Ezekiel March 4

The Many Faces of Idolatry Dr. Stephen Streett | Ezekiel 8:1-18 | March 4, 2026 “The human mind is, so to speak, a perpetual forge of idols.” -John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion Ezekiel 8:1-6 When Ezekiel has this second vision (592 BC), he was sitting at home with the elders of Judah. These were the leaders of the people in exile at that time. In a best-case scenario, they would have been leading God’s people to repent of their sin and trust God in faith. As we will see, it was a worst-case scenario. Take a moment to consider your own heart. What do you love more than God? What do you chase harder than him? What do you find pleasure in more than Him? Ezekiel 8:7-13 “The court” here means the court of the Temple. Ezekiel digs through the wall and finds a door. Rather than leading to devoted worshippers of God, it leads to more sin. Here are two common justifications for sin we all struggle with. First, we tell ourselves no one sees us. We pretend that God doesn’t see us. Second, we let despair drive our decision making. We tell ourselves, “God doesn’t care about me,” but he does more than we know. Ezekiel 8:14-15 The principle at work is we believe we have to be rich to be happy. We think we have to provide for ourselves. But God had always provided for Israel, and he promised to always provide for them. He makes the same promises to us, but just like Israel we often worship the latest idol that we think will give us wealth. At last God brings Ezekiel to the last stop on his tour of idolatry in Jerusalem. This is most shocking to Ezekiel and the most offensive to God. Ezekiel 8:16-18 In the Temple proper Ezekiel saw twenty-five men worshipping the sun instead of God. The blasphemy could not be more clear. They were worshipping the creation rather than the Creator. They had rejected God for the sun he created. What if God gave you a tour of your idols? Where would he take you? What would he show you? Think of it this way: what is your most important pursuit? What do you believe will bring you the greatest happiness or joy? When you are frustrated or discouraged, where do you go for comfort?