The Prophet Ezekiel is commanded to speak not merely to the people, but to the very mountains of Israel—the high places where idolatry had taken deep root in the land. These heights, once meant to reflect the glory of the Creator, had become platforms of spiritual betrayal. Through this vivid prophetic message, we see both the severity of God’s wrath against persistent idolatry and the tenderness of His faithfulness in preserving a remnant. It calls us to examine the loyalties of our own hearts, to recognise how easily worship can be misplaced, and to remember that the LORD alone is worthy of devotion.
Our High Places
You mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Sovereign LORD. This is what the Sovereign LORD says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys: I am about to bring a sword against you, and I will destroy your high places.
Ezekiel 6:3 (NIV)
Why does God command Ezekiel to prophesy against the mountains of the land? When God tells Ezekiel to speak to the mountains of Israel, He is not addressing the physical landscape itself. The mountains bow before Him; creation already knows its Maker. The real issue lies with the people who stood upon those heights. These mountains represent the former pillars of the community—the influential, the respected, and the proud. These were the places where Israel was meant to draw near to God, where worship and reverence should have been restored and upheld. Yet the people had allowed these high places to become altars of idolatry. They did not tear down the old pagan altars; instead, they simply added to them, blending worship of the LORD with practices of the world.
In our own lives, these mountains can take many forms. Our pride, our ego, our accomplishments, our self-built identities—these become the high places we protect. They are the things we have built using inspiration from this world and have not surrendered to God. We may still attend to outward religious practice, but often without genuine relationship. We have adopted a “give and take” religion of convenience: a moment here, a gesture there, a quick prayer, a chip and a sip and then we are on our way.
This was the state of Israel as well who had their sacred places, and it seems we have fallen in the same trap of religion. They had holy days and appointed rituals, and we too have our auspicious dates earmarked on our calendars. They had laws to follow; we have the new covenant that we enforce on others, rarely using them to challenge our own belief system. In all our distractions we are missing on the one thing that God asks of us -our hearts, that desire to walk everyday with our Creator. The Israelites abandoned their fellowship with the LORD for the religions around them, and we are doing the same when we forget the most essential part of our spiritual life: the leading of His Spirit.
Our Wealth and Influence Cannot Save Us
‘They will throw their silver into the streets,
and their gold will be treated as a thing unclean.
Their silver and gold
will not be able to deliver them
in the day of the LORD’s wrath…
They took pride in their beautiful jewelry
and used it to make their detestable idols.
Ezekiel 7:19-20 (NIV)
Are our attitudes toward wealth any different from those of Israel in Ezekiel’s day? In Ezekiel’s day, Israel’s wealth had become both their pride and their downfall. They used their silver and gold to create idols, believing that these man-made images would protect and bless them. Their confidence had shifted from the LORD to the works of their own hands. What was meant to be a gift from God became the very thing that drew their hearts away from Him.
In ancient times, people displayed their wealth by wearing it on their bodies, especially around their necks, as a public show of value and status. Today, the display has changed in form but not in spirit. We measure one another by the car we drive, the phone we carry, the labels on our clothing, and the lifestyle we put on display. Appearance becomes a kind of currency, and worth is determined by what can be seen rather than by the condition of the heart.
Gold may no longer take the shape of a carved idol, but it still serves the same purpose in many hearts — a false source of confidence. We feel secure because of what we have built or earned, believing that these things will sustain us in times of difficulty. Yet as Ezekiel reminds us, none of these can save us or stand on the day when we must give an account before God. The question remains: in what — or in whom — do we truly place our trust?
Calamity upon calamity will come,
and rumor upon rumor.
They will go searching for a vision from the prophet,
priestly instruction in the law will cease,
the counsel of the elders will come to an end.
Ezekiel 7:26 (NIV)
Why, in times of crisis, do even our most trusted leaders and advisors fail to guide us? In times of crisis, people naturally look to those they trust — pastors, mentors, elders, or leaders — hoping for answers and direction. Yet often, their words fall short, and their guidance seems powerless to bring clarity or peace. In Ezekiel’s day, the prophets, priests, and elders were once sources of divine counsel, guiding the people through their connection with God. But when the people turned away from Him, God withdrew His presence, and their leaders were left without true wisdom.
The same is true today. Leaders may speak from experience, but our circumstances and faith journeys are not the same as theirs. Their advice, though sincere, cannot replace a personal relationship with God. They may tell us to seek Him, but if we have never truly known who He is, even that instruction feels distant and unclear. Wisdom does not come from age, education, or authority — it comes from walking closely with God. Without His presence, even the most trusted leaders cannot guide us. Only when we turn to Him ourselves can we find the guidance that no man can give.
A Remanent for His Name
The LORD declares that He will bring judgement upon the land: the high places will be destroyed, altars will be broken down, idols will be shattered, and the people who worshipped them will fall slain around them. Their bones will lie scattered among the ruins of the very idols they trusted in. Through this, they will know that the LORD alone is God. Yet in the midst of judgement, God promises that a remnant will survive and be scattered among the nations.
Then in the nations where they have been carried captive, those who escape will remember me—how I have been grieved by their adulterous hearts, which have turned away from me, and by their eyes, which have lusted after their idols. They will loathe themselves for the evil they have done and for all their detestable practices.
Ezekiel 6:9 (NIV)
In their exile, these survivors remembered the LORD and recognised how deeply their idolatry had grieved Him, and they will come to despise their own sins. This repentance lead to a renewed understanding that God’s warnings were not empty words and years later they would return back to their homeland under Ezra’s leadership.
Why do we struggle to learn from our past mistakes and move closer to God? People often learn slowly, especially when it comes to matters of the heart. Our sinful tendencies and human nature become obstacles that cloud our understanding of God. In Israel’s case, even though they had seen God’s power and faithfulness, they continued in their patterns of idolatry. It took repeated disasters such as plagues, famine, death and finally exile before they recognised the seriousness of their sin and turned back to God. God’s judgment was never meant to simply destroy them. His purpose was to bring them back to Himself. He wanted them to acknowledge Him as the one true Lord and to remember that life, hope and meaning flow only from Him.
The struggle is not very different today. The world is full of distractions that draw our hearts away from God. We willingly give in to the temporary pleasures and comforts around us, often forgetting our need for Him. Like Israel, we may hear God’s warnings, yet still delay repentance, believing we have time or that things are not as serious as He says.Yet, God still desires for all people to know Him personally. He continues to call, to warn, to guide and to draw us back. And through Jesus Christ, He has provided forgiveness and a way for all of us to return to Him. The challenge remains for us to listen, to remember, and to respond before our hearts grow dull again. We must let go of the mountains we’ve built in our lives and climb God’s holy mountain instead.
The Jordan Valley 
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