The Lord searches all the earth for people who have given themselves completely to him. He wants to make them strong. Asa, you did a foolish thing, so from now on you will have wars.”
How terrible it will be for those who try to hide things from the Lord and who do their work in darkness. They think no one will see them or know what they do.
“I know they have evil thoughts and do evil things, so I am coming to punish them. I will gather all nations and all people, and they will come together and see my glory.
They have done evil things among the people of Israel. They are guilty of adultery with their neighbors’ wives. They have also spoken lies and said those lies were a message from me. I did not tell them to do that. I know what they have done; I am a witness to it,” says the Lord.
Then he said to me, “Human, have you seen what the elders of Israel are doing in the dark? Have you seen each man in the room of his own idol? They say, ‘The Lord doesn’t see us. The Lord has left the land.’ ”
Then he said to me, “The sin of the people of Israel and Judah is very great. The land is filled with people who murder, and the city is full of people who are not fair. The people say, ‘The Lord has left the land, and the Lord does not see.’
At that time I, the Lord, will search Jerusalem with lamps. I will punish those who are satisfied with themselves, who think, ‘The Lord won’t help us or punish us.’
“The people should not think that small beginnings are unimportant. They will be happy when they see Zerubbabel with tools, building the Temple. “(These are the seven eyes of the Lord, which look back and forth across the earth.)”
So do not judge before the right time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light things that are now hidden in darkness, and will make known the secret purposes of people’s hearts. Then God will praise each one of them.