人子阿、你要面向以色列的眾山說預言（結6章）

那脫離刀劍的人，必在所擄到的各國中記念我，為他們心中何等傷破，是因他們起淫心，遠離我，眼對偶像行邪淫，他們因行一切可憎的惡事，必厭惡自己。（結 6：9）

本章神的話臨到以西結先知，要他向眾山說預言。「眾山」就是世人以為依靠的代表，「以色列的眾山」，就是以色列人以為的依靠，在這裏可以是指他所依靠的偶像。

過往的偶像，一般是指人所雕刻、所鑄造的像，然後把它當成神明來敬拜。敬拜偶像其實不是人出於真的誠心想要拜它，因為用冷靜的心仔細去觀察：拜偶像，通常伴隨著「利益交換」的心態，是出於私慾、情慾的利益交換。也就是為了某種目的我拜你，我也付出一定的代價，但是你要照我所求的賜給我，給我平安。

這樣的利益交換，若沒有得著，這些偶像會遭殃，可能被砍、被燒、被丟棄。

今日的偶像已經昇華為無形的偶像，即使神的工人，在警覺性不夠時，有時候不自覺之間，就會一面做工、一面拜心中無形的偶像。對於心中的這些偶像，意義與過往的偶像意義相同，一樣有利益交換的心態，就是做神的工，卻要求不該要求的報酬。真敬拜神的工人，沒有利益交換之心，只有聽從命令、執行命令，不會問為什麼，也不求回報。因為真敬拜神的人，只有跟從，不會問說：「我這樣跟從，可以得什麼？」

那麼什麼是無形的偶像？

今日的偶像，有的是過度地倚靠自己、或他人的聰明、才智、學歷、成就、財富。當知道，若有任何事或物在我們心中，其重要性已超越主耶穌時，就是在拜偶像。拜偶像的人，不配成為主的門徒，因為他們已經不拜耶穌。主說：

愛父母過於愛我的、不配作我的門徒、愛兒女過於愛我的、不配作我的門徒。不背着他的十字架跟從我的、也不配作我的門徒。（太 10：37-38）

在這裡，主耶穌用極端的例子來說明一個重要的屬靈價值觀問題：我們都知道，愛父母、愛兒女，都是天經地義的事。但是愛耶穌才是心中該有的真正的優先，沒有任何人、事、物可以超越。既然連父母、兒女的優先順序都不可超越主耶穌了，那還有什麼事可以超越主？

神的僕人最怕遭遇一種誘惑而不自知，就是「不像罪的罪，但卻是大罪」。如同最近標榜的人工智能，它其實只是工具，我們可以善用，卻不能濫用，甚至毫無限制地使用。日前已經發生神的專職工人公開宣告他常常以人工智能在幫他寫講道時的講章，所寫的當然是人的話、不是神的話，而且依靠AI過於依靠神。這樣以後不用禱告、不用靈修，只要一鍵按下，似是而非的道理就出現了。高舉AI過於主耶穌，這AI就是無形的偶像。

過往的偶像本身沒有罪，因為它沒有生命、沒有思想，就只是個物品。人會因偶像犯罪，是出於情慾的產物。但是有些偶像是人，也許是神曾經的工人，卻高舉自己的成就，沒有歸榮耀給神，只歸給自己，要大家崇拜他，最後流於斂財、騙色，從神的工人成為神棍。主教導神的僕人應有的態度，是歸榮耀給神，是無的僕人，不是濫用社群網路高舉自己的人：

僕人照所吩咐的去作，主人還謝謝他麼？這樣、你們作完了一切所吩咐的，只當說：「我們是無用的僕人，所作的本是我們應分作的。」（路 17：9-10）

當自己將自己雕刻成偶像的，最後就是被神棄絕；當神的兒女不知高舉主耶穌盛名的時候，神就會使他倒在他自以為的偶像面前。

我也要將以色列人的屍首，放在他們的偶像面前、將你們的骸骨，拋散在你們祭壇的四圍。在你們一切的住處，城邑要變為荒場，丘壇必然淒涼、使你們的祭壇荒廢、將你們的偶像打碎、你們的日像被砍倒，你們的工作被毀滅。被殺的人必倒在你們中間，你們就知道我是耶和華。（結 6：5-7）

By Isaiah Kao

Son of Man, You Shall Prophesy Against the Mountains of Israel (Ezekiel 6)

August 29, 2026

“Then those of you who escape will remember Me among the nations to which you will be taken captive, how I have been hurt by their adulterous hearts which turned away from Me, and by their eyes which played the prostitute with their idols; and they will loathe themselves in their own sight for the evils which they have committed, for all their abominations.” (Ezekiel 6:9, NASB 2020)

In this chapter, the word of God came to the prophet Ezekiel, commanding him to prophesy against the mountains. The “mountains” represent the things in which people of the world believe they can place their trust. The “mountains of Israel” therefore refer to the things in which the Israelites thought they could place their trust. Here, they can refer to the idols on which they relied.

In the past, idols generally referred to images carved or cast by people, which they then treated as gods and worshiped. In reality, people do not usually worship idols because they sincerely desire to worship them. If we calmly and carefully observe this practice, we can see that idol worship is often accompanied by an attitude of “exchanging benefits.” It occurs from the desire to exchange worship for personal or material gain.

In other words, “I worship you for a certain purpose, and I am willing to pay a certain price, but in return, you must give me what I ask for and grant me peace.”

When such an exchange does not produce the desired result, the idol itself may suffer. It may be cut down, burned, or thrown away.

Today, idols have evolved into invisible idols. Even God’s workers, when they are not sufficiently alert, may unknowingly work for God while at the same time worshiping invisible idols in their hearts.

These idols in our hearts have the same meaning as the idols of the past. They involve the same attitude of exchanging benefits: we do the work of God, yet demand rewards that we have no right to demand. A true worker of God has no intention of exchanging worship or service for personal gain. He simply listens to God’s commands and carries them out. He does not ask why, nor does he seek a reward. For a person who truly worships God, there is only following. He will not ask, “What will I get if I follow Him this way?”

Then, what are these invisible idols?

Today, some idols are an excessive reliance on our own brainy, or on the intelligence, abilities, education, accomplishments, or wealth of other people. We must understand, whenever anything or anyone becomes more important in our hearts than the Lord Jesus, we are worshiping an idol.

Those who worship idols are not worthy to be disciples of the Lord, because they have ceased to worship Jesus. The Lord said:

“The one who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and the one who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And the one who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me.” (Matthew 10:37–38, NASB 2020)

Here, the Lord Jesus uses an extreme example to explain an important spiritual principle concerning our priorities. We all know that loving our parents and loving our children are natural and proper things to do. But loving Jesus must be the true priority in our hearts. No person, matter, or thing can take a higher place than Him. If even the priority we give to our parents and children must not surpass our love for the Lord Jesus, then what else could possibly be more important than the Lord?

One of the greatest temptations facing God’s servants is a kind of sin that they may fail to recognize: a sin that does not look like sin, yet is nevertheless a great sin. Consider the artificial intelligence that has recently become so widely promoted. AI is actually only a tool. We may make good use of it, but we must not misuse it, nor use it without restraint. Recently, a full-time worker for God publicly declared that he frequently uses artificial intelligence to help him write his sermons. What it produces, of course, consists of human words, not the word of God. It also means relying on AI more than relying on God. If this continues, there would be no need to pray or engage in spiritual cultivation. All one would need to do is press a button, and seemingly reasonable but misleading teachings would appear.When AI is exalted above the Lord Jesus, that AI has become an invisible idol.

The idols of the past were not sinful in themselves, because they had no life or thoughts; they were simply objects. People sinned through idol worship because of the desires of their flesh. But some idols are human beings. They may even be former workers of God. Yet they exalt their own accomplishments instead of giving glory to God. They seek to make everyone admire and worship them. Eventually, this may degenerate into exploiting others for money or sexual misconduct, turning a former worker of God into a false religious deceiver.

The attitude that the Lord teaches His servants to have is to give glory to God and to regard oneself as nothing—a servant who does not exalt himself through the abuse of social media:

“He does not thank the slave because he did the things which were commanded, does he? So you too, when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, ‘We are unworthy slaves; we have only done what we ought to have done.’” (Luke 17:9–10, NASB 2020)

When a person carves himself into an idol, making himself the object of admiration, he will ultimately be rejected by God.

When God’s children fail to exalt the glorious name of the Lord Jesus, God may cause them to fall before the very idols in which they have placed their confidence.

“I will also lay the dead bodies of the sons of Israel before their idols, and I will scatter your bones around your altars. In all your dwelling places, the cities will become desolate and the high places will be deserted, so that your altars will become desolate and deserted, and your idols will be broken and brought to an end, your incense altars will be cut down, and your works will be blotted out. The slain will fall among you, and you will know that I am the LORD.” (Ezekiel 6:5–7, NASB 2020)

By Isaiah Kao