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Daily Devotions

Ezekiel

Ezekiel 
Day 
Day 207

"We will be like the Gentiles"

Text: Ezekiel 20:32

GOING TO BAMAH

King David had chosen Jerusalem to be his capital. Solomon built a Temple and God confirmed that He had chosen Jerusalem as the holy place! But Israel refused what was a long-standing tradition to worship at Jerusalem. Instead, they chose another place called Bamah to offer idolatrous worship!

“Then I said to them, ‘What is this high place to which you go?’
So its name is called Bamah to this day.
Therefore say to the house of Israel,
‘Thus says the Lord God:
‘Are you defiling yourselves in the manner of your fathers,
and committing harlotry according to their abominations?
For when you offer your gifts
and make your sons pass through the fire,
you defile yourselves with all your idols, even to this day.
So shall I be inquired of by you, O house of Israel?
As I live,’ says the Lord God, ‘I will not be inquired of by you.”
What you have in your mind shall never be, when you say,
‘We will be like the Gentiles, like the families in other countries,
serving wood and stone.'”
Ezekiel 20:29-32

1. Bamah

a) It is a generic name to refer to “a high place”.

b) There was nothing about Bamah that called for a change of venue:

i) Bamah had no history.

ii) There was nothing special about this high place.

iii) But Israel would choose any high place in defiance.

iv) The name “Bamah” was now the word that Israel employed to describe
their place of worship.

v) Israel chose to be a contrary and stubborn nation.

2. God’s questions to Israel.

a) Would they defile themselves after the manner of their idolatrous fathers?

b) Would they also commit wicked abominations in the name of worship?

3. The history of idolatrous worship.

a) Harlotry

b) Child sacrifice

c) Bowing to idols in reverential worship.

4. Silence of the idols.

a) Israel thought that their idols would guide them.

b) But the idols remained silent despite so much devotions shown.

i) The idols had mouths but could not speak.

ii) They had ears that could not hear.

iii) They had eyes that could not see.

5. Inquiring from God.

a) The elders came to Ezekiel to inquire of God.

b) God refused to entertain the questions of these elders.

c) Israel had determined that they would be like the Gentile nations serving wood and stone idols.

d) Why would He hear their queries and answer them?