Read Ezekiel 6.
When the LORD gave the land to Abraham and his descendants, it was for the purpose of raising up a people for His name and glory. In Exodus, He powerfully brought the Jews out of Egypt and back to the land with the same intent. But instead of honoring God and influencing others to know and serve Him, Israel became ensnared by the evil practices of the surrounding nations.
The Canaanites participated in a complex system of multiple false gods. For example, they worshiped a made-up fertility god, Baal, with sacrifices on altars in high places. They built temples for others, like Dagon. The burning of incense symbolized their prayers to these idols. As He stated in 5:13, the LORD is a jealous God and will not share His rightful worship.
In a straightforward sermon, God announced that He would destroy these places of man-made religion, whether on the mountains or in the valleys. All will be wiped out, including the worshipers. The cause of the judgment remained the same: sin. The purpose of the corrective punishment remained the same: "And you shall know that I am the LORD." (vv.7, 10, and 14).
God's own words inscribed in the Ten Commandments should have been enough for Israel.
"You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments." (Exodus 20:3-6)
This should serve as a severe warning to anyone who claims to know the LORD, yet mixes their beliefs with other forms of life-guidance, philosophies, and religious systems.
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