“And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account” (Hebrews 4:13).
The word-picture behind the phrase “…uncovered and laid bare” (NIV) conveys the image of a wrestler who has placed an opponent in a vulnerable position. As one source explains, “Naked and open suggests complete exposure and defenselessness before God. All believers must give account to the all-seeing, all-knowing God…” (1)
The author of Hebrews will go on to underscore this point later in Hebrews 9:27 in another notable portion of this book: “….it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment.” These verses represent a few of the many Biblical passages that serve to caution us regarding the account we will render to God for the way we have conducted our lives.
Jesus delivered a candid and straightforward preview of that future judgment in Matthew 25:31-46. However, the Bible also offers several other cautionary messages in addition to that portion of Scripture and the others we have already discussed…
“Don’t excuse yourself by saying, ‘Look, we didn’t know.’ For God understands all hearts, and he sees you. He who guards your soul knows you knew. He will repay all people as their actions deserve” (Proverbs 24:12 NLT).
“There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs” (Luke 12:2-3 NIV).
“…For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ” (Romans 14:10).
In light of this, we should be diligent to heed these important messages. As another source observes…
“We may conceal our inner being from our neighbors, and we can even deceive ourselves; but nothing escapes the scrutiny of God; before Him everything lies exposed and powerless. And it is with Him, not with our fellow-men or with our own conscience, that our final reckoning has to be made. Stripped of all disguise and protection we are utterly at the mercy of God, the Judge of all. Therefore, ‘let us give diligence … !'” (2)
We can demonstrate the extent of our vulnerability in this area with a look at an event in the life of the Old Testament prophet Ezekiel. We’ll consider Ezekiel’s experience (and what it means for us) beginning next.
(1) Radmacher, E. D., Allen, R. B., & House, H. W. (1999). Nelson’s new illustrated Bible commentary (p. 1641). T. Nelson Publishers.
(2) The New International Commentary On The New Testament – The Epistle To The Hebrews, F. F. Bruce, General Editor © Copyright 1964, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. Grand Rapids, Michigan [pg. 83]