How does God's glory departing the temple in Ezekiel 10:18 impact our worship? Setting the Scene “Then the glory of the LORD departed from the threshold of the temple and stopped above the cherubim.” (Ezekiel 10:18) Why the Glory Departed • Persistent idolatry (Ezekiel 8) • Social injustice and bloodshed (Ezekiel 9:9) • Hard-hearted refusal to repent (Jeremiah 7:23-24) God’s holiness cannot accommodate unrepentant sin indefinitely. What the Departure Reveals about God • His presence is a sacred privilege, never a guaranteed fixture (Exodus 33:15) • He judges His own house first (1 Peter 4:17) • He desires relationship, not empty ritual (Isaiah 1:11-17) Implications for Our Personal Worship • Reverence: Approach God aware of His blazing holiness (Hebrews 12:28-29) • Repentance: Regular self-examination (1 John 1:9) • Authenticity: God values a “broken and contrite heart” (Psalm 51:17) Implications for Corporate Worship 1. Pursue purity – Church discipline and accountability (1 Corinthians 5:6-8) 2. Prioritize presence over performance – Gather expecting God, not merely a program (Matthew 18:20) 3. Teach the whole counsel of God – Sound doctrine guards against drift (2 Timothy 4:2-3) Christ: The Return of the Glory • “The Word became flesh and tabernacled among us, and we beheld His glory” (John 1:14) • Jesus called Himself the true temple (John 2:19-21) • At the cross the veil tore (Matthew 27:51), signaling open access to God The Spirit in Us “Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16) • Indwelling glory brings daily communion • Defiling the “new temple” grieves the Spirit (Ephesians 4:30) Guarding the Glory Today • Cultivate holiness—private obedience fuels public worship • Embrace humility—glory departs where pride reigns (James 4:6) • Stay Word-saturated—Scripture keeps us aligned with God’s heart (Psalm 119:11) Certain Hope Ahead “I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east… and the glory of the LORD filled the temple.” (Ezekiel 43:2, 5) “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.” (Revelation 21:3) Until that final day, honoring the glory within and among us shapes every act of worship. |
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