Topical Bible: Jerusalem: Catalogue of Abominations In

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Jerusalem, the city chosen by God as the dwelling place for His Name and the center of worship for the Israelites, has a storied history marked by periods of faithfulness and rebellion. Throughout the biblical narrative, Jerusalem is depicted as a city that, despite its divine election, often fell into practices that were abominable in the sight of the Lord. These abominations, as recorded in the Scriptures, serve as a testament to the city's spiritual decline and the consequences of turning away from God's commandments.

1. Idolatry and False Worship: One of the most grievous abominations committed in Jerusalem was the worship of idols. Despite the clear commandment against idolatry, the people of Jerusalem frequently turned to the worship of foreign gods. In 2 Kings 21:11, it is recorded that "Manasseh king of Judah has committed these abominations, doing more evil than the Amorites who preceded him, and with his idols he has led Judah into sin." Manasseh's reign was marked by the construction of altars for Baal, the Asherah pole, and the worship of the host of heaven within the very courts of the house of the Lord (2 Kings 21:3-5).

2. Child Sacrifice: The practice of child sacrifice, particularly in the Valley of Hinnom, was another abomination that defiled Jerusalem. This horrific act is condemned in Jeremiah 7:31, where it is stated, "They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Hinnom to burn their sons and daughters in the fire, something I did not command, nor did it enter My mind."

3. Moral Corruption and Injustice: The prophets frequently denounced the moral corruption and social injustices prevalent in Jerusalem. Isaiah 1:21 laments, "How the faithful city has become a harlot! She once was full of justice; righteousness resided within her, but now only murderers!" The leaders and inhabitants of Jerusalem were often guilty of oppressing the poor, taking bribes, and perverting justice, as highlighted in Micah 3:9-11.

4. Desecration of the Temple: The temple, the sacred place of worship, was not spared from abominations. Ezekiel 8 provides a vivid account of the idolatrous practices taking place within the temple precincts. In Ezekiel 8:6, the Lord says to the prophet, "Son of man, do you see what they are doing—the great abominations that the house of Israel is committing here, to drive Me far from My sanctuary?"

5. Rejection of the Prophets: Jerusalem's history is also marked by the rejection and persecution of the prophets sent by God to call the city to repentance. Jesus Himself lamented over Jerusalem's treatment of the prophets, saying in Matthew 23:37, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those sent to her, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were unwilling!"

6. Spiritual Adultery: The metaphor of spiritual adultery is frequently used to describe Jerusalem's unfaithfulness to God. In Jeremiah 3:8, the Lord declares, "I gave faithless Israel her certificate of divorce and sent her away because of all her adulteries. Yet I saw that her unfaithful sister Judah had no fear; she also went out and committed adultery."

These abominations, among others, led to divine judgment upon Jerusalem, culminating in the destruction of the city and the Babylonian exile. The biblical record of Jerusalem's abominations serves as a sobering reminder of the consequences of forsaking the covenant with God and embracing practices contrary to His will.

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Ezekiel 22:3-12,25-30
Then say you, Thus said the Lord GOD, The city sheds blood in the middle of it, that her time may come, and makes idols against herself to defile herself.
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Ezekiel 23:1
The word of the LORD came again to me, saying,
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Ezekiel 33:25,26
Why say to them, Thus said the Lord GOD; You eat with the blood, and lift up your eyes toward your idols, and shed blood: and shall you possess the land?
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Library

The Fall of Judah
... brake down the wall of Jerusalem, and burnt ... Slow, passionless, unsparing, the catalogue
enumerates the whole ... and 'trespass after all the abominations of the ...
/.../maclaren/expositions of holy scripture g/the fall of judah.htm

Nehemiah, the Praying Builder
... not leave out of that sacred catalogue Nehemiah, the ... the information concerning his
brethren at Jerusalem, he mourned ... weep at the evils and abominations of the ...
/.../bounds/prayer and praying men/viii nehemiah the praying builder.htm

On the Ten Points of Doctrine.
... flesh, not because we abhor them as abominations, but because ... presents sent by
Philadelphus to Jerusalem, and of ... of the Bible, and Origen's Catalogue in Euseb. ...
/.../cyril/lectures of s cyril of jerusalem/lecture iv on the ten.htm

A Solemn Embassy
... black and hideous as is the catalogue"here is ... the slums, however odious; drag out
the abominations of the ... as once he looked at the inhabitants of Jerusalem. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 62 1916/a solemn embassy.htm

Of the Power of Making Laws. The Cruelty of the Pope and his ...
... on the decision of the Apostles and elders at Jerusalem. ... am not now adverting to
the gross abominations by which ... to become prolix, by giving a catalogue of all ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 10 of the power.htm

Appeal to the Christian Women of the South
... as though to put this matter beyond all doubt, in that black catalogue of sins ... Lord
hath performed his whole work upon mount Zion and on Jerusalem, (then) I ...
/.../an appeal to the christian women of the south/appeal to the christian women.htm

Christian Behavior
... It is true, that in the prospect of the desolations which were foretold by the Saviour
and were about to be poured out upon Jerusalem, 'for the present distress ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/christian behavior.htm

Penitence, as Explained in the Sophistical Jargon of the Schoolmen ...
... Answer, unfolding the hypocrisy, falsehood, impiety, and monstrous abominations
of the patrons of ... Therefore, he did not sit down to make a catalogue, but from ...
/.../the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 4 penitence as explained.htm

The Resurrection of the Dead, and Eternal Judgment:
... Doe, in his catalogue of all Mr. Bunyan's books, appended to the Heavenly Footman,
1690, states that "The resurrection of the Dead, and eternal Judgment by ...
/.../bunyan/the works of john bunyan volumes 1-3/the resurrection of the dead.htm

Of the Five Sacraments, Falsely So Called. Their Spuriousness ...
... 17), that the apostles who were at Jerusalem, when they ... The fourth place in their
catalogue is held by ... nothing but a hiding-place for abominations when they ...
/.../calvin/the institutes of the christian religion/chapter 19 of the five.htm