Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary

EZEKIEL - CHAPTER 6

JUDGMENT AGAINST THE MOUNTAINS OF

ISRAEL, v. 1-7

Verse 1 is an assertion by Ezekiel that "The Word of the Lord came to him," a claim to inspiration or Divine revelation of what he had to say and write, 2 Peter 1:21.

Verse 2 recounts the Lord’s addressing him again as the "son of man." As such the Lord directed him to set his face (like a flint) toward the mountains of Israel and prophesy against them. In chapters 4, 5 God’s judgments were chiefly against Jerusalem. But now Ezekiel is charged to direct them against the whole country and her political and religious leaders who had joined hands in setting up her idols in every high mountain to dishonor God and profane the land, Jeremiah 3:6-13; 1 Kings 13:2.

Verse 3 charges Ezekiel to call upon the mountains of Israel to hear or "give heed" to the word of the Lord God. He then declares that the word of warning from the Lord is that He purposes to destroy with the sword all the high places or centers of idol worship of Baal, Astarte, etc., as forewarned Leviticus 26:30.

Verse 4 further declares that altars and images upon the high hills and mountains would be made desolate or broken down and that their slain men would be cast down before their idols, their sun gods and other gods, to whom they had vainly fallen down, prayed, and offered vain offerings, Psalms 115:4-9. Their gods were blind, dead, and dead as dung, refuse-gods, that could not see, hear, speak, or help needful men.

Verse 5 advises that all their dead carcasses would be laid before their idols there to decompose, to rot, to pollute, before their helpless gods whom they had ignorantly, stupidly worshipped, with no fear of God before them, Proverbs 1:7. The Lord warned that He would scatter the bones of the carcasses of the slain idol worshipers around their idol altars, there to be picked by vultures and jackals, leaving their bones to be bleached by the burning sun, as a testimony of the vanity of falling down before idols, Exodus 20:5.

Verse 6 adds that in all of the cities or dwelling places in Israel, in every place idol altars had been built up, God would cause the altars, idols and high places of their locations to be laid desolate, by sword and by fire from their enemies. Such was to be done through all the land till the last of them was abolished and their high locations and objects of worship should be no more, Isaiah 40:18-20.

Verse 7 concludes this judgment upon the mountains, high places, altars, and idols of the land by focusing attention on the "slain of the land" who would flee to the altars, fall, and be slain there in vain; so all who beheld might know that the Lord was God, even as when Elijah was triumphant over the slain of Baal’s prophets, 1 Kings 18:36-40.

A REMNANT YET TO BE SPARED

Verses 8-10:

Verse 8 recounts a consoling pledge from the Lord that He would yet spare a remnant of the house of Israel, as witnesses, that they might have some to escape (continually flee from) the sword, when they should be dispersed among the countries and nations of the earth, Jeremiah 44:28, even as they are yet, today, Luke 21:24. See also v. 11-14; Ezekiel 9:4; Isaiah 1:9; Romans 11:5.

Verse 9 offers comfort and assurance that some of those remnants who have escaped death shall remember Him and acknowledge Him, in their dispersion among the nations, where they have been carried captive by Satan and the sins of their fathers. They shall "loathe themselves" among the heathen when they realize that their idolatry had been as loathsome to their God as incurable leprosy is to people of health. And some will and have some to realize the abominable sins of their fathers, and how such has been visited upon them, to turn them back to the living God, Jeremiah 3:1-10; 2 Chronicles 7:14-15; Exodus 20:5. They had once had worship eyes that traced and followed high priests of idolatry and seen them brought down by Divine justice, like a plague, Proverbs 1:26; Romans 10:20-21; Numbers 15:39; Leviticus 26:39; Job 42:6.

Verse 10 further concludes that they of the remnant shall know, come to recognize, that "I have not said in vain" that I would send this chastening, evil judgment upon them for such willful anarchy, Exodus 20:4-5: For His word is "true from the beginning," Psalms 119:60; Exodus 34:5-8.

THE LAND SMITTEN, MADE DESOLATE

Verses 11-14

Verse 11 recounts the Lord’s command to Ezekiel to wax eloquent, to smite with his hand and stamp with his foot, and shout with bombastic words "Alas for all the abominations of the house of Israel!" Isaiah 61:6; Jeremiah 30:18-19. For, said He, "they shall fall by the sword, by famine, and by the pestilence," a thing never to be forgotten, Ezekiel 5:12. These judgments fell not only on the city of Jerusalem but also upon all the house of Israel.

Verse 12 assures that all so long involved in idolatrous worship and the heathen-like abominations, whether far or near to Jerusalem or the land of Israel, even those in Chaldea should surely be cut down by pestilence, by famine, and or by sword. Thus the Lord warned, He would accomplish His fury upon His law­breaking people, Ezekiel 5:13; 1 Peter 4:17-18.

Verse 13 declares that Israel would have visible, yet testamentary evidence that the Lord was God, when the living of the remnant saw their slain men’s carcasses among their idols and altars at every high place in the land, upon the hills, mountains and under every green tree, and every oak tree, where they had died a whoring after idol gods, where they did offer sweet savor to their gods, in vain, Jeremiah 2:20; Hosea 4:13; Isaiah 57:5; Psalms 115:4-9.

Verse 14 continues the Lord’s warning that "so," or just like this, or after this order, He would stretch out His hand in judgment to make their land desolate, a barren place, even more barren than the wilderness or desert toward Diblath, a city in Moab, That they might know Him as the Lord, in all their habitations, or wherever they thereafter resided Numbers 33:46; Jeremiah 48:22. Thus they were and would be without excuse, or a cloak for their sins, Romans 2:1; Romans 14:11-12.