THEOSISJerome of Stridon
From the actions of those assembled in the temple, it is shown that each individual is revealed in their private life. However, a deeper interpretation suggests that some church leaders engage in secret activities that are best left unspoken. This refers to the person with a concealed conscience, as indicated by the words, "Enter into thy cell" (Matthew 6:6), and, "He that seeth in secret shall reward thee" (ibid.). Each person remains occupied with their own awareness, recalling their misdeeds in the shadows and acknowledging the truth: those who do wrong despise the light and avoid it, fearing exposure to its brightness (John 3:20). They recognize that the saying applies to them: "he who drinks in the night is drunken" (1 Thess. 5:7).
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Taken literally, this cannot hold true; after all, many indulge in drunkenness during daytime feasts and celebrations! Yet, the spiritual inebriation that offends God is found specifically in darkness, not in light, so those who indulge find themselves intoxicated at night. When the leaders of Israel commit wrongdoing in secrecy, thinking they have hidden from God, they repeatedly claim, "The Lord does not see us; the Lord has forsaken the land." Many sinners, guided by their own thoughts, believe that God is indifferent to humanity and that our faults have no consequences for Him. If we truly realized that God witnesses our transgressions and is ever-present, we would undoubtedly refrain from actions that displease Him. The proclamation that "the Lord has forsaken the earth" reflects the view of some philosophers who, observing the constant motion of the stars, assume that divine providence only pertains to celestial matters, leaving earthly affairs without attention, as they see nothing properly executed on the ground or in good order.