For those who may wish to ‘study’ this chapter, the following simple resources are provided for you. Each passage has a four-Part approach to help you take in and think further about what you have read.

Destruction with idols 

Ezek 6:1-10

1 The word of the Lord came to me: ² “Son of man, set your face against the mountains of Israel; prophesy against them ³ 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. ⁴ Your altars will be demolished and your incense altars will be smashed; and I will slay your people in front of your idols. ⁵ I will lay the dead bodies of the Israelites in front of their idols, and I will scatter your bones around your altars. ⁶ 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. ⁷ Your people will fall slain among you, and you will know that I am the Lord.

⁸ “‘But I will spare some, for some of you will escape the sword when you are scattered among the lands and nations. ⁹ 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. ¹⁰ And they will know that I am the Lord; I did not threaten in vain to bring this calamity on them.

A. Find Out

1. Against where was Ezekiel to prophesy? v.1-3a
2. What was going to happen there? v.3b-5
3. Where also was it to happen? v.6
4. Who will escape death? v.8
5. What will happen there? v.9
6. With what final outcome? v.10

B. Think:

1. What particularly was the Lord going to move against?
2. How would He do it?
3. Yet why will there be a saved remnant?

C. Comment:

This passage starts with “The word of the Lord came to me” indicating a fresh word that came at a different moment from what had gone before. This word has a particular focus.  In the previous communication the Lord had mentioned the idols of Israel (5:9) but the main emphasis had been on the form of destruction that was coming on Jerusalem. This word now turns our eyes on what had been happening on the hills of Israel.

Up in the hills “high places” had been established, places of idol worship. You find them mentioned again and again throughout the history of the kings of Israel and Judah.  It was against this false and foolish worship that the Lord was coming. This had been the cause of allowing the demonic and Satan to preside over the life of Israel. Worshipping idols allows the enemy to come in and take authority, so now the Lord was going to bring a physical enemy to come in and take authority, and they would bring physical destruction, as Satan had brought spiritual destruction (however nowhere is he given credit because it is the people’s folly that opened the door to this).

Yet there will be a few saved, in exile, and there they will come to their senses, there they will realise the awful truth.  Again and again in Scripture we find warnings of judgement if the word is not heeded, but there is always hope given for a faithful remnant.

D. Application:

1. Worshipping idols opens the door to demonic oppression and rule.
2. When there is no hope, the Lord destroys; only then.

Extensive Destruction 

Ezek  6:11-14

¹¹ “‘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. ¹² 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. ¹³ 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. ¹⁴ 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.’”

A. Find Out

1. What is Ezekiel to do? v.11a
2. What will happen to Israel and why? v.11b
3. In what way will people die, and where? v.12
4. Where specifically, also, will people die? v.13
5. How extensive will the destruction be? v.14

B. Think:

1. What are the given reasons for the destruction?
2. What are the forms the destruction will take?
3. What will the end result be?

C. Comment:

One theologian has said, “What is amazing is that we all aren’t immediately destroyed”. The truth is that “all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23) and we all deserve to die. It is purely God’s mercy and grace that leave any of us saved.

Therefore there are times in history when God does move in destructive power, bringing active judgement. The religious leader who says “I don’t believe God would do that sort of thing” simply hasn’t read his Bible. God is a God of wrath and judgement, for sin is an awful thing and needs destroying if not dealt with after continuous warnings.

The Lord is clear here about the coming destruction. First, the reasons for it: The people of Israel have totally sold themselves over to idol worship; they who were supposed to be a light to the nations, now are the worst of examples. Second, the means: some will die by sword, some by famine and some by plague. Note where they will die: in the very places where they have worshipped their idols.  Finally, the outcome: all will know that this has been the hand of the Lord.  There will be no foolish leaders saying this was just accident. All will know this was God!  He is the Holy One of Israel and will not share His name or be associated with those who have sold out to the powers of darkness.

D. Application:

1. God is a God of grace and mercy for those who will repent.
2. For those who sell out to the darkness, He is a God of wrath, anger and judgement!