The Glory Departed

God gave Ezekiel a vision in which he saw the glory of the Lord departing from the Temple and then departing from the city of Jerusalem.(Ezekiel 11:23) It was a sad day for God's people, and it is a sad time for anyone when this happens. God's glory is His presence. God does not abide with sin, so when sin comes to stay His glory departs.

The interesting thing about this vision is that the glory departs gradually. God did not just disappear from His residence in the Temple in Jerusalem. He moved to the threshold of the Temple and waited. Then, He moved to the gate of the city. Later, He moved to the mountain outside the east gate, and He waited overlooking Jerusalem. I believe this tells us that God gives us every opportunity to repent of our sins, confess them, and to be cleansed, so He doesn't have to leave.(I John 1:9) He moves gradually out of our lives, so we can see the subtle changes and know just what we need to do. It should make us hunger and thirst for His fullness, when we realize He is leaving us.

How about your life? Do you have God's presence in power residing in you and living through you? Do you feel Him departing, or do you remember when He finally left, because of your hard heart? He wants to come back, but it has to be on His terms, not yours. God wants a clean place to live. Ask Him to show you your sins and take time to seriously confess them to Him, so He can cleanse you and return His powerful presence to your life.

Tomorrow, I intend to read Ezekiel 13-15.