Daily Devotions
Ezekiel
"The cities shall be laid waste"
Text: Ezekiel 6:6
THE CITIES OF JUDAH
Judah had many cities that it took pride in. Unfortunately, these cities were filled with idolatrous altars. Not only did they make altars in the mountains and the hills, the ravines and the valleys, cities were filled with idolatrous worship!
“In all your dwelling places the cities shall be laid waste,
and the high places shall be desolate,
so that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate,
your idols may be broken and made to cease,
your incense altars may be cut down, and your works may be abolished.
The slain shall fall in your midst, and you shall know that I am the LORD.”
Ezekiel 6:6-7
1. The dwelling places.
a) We may understand them as “suburbs”.
b) Jerusalem was not the only major city.
c) Many cities were created as dwelling places for Judah.
2. The high places.
a) These literally described altars that were found in mountains and hills.
b) But there were also “high places” in the cities.
c) Places of idolatrous worship were usually called “high places”.
3. A solemn word of warning.
a) God will destroy all these “high places”.
b) All the altars would be broken down.
c) The cities would be “laid waste”.
d) They would become desolate.
e) The incense altars would be cut down.
f) All their works would be abolished.
g) Many would be slain when the enemies break through.
4. They would then have to acknowledge:
a) That the LORD alone is God.
b) That all the idols they worshipped would be unable to protect them.
c) They would learn painfully the cost of rejecting God and forsaking Him.