This passage describes a vision Ezekiel receives from God showing the idolatrous practices happening in the temple in Jerusalem. In the vision, Ezekiel is taken by the Spirit to the temple where he sees various forms of idolatry, including people worshipping idols, women mourning the death of the pagan god Tammuz, and men bowing to the rising sun with their backs turned towards the temple. God expresses his anger over his people committing idolatry and filling the temple with unclean images, showing that their priority is on other gods instead of the Lord.

11. DEVELOPING A CHRIST-
CENTERED LIFE
EZEKIEL 8:1-18

12. Eze 8:1 Six years after King Jehoiachin and
the rest of us had been led away as prisoners
to Babylonia, the leaders of Judah were
meeting with me in my house. On the fifth day
of the sixth month, the LORD God suddenly
took control of me,
Eze 8:2 and I saw something in the shape of a
human. This figure was like fire from the waist
down, and it was bright as polished metal from
the waist up.

13. Eze 8:3 It reached out what seemed to be a hand and
grabbed my hair. Then in my vision the LORD's Spirit
lifted me into the sky and carried me to Jerusalem. The
Spirit took me to the north gate of the temple's inner
courtyard, where there was an idol that disgusted the
LORD and made him furious.
Eze 8:4 Then I saw the brightness of the glory of the God
of Israel, just as I had seen it near the Chebar River.
Eze 8:5 God said to me, "Ezekiel, son of man, look
north." And when I did, I saw that disgusting idol by the
altar near the gate.

14. Eze 8:6 God then said, "Do you see the terrible
sins of the people of Israel? Their sins are making
my holy temple unfit as a place to worship me. Yet
you will see even worse things than this."
Eze 8:7 Next, I was taken to the entrance of the
courtyard, where I saw a hole in the wall.
Eze 8:8 God said, "Make this hole bigger." And
when I did, I realized it was a doorway.
Eze 8:9 "Go in," God said, "and see what horrible
and evil things the people are doing."

15. Eze 8:10 Inside, I saw that the walls were covered with
pictures of reptiles and disgusting, unclean animals, as
well as with idols that the Israelites were worshiping.
Eze 8:11 Seventy Israelite leaders were standing there,
including Jaazaniah son of Shaphan. Each of these
leaders was holding an incense burner, and the smell of
incense filled the room.
Eze 8:12 God said, "Ezekiel, do you see what horrible
things Israel's leaders are doing in secret? They have
filled their rooms with idols. And they say I can't see them,
because they think I have already deserted Israel.
Eze 8:13 But I will show you something even worse than
this."

16. Eze 8:14 He took me to the north gate of the temple,
where I saw women mourning for the god Tammuz.
Eze 8:15 God asked me, "Can you believe what these
women are doing? But now I want to show you something
worse."
Eze 8:16 I was then led into the temple's inner courtyard,
where I saw about twenty-five men standing near the
entrance, between the porch and the altar. Their backs
were to the LORD's temple, and they were bowing down
to the rising sun.

17. Eze 8:17 God said, "Ezekiel, it's bad enough that the
people of Judah are doing these disgusting things. But
they have also spread violence and injustice everywhere
in Israel and have made me very angry. They have
disgraced and insulted me in the worst possible way.
Eze 8:18 So in my fierce anger, I will punish them without
mercy and refuse to help them when they cry out to me."

18. The word most often translated
"abomination" to denote grave moral
offenses is Tōʻēḇā. ... It is mainly used to
denote idolatry; and in many other cases it
refers to inherently evil things such as illicit
sex, lying, murder, deceit, etc.; and for
unclean foods.
IDOLATRY

19. • Exodus 22:20
"He who sacrifices to any god, other than to the
LORD alone, shall be utterly destroyed.
• Deuteronomy 8:19
"It shall come about if you ever forget the LORD
your God and go after other gods and serve them
and worship them, I testify against you today that
you will surely perish.
IDOLATRY

20. • Psalm 81:9
"Let there be no strange god among you; Nor shall
you worship any foreign god.
• Exodus 20:5
"You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the
LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the
iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third
and the fourth generations of those who hate Me,
IDOLATRY

21. How will you determine when
you are committing an
abomination (idolatry) before
God?

22. -Eze 8:3 It reached out what seemed to be a hand and
grabbed my hair. Then in my vision the LORD's Spirit lifted me
into the sky and carried me to Jerusalem. The Spirit took me
to the north gate of the temple's inner courtyard, where there
was an idol that disgusted the LORD and made him furious.
-Eze 8:4 Then I saw the brightness of the glory of the God of
Israel, just as I had seen it near the Chebar River.
-Eze 8:5 God said to me, "Ezekiel, son of man, look north."
And when I did, I saw that disgusting idol by the altar near the
gate.
WHEN YOUR MAIN PRIORITY COMES OUTSIDE
FROM THE LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST. V 3-5

23. - When we are not prioritizing God in our lives, then, it
means we are worshipping and serving the other god
(satan).
- the only thing that we can do for God is to do everything
that pleases Him.
- Colossians 1:10 so asto walk in a manner worthy of the
Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work
and increasing in the knowledge of God.
WHEN YOUR MAIN PRIORITY COMES OUTSIDE
FROM THE LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST. V 3-5

24. - Philippians 3:13-14 Brothers, I do not consider that I have
made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies
behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on
toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in
Christ Jesus.
- When your main priority in life is Christ then you are living
your life that pleases God.
- God really hates those people who commit idolatry
WHEN YOUR MAIN PRIORITY COMES OUTSIDE
FROM THE LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST. V 3-5

25. - living a life that is abundant is easy, all you have to is to
make God as your first priority.
- Psa 37:4 So will your delight be in the Lord, and he will
give you your heart's desires.
- Mat 6:33 But let your first care be for his kingdom and his
righteousness; and all these other things will be given to
you in addition.
WHEN YOUR MAIN PRIORITY COMES OUTSIDE
FROM THE LORDSHIP OF JESUS CHRIST. V 3-5

27. - Eze 8:6 God then said, "Do you see the terrible sins of the
people of Israel? Their sins are making my holy temple
unfit as a place to worship me. Yet you will see even worse
things than this."
- Matthew 6:24 “No one can serve two masters, for either
he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be
devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot
serve God and money.
WHEN YOUR LIFE IS PREOCCUPIED BY THE
THINGS OF THIS WORLD V. 6

28. - as we look at the verse, it states that the people of Israel
are doing something irrelevant before God. They make the
holy temple unfit as a place to worship God.
- Jesus cleanses the temple ( John 2: 13-22)
- Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may
prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will
of God.
WHEN YOUR LIFE IS PREOCCUPIED BY THE
THINGS OF THIS WORLD V. 6

29. - Preoccupied by the things of this world means: Examples of an
Idolatry
-Love of Money -Drug addiction
-Materialism -entertainment
-Digital addiction
-Religion
-workaholic
-Alcoholism
WHEN YOUR LIFE IS PREOCCUPIED BY THE
THINGS OF THIS WORLD V. 6

30. - A life that is preoccupied by things of the World is a life
that will never experience true contentment.
- Idolatry means you depend your happiness on the thing of
this world.
- Just Remember You cannot serve God and money.
WHEN YOUR LIFE IS PREOCCUPIED BY THE
THINGS OF THIS WORLD V. 6

31. -Eze 8:9 "Go in," God said, "and see what horrible and evil
things the people are doing."
-Eze 8:10 Inside, I saw that the walls were covered with
pictures of reptiles and disgusting, unclean animals, as well as
with idols that the Israelites were worshiping.
Eze 8:11 Seventy Israelite leaders were standing there,
including Jaazaniah son of Shaphan. Each of these leaders was
holding an incense burner, and the smell of incense filled the
room.
WHEN YOUR GUILT IN COMMITING A SIN HAS
NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR LIFE V.9-12

32. - Eze 8:12 God said, "Ezekiel, do you see what horrible things
Israel's leaders are doing in secret? They have filled their
rooms with idols. And they say I can't see them, because they
think I have already deserted Israel.
- 1Jn_1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves,
and the truth is not in us.
-Idolater is comfortable doing the things that don’t please or
glorify God.
- Idolater thinks that sins are tolerable.
WHEN YOUR GUILT IN COMMITING A SIN HAS
NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR LIFE V.9-12

33. - Idolater loves sin
- Idolater is blinded by God’s truth.
- Idolater thinks that he can save his own life.
-Idolater thinks that God is far away from them.
WHEN YOUR GUILT IN COMMITING A SIN HAS
NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR LIFE V.9-12

34. You must have filled by the Holy spirit:
- 1Co 6:18 Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is
without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth
against his own body.
-1Co 6:19 What? know ye not that your body is the temple of
the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye
are not your own?
1Co 6:20 For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God
in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
WHEN YOUR GUILT IN COMMITING A SIN HAS
NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR LIFE V.9-12

35. -Eze 8:13 But I will show you something even worse than
this."
-Eze 8:14 He took me to the north gate of the temple, where I
saw women mourning for the god Tammuz.
-Eze 8:15 God asked me, "Can you believe what these women
are doing? But now I want to show you something worse."
WHEN YOUR WORSHIP LIFE HONORS THE
CREATION NOT THE CREATOR V. 13-16

37. - Eze 8:16 I was then led into the temple's inner courtyard,
where I saw about twenty-five men standing near the
entrance, between the porch and the altar. Their backs
were to the LORD's temple, and they were bowing down to
the rising sun.
- Romans 1:18-21
WHEN YOUR WORSHIP LIFE HONORS THE
CREATION NOT THE CREATOR V. 13-16