An idol in our heart is anything within us that we love more than the Lord and that replaces the Lord in our life (1 John 5:21 and note 1 John 5:21^3a, par. 1). Those who set up idols in their hearts are estranged from the Lord through their idols (v. 5). All who have idols within them yet seek God in an outward way cannot find Him (v. 3; cf. Jer. 29:13).

Or, bereaved it of its children.

The four means, given here and in Ezek. 5:17, by which God exercised His judgment on His Old Testament people typify the means used by God to judge His degraded New Testament elect, the church (1 Pet. 4:17): dissension (sword), a lack of spiritual food (famine), spiritual diseases (pestilence), and evil persons (wild beasts — cf. Acts 20:29). The results of God’s judgment on Israel, His degraded elect, were
1) the loss of the good land (v. 15; 7:21; 2 Chron. 36:9-10, 17, 20; Jer. 52:15), typifying the loss of the enjoyment of Christ (Gal. 5:2-4);
2) the departing of the glory of the Lord (Ezek. 9:3; 11:22-23), signifying the departing of God’s manifestation from the church (Rev. 2:5; cf. 1 Tim. 3:15-16; 1 Cor. 14:25);
3) the destruction of the temple and the burning of the city (Ezek. 33:21; 2 Chron. 36:19; Jer. 52:12-14), signifying the loss of God’s dwelling place and God’s kingdom from the church (cf. Eph. 2:20-22; Rom. 14:17).