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Hast Thou Seen This?
Ezekiel 8:17
"Then he said unto me, Hast thou seen this, O son of man? Is it a light thing to the house of Judah that they commit the abominations which they commit here? for they have filled the land with violence, and have returned to provoke me to anger: and, lo, they put the branch to their nose."
Identifying whether someone is living a lie is very hard thing to do. Judging someone's motives is never a right thing to do, but when it comes to someone you lead or your child, knowing what is going on in their heart is very important so that you can help them.
In the verse above, God asked Ezekiel a very pointed question, "Hast thou seen this, O son of man?" God was talking to His prophet and was showing him several actions that His people were doing in private. He used phrases like, "I had digged in the wall, behold a door..." and "every man in the chambers of his imagery..." to get Ezekiel to see that what they were saying and what they were actually doing were two different things. Studying Israel's actions reveals identifying signs that someone's private life is filled with sin.
First, jealousy is a key identifier that something is wrong with someone's heart. It says in verse 5, "...and behold northward at the gate of the altar this image of jealousy in the entry." When people are jealous of what others have, then they are revealing that they are living a selfish life. Jealousy is a identifier to show that a person only thinks of themselves. When a person makes themselves the issue, then they will live to please themselves, even if that pleasure means that they must do wrong to get pleasure.
Second, an idolatrous heart is a key identifier that something is wrong in a person's heart. In verse 10, you will find that Israel had an idolatrous heart. Idolatry is not just setting up images to worship, but idolatry is setting anything before God. When anything becomes more important than God, then it becomes an idol. When worldly things are more important to a person than godly things, then they have an idolatrous heart. For instance, when serving God is not as important as worldly functions, then a person has an idolatrous heart. When church, soul winning, Bible study and prayer are set aside for the sake of doing worldly pleasures, then a person has an idolatrous heart.
Third, a bad thought process reveals something is wrong with someone's heart. Israel's imagination was filled with wrong thoughts. Though you cannot see what a person thinks, Matthew 12:34 tells us that what a person says reveals what they think. Someone may try to hide what they are thinking, but it eventually comes out in what they talk about. It is important for leaders to listen to what their followers say, for the conversations and jokes that they are prone to tell reveals what is going on in their heart.
Fourth, a wrong direction reveals the heart. In verse 16, Israel's back was toward the temple. They were standing in the right place, but they were facing the wrong direction. A person's actions always speak louder than their words. Watching who someone spends time with helps reveals someone's direction. When someone is willing to do something that they previously were not willing to do, that shows their direction. A person's direction will always reveal what is going on in their heart and what it is that they really want to do.
The whole purpose of trying to identify what is going on in someone's heart is not to judge them, but to help them turn back to the right way. Watch for these identifying marks in those whom you lead, and when you see them, reach out in a special way, not to preach at them or to judge them, but to bring them back to where they should be.