Today's Daily Lesson comes from Ezekiel chapter 10 verses 15 through 19:
15 The cherubim rose up. These were the living creatures that I saw by the river Chebar. 16 When the cherubim moved, the wheels moved beside them; and when the cherubim lifted up their wings to rise up from the earth, the wheels at their side did not veer. 17 When they stopped, the others stopped, and when they rose up, the others rose up with them; for the spirit of the living creatures was in them.
18 Then the glory of the Lord went out from the threshold of the house and stopped above the cherubim. 19 The cherubim lifted up their wings and rose up from the earth in my sight as they went out with the wheels beside them. They stopped at the entrance of the east gate of the house of the Lord; and the glory of the God of Israel was above them.
The glory of the LORD leaves the Temple.
This is a sad and sorrowful story, and a byword for all nations, institutions, and peoples. God will not be mocked. God's presence will not be shamed. No place -- country, school, or church -- is above God's laws and commands.
God left the so-called holiest place in the world when it became unholy. And so there is no excuse for any of us with a "holier than Thou" attitude among our own Nation or institutions.
We hear of so-called "American exceptionalism"; but there is no exception for us to this rule. The glory of the LORD does not take its cues from American hubris.
The prophet Ezekiel was not confused about this. He knew his nation was in trouble. Would that they had listened to him.
Would that we all.
NOTE: We are reading the whole Bible through this year. Tomorrow's Lesson comes from Ezekiel chapters 13-15.
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