The Chambers Of His Imagery

Temple Baptist Church - 6-1-2008

Ezekiel 8:1-12

Introduction:

Ezekiel was one of the “exile prophets,” taken to Babylon by Nebuchadnezzar during Israel’s captivity. Ezekiel proclaimed judgments of the Lord to the Israelites because of various sin related issues and the abominable condition of Jerusalem.

A. God re-introduced Ezekiel to the “dark side” of mankind in these verses. Ezekiel kept before the generation born in exile the sins of the people of Israel that led to their captivity. While the Temple work continued, the people—including the priesthood—continued to do abominable things in their secret places.

Proverbs 5:14 I was almost in all evil in the midst of the congregation and assembly. (It is possible for any of us to be faithful and outwardly spiritual while living in secret sin before God.)

B. Faithful people can have wicked hearts! Over the years, I have found that church problems most often come from the faithful crowd, not the every once in a while crowd. They eventually fight the Purpose of the Church; the People of the Church; and the Pastor of the Church! Two things that we need to know:

1. God knows who and what you are!

2. Eventually what you are will manifest itself publicly! You will be exposed to all! “As he thinketh in his heart, so is he!”

C. The chambers of his imagery refer to the hidden place where these individuals worshiped their idols. They evidently thought that the Lord did not see them because they offered their incense to these false gods in the dark (verse 12). They had several misconceptions that led them to this place of sinful practice:

THEIR MISCONCEPTION

1. They Failed To Understand Who God Is – vs. 12 “in the dark”

A. He Is Omnipresent - Proverbs 15:3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.

Job 34:21-22 For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings. 22 There is no darkness, nor shadow of death, where the workers of iniquity may hide themselves.

Psalms 19:12 Who can understand [his] errors? Cleanse thou me from secret [faults].

Psalms 44:20-21 If we have forgotten the name of our God, or stretched out our hands to a strange god; 21 Shall not God search this out? For he knoweth the secrets of the heart.

Psalms 90:8 Thou hast set our iniquities before thee, our secret [sins] in the light of thy countenance.

Psalms 94:9 He that planted the ear, shall he not hear? He that formed the eye, shall he not see?

Psalms 139:12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light [are] both alike [to thee].

Proverbs 5:21 For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this [is] the whole [duty] of man. 14 For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether [it be] good, or whether [it be] evil.

Jeremiah 23:24 Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? Saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? Saith the LORD.

Jeremiah 32:19 Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings:

Ezekiel 28:3 Behold, thou [art] wiser than Daniel; there is no secret that they can hide from thee:

Daniel 2:22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what [is] in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.

1 Corinthians 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

Luke 8:17 For nothing is secret, that shall not be made manifest; neither [any thing] hid, that shall not be known and come abroad.

Romans 2:16 In the day when God shall judge the secrets of men by Jesus Christ according to my gospel.

Hebrews 4:13 Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.

B. He Is Omniscient - 1 Chronicles 28:9 And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever.

Psalms 139:1-12 O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. 2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. 3 Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. 4 For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. 5 Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. 6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain unto it. 7 Whither shall I go from thy spirit? or whither shall I flee from thy presence? 8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there. 9 If I take the wings of the morning, and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea; 10 Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. 11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me; even the night shall be light about me. 12 Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee; but the night shineth as the day: the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.

Daniel 2:22 He revealeth the deep and secret things: he knoweth what [is] in the darkness, and the light dwelleth with him.

Psalms 94:11 The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vanity.

Matthew 9:4 And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?

Luke 9:47 And Jesus, perceiving the thought of their heart, took a child, and set him by him,

John 2:24 But Jesus did not commit himself unto them, because he knew all men,

1 Corinthians 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

C. He Is Holy - Psalms 11:4 The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD’S throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.

Psalms 99:9 Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy hill; for the LORD our God is holy.

Leviticus 20:7 Sanctify yourselves therefore, and be ye holy: for I am the LORD your God.

1 Corinthians 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the hearts: and then shall every man have praise of God.

WHAT OTHERS CANNOT SEE, GOD SEES!

THE CHAMBERS OF HIS IMAGERY

1. The Secret Chamber Of A Wicked Heart - Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for [the LORD seeth] not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.

Matthew 15:18-19 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies:

Luke 6:45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

Jeremiah 3:17 At that time they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart. (The heart is who we are. It is the place where sin is conceived. Our hearts must be kept right with God through Bible reading, prayer, and constant communion with the Lord.)

2. The Secret Chamber Of A Wicked Mind – Proverbs 23:7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so [is] he: Eat and drink, saith he to thee; but his heart [is] not with thee.

Genesis 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man [was] great in the earth, and [that] every imagination of the thoughts of his heart [was] only evil continually.

Romans 1:21 Because that, when they knew God, they glorified [him] not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

2 Corinthians 10:5 Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (Wicked hearts lead to wicked thoughts and imaginations. As a man “thinketh” in his heart!)

3. The Secret Chamber Of A Wicked Flesh – Living double lives! Many people are “spiritual” outwardly but live secretly in sinfulness.

a. The Problem Of The Flesh - Romans 7:18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but [how] to perform that which is good I find not.

b. The Provision Of The Flesh - Romans 13:11-14 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. 12 The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. 13 Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying. 14 But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. (Sinful hearts lead to sinful thoughts and sinful thoughts eventually lead to sinful acts.)

c. The Potential Of The Flesh - Galatians 5:19-21 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are [these]; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

Numbers 32:23 But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.