17 September 592 B.C. Ezekiel in his home in southern Babylon sitting with the Elders. Can’t we just be Marcionites and toss all that OT-stuff
17 September 592 B.C. Ezekiel in his home in
southern Babylon sitting with the Elders.
Can’t we just be Marcionites and toss all that OT-stuff?
It had been 5 years since Nebuchadnezzar had
conquered Jerusalem for a 2nd time.
Ezekiel had visions of the Temple in Jerusalem.
Ezekiel 8.1-4. Ezekiel 8:1-4
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)
8 1 An appearance of the similitude of God. 3
Ezekiel is brought to Jerusalem in the spirit. 6 The Lord showeth the Prophet
the idolatries of the house of Israel.
1 And in the [a]sixth year, in the [b]sixth month, and in the fifth day of the month, as
I sat in mine house, and the Elders of Judah sat before me, the hand of the
Lord God fell there upon me.
2 Then I beheld, and lo, there was a likeness,
as the appearance of [c]fire, to look to, from his loins downward, and
from his loins upward, as the appearance of brightness, and like unto amber.
3 And he stretched out the likeness of an hand,
and took me by an hairy lock of mine head, and the Spirit lifted me up between
the earth and the heaven, and brought me [d]by a Divine [e]vision to Jerusalem, into the entry of the inner [f]gate that lieth toward the North, where remained
the idol of [g]indignation, which provoked indignation.
4 And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was
there according to the vision, that I saw [h]in the field.
Footnotes:
Ezekiel 8:1 Of the captivity of Jeconiah.
Ezekiel 8:1 Which contained part of August, and
part of September.
Ezekiel 8:3 Hebrew, in the visions of God.
Ezekiel 8:3 Meaning, that he was thus carried in
spirit, and not in body.
Ezekiel 8:3 Which was the porch or the court
where the people assembled.
Ezekiel 8:3 So called, because it provoked God’s
indignation, which was the idol of Baal.
Ezekiel 8:4 Read Ezek.
3:22.
God showed Ezekiel the idolatry in the Temple. There
was an idol at the altar. 70 elders
worshipped engraved animals. Women were
weeping at the Temple gate foor the heathen god Tammuz. 25 men were in the Temple precincts
worshipping the Sun.
Ezekiel 8:5-17
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)
5 Then said he unto me, Son of man, lift up
thine eyes now toward the North. So I lifted up mine eyes toward the North, and
behold, Northward, at the gate of the [a]altar, this idol of indignation was in the entry.
6 He said furthermore unto me, Son of man,
seest thou not what they do? even the great abominations that the house of
Israel commiteth here to cause me to depart from [b]my Sanctuary? but yet turn thee and thou shalt see
greater abominations.
7 And he caused me to enter at the gate of the
court: and when I looked, behold, an hole was in the wall.
8 Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in
the wall. And when I had dug in the wall, behold, there was a door.
9 And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the
wicked abominations that they do here.
10 So I went in, and saw, and behold, there was
every similitude of creeping things, and [c]abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house
of Israel painted upon the wall round about.
11 And there stood before them seventy [d]men of the Ancients of the house of Israel, and in
the midst of them stood Jaazaniah, the son of Shaphan, with every man his
censor in his hand, and the vapor of the incense went up like [e]a cloud.
12 Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou
seen what the Ancients of the house of Israel [f]do in the dark, everyone in the chamber of his
imagery? for they say, The Lord seeth us not, the Lord hath forsaken the earth.
13 Again he said also unto me, Turn thee again,
and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do.
14 And he caused me to enter into the entry of
the gate of the Lord’s house, which was toward the North: and behold, there sat
women mourning for [g]Tammuz.
15 Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O
son of man? Turn thee again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than
these.
16 And he caused me to enter into the inner
court of the Lord’s house, and behold, at the door of the Temple of the Lord,
between the porch and the altar were about five and twenty men with their backs
toward the Temple of the Lord, and their faces toward the East, and they
worshipped the sun, toward the East.
17 Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O
son of man? Is it a small thing to the house of Judah to commit these
abominations which they do here? for they have filled the land with cruelty,
and have returned to provoke me: and lo, they have cast out [h]stink before their noses.
Footnotes:
Ezekiel 8:5 That is, in the court where the
people had made an altar to Baal.
Ezekiel 8:6 For God will not be where idols are.
Ezekiel 8:10 Which were forbidden in the Law, Lev.
11:4.
Ezekiel 8:11 Thus they that should have kept all
the rest in the fear, and true service of God, were the ringleaders of all
abomination, and by their example pulled others from God.
Ezekiel 8:11 It was in such abundance.
Ezekiel 8:12 For besides their common idolatry
they had particular service, which they had in secret chambers.
Ezekiel 8:14 The Jews write, that this was a
Prophet of the idols, who after his death was once a year mourned for in the
night.
Ezekiel 8:17 Declaring that the censings and
service of the idolaters, are but infection and villainy before God.
God asked Ezekiel a question. Joel Osteen, would you care to comment on
this? Ezekiel 8.17-18.
Ezekiel 8:17-18
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)
17 Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O
son of man? Is it a small thing to the house of Judah to commit these
abominations which they do here? for they have filled the land with cruelty,
and have returned to provoke me: and lo, they have cast out [a]stink before their noses.
18 Therefore will I also execute my wrath: mine
eye shall not spare them, neither will I have pity, and though they cry in mine
ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.
God gave His command. Ezekiel 9.1-5.
Ezekiel 9:1-5
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)
9 1 The destruction of the city. 4 They that
shall be saved, are marked. 8 A complaint of the Prophet for the destruction of
the people.
1 He cried also with a loud voice in mine ears,
saying, The visitations of [a]the city draw near, and every man hath a weapon in
his hand to destroy it.
2 And behold, six [b]men came by the way of the high gate, which lieth
toward the [c]North, and every man a weapon in his hand to
destroy it: and one man among them was clothed with linen, with a writer’s [d]inkhorn by his side, and they went in and stood
beside the brazen altar.
3 And the glory of the God of Israel was [e]gone up from the Cherub, whereupon he was, and
stood on the [f]door of the house, and he called to the man
clothed with linen, which had the writer’s inkhorn by his side.
4 And the Lord said unto him, Go through the
midst of the city, even through the midst of Jerusalem, and [g]set a mark upon the foreheads of them that [h]mourn, and cry for all the abominations that be
done in the midst thereof.
5 And to the other he said, that I might hear,
Go ye after him through the city, and smite: let your eye spare none, neither
have pity.
Footnotes:
Ezekiel 9:1 The time to take vengeance.
Ezekiel 9:2 Which were Angels in the similitude
of men.
Ezekiel 9:2 Signifying, that the Babylonians
should come from the North to destroy the city and the Temple.
Ezekiel 9:2 To mark them that should be saved.
Ezekiel 9:3 Which declared that he was not bound
thereunto, neither would remain any longer, than there was hope that they would
return from their wickedness and worship him aright.
Ezekiel 9:3 Or, Threshold.
Ezekiel 9:4 Or, mark with [x].
Ezekiel 9:4 He showeth what is the manner of
God’s children, whom he marketh to salvation: to wit, to mourn and cry out
against the wickedness, which they see committed against God’s glory.
God’s glory rose up and went to the entrance of the
Temple.
Ezekiel 10:4
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)
4 Then the glory of the Lord [a]went up from the Cherub, and stood over the door
of the house, and the house was filled with the cloud, and the court was filled
with the brightness of the Lord’s glory.
Footnotes:
Ezekiel 10:4 Meaning, that the glory of God
should depart from the Temple.
Then, the attention is turned to the eastern gate.
Ezekiel 10:19
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)
19 And the Cherubims lifted up their wings and
mounted up from the earth in my sight: when they went out, the wheels also were
beside them: and everyone stood at the entry of the gate of the Lord’s House at
the East side, and the glory of the God of Israel was upon them on high.
Ezekiel 11:9-10
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)
9 And I will bring you out of the midst
thereof, and deliver you into [a]the hands of strangers, and will execute judgments
among you.
10 Ye shall fall by the sword, and I will judge
you in the border of [b]Israel, and ye shall know that I am the Lord.
Footnotes:
Ezekiel 11:9 That is, of the Chaldeans.
Ezekiel 11:10 That is, in Riblah, read 2
Kings 25:6.
Ezekiel is further queried.
Ezekiel 11:13
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)
13 ¶ And when I prophesied, Pelatiah the son of
[a]Benaiah died: then fell I down upon my face, and
cried with a loud voice, and said, Ah Lord God, wilt thou then utterly destroy
all the remnant of Israel?
Footnotes:
Ezekiel 11:13 It seemeth that this noble man
died of some terrible death, and therefore the Prophet feared some strange
judgment of God toward the rest of the people.
God gives answers at Ezekiel 11.16-21.
Ezekiel 11:16-21
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)
16 Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord God,
Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have
scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little [a]Sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.
17 Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord God, I
will gather you again from the people, and assemble you out of the countries
where ye have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.
18 And they shall come thither, and they shall
take away all the idols thereof, and all the abominations thereof from thence.
19 And I will give them one heart, and I will
put a new spirit within their bowels: and I will take the [b]stony heart out of their bodies, and will give
them an heart of flesh,
20 That they may walk in my statutes, and keep
my judgments, and execute them: and they shall be my people, and I will be
their God.
21 But upon them, whose heart is toward their
idols, and whose affection goeth after their abominations, I will lay their way
upon their own heads saith the Lord God.
Footnotes:
Ezekiel 11:16 They shall be yet a little
Church: showing that the Lord will ever have some to call upon his Name, whom
he will preserve and restore, though they be for a time afflicted.
Ezekiel 11:19 Meaning, the heart whereunto
nothing can enter, and regenerate them anew, so that their heart may be soft,
and ready to receive my graces.
God’s presence was taken up from Jerusalem and
Ezekiel was taken back to Babylon.
God is a jealous God, visiting the iniquity to
generations.
Exodus 20:5
1599 Geneva Bible (GNV)
5 Thou shalt not [a]bow down to them, neither serve them: for I am the
Lord thy God, a [b]jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers
upon the children, upon the third generation and upon the fourth of them that
hate me:
Footnotes:
Exodus 20:5 By this outward gesture, all kinds of
service and worship to idols is forbidden.
Exodus 20:5 And will be revenged on the
contemners of mine honor.
Questions:
A jealous God?
Exodus 20.5?
Where does this get any modern press in modern
venues?
Or, does a prevalent Marcionism prevail today? Liberals?
Chrismoes? Charismatics? LACNA?
Archbishop of Canterbury? Modern liturgies and hymns?
What does the “fear of the LORD” mean? Who evinces that these days? In your circles? What of Ecclesiastes 12.1-2? Or, Proverbs? Or, Revelation
Can’t we just all be “nice” and avoid all this? Can’t we be Marcionites?
Sing a few rounds of Kumbaya and emote?
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