He said to me: Human one, do you see what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, every one of them in their rooms full of sculptured images? They say, “The LORD doesn’t see us; the LORD has abandoned the land.” (CEB)

Ezekiel 8:12

It seems like every other week some scandal arises because leaders thought they could hide their misdeeds. Religious leaders believed they could keep their sexual shenanigans a secret. Corporate executives assumed they could cover their dishonesty with creative accounting. Politicians figured they could get away with their lies. But, one way or another, their transgressions were revealed, often just in time for the six o'clock news.

Sadly, there's nothing new about leaders doing wrong and trusting that secrecy will protect them from accountability. Early in the 6th century B.C., the prophet Ezekiel was given supernatural vision into the inner workings of the temple in Jerusalem. There he saw "every form of loathsome beasts and creeping things and all the idols of the house of Israel" (8:10). Seventy of Israel's top leaders were offering worship to these idols. They believed they could get away with such idolatry because they were acting "in the dark." In fact, they said, "The LORD doesn't see us; the LORD has abandoned the land" (8:12).

But, of course, the Lord did see what the leaders were doing. Moreover, he would hold them accountable for their sins. They would see their nation ransacked. Many of the leaders would be killed, while others would be taken into exile in Babylon. The destruction of Jerusalem was a direct result of the failures of its leaders to honor the Lord in secret, as well as in their public pronouncements.

Ezekiel 8 serves as a stern word of warning for leaders, no matter the setting in which we exercise authority. The character and, indeed, the fruitfulness of leadership depend not only on what we do in the open, but also on what we do in secret. Even if we can keep our misdeeds hidden from others, God sees us. If we seek to honor him when nobody else is looking, God will be glorified. If we develop a secret life of hidden sin, we risk not only our own position but also the blessing of the people and organizations we lead.

May God give us a fresh desire to honor him in the dark as well as in the light!

QUESTIONS FOR FURTHER REFLECTION: Why do leaders think they can get away with their supposedly secret misdeed? Where do you struggle to be faithful to God "in the dark"?

PRAYER: Gracious God, you see everything about me. You know all that is good and all that is evil in my life. You see my secret sins, my selfish motivations, my hidden faults. Were it not for your grace, this would be a terrifying thought. Yet, I believe you are at work in me, forgiving me, helping me to be more like you. And for this I give you thanks.

Help me, dear Lord, to avoid fooling myself about my secret sins. Help me to live each moment as if I were fully in your presence. Increase my desire to honor you in every part of life. Amen.