Ezekiel 43:8

This was the reason for the people’s *sin in the past. They did not recognise what was *holy. In other words, they acted as if God was just a man, like themselves. So they did not respect his *holy *temple or his *holy law. It was true that they had built his house. But they also built their own houses, and those houses seemed to matter more to them. (Compare 1 Kings 6:38 and 1 Kings 7:1.) They made themselves wealthy. They became proud. And they acted as if God was not important. They chose other gods, that is false gods, to *worship. In the end, they even *worshipped those false gods in God’s *holy *temple (Ezekiel chapter 8).

This behaviour insulted God’s *holy name, that is, God’s perfect character. And this behaviour caused people in foreign nations to think that God was weak. God created everything that exists. But his own people were behaving as if he were some weak, false, local god. That was a terrible insult.

And that was why God had to act against his people. He allowed enemies to destroy Jerusalem. He allowed them to ruin his *holy *temple. But that was not the end of his relationship with his people.

The *Israelites’ situation seemed hopeless. But God still offered them hope. Their behaviour had been terrible. But God still offered them his kindness. They had refused his love and they had neglected his laws. But God still offered them his love. He would forgive. He would look after them. He would even live among them. These things were still possible. But first, they had to *turn from their evil behaviour.

They were not loyal to God. That evil behaviour had to end.

They *worshipped false gods. That evil behaviour had to end.

They did not respect the real God. That evil behaviour had to end.

And if they ended these things, God had a wonderful promise for them. He would live among them. He would be as their husband. And they would be as his loyal wife. Their love would be complete.