1 And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
2 Son of man, set thy face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them,
3 And say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys; Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places.
4 And your altars shall be desolate, and your images shall be broken: and I will cast down your slain men before your idols.
5 And I will lay the dead carcases of the children of Israel before their idols; and I will scatter your bones round about your altars.
6 In all your dwellingplaces the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate; that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, and your idols may be broken and cease, and your images may be cut down, and your works may be abolished.
7 And the slain shall fall in the midst of you, and ye shall know that I am the LORD.
8 Yet will I leave a remnant, that ye may have some that shall escape the sword among the nations, when ye shall be scattered through the countries.
9 And they that escape of you shall remember me among the nations whither they shall be carried captives, because I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from me, and with their eyes, which go a whoring after their idols: and they shall lothe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations.
10 And they shall know that I am the LORD, and that I have not said in vain that I would do this evil unto them.
11 Thus saith the Lord GOD; Smite with thine hand, and stamp with thy foot, and say, Alas for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel! for they shall fall by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence.
12 He that is far off shall die of the pestilence; and he that is near shall fall by the sword; and he that remaineth and is besieged shall die by the famine: thus will I accomplish my fury upon them.
13 Then shall ye know that I am the LORD, when their slain men shall be among their idols round about their altars, upon every high hill, in all the tops of the mountains, and under every green tree, and under every thick oak, the place where they did offer sweet savour to all their idols.
14 So will I stretch out my hand upon them, and make the land desolate, yea, more desolate than the wilderness toward Diblath, in all their habitations: and they shall know that I am the LORD.
Chapter 6 of the Book of Ezekiel in the King James Version (KJV) of the Holy Bible is a continuation of God's message to the prophet Ezekiel, a message of impending judgement and destruction for the nation of Israel due to their idolatrous practices and disobedience. The main themes of this chapter are God's judgement, idolatry, and repentance.
In this chapter, God instructs Ezekiel to prophesy against the mountains of Israel, symbolizing the high places where the Israelites have erected their idols and carried out their idolatrous worship. The mountains, hills, ravines, and valleys were commonly used by the Israelites for idol worship, and thus, they became symbols of Israel's spiritual adultery. God declares that He will bring a sword against His people and destroy their high places, causing their altars to become desolate and their incense altars to be broken.
The theme of God's judgement is prominent in this chapter. The prophet Ezekiel is used as a mouthpiece to forewarn the Israelites of the impending doom that awaits them due to their unfaithfulness. God is depicted as a righteous judge who cannot tolerate sin, particularly the sin of idolatry, which is a direct violation of the first two of the Ten Commandments. The severe judgement that God pronounces on His people is an indication of His holiness and His intolerance of sin.
The severity of God's judgement is illustrated in the vivid imagery used in Ezekiel 6. The slain bodies of the Israelites will be laid before their idols, their bones scattered around their altars. This is a graphic depiction of the consequences of idolatry and unfaithfulness to God.
Another central theme in Ezekiel 6 is the sin of idolatry. The Israelites had adopted the worship of idols from the surrounding nations, thus defiling the land that God had given them. God's commandment in Exodus 20:3-5 was clear: "You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God."
The Israelites had violated this commandment, and as a result, they were facing severe judgement. However, even in the midst of this judgement, God offers a glimmer of hope. He promises that a remnant will be spared, those who will "remember me among the nations where they are carried captive". This remnant will repent and turn back to God, acknowledging their sin and the abominations they have committed.
The message of Ezekiel 6 is a sobering reminder of the consequences of disobedience and unfaithfulness to God. It serves as a warning to all who would abandon God's commandments and pursue their own desires. The judgement that befell the Israelites is a stark reminder that God is holy and just, and He will not tolerate sin. However, the chapter also carries a message of hope. Despite the severe judgement, God promises to preserve a remnant, indicating His mercy and His commitment to His covenant with His people.
The chapter underscores the importance of obedience to God's commandments and faithfulness to Him. It is a call to repentance, urging us to turn away from our sinful ways and turn back to God. The chapter also underscores the devastating effects of idolatry, reminding us that anything that we put before God in our lives can become an idol. This can be a sobering reminder to examine our own lives and evaluate whether there are any "idols" that we have placed before God.
In conclusion, Ezekiel 6 is a powerful chapter that communicates God's severe judgement on His people due to their idolatry and disobedience. Despite the severity of the judgement, the chapter also offers hope through the promise of a remnant that will be spared. This remnant will repent and return to God, demonstrating His mercy and His commitment to His covenant with His people. The chapter serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of unfaithfulness and disobedience to God, but also offers hope and a call to repentance.
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