Ezekiel 6:1

PROPHECY EXTENDED TO THE WHOLE LAND

In Ezekiel 4 and Ezekiel 5, the prophet pantomimed and prophesied the destruction of Jerusalem, and "Now he takes a survey of the whole land."[1]

Ezekiel 6:1-3

"And the word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy unto them, and say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord Jehovah: Thus saith the Lord Jehovah to the mountains and to the hills, to the watercourses and to the valleys: Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places."

"The mountains were mentioned here because they were especially the places where Israel practiced idolatry (Leviticus 26:30-33; Isaiah 65:7; and Jeremiah 3:6)."[2] The same is true of the watercourses and valleys. "The ravines and valleys were the scenes of Baal-worship (Jeremiah 2:23) and of child-sacrifice (Isaiah 57:5)."[3] The sword mentioned in verse 3 is a reference to the invading armies of Nebuchadnezzar.

"Set thy face toward the mountains ..." (1). This introduction to a prophecy is quite common in Ezekiel. "We shall encounter it again in Ezekiel 20:46; 21:2; 25:2; 28:21; 29:2; 35:2; and Ezekiel 38:2)."[4]

The mountains of Israel appear again in this prophecy in chapter 36, where blessing and restoration are promised. The prophecy here foretells the final judgment of Israel; and, also, "It is a picture of the future judgment of the world."[5]

"I will destroy your high places ..." (Ezekiel 6:3). The reason for the forthcoming destruction of all the land of Israel is stated here. The hateful, licentious worship of the Baal fertility cults, of Astarte, of Molech, and of the whole pantheon of pagan gods and goddesses had effectively brought about the total moral depravity of the people. God's Chosen People at this point had become even worse than the godless Canaanites whom God had removed from Palestine because of their sins.