and ____________ to

____________.

Idolatry in the Temple Ezekiel 8:1-18 - Bible Study...

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