Practical Lessons from Ezekiel (Part 2)
Our next practical lesson from Ezekiel is this:

5. GOD IS HURT BY OUR SINS.
Ezekiel 6:9 - "Then those of you who escape will remember Me among the nations where they are carried captive, because I was crushed by their adulterous heart which has departed from Me, and by their eyes which play the harlot after their idols; they will loathe themselves for the evils which they committed in all their abominations."

Although it is true that God is Spirit and not flesh (cf. John 4:24), that doesn't mean He doesn't have feelings or emotions. Our sins hurt God deeply and destroy our fellowship with Him. When we commit ourselves to Him and then later cheat on Him (which is possible in various ways), it crushes Him.

6. EVEN GREAT, GODLY MEN CANNOT SAVE THE IMPENITENT.
Ezekiel 14:12-20:

"The word of the LORD came again to me, saying: 'Son of man, when a land sins against Me by persistent unfaithfulness, I will stretch out My hand against it; I will cut off its supply of bread, send famine on it, and cut off man and beast from it. Even if these three men, Noah, Daniel, & Job, were in it, they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness,' says the Lord GOD. 'If I cause wild beasts to pass through the land, and they empty it, and make it so desolate that no man may pass through because of the beasts, even though these three men were in it, as I live,' says the Lord GOD, 'they would deliver neither sons nor daughters; only they would be delivered, and the land would be desolate. Or if I bring a sword on that land, and say, "Sword, go through the land," and I cut off man and beast from it, even though these three men were in it, as I live,' says the Lord GOD, 'they would deliver neither sons nor daughters, but only they themselves would be delivered. Or if I send a pestilence into that land and pour out My fury on it in blood, and cut off from it man and beast, even though Noah, Daniel, and Job were in it, as I live,' says the Lord God, 'they would deliver only themselves by their righteousness.'"

This section is rather repetitious, though I read it all here for emphasis. In the ultimate sense, it doesn't matter whether God uses famine, wild beasts, swords, or pestilence to punish persistent infidelity in a nation, righteousness can only save the individual. Noah, Daniel, & Job were great and godly men, but when God's patience reaches its end, great and godly men (& women) can only save themselves, not the impenitent.

7. THE ORIGINS OF DEGENERATE BEHAVIOR ARE PREDICTABLE.
Ezekiel 16:49,50 - "Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. And they were haughty and committed abomination before Me; therefore I took them away as I saw fit."

Our society is similar in ways to Sodom of old. The degenerate behavior of homosexuality did not become widespread and find social approval in a vacuum. No, there were many precursors: pride, materialism, too much free time, & selfishness. These ingredients on a widespread level always lead to various forms of degenerate behavior.