06 June 2005 Devotion for Today “Weeping for Tammuz” Ezekiel 8:13-16
In this prophecy we find the prophet being shown a vision in which the
But as one reads this prophesy in Ezekiel, one finds that there is a desecration going on that in many ways far worse than slaughtering a pig on the
Please read this passage in Ezekiel 8:13-16
13And He said to me, "Turn again, and you will see greater abominations that they are doing." 14So He brought me to the door of the north gate of the LORD's house; and to my dismay, women were sitting there weeping for Tammuz. 15Then He said to me, "Have you seen this, O son of man? Turn again, you will see greater abominations than these." 16So He brought me into the inner court of the LORD's house; and there, at the door of the temple of the LORD, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs toward the temple of the LORD and their faces toward the east, and they were worshiping the sun toward the east.”
Tammuz was known as the god of many eastern and middle eastern religions. He is also known as Adonis in Greek mythology. His goddess-wife was Ishtar or the moon-goddess. They say that Tammuz would die each year in winter and be resurrected to bring life and the harvest. The pagan event commemorating this event was a ritual of a group of women sitting around crying for the death of their pagan god. The more crying they did, and the louder their cries the sooner Tammuz would return. This ritual would follow by prayers of the faithful, lining up side by side chanting and prostrating themselves toward the east. The ritual in the Ezekiel’s prophecy reminds us of the ritual of Islam. The moon goddess Ishtar is the symbol of the same religion whose crescent prominently adorns the flags and seals of state in many nations. In more western cultures, she was depicted as a woman holding a small baby.
The real nature of the abomination is found in the acceptance of religious pluralism. All the major pagan faiths are found in the
The same spirit of religious pluralism exists today. There is much pressure in politics to include to assert the “all roads lead up the same mountain,” and “it doesn’t matter which god you worship as long as you have a belief system.” But not all belief systems are the same. How can one faith which promotes hatred, terror, and bloodshed be equated with love, forgiveness, and reconciliation? The same spirit that Ezekiel decried is still alive and well. It is an ancient lie which waters down the truth and seeks to diminish the value of Almighty God in the sight of society which really wants to fashion a god in their own likeness rather than conform to the God of Scripture. The warnings Ezekiel gives about this practice are still valid for our own time.
We find enough aspects of Christianity to extol and to follow without including the rest. Making an exclusive claim for Jesus Christ has never been popular, but it has always been the truth. Have a blessed day!
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