King James Version, with Nii Okai's journal notes · 4 notes
1And it came to pass in the sixth year, in the sixth month, in the fifth day of the month, as I sat in mine house, and the elders of Judah sat before me, that the hand of the Lord GOD fell there upon me.
2Then I beheld, and lo a likeness as the appearance of fire: from the appearance of his loins even downward, fire; and from his loins even upward, as the appearance of brightness, as the colour of amber.
3And he put forth the form of an hand, and took me by a lock of mine head; and the spirit lifted me up between the earth and the heaven, and brought me in the visions of God to Jerusalem, to the door of the inner gate that looketh toward the north; where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provoketh to jealousy.
What a perspective: from above, God saw this image 🖼 of jealousy.
He needed Ezekiel to see from his perspective. How that this image of idolatry was constantly before him.
I can imagine the pain; idolatry is adultery to God.
Such a painful imagery, it's like a man who has to constantly behold his wife's unfaithfulness constantly and yet not be able to do anything about it.
He, he cannot divorce her, and she also will not change.
This is the image of God he had seen earlier; God had a form of an 🖐️ hand.
Because of the radiance and brightness, one could not distinctly see what was seen, but could see forms and shapes.
4And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, according to the vision that I saw in the plain.
5Then said he unto me, Son of man, lift up thine eyes now the way toward the north. So I lifted up mine eyes the way toward the north, and behold northward at the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry.
6He said furthermore unto me, Son of man, seest thou what they do? even the great abominations that the house of Israel committeth here, that I should go far off from my sanctuary? but turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations.
7And he brought me to the door of the court; and when I looked, behold a hole in the wall.
8Then said he unto me, Son of man, dig now in the wall: and when I had digged in the wall, behold a door.
9And he said unto me, Go in, and behold the wicked abominations that they do here.
10So I went in and saw; and behold every form of creeping things, and abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, pourtrayed upon the wall round about.
11And there stood before them seventy 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 censer in his hand; and a thick cloud of incense went up.
12Then said he unto me, Son of man, hast thou seen what the ancients of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the chambers of his imagery? for they say, The LORD seeth us not; the LORD hath forsaken the earth.
I ask, why would they do such wickedness?
And their reasoning is that the Lord had forsaken them.
Is that not often our own reasoning? When we need help and God does not answer immediately.
We conclude he is far off. But God is the ancient one of the universe and has his perfect 👌 plan for us.
Also, these idols and gods might have provided some quick relief 😌.
There was some deception 😞 that these gods provided that might have made, and makes, those who serve them to prefer them to God Almighty.
Indeed, such gods indulge our flesh and evil 😈 but natural inclination.
They have no laws against sexual sins and sins in general. Indeed, they encourage such.
So fleshly, and so man easily falls for them...
Sad 😔
13He said also unto me, Turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations that they do.
14Then he brought me to the door of the gate of the LORD’s house which was toward the north; and, behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz.
15Then said he unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? turn thee yet again, and thou shalt see greater abominations than these.
16And he brought me 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.
17Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose.
18Therefore will I also deal in fury: mine eye shall not spare, neither will I have pity: and though they cry in mine ears with a loud voice, yet will I not hear them.
The Lord is right and justified in this his sentence.
Put the branch 🌿 to the nose 👃 reminds me of Paul kicking against the pricks / goads... Can you imagine that?