This chapter contains another vision where Ezekiel learns of Israel’s idolatry with ‘his own eyes’.
“So I went in and saw. And there, engraved on the wall all around, was every form of creeping things and loathsome beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel. 11 And before them stood seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel… Each had his censer in his hand, and the smoke of the cloud of incense went up.” (v10-11 abr)
During this vision someone (quite possibly preincarnate Jesus) shows that the elders of Jerusalem who are in exile are still practicing idolatry to this day. God then says that when these people experience the consequences of their sin they’ll cry out to God, who will not listen to them (because they turned away from God).
Though most of us don’t ‘burn incense to foreign gods’ in the literal sense, we can still have rituals and practices of idolatry. If we have something or someone occupying a greater portion of our time, money, thought life (this is a big one), or energy than our Lord God does, that may be an idol.
We can minimize idolatry by learning to keep God present in our minds and hearts throughout our lives and activities. We can learn to ‘pray unceasingly’ and ‘do all things as a form of worship to God’ when we keep Him present with us in those moments.
Two books I’ve found helpful are “Practicing the Presence of God” by Brother Lawrence and “Present Perfect” by Gregory A. Boyd. It is possible to be consistently present with God throughout our days, worshiping Him constantly, and avoiding the traps of idolatry. I’m by no means an expert on this, though I firmly believe God is worth pursuing every moment of every day.
Father God, our Steadfast Lord and Loving King, You alone are worthy of our worship. Please teach us to fully rely on You and pray unceasingly. This is a challenging practice, however, we know You are worth our utmost effort. May we learn to honor, glorify and worship You in every moment, placing You in the forefront of our hearts, and speaking to You as if You’re right there with us (because You are). In Jesus’ name we praise You, amen.
~ Conqueror in Training