Rev. Andy Wright, pastor at St. John Lutheran Church in Keystone, IA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Ezekiel 8:1-18.
Fourteen months after Ezekiel’s call to be a prophet, he has come to be known as a prophet among the exiles. He receives another vision from God, in which the LORD gives Ezekiel a glimpse into the wickedness happening in the temple in Jerusalem. The prophet sees four abominations that increase in evil. The north gate stands open to Canaanite idolatry, and an image of jealousy stands opposed to the glory of God. Seventy elders are usurping the priestly roles and worshiping images of creatures in the dark, fooling themselves that the LORD will not see them. Women are engaged in Babylonian idol worship. Even the priests have turned their backs on the LORD in order to worship the sun. The LORD’s judgment is rightly harsh; He will visit His people with His wrath and will not hear their cries for pity.
“The Faithful Watchman” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through the book of Ezekiel. Just when Ezekiel should have begun his service as priest in the temple in Jerusalem, the LORD called him to be a prophet in exile in Babylon. Through fantastic visions and attention-grabbing action prophecies, the prophet Ezekiel is a faithful watchman who proclaims the word of the LORD to bring people to repentance over their sins and to faith in the coming Savior, Jesus Christ, the glory of the LORD made flesh.
