Bible Passage: “Then the glory of the Lord departed from over the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim.” (Ezekiel 10:18 NIV)
Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 10:1-22
We are often told of the value of “delayed gratification.” The benefit of waiting for something until the proper time. And it’s true.
But sometimes we fall victim to the converse line of thinking. Not exactly “pleasure of the moment,” but what if consequences are delayed?
Delayed consequences are a slippery slope that can lead us to compromise. The thought that we have gotten away with something can lessen the significance of the action. We may not see the compromise for the danger it presents. Compromise can lead us into patterns of behavior that are not only unhealthy but also sinful.
The danger of compromise is that it often starts small and subtle. We bend; we do not break. We tell ¾ truths, lessen our giving by just a bit so that we can buy something we want. But before long, the less the whole truth becomes an outright lie, and the lower giving threatens to become a taking.
Ezekiel chapter 10 has a warning for men about compromise.
This passage is one of the most devastating portrayals of God in the entire corpus of Scripture. It captures the moment when God’s glory departs from the temple of Israel—God leaving the midst of the home built for Him among the people He chose and rescued time and time again.
Why? Why did Ezekiel witness God’s glory crossing the threshold and leaving the temple?
Because sin had not been taken seriously. Warnings had not been heeded, and God’s presence had been presumed upon.
But the breaking point did come.
This is a dire warning for us. We may think that, in the absence of immediate consequences for our sin, there will, in fact, be none.
Ezekiel 10 warns us of a different reality. God does not tolerate sin, even though He may not act on it in every moment.
If a delay of consequence has allowed us to accept patterns of compromise and has drawn us into patterns that flaunt the life and character God calls us to, we, too, may be in the same danger the Israelites faced. Do not let it lull you into a false sense of security.
Prayer: God, help me see if there are any places where my reasoning has turned into license for sin. Help me see that my responsibility exists even if I don’t see the consequences right away, and help me choose better ways to live. Amen.
Reflection: Are there any actions or habits that you have rationalized? How can you find a way to view them more accurately and surrender them to the conviction of the Holy Spirit?
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