Sermon – A House of Horrors…Enter at Your Own Risk (Ezekiel 8:1 – 9:11) – Cornerstone Church Kingston
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Sermon 4 of 5

A House of Horrors...Enter at Your Own Risk

Tom Sweatman, Ezekiel 8:1 - 9:11, 2 February 2025

Have you seen this, son of man? This week, Tom takes us on a tour of the House of God as seen in the vision of Ezekiel 8-9. See the beautiful temple cannibalised into a den of idolatry, watch the priests as they worship defiling things, and listen to the women weep for a false god of pride. How will the God of love respond to all this?


Ezekiel 8:1 - 9:11

8:1 In the sixth year, in the sixth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I sat in my house, with the elders of Judah sitting before me, the hand of the Lord GOD fell upon me there. Then I looked, and behold, a form that had the appearance of a man. Below what appeared to be his waist was fire, and above his waist was something like the appearance of brightness, like gleaming metal. He put out the form of a hand and took me by a lock of my head, and the Spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and brought me in visions of God to Jerusalem, to the entrance of the gateway of the inner court that faces north, where was the seat of the image of jealousy, which provokes to jealousy. And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was there, like the vision that I saw in the valley.

Then he said to me, “Son of man, lift up your eyes now toward the north.” So I lifted up my eyes toward the north, and behold, north of the altar gate, in the entrance, was this image of jealousy. And he said to me, “Son of man, do you see what they are doing, the great abominations that the house of Israel are committing here, to drive me far from my sanctuary? But you will see still greater abominations.”

And he brought me to the entrance of the court, and when I looked, behold, there was a hole in the wall. Then he said to me, “Son of man, dig in the wall.” So I dug in the wall, and behold, there was an entrance. And he said to me, “Go in, and see the vile abominations that they are committing here.” 10 So I went in and saw. And there, engraved on the wall all around, was every form of creeping things and loathsome beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel. 11 And before them stood seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel, with Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan standing among them. Each had his censer in his hand, and the smoke of the cloud of incense went up. 12 Then he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each in his room of pictures? For they say, ‘The LORD does not see us, the LORD has forsaken the land.’” 13 He said also to me, “You will see still greater abominations that they commit.”

14 Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the house of the LORD, and behold, there sat women weeping for Tammuz. 15 Then he said to me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? You will see still greater abominations than these.”

16 And he brought me into the inner court of the house of the LORD. And behold, at the entrance of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men, with their backs to the temple of the LORD, and their faces toward the east, worshiping the sun toward the east. 17 Then he said to me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? Is it too light a thing for the house of Judah to commit the abominations that they commit here, that they should fill the land with violence and provoke me still further to anger? Behold, they put the branch to their nose. 18 Therefore I will act in wrath. My eye will not spare, nor will I have pity. And though they cry in my ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them.”

9:1 Then he cried in my ears with a loud voice, saying, “Bring near the executioners of the city, each with his destroying weapon in his hand.” And behold, six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with his weapon for slaughter in his hand, and with them was a man clothed in linen, with a writing case at his waist. And they went in and stood beside the bronze altar.

Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub on which it rested to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed in linen, who had the writing case at his waist. And the LORD said to him, “Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it.” And to the others he said in my hearing, “Pass through the city after him, and strike. Your eye shall not spare, and you shall show no pity. Kill old men outright, young men and maidens, little children and women, but touch no one on whom is the mark. And begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the house. Then he said to them, “Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out.” So they went out and struck in the city. And while they were striking, and I was left alone, I fell upon my face, and cried, “Ah, Lord GOD! Will you destroy all the remnant of Israel in the outpouring of your wrath on Jerusalem?”

Then he said to me, “The guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great. The land is full of blood, and the city full of injustice. For they say, ‘The LORD has forsaken the land, and the LORD does not see.’ 10 As for me, my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity; I will bring their deeds upon their heads.”

11 And behold, the man clothed in linen, with the writing case at his waist, brought back word, saying, “I have done as you commanded me.”

(ESV)


Transcript (Auto-generated)

This transcript has been automatically generated, and therefore may not be 100% accurate.

In the sixth year in the sixth month on the fifth day while I was sitting in my house and the elders of Judah were sitting before me, the hand of the sovereign lord came on me.

I looked and I saw a figure like that for man From what appeared to be his waist down, he was like fire and from there up his appearance was as bright as glowing metal. He stretched out what looked like hand and took me by the hair of my head. The spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and in visions of god he took me to Jerusalem to the entrance of the North gate at the inner court where the idol that provokes to jealousy stood. And there before me was the glory of the god of Israel as in the vision I had seen in the plane. Then he said to me son of man look towards the north So I looked and in the entrance north of the gate of the altar, I saw this idol of jealousy and he said to me son of man, do you see what they are doing?

The utterly detestable things the Israel acts are doing here? Things that will drive me far from my sanctuary, but you will see things that are even more detestable. And then he brought me to the entrance to the court and I looked and I saw a hole in the wall He said to me son of man dig into the wall and so I dug into the wall and I saw a doorway there and he said to me go in, see the wicked detestable things they are doing here. And so I did and I looked and I saw portrayed all over the walls, all kinds of crawling things and unclean animals, and all the idols of Israel. In front of them stood 70 elders of Israel and Jasania, son of Chapam, was standing among them.

Each had a sensor in his hand and a fragrant cloud of incense was rising. He said to me, son of man, have you seen what the elders of Israel are doing in the darkness each at the shrine of his own idol? They say the lord does not see us. The lord has forsaken the land. Again, he said you will see them doing things that are even more detestable.

Then he brought me to the entrance of the north gate of the house of the lord and I saw women sitting there mourning the god Tamuz. He said to me Do you see this son of man? You will see things that are even more detestable than this. He then brought me into the inner court at the house of the lord and there at the entrance to the temple between the portico and the altar were about 25 men. With their backs towards the temple of the lord and their faces toward the east, they were bowing down to the sun in the east.

He said to me Have you seen this son of man? Is it a trivial matter for the people of Judah to do the detestable things they are doing here? Must they also fill the land with violence and continually arouse my anger? Look at them putting the branch to their nose. Therefore, I will deal with them in anger.

I will not look on them with pity or spare them. Although they shout in my ears, I'll not listen to them. And then I heard him call out in a loud voice. Bring near those who are appointed to execute judgment on the city each with a weapon in his hand, and I saw 6 men coming from the direction of the upper gate which faces north. Each with a deadly weapon in his hand.

With them was a man closed in linen who had a writing kit at his side. They came in and stood beside the bronze altar. Now the glory of the god of Israel went up from above the cherubim where it had been and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the lord called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side. And said to him, go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.

As I listened, he said to the others, follow him through the city and kill without showing pity or compassion, slaughter the old, the young men and the women, the mothers and children, but do not touch anyone who has the mark. Be get begin at my sanctuary. And so they began with the old men who were in front of the temple. And then he said to them, defile the temple and fill the courts with a slain, go. And so they went out and began killing throughout the city.

While they were killing and I was left alone, I fell face down crying out. Alas sovereign lord, are you going to destroy the entire remnant of Israel in this outpouring of your wrath on Jerusalem? He answered me, sin of the people of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great. The land is full of bloodshed and the city is full of injustice. They say the lord has forsaken the land.

The lord does not see. So I will not look on them with pity or spare them, but I will bring down on their own heads what they have done. And then the man in linen with a writing kit at his side brought back word saying I have done as you commanded. Thank you, Ruth. Morning everybody.

If you could, keep those Passages open in front of you. My name is Tom Sweitman. We haven't met before. I'm 1 of the pastors here, and, it's lovely to have you with us. Welcome to anyone who's tuning in online.

And, we're looking at these chapters. They have a way. Don't they? These chapters in Ezeekiel have reminding us that god is god. And, we are not.

And, we're confronted with him, hearing these words, and that's a very good thing for us. So let's bow our heads and pray for the lord's help. Grace's father speak to every single 1 of us here this morning. We pray and show us Jesus. Oh, man.

Well, if you are here this morning and, you are 1 who loves the glory of God, even a little bit. If you are here this morning and the, the name and the reputation of the lord Jesus Christ means anything at all to you, then this is a disturbing passage. It's a bit like those warnings you read at the top of a sad article, isn't it? You know, when you click on a sad article or there's a video you're going to watch, and occasionally a warning will pop up that says warning, some viewers may find this content distressing. Ezekiel 8 and 9 warning some readers may find this content detestable.

That's the word that is used. Do you notice it twice in verse 6? Once in verse 9, once in verse 13, once in verse 15, once in verse 17, and then finally in chapter 9 verse for son of man have you seen these detestable things. The word literally means a repulsive thing. Something that you look at and are repulsed by, but also secondly, it is a thing which violates the character of god.

So that is what we're looking at here in this section, a a repulsive to look at god dishonoring thing, and the chapter is full of them. Repulsive to look at god dishonoring things. Now normally, you would actually want to turn your eyes away from a thing like that. You wouldn't wanna look at it. Wouldn't wanna spend any time meditating on things so detestable.

But today, and this morning, as the people of god, we must not look away. We must not look away. For a whole host of reasons, we must give our attention to this text and gaze together upon these detestable things both for the glory of god and for our own sake and ultimately for our own joy, we must not turn our eyes away from these things, but fair warning. Those who love the glory of god may find these chapters detestable. And so come with me to verse 1 of chapter 8, and here's the first point.

And this is the the longest of the points. So if we get to the end of this 1, you think how many more points is it? You know, this is the longest. The others are not so long. Okay.

A house of glory exchanged for a house of horrors. A house of glory exchanged for a house of horrors. Chapter 8 verse 1, in the sixth year, in the sixth month of the fifth day, While I was sitting in my house and the elders of Judah were sitting before me, now this this elders thing is gonna become quite important. We're gonna come back to that later on, but elders are a big theme in this section. The elders of Judah were sitting before me, and the hand of the sovereign lord came on me there.

So here is ezekiel, and we are to imagine him in in his home, perhaps around the fireplace or doing some of his eccentric cooking that we heard about last week. He's in his home, and he's got some of the elders around him, and he's chatting with this group of elders. And all of a sudden, the hand of the sovereign lord, the hand of the triune god lays hold of him comes and gets him. You notice who it is in verse 1. It's the sovereign lords, but then in verse 2, it's that man again.

Do you remember that man? We saw back in chapter 1, and then we saw again that he appears in Revelation 1 right at the end of the Bible. Who is this? This is the glowing god man. Who comes to reveal truth to god's people, a glowing god man who reveals truth to god's people.

This is the lord Jesus Christ. Sovereign lord verse 1, god man verse 2, And then verse 3, he stretched out what looked like her hands and took me by the hair, which you notice has grown back a bit since last week. It was unceremoniously locked off with a sword last week. Took my took me by the hair of the head, the spirit lifted me up. And so the chapter begins with the sovereign lord, the glowing god man, and the spirit of god showing up in his home.

And then in a vision, he's taken a thousand miles in a vision, a thousand miles south and west back to Jerusalem and to the temple. Now if you're new to this church or if you're new to this series and new to this book, it's helpful probably just to know a little bit of the background here. So if you're not familiar, we are in Babylon with ezekiel and a group of exiles who were taken from their home in Judah and Jerusalem and were deported into Babylon because of their sin. This was a judgment upon them. They've been taken away from their home.

And what we've been learning is that that exile did not all happen at once. It was something that the lord was to do in waves. And so at this stage in history, we're with ezekiel and a group of exiles, but back home, things are still not as bad as they soon will be. The city of Jerusalem is still standing. The temple for now is still standing, and so and so it things back home are sort of okay ish at the moment.

But god has been saying to the exiles, not for long. Not for long. There is a fuller, more final judgment that is to come. And if you had any notions that you would 1 day be going home, I'm afraid there will be no home to go to. And why?

Why is this to happen? Well, it's here in chapter 8. Just have a look. The spirit lifted me up. This has got here is god's explanation as to why there will be no home for them to go to.

The spirit lifted me up between earth and heaven and in visions of god. He took me to Jerusalem to the entrance to the Northgate of the inner court where the idol that provokes to jealousy stood. And there before me was the glory of god of glory of the god of Israel. As in the vision I had seen in the planes. You see these 2 contrasting images.

Glory of God shows up, idle provoking to jealousy. They've they've come together at this scene in Jerusalem. And there before me was the glory of god of the Israel as in the vision I'd seen in the plain, then he said to me son of man, look toward the north. So I looked and in the entrance north of the gate of the altar, I saw again this idol of jealousy. Now for the visual learners in the room and for those who enjoy maps, there's a very rough and basic 1, which I think really is gonna put up for us.

Now, look, don't I know this is basic. Don't worry too much about it. Okay? But This helped me at least to to orientate myself a bit. So here, this this is ezekiel, here, this guy, and he comes in.

There's the sort of the courtyard here. He comes into the courtyard, and that blue thing there with radiating circles. That blue thing is the first thing he sees, the idol of jealousy. So here's the sort of holy of holies. There's the basin and the altar.

This is the whole, courtyard temple complex. And the first thing he sees is where those blue circles are. You can knock that off now, really, because otherwise it's just gonna be people trying to study where things are. But that's that's that's where the idler is. Okay?

Now to be honest, as you can see, not a lot is actually known about this idol, except its location. We're told that it is standing, and it is standing in the temple courtyard. And of course, to to any faithful person reading this account, the very thought of that would already be unbearable to them. In Exodus chapter 20, they would know the lord god said at the top of the 10 commandments. You shall have no other gods before me in my presence before me.

And then number 2, you shall not make for yourself an image. In the form of anything. But okay. Let's say that you've decided to disobey those commandments. You are going to make for yourself an image and you're going to worship it instead of god.

Well, at least you could do it somewhere a bit further away. At least you might put it on the top of a mountain or in a nearby village. But to disobey the first of the 10 commandments in that way and to build these things in god's front garden. And in his actual home, It's a bit like a wife coming home 1 day to find that her husband has filled the house with pictures of other women. And right over the marriage bed is the most graphic 1 of all.

And it's not her. To do it secretly at work away from the home would be 1 thing. But to put it there in the covenant home above the place of covenant union in her face. How could she do anything other than jealous? Not because she's petty and nasty and spiteful and vengeful, jealous because this loving union, this exclusive union where they promised themselves to 1 another.

And in that exclusive union, would be joy and glory and friendship has been so desecrated. How could she be anything other than righteously jealous for the love of that union? But on top of that, look at verse 5. This whacking great thing has been put near the altar. So it gets even worse, isn't it?

The altar, perhaps more than any other place, was a reminder of the astonishing grace of god. It was the altar where god said to his people. I am not gonna treat you as your sins deserve. I'm not gonna treat you as your sins deserve. But I will provide a sacrifice for you over and over and over again so that you can know my favor.

If any part of this building reminded them of the grace of god. If any part of this building pointed them to the Christ who would 1 day lie on the altar for them, it was here. But now, right up butting up against it, and near it, and in its presence is this altar which preaches all glory away. From the sacrificing saving covenant god, glory away from the 1 who gives himself for us. We don't want that anymore.

So do you see verse 6? Is it any wonder the Lord says son of man Do you see what they are doing here? Do you see what they are doing here? The son of man are you ready for more? Come with me back to the map.

Let's have a look at that really if we can. So in the second part of the vision, after looking at the idol of jealousy, the lord tells Ezekiel to have a look at 1 of the outer walls of the temple. And so here you've got the main temple area and adjacent to it all around were these little rooms. And on the outer wall of 1 of those rooms, Ezekiel sees a hole, and the lord says you dig through that hole and you will find a door. And you go through that door and you will be in a room.

And in that room, you will be exposed to every kind of darkness. There's a warning here. Distressing content. In this room is every kind of darkness. And look where it is.

Just just fit just feet away from the holy of holies, we are now. Getting closer and closer. To where the glory of god was enthroned between the cherubim. We're we're so close now to the glory of god. And here's what's going on.

Look down with me. Verse 10. So I went in and looked, and I saw portrayed all over the walls, all kinds of crawling things. And unclean animals and the idols of Israel or the idols that Israel now worship. In front of them, stood 70 elders of Israel, and Jazziah son of Shafen was standing among them.

Each had a sensor in his hand and a fragrant cloud of incense was rising. He said to me, son of man, have you seen what the elders of Israel are doing now in the darkness, each at the shrine of his own idol? They say Yahway does not see us. Yahway has forsaken the land. Now as we're gonna see, this idolatry is so brazen that it is actually happening in the light of the rising sun.

We'll finish there. But could we say that very often before sin becomes an open disaster? It begins in the dark rooms. It begins with a covering and a hiding, idolatry loves the darkness. It loves dark rooms.

And you know why that is, don't you? We we know why that is from sad experience because sin hates accountability and it hates openness and it hates light and very often it literally hates sunshine. It doesn't want to be done in the light. It's like a fungus that prefers to grow in the dark and in the hiding and in the covering. And in this room, we're told that the walls are covered with creeping things.

Now some suggest that these creeping things were probably the gods of Egypt. The gods of Egypt had now become the idols of Israel. And so on the wall, you would imagine scarab beetles crawling and crocodile gods and beetle gods and locust gods, all these sorts of crawling, unclean things on the walls of this room. And if that is true, you kind of think, what are they doing? Worshiping scarab beetles?

What how did they get here? Well, because unlike Judah, Egypt at this time was still quite a powerful nation. Quite a successful nation. They look pretty strong, certainly in a military sense. And so these elders are coming together and they're saying brother pastors, you know, let what what what what do we let let's worship these gods.

If we get together and worship the gods of Egypt, well, maybe they'll come and rescue us from Babylon. If we invoke the name of these gods, they might come to help us because where's Yahweh? He's not gonna help us. Yahweh is gone. Yahweh has forsaken the land.

Look what has become of yahweh's people. And so why don't we worship the gods of Egypt? They're thriving. And maybe if we worship them, they'll come and help us. It's often that way with idolatry, isn't it?

Often what we give ourselves to is less about is it true? And more about will it work for me? Will it work for me? I tried Jesus once, and it didn't really work for me. I thought he was gonna really change my life and give me that thing I wanted and make me that person I wanted to be in.

Changed my life, but where is it and seem to have done anything for me? I tried him. Maybe I'll give myself to something that will work for me and come through for me. Something that looks powerful. I thought that she's like that, isn't it?

Very often it's just pragmatic. Doesn't matter if it's true or not. Will it work? Will it work? Will it give me what I want?

So it's extraordinary, isn't it? You've got 70 pastors, and that's what they are, friends. That's what they are. It's 70 pastors who are packed into this room. And not a single 1 of them is protesting.

Who has an incense burner in verse 11? They all do. Who is at their own shrine in verse 12? They all are. 1 at the crocodile, 1 at the beetle, 1 at the scarab beetle, 1 at the locust, each at his own shrine, each contributing to the general cloudiness of the incense of the place.

All doing it. Not 1 objecting. 70 pastors without exception. Yay does not see us. Yay has forsaken us.

And if it could get any worse, it does. In verse 11, here is a tragedy within a tragedy verse 11. In front of them, stood 70 elders of Israel and Jasaniah, the son of Shafan was standing among them. Now that name, I guess, will mean very little to most of us here, but it is a really, really sad story. In 2 kings 22, and you don't have to turn there now, but you can read it later.

In 2 kings 22, King Jo Sai was on the throne. And if you know the story, he was a really good egg, a really good egg. He was 1 of the kings, the boy king. Who helped to reform Judah with the word of god. Do you remember that when the book of the law was discovered?

And he used the law long forgotten, long hidden to reform god's people? Well, in that chapter, Shafan, we learn. Was a secretary of King Josiah who had a part to play in the rediscovery of the law and the reformation that followed. That was his legacy to us. He helped discover the law, and he used it with the king to reform the people.

Shey fan was a man who used his life to turn god's people back to god's word and engage them in true worship. That's his legacy. But now look at his own son. Jasania, taking the lead in the most shameful blasphemy. Not using his life to turn people back to god's word like his father did and would have loved him to do.

But using his life to lead the pastors and the people of god away from god. Why do we have his name dropped into verse 11? Well, it's to show ezekiel and it's to remind us that idolatry We know this, don't we? Ideology doesn't just spoil things in general. It spoils that family and that leader and that person and that individual.

You know, it's 1 of the sad things. Many wonderful things. It's 1 of the sad things about being in a church for any length of time, is that you don't just see sin spoiling stuff generally. You see how sin spoils individual lives, an individual marriages, an individual people, and it will spoil us too. It will spoil us as individuals.

And just as a by the way, isn't this an encouragement to keep praying for the children who come after us in this church? You know, we wanna use our lives, don't we? To reform with god's word and to discover it and love it and proclaim it, but we want our children as well, not to use their lives to go in the opposite direction. But you take after us with the word of god. And to continue that work of reformation and true worship.

And so I know many of you already do regularly, but parents or not, let's pray for the children of this church that they would be Shafean type people. And not jazz and eye type people. Son of man, do you see what they are doing here? Son of man are you ready for more? Senator's 14.

Then he brought me to the entrance of the Northgate of the house of the lord. And I saw women sitting there mourning the god Thomas or other translations have weeping for the god Thomas. He said to me, son of man, do you see this? And so there's that map again? Not sure what helped this map is really, but it sort of helps me anyway.

So there we go. He's been in the room with the 70. He comes back out and look at the other side of the gate, good Northgate. He sees perhaps what he had not seen on his first entrance through. He sees these women weeping and mourning for the god Tammers.

Now as far as I can tell, Tammers was a fertility god. And with that came all kinds of twisted ****** things, which I'm not gonna go into now. But the main story goes that every year Thomas would die when the harvest ended, and would then be reborn in time for a new season. Thomas was a dying, rising again type god. Who in the resurrection would bless the world for another year.

But here's where you come in. In order to resurrect Tammers, you would have to weep for him. K. So as you mourned and shed your tears, He from the underworld would notice your tears, and that would encourage him to resurrect himself to come and bless you. So this morning weeping was a very important part of the ritual.

Amazing, isn't it? And so here and I think this is true with with all false gods and with all paganism, what why do we like it? You know, why are we drawn to it? Because it gives us the power. Do you notice who's got the power here?

Tamma's a bit, but it's my tears that are gonna resurrect him. And we love that about false religion that I've got the power and with my rituals and my practices and my religion I can make god like me, and I can make god bless me. And of course I need him, but the power also lies with me. That's why we love false gods, doesn't it? Cause it gives us that power and that pride, which so appeals to the heart.

And so here, we've got a false god that seems to die and rise in order to bless. And of course, as we know, standing where we do, that it's an appalling blasphemy of the lord Jesus Christ. It it is some kind of Christ distortion that in death and resurrection it brings blessing, but actually in everything that it is, it steals the glory of the 1 who would die and rise to bring blessings, a false messiah type god that is here. Son of man, do you see it? Son of man are you ready for more?

Look at the map for 1 last time. And here ezekiel turns round after seeing the, the weeping mourners and in front of the altar, He sees 25 who we later find out 25 old men. And what are they doing verse 16? Have a look with me verse 16. He then brought me into the inner court of the house of the lord.

And there at the entrance to the temple between the portico and the altar were about 25 men with their backs toward the temple of the lord and their faces toward the east. They were bowing down to the sun in the east, not hiding anymore. Are they? Not in the dark anymore. No.

No. No. Look where they are. They're in the they're in the light of the sun. Facing the sun, bowing down to the sun with their backs to the temple.

And in the original, that word is literally their behind parts. 25 men with their behind parts to the temple and you notice where it was in the map, there was a clear line of sight between them and the holy of holies. This is where the god of glory was enthroned behind this curtain here at the end, and with plain line of sight. There are the behind parts of these men who have chosen to exchange the glory of the creator who has ever praised our men for the created things. In in the daylight with their most shameful parts to his face.

Son of man, do you see what is going on? And so in verse 17, we have what I think is a summary of the whole thing. Look at them, putting the branch to their nose, which has lost some of its meaning here, but in our day, it would literally mean look at them, putting the middle finger into my face. It was a gesture of utter contempt. Middle finger in my face.

And so son of man, do you see this? Do you see what is happening here in my house and in my courtyards. Do you see what is happening in the dark rooms and by my altar? And do you see son of man? What this has led to?

A city of injustice chapter 9 verse 9. Murder and bloodshed everywhere. Chapter 8 verse 17. Son of man, do you see this? Do you see how this city is now being remade in the image of its new gods.

That's what happens, isn't it? We become what we worship. You worship yahweh sincerely. You get shalom, peace, justice, harmony, generosity. You worship gods, you become made in the image of them.

Tammers and the gods of Egypt were vile, spiteful, selfish, petty, vengeful, hateful gods. And so a city becomes remade in the image of the thing that it worships. Son of man, do you see what has happened? The nerve center of holiness has become a house of adultery, and I hate divorce son of man. I hate it.

But how can I stay here any longer? How can I live here anymore when this is what's happened to my house? And do you see what it's done? Now look, I know this is heavy stuff. But the thing is if we go lightly over this, we're just not doing justice to god's word.

Look at what the Lord says to us. Verse 6, do you see this? Verse 12, do you see this? Verse 15, do you see this? Verse 17, have you seen this?

And in terms of application, that is a question that we have to ask ourselves. Have we seen this? It's interesting in chapter 9 verse 4. We'll come to this in a minute when when we finish, but chapter 9 verse 4, look at what characterizes those who are saved in all this. How do you identify a faith for in these chapters?

What is it about them that's gonna be different? Chapter 9 verse 4 go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who, grieve and lament. All the detestable things that are done in it. There are many ways that you can identify a true christian. You can identify them by what they say.

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is lord and you believe in your heart that he was risen from the dead, you'll be saved. You can identify a Christian by what they do. By this, all men will know that you are my disciples that you love 1 another. But in ezekiel 9, how do you identify a faithful? They are 1 who laments and grieves over the detestable things that are done in their city.

And so do we see? Do we see what happens in our city? Yet another child loses their life in a brutal stabbing on the streets of the capital. Son of man, do you see this? Son of man, do not just feel a general sadness about this?

But do you see that this is an image bearer of god who's had their life destroyed and a terrible idolatry has been done here? Do you do you lament over it? Sonaman, do you see that thing that claims to be a church? And those people in there who swore to uphold the truth of the word of god now trashing it with everything that they do. Son of man, do you feel just a general sadness about that?

Well, son of man do you see that as an appalling blasphemy that breaks your heart? Do you see? Do we feel? Do we lament and grieve? Or have we become so exposed to this stuff that our hearts are now totally desensitized?

We may not even feel a general human sadness about it. Because of our over exposure, but here a faithful is identified because they lament what it has done to the glory of god, and they lament that the god that they love has been trodden through the dirt and ignored yet again. See, when Jesus teaches his disciples to pray, what's the first thing? And we had it earlier. Our father hollowed be your name.

Make your name holy. Make it holy in my life and in this world. But here's the thing, you can't pray that unless you feel it. You're not gonna pray, hallow your name, unless you know that detestable things are done in the city. You just won't pray that.

And so we need to say, son of man. Daughter of Eve. Do you see? Do you lament? Do you grieve?

That's a faithful, that's a faithful person. So I told you that was the longest point. And lastly, secondly rather, a house of glory exchanged for a house of horrors. Secondly, god responds. Chapter 9 verse 1.

Then I heard him call out in a loud voice. Bring near those who are appointed to execute judgment on the city. Each with a weapon in his hands. Verse 3, now the glory of god of Israel went up from the cherubim. He's preparing to depart now.

He's preparing to leave. And he moves to the threshold of the temple. Verse 5, as I listened, he said to the others, follow him through the city and kill without showing pity or compassion. When you read on, You see that starting with those 25 old men. Everybody who is associated with this false worship, whether they be young or old or male or female or priest or otherwise.

They must face the judgment of God. Now remember, this is a vision. And although the stuff in chapter 8 is really going on in the temple, these 6 men actually serve as a picture of what Babylon is going to do to the city. You remember last week, we saw, didn't we the clay models? What were they?

They were a picture of Babylon. What they were. And when he was chopping his own beard hair with a sword, that sword was a picture of Babylon. This is these are picture parables of what Babylon is going to do. Same with these 6 men, but as with everything in ezekiel, It is the hand of the lord god that is behind this.

We don't believe, do we, brothers and sisters in a sort of deism, where god is up in the sky, and he set the world running, but now he largely has nothing to do with the events here. He's just letting it run on and nation does to nation. What nation will do to nation? That is not the god of the Bible. The god of the Bible is 1 who is in heaven and yet behind every movement, every decision, everything, every moving atom, and every judgment is his agency and his hand.

Everything that happens does so under the direction of the sovereign god. And the idolatry of chapter 8 will be dealt with by the sword of chapter 9, and the lord god will be behind it. And here's the thing from ezekiel. This is just interesting to notice, isn't it? In this chapter.

But when the judgment comes, it's not like a chaotic tsunami. You know when a tsunami hits the coast and in a very indiscriminate way, it just sweeps up everything. Someone's there, doesn't know who it is. It just sweeps and destroys everything. The judgment that we read off here is not like that.

It's precise and it's methodical. And it's person by person by person. God will deal with this sin and with our sin individually. And a day is coming when we will all stand before the throne. And have to deal with our god on an individual basis.

Paul says that a day is coming when god will judge people's secrets through Jesus Christ. As my gospel declares. See, we wouldn't normally include eekiel 9 in a gospel message because the gospel is only the good part of the good news. But Paul says today is coming when God will judge people's secrets through Jesus Christ as my gospel declares. The gospel contains a warning that god is going to come and yes judge the things that were done in the daylight, but he will also judge men's secrets.

Dark room through Jesus Christ as the gospel declares. And unless you and I can get forgiven by this god. And who of us can stand. But praise god. Chapter 9 verse 2.

Look down with me or look up if we can. I just want you to see see it, but with the 6, was a man clothed in linen who had a writing kit at his side. They came in and stood beside the bronze altar verse 3, then the lord called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit and said go. Throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it. And verse 11, then the man in the linen writing kit at his side brought back word to the sovereign god saying father I have done as you commanded.

Before the men of judgement start their work, a single man goes forward. And we know from verse 11 that he's an obedient man because he does all that the father commands. And we know verse 2 that he's a priestly man because he wears the linen that the priests wear. And we know from this whole section that he's a saving man because those he marks do not face the judgment of God. They are spared.

And so here, we have a priest. Who by god's grace, and thanks to his own obedience, saves the people from judgment. Do you know there are commentators who don't talk about Jesus in this section? Who could that be? But the lord Jesus Christ?

See, when you open the pages of the new testament, you find a man sent from heaven. You find a priest of god most high who has come to earth. And as he moves through the world proclaiming the gospel to Jew and Gentle, he begins to mark for himself a people. Those who will repent and believe are marked by him to belong to his priestly kingdom. And then come with me to the end of his life where you see the lord Jesus Christ hanging on a cross, and if ever a house of glory was exchanged for a house of horrors, it was there.

The house of glory, the temple of the living god is trashed with the idolatry, not his own, but ours. As that glorious house is made into a house of horrors, as he goes into the darkest room, the dark, the dark room of sin and judgment, and bears it for us. Taking everything we've ever done, the stuff in public, and the secrets of the dark room, he bears it in himself. As the Holy God. 3 days later, he rises from the dead, leaving what behind him in the tomb.

He leaves his linen because he's a priest of god who makes us right with god. The linen stays behind and several weeks later he ascends to the father and says I have done as you commanded. He marks the people through his incredible, incredible grace. And so praise god, no matter what we've done, a people can be saved. And you can be saved.

You can be saved. If you will say, Jesus, take my house of horrors. And make me a house of glory. Make me a temple of the living god. Should we pray.

Lord Jesus Christ. We thank you. That all who will bow the knee to you confess their sins, and trust in the sacrifice that you made for them can be washed clean forever. Thank you lord Jesus that so many of us here. Thanks to your grace and obedience.

Have received a mark, which will be all of our salvation and all of our joy. We praise you. Oh, man.


Preached by Tom Sweatman
Tom Sweatman photo

Tom is an Assistant Pastor at Cornerstone and lives in Kingston with his wife Laura and their two children.

Contact us if you have any questions.


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