Twenty-five men made a decision that impacted the course of Biblical history. Though their identities are mostly unknown, what they did grieved the Lord.  In a series of visions, God gives Ezekiel a glimpse of the spiritual condition of Israel.  In this chapter the Lord is in the process of withdrawing His presence from the Temple, and the reasons become clear.

There is an idol near the north gate of the inner court.  The Lord speaks:

"Son of man, do you see what they are doing - the utterly detestable things the house of Israel is doing here, things that will drive me far from my sanctuary?"  Ezekiel 8:6

There are things that will drive the presence of God away from His sanctuary.

Four actions are recorded in Ezekiel chapter eight:

1. An idol was placed near the Temple (8:3).

2. Portrayals of crawling creatures and animals were drawn and given homage (8:10).

3. Women were mourning for Tammuz (8:14).

4. Twenty-five men bowed to the sun in its rising (8:16).

Involvement with idolatry moved the presence of the Lord away from the sanctuary.  God will not share His glory with images and pagan deities.  

We read a striking commentary as the saga progresses:

"Now the glory of the God of Israel went up from above the cherubim, where it had been, and moved to the threshold of the temple."  Ezekiel 9:3

God was leaving.

Can God's presence leave a church today?  Only a minority of the children of Israel were involved in the idolatry described in Ezekiel.