Digging Through the Wall
by Cleve Stafford
Some of the most uncomfortable parts of Scripture are the ones that feel a little too close to home. One of those moments shows up in the book of Ezekiel, in a vision that doesn’t get preached on very often, but maybe should. Ezekiel 8:7-12, “And he brought me to the entrance of the court, and when I looked, behold, there was a hole in the wall. Then he said to me, ‘Son of man, dig in the wall.’ So I dug in the wall, and behold, there was an entrance. And he said to me, ‘Go in, and see the vile abominations that they are committing here.’ So I went in and saw. And there, engraved on the wall all around, was every form of creeping things and loathsome beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel. And before them stood seventy men of the elders of the house of Israel... Each had his censer in his hand, and the smoke of the cloud of incense went up. Then he said to me, ‘Son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the dark, each in his room of pictures? For they say, ‘The LORD does not see us, the LORD has forsaken the land.’”
God took Ezekiel on a tour, not of pagan temples, but of the secret sins hidden in the hearts of His own people. Hidden in the dark, behind the wall, were the elders of Israel worshiping vile things. These were the men who were supposed to lead the people in righteousness. But when they thought no one was watching, they turned to idols. Picture that scene. God tells Ezekiel, “Dig through the wall,” and what he finds behind it isn’t just shocking, it’s heartbreaking. These men hadn’t stopped being religious. They still held censers and still played the part, but their worship was hollow. In the hidden places, they bowed to something other than God.
Were they mistakenly thinking, “The LORD does not see us?” Maybe they believed their private life didn’t matter because God had turned His back. But He hadn’t. God saw every image, heard every whispered lie, and knew what lived behind the wall. And He called it what it was – an abomination. That should make us think: what would God see if He asked us to dig through our own walls? What thoughts, habits, or hidden idols would be carved into the corners of our hearts? What do we allow in the dark that we never want seen in the light?
Maybe it’s a pattern of lust no one knows about. Maybe it’s envy, resentment, or pride that hides beneath a smile. Maybe it’s the bitterness we’ve nursed for years or the entertainment we excuse, but deep down, we know is unholy. God sees everything, and He always brings it to light, not to shame us, but to heal us. That’s the difference between conviction and condemnation. Conviction says, “This needs to go because you were made for more.” Condemnation says, “You’re too far gone.”
Ezekiel’s vision isn’t just about Israel; it’s about all of us. We all have walls. We all have rooms we think no one can see into. But the truth is, nothing is hidden from the eyes of the Lord. Hebrews 4:13, “And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.” And that’s not a threat, it’s a grace. Because the One who sees it all still loves us. So here’s the question, “Are you willing to let Him tear it down?”
Sometimes the first step to freedom is just opening the door and letting Him in. No more hiding. No more pretending. Just raw honesty before a holy God who longs to cleanse, not crush. Today is the perfect time to start digging through our walls. Today is the day to ask Him to shine His light into our darkest, most hidden places. Today is the day to take responsibility and do what it takes to make the changes to secure our salvation through obedient living.
