Ezekiel’s prophecy is continually filled with God’s judgment, and in Ezekiel 8 God gives the prophet a firsthand look at why His judgment was coming.
Ezekiel is shown a total of four scenes that supported the justice of God’s wrath. First, there is an “image of jealousy” (8:5-6). While we don’t entirely know what it was, it would’ve broken the second commandment. Second, the temple in Jerusalem was filled with idolatrous worship (8:7-13). Thirdly, there were women outside the temple weeping on behalf of a false god named Tammuz (8:14-15). Fourthly, there is a scene at the temple where 25 men were worshipping the sun (8:16). These are all described as abominations and in response the Lord says,
“Therefore I will act in wrath. My eye will not spare, nor will I have pity. And though they cry in my ears with a loud voice, I will not hear them”
Ezekiel 8:18, ESV
In the ninth chapter, we see a picture of God sending his executioners to bring about this promised judgment upon the idolaters and upon all who didn’t grieve the abominations done in Jerusalem. However, for those who were grieved at the abominations, a seal would spare them from judgment (9:4).
What is interesting, is that the idolaters were convinced that God didn’t see what they were doing. They believed that God had departed from the land and that their sins went unnoticed (8:12; 9:9). Their conclusion was that if God had abandoned them, then surely, He wasn’t watching what they were up to. Interestingly enough, not only did God see, but in judgment He promised, “My eye will not spare” (8:18; 9:10, emphasis added).
People oftentimes talk about “secret sins” but according to the Bible there is no such thing as a secret sin. We might have sin that our spouse doesn’t know about, that our friends don’t know about, that our church doesn’t know about. We might have sin that is hidden from every other human being on the planet. But God knows. He sees it all.
The truth that God is always with us comes through in the Scripture in a variety of ways. It’s certainly a comfort when we’re suffering to know He’s with us. But to know that He’s with us when we sin is a frightening thing. He’s watching and He knows all of the supposedly “secret sins”. The abominations in the temple that were done in secret? God saw. He even took Ezekiel and showed him too!
We ought to thank God that He is merciful and that we can confess our sins to Him and be cleansed (1 Jn. 1:9). But let’s not be deceived and think that He doesn’t see what we’re up to. He sees and knows it all.
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