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Idolaters Killed
9 Then he cried in my ears with a loud voice, saying, “Bring near the executioners of the city, each with his destroying weapon in his hand.” And behold, six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, each with his weapon for slaughter in his hand, and with them was a man clothed in linen, with a writing case at his waist. And they went in and stood beside the bronze altar.
Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub on which it rested to the threshold of the house. And he called to the man clothed in linen, who had the writing case at his waist. And the LORD said to him, “Pass through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it.” And to the others he said in my hearing, “Pass through the city after him, and strike. Your eye shall not spare, and you shall show no pity. Kill old men outright, young men and maidens, little children and women, but touch no one on whom is the mark. And begin at my sanctuary.” So they began with the elders who were before the house. Then he said to them, “Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain. Go out.” So they went out and struck in the city. And while they were striking, and I was left alone, I fell upon my face, and cried, “Ah, Lord GOD! Will you destroy all the remnant of Israel in the outpouring of your wrath on Jerusalem?”
Then he said to me, “The guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great. The land is full of blood, and the city full of injustice. For they say, ‘The LORD has forsaken the land, and the LORD does not see.’ As for me, my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity; I will bring their deeds upon their heads.”
And behold, the man clothed in linen, with the writing case at his waist, brought back word, saying, “I have done as you commanded me.”
(ESV)
Ezekiel 9 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
It’s tough to read about the judgment of God with regard to sin, however, it reveals the character of God. The standard set by the holiness of God is not the same as our human standard. We are not innocent until proven guilty from a spiritual standpoint. We are guilty until we repent. This is exactly what God requested of the people. His love for them burned so deeply that He would not allow such horrible and perverse acts to continue to take place in His sight.
What were the people guilty of?
1) Iniquities – this was the guilt of sinful responses
2) Violence – they were not only violent but they engaged in bloodshed even in God’s presence (The Temple)
3) Social Injustice – they were perverse in how they treated others
Ultimately, their responses communicated that they did not care what God thought or how He felt. They would not acknowledge their faults. They would not grieve over their choices. In the end, God wanted repentance. That has not changed – even today.
There has always been a remnant of people who continued to follow the Lord.
And while they were striking, and I was left alone, I fell upon my face, and cried, “Ah, Lord GOD! Will you destroy all the remnant of Israel in the outpouring of your wrath on Jerusalem?”
Ezekiel 9:8 ESV
When you look through the sweep of Scripture, you find that God would protect his true followers even during times of judgment and wrath. When the flood wiped out the sinful generation that had become incredulous to the ways of God, Noah and his family were the remnant who were protected. When Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed, Lot and his daughters were the remnant spared. When Elijah was concerned that he might be the only one in Israel who had not bent his knee to false idols, God told him there was a remnant of 7,000 who had not bowed down to Baal.
The point is, even in God’s judgment and wrath, He remembers the faithful. He remembers those who are going against the grain of society and sacrificing to follow Him. The Lord remembers the faithful remnant and He protects them!