Day 248

Greater Abominations

Read: Ezekiel 8-12

Ezekiel is given a vision which transports him to Jerusalem so that he may see what great evils are being committed there. Then he will understand that the Lord must punish these things which are abominations in his sight.

God shows Ezekiel one scene of wickedness after another, in each case saying, “You will see still greater abominations” (8:6, 13, 15). People today say, “How could God punish people? Is he not a God of love?” But they fail to realize how abominable sin is in the eyes of a holy God. Right in the temple, the leaders of Jerusalem were worshiping the ugly idols of the pagan nations. In some cases, they were doing it in the dark, saying, “The Lord does not see us” (8:12). God will not be mocked, either by ancient people or by our culture. Much that is happening in our society today is an abomination in the eyes of a holy God.

Because of all of this, Jerusalem was bound to fall. But what about our present civilization? One could make a long list of those things which are abominable in the sight of God, practices for which people make all kinds of excuses. Can a holy God just ignore these things? Scripture here and in many other places tells us that he will not. Yet there is always the message of hope. “I will give them one heart, and put a new spirit within them” (11:19).

PRAYER
Father, work mightily in many hearts that people may turn from the abominable to the good. In Jesus’ name. Amen.