Ezekiel 8 to 11 “ God’s Way or My Way?”

In the first chapter of Romans, Paul wrote: they knew God …yet they did not honor Him as God. Centuries before, the religious leaders were doing it in Ezekiel’s day. Their whole purpose; drive God far from His sanctuary. Today: What I do behind closed doors is my business because “The Lord does not see me.”

What a difference from the words of Hagar who called God “El-Roi,” the God who sees me.

Ezekiel’s Temple tour revealed four idols: (1) the idol of jealousy—“I wish, I wish, I wish.” (2) the idol of self-indulgence—pleasure is the goal; (3) the idol of self-sufficiency—I will just try harder, do better; and (4) the idol of entertainment worship.  It all boils down to this: When men want to do Christianity their way, God will give them over to a depraved mind to do that which is not proper. He removes His hand of protection and unleashes the enemies of the world. God showed Ezekiel what Paul noted: Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for an image resembling mortal human beings or birds or four-footed animals or reptiles.

Yet in all of this depravity, God’s grace is present. The righteous were to be marked on their forehead lest the executioner mistake them.

God seals all the righteous and gives the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.

Yes, God does see! Yes, God knows who are His.