Read Ezekiel 8. As you read, realize all this was taking place in the sacred temple that the Lord had instituted, the very place where the Lord had promised to place His name. How could the people, the spiritual leaders, have fallen into such apostasy? What lessons can we learn from this for ourselves?

As I read this question I began to ask myself how could such a thing happen with the people of God? How is it that the people of God could stray so far away from doing the right thing? In Galatians 5 Paul says “A little leaven leavens the whole lump of dough.”(Gal 5:9) Even one small sin, or error knowingly cherished works all the way through our Christian experience. I believe the leaders of Israel thought they could take in just a little error, and these little compromises grew into great apostasy. Success in this life, success in gaining the future life, depends upon a faithful, conscientious attention to the little things. (Christian Education, 217). We must pay careful attention to the little things that we allow into our christian experience least by every little brick of compromise we build and altar to Satan himself!

Carefully read Ezekiel 8:12. What kind of logic and rationale were these elders using to justify their actions? What might have led them to such false conclusions?

First of all, the elders were deceived by believing that the Lord did not see what they were doing in secret. During the time of the writing of  Ezekiel Israel was under the captivity of Babylon. The leaders felt that God had forsaken them therefore He did not care nor see any of their actions. God sees all that we do in secret, and He will call all these actions into judgement. We must not be on the river on the bank with our Christianity, we must have one life in secret and one life in public,  sooner or later that which is cherished in secret will openly consume us.

Prayer: Father we detest the lives that we have been living and we ask that you bring us into full obedience to your will. Remove far from us the little bits of compromise which seek to entirely overtake us. Father help us to live authentic lives least we deceive your people or ourselves.  We thank your for the sufficiency of your grace to save us from our on condition. Thank you in Jesus name amen.