February 25: TRIVIAL
And [the LORD] said to me, “Have you seen this, O son of man? Is it a trivial thing to the house of Judah to commit the abominations which they commit here?” Ezekiel 8:17
Ezekiel, a contemporary of Jeremiah, was with the Jewish exiles in Babylon during the seventy-year exile decreed by God for the idolatrous behavior of His professed people. Ezekiel was God’s prophet to guide and instruct His people back onto the right path. Corruption ran deep, and came upon the people in layer after layer as they had continually accepted and adopted the godless practices of those who did not know God, sometimes referred to as “heathen”. By contrast, the term “wicked” is used of those who know better but refuse to acknowledge divine authority in their lives.
The saying, “The LORD does not see us…” (v.12) is a Hebrew expression meaning something is trivial in the eyes of the LORD—a small matter which He does not care about one way or the other. Such an attitude is deadly: God says it “makes Me go far away from My sanctuary” (v.6).
God asks Ezekiel the opening questions above just after showing him the fourth, and most serious, abomination committed by the top leadership of His people: sun worship (v.16). This insult to God was multiplied by the worship of the rising sun (morning worship) in the very place of assembly: the sanctuary set aside as holy to express His special presence among the people (see Exodus 25:8 & 1 Corinthians 3:9). This idolatrous, counterfeit worship was most celebrated on the morning of the day devoted by the heathen to the sun: Sunday, in marked contrast to the Lord’s holy day, the Sabbath (Isaiah 58:13).
This practice, which continues today, is the cornerstone of Mystery Babylon’s counterfeit system of worship. Ezekiel chapters 8 & 9 prophetically open what is to come to the forefront as the last great test before Jesus returns. The Sabbath is the sign, or mark, of God as the Creator (Genesis 2:1-3) and the Redeemer/Savior/Sanctifier (Exodus 31:13, Ezekiel 20:12,20). To answer the second question above, this is not a trivial thing to God. The modern-day response of many church leaders used to be, “the day doesn’t matter to Him” but has progressed to: “those who keep the biblical Sabbath are guilty of legalism.” This manner of thinking deliberately singles out the fourth commandment as the least important of the ten (see James 2:10). Beloved, we are to trust and obey the Lord in every matter which has been made plain to us. Do not fret if your obedience to the Lord’s commandments brings criticism from people. Remember that faith also means faithfulness, without which it is impossible to please God (Hebrews 11:6).
“But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depths of the sea.” Matthew 18:6