Sermon Tone Analysis

Idolatry

I hope you are all interested in idolatry because that it what we are going to get – or at least a flavoring of it Here we get why Jerusalem is punished .. remember chap 1-24 are oracles of judgment against Judah.. this is the main focus of the exile .. so let’s read these few verses

Some of this I will reserve comment until later chapters where it is clearer, we know the devastation … and there is the idea of the remnant … but we are dealing with idolatry .. the designations we just read are all over Leviticus and in fact Leviticus 26: 14-33 tells the nation what will happen if they apostate

Promised Land

The promised land was conditional on NOT worshipping other gods; the covenant, but I will keep a remnant to keep the promise; but the land is conditional and we have forgotten that in US protestant movements.. remember Isreal the 10 are gone at this point, and now Judah is exiled..

So… some terms …

High Places and Incense Altars

This is more style than mountain .. elevated stands, platforms going up…

Incense Altars.. translated other places like Lev 26: 30 as idols …

These are the two main terms today

High places were where incense was burned and sacrifices made..

We have to remember the book of Judges .. Isrealites did not eliminate the Anakim, the giants … and they fled to Phlistine.

But when they enter the Land they don’t have a central place to worship as they disperse

So they all do what is right in their eyes

You have high places throughout the land .. some for Yahweh – others not..and they continue … hard to change things … look at columns ..but once temple built should change

Yet look at this text

Two of the worst … Molech (burned first born) and Chemosh right there by Jerusalem .. accommodation that is the apostasy

Incense Altars

Still there, most kings just left them alone … the prophets are ticked off about these things; they are ritual worship == false worship … some of the Hebrews words are muddled since they came to be known as the same thing and it causes some understanding issues

As we get further into the Book Ezekiel is fond of graphic language .. and the translaters have often cleaned it up ..

The feces is really a more common word///

He writes more than any about unclean

Cast on the stela of your idols … the phallic symbol.. it’s going to be more graphic later

So...

We are going to have some 20 more chapters that shows Yahweh really does care about idol worship and he does not accept other rival gods or blending.. etc etc

what can be an idol today?

A good thing made a god thing

all to heaven

Other religions in worship

My interpretation ...

Modern World

from Bastille to fall of Berlin Wall — reason ruled..

etc— it is an idol.... postmodernism, paganism, gnosticism … post secular not atheist… this is important it bleeds into our churches … and look at Ezekiel .. god does not want idols