In the previous chapter, Ezekiel proclaimed God would use a sword to punish Israel, along with famine, plague, and scattering through exile. Here, God specifically described how He would apply His sword to Israel.
“The word of the Lord came to me: ‘Son of man, set your face against the mountains of Israel; prophesy against them and say: “You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Sovereign Lord. This is what the Sovereign Lord says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys: I am about to bring a sword against you, and I will destroy your high places” (Ezekiel 6:1-3).
- God called the “mountains” to hear His Word.
- He spoke directly to mountains and hills, the high places used for idol worship.1
- The word translated “ravines” here means “stream channels.”2
- I wonder if this implies all creation in this instance is affected by God’s judgment.
- God displayed His sovereignty through His actions.
- He warned Israel what He would do and what would happen.
- Earlier, we learned a “sword” is a cutting tool.
- Here, God described in detail how He would cut down Israel.
- God would destroy Israel’s “high places,” where they worshiped idols and pagan gods.
- I read the tone in the last phrase as emphatic. I. will. destroy. your. high. places.
- God left no room for questions about what He meant—and He continued His detailed description to make sure Israel completely understood the serious nature of their sin.
- By my count, Ezekiel used eleven different words in the first six verses of this chapter to describe what would happen to Israel’s idol worship. Two words are used twice, which means thirteen total references.
- Do you hear the parental exasperation?
- It’s as if God said, “what part of destroy do you not understand?”
*How have you seen God display His sovereignty through His actions today?
*Why did God destroy Israel’s high places?
Last week I heard a talk based on Joshua chapter 6, in which Joshua recorded Israel’s defeat of Jericho. The ark of the covenant represented the presence of the Lord. The army and the people were commanded to march silently without saying a word. The only sound heard during the march was the priests blowing their trumpets. The speaker made the point that this focused all attention on God and what He would do. 
“Your altars will be demolished and your incense altars will be smashed; and I will slay your people in front of your idols. I will lay the dead bodies of the Israelites in front of their idols, and I will scatter your bones around your altars” (Ezekiel 6:4-5).
- Israel would no longer be able to offer ungodly sacrifices to pagan gods.
- God would smash into pieces their pagan altars.
- God warned the idols, or evil forces themselves: You will not win. The Lord is Sovereign.
- The word “idols” here was always plural.3 Imagine that!
- God warned Israel: If you want to sacrifice to idols and foreign gods, I will make you the sacrifice.
*How does God prevent us from worshiping idols today?
*How do people today become a “sacrifice” to their idols?
“Wherever you live, the towns will be laid waste and the high places demolished, so that your altars will be laid waste and devasted, your idols smashed and ruined, your incense altars broken down, and what you have made wiped out” (Ezekiel 6:6).
- God warned any pagans living nearby as well.
- The cities, high places, and altars would be utterly destroyed.4
- They would not be able to take over Israel’s altars.
- The altars would be “devastated,” or become guilty of sin and punished.5
- Once the idols were broken into pieces, they would “rest,” as in cease from their work.6
- Not only would Israel no longer be able to bow before false gods, they would not be able to worship the work of their hands.
*Why did God warn the pagans in the land?
*How do we worship the work of our hands today?
“Your people will fall slain among you, and you will know that I am the Lord” (Ezekiel 6:7).
- This passage wouldn’t be complete without Ezekiel’s key message restated.
- The only way Israelites could “fall slain among,” in the midst of, Israelites is for a remnant to remain.
- Through this judgment, the Israelites who remain would know God is the Sovereign Lord.
- They would learn, perceive, experience, and then confess I AM is the Lord.
“… God highly exalted Him (Jesus), and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11, NASB 1995).
“But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation” (Romans 10:8-10, NASB 1995).
The best news from this passage?
God always preserves a remnant for Himself.
Even after this utter destruction of false gods, their altars, and the people who worship them, some Israelites would remain to experience the truth of the next verse,
“However, I will leave a remnant, for you will have those who escaped the sword among the nations when you are scattered among the countries” (Ezekiel 6:8, NASB 1995).
Jeremiah and Ezekiel’s prophecies overlapped, and Ezekiel left Israel for Babylon with the second deportation of Jews into captivity. We have no way to know for sure if Ezekiel had opportunity to read these words from Jeremiah’s hope-filled letter to Israel,
“When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my good promise to bring you back to this place. For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart” (Jeremiah 29:10-13).
*What do we learn about God’s character in this passage?
*How have you seen the truth of Ezekiel’s key message in your life?
- Warren Baker, D.R.E., Eugene Carpenter, Ph.D. The Complete WordStudy Dictionary: Old Testament. (Chattanooga, TN: AMG Publishers, 2003). 181
- Ibid., 85
- Ibid., 203
- Ibid., 374
- Study Bible. verse 6 “desolate” second use; punishment implied
https://studybible.info/strongs/H816
- Baker, 1098