Ezekiel 8-9: We Need to Grieve and Lament

Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple. Then the LORD called to the man clothed in linen who had the writing kit at his side  and said to him, “Go throughout the city of Jerusalem and put a mark on the foreheads of those who grieve and lament over all the detestable things that are done in it.”  - Ez 9:3-4 NIV
 
It's one thing for us to say with a clear conscience 'Well, things may be bad, but I haven't done any of those things that God deems detestable" and another for our hearts to break over the sins of the nation.  For my part, I have to confess I'm not there yet. Oh, I do grieve for all I see around me, I grieve for the future of this nation, for the future of our children, but I'm afraid it's still a pretty selfish kind of grief.  I know that we're surrounded by sins against God, but I'm more worried about the effect it may have on my safety and livelihood than I am on how the heart of God must be grieving over the conduct of his people, his creation and all the nations.  And, he sees more of what's taking place than we do.  Just as in Ezekiel's time, there is more going on behind closed doors than we can even imagine.  If even a fraction of what Ezekiel saw, the worship of other gods and even the sun, is going on now, we should be falling flat on our faces, prostrating ourselves before God and begging him for mercy, but we're blind..  We need God to lift us up and open our eyes to  the sins in our own lives before we're pure enough to grieve and lament over the detestable things going on around us.
 

2010 Post - Ezekiel 8-9:  Judgment Begins In The House of God