When the prophet Ezekiel was ushered through a hidden doorway in the Temple, he was mortified by what he saw

4 min read

Then he said to me, “Son of man, dig in the wall.” So I dug in the wall, and behold, there was an entrance. And he said to me, “Go in, and see the vile abominations that they are committing here.” -Ezekiel 8:8-9

It may be no coincidence that the more spiritually adrift a society becomes, the more of an appetite it will have for horror movies. This seems to be the case in the U.S., as horror flicks overpopulate on our streaming services.

What used to be just a fringe genre has become mainstream and incredibly profitable.

Should Christians indulge in this type of entertainment? Opinions vary, but as for me and my house, it’s a no go. Life is scary enough.

Especially when God is edited out of the picture. When this happens, life is absolutely terrifying.

A Dream Nightmare Come True

And this was the case in Ezekiel’s day. God was canceled and idolatry was in full swing. Despite the Lord’s appeals for his people to return to him and warnings as to what would happen if they did not, they kept on worshiping the popular gods of culture.

To the God who actually loved them, had history with them, and could save them, it was grotesque to watch. He was wrecked by it.

So, Ezekiel, a prophet/preacher, was tasked to influence the people back in God’s direction. But they were so immersed in idolatry, it was too late. Judgment was in process.

To give Ezekiel a sobering glimpse of how bad things had gotten, the Lord gave him a peek into the deepest chambers of the Temple. This was where righteous worship of the one true God was supposed to be taking place, but instead, it had become completely paganized.

At the Lord’s direction, Ezekiel was prompted to go in and personally witness the horror:

“So I went in and saw the walls engraved with all kinds of crawling animals and detestable creatures. I also saw the various idols worshiped by the people of Israel. Seventy leaders of Israel were standing there…Each of them held an incense burner, from which a cloud of incense rose above their heads.”

-Ezekiel 8:10-11, NLT

It was a shocker. It was one thing that those practices would be taking place “out there” in the world, but in the Temple? Where Holiness once dwelt? God forbid. This was beyond comprehension.

Still Scary

Sometimes it can be difficult to recognize our own idols. We can probably spot someone else’s, but completely miss our own. They tend to bury themselves to evade our detection.

Truth is, whatever I am trusting for my sense of okayness in this world, that is my deity. Could be my money, could be a relationship, could be a ____________________ – you fill in the blank.

None of these things is bad in and of itself. It’s only when I clutch them as if they were my utmost thing that they make a monstrous idolater out of me. Like Gollum and his “precious” in Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, idolizing anything of this world will make one ugly.

There is only one God – Father, Son, and Spirit – who can speak to, satisfy, and save people like us. The rest are pseudo-gods, mere substitutes for the real thing.

The Apostle John, in his blunt fashion, lays down this principle plus its practical application for Christians:

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

-1 John 5:20-21

The principle? There’s only one true God revealed in his Son, Jesus Christ. The application? Keep yourself from idols.

To turn from Jesus to his rivals is the scariest thing. May the Lord help us today to reserve the worship of our hearts for the One who alone is worthy. After all, this isn’t just a movie.

It’s a new day with God. Run with it.