Read Ezekiel 43:13-27
Ezekiel’s audience may not have been particularly familiar with the altar and sacrifice expectations God’s law had prescribed. Living in a foreign country without their temple would have made it difficult to keep up their obedience in that way.
However, we know that the returnees took reinstating the sacrificial requirements very seriously and building an altar was of utmost importance, even before the temple was rebuilt. The altar Ezekiel describes here is quite magnificent.
What do you think the people thought when they heard how they would get the altar ready? They had to smear it with the blood of an animal. God’s vision was even specific in what type of animal should be used. This was significant instruction for anyone setting up an altar for sacrificing.
For us today, the idea of sacrificial atonement for our sins seems so foreign. It can seem strange to read about such ceremonial cleansings and God’s instructions for the people. The sacrificial system had been in place for many generations.
Everything would change when Jesus came. Jesus is our spotless lamb, the Lamb of God, sent to take away our sins. He shed his holy blood so that we could be made right with God.
We can reflect on that amazing promise for us today. We don’t necessarily want to rush past the message God proclaimed for that time and place. He showed us the way to atone for our sins. The sacrificial system had its purpose. But the ultimate sacrifice would be God himself, in the flesh, coming to die for us.
How do we respond to that? Reflect on these two verses today:
1 John 2:1-2 which says, “My dear children, I am writing this to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate who pleads our case before the Father. He is Jesus Christ, the one who is truly righteous. He himself is the sacrifice that atones for our sins—and not only our sins but the sins of all the world.”
1 John 4:9-10 which says, “ God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.”
Let’s pray. Thank you, God, for loving me so completely. You saw that we weren’t doing a very good job on our own of cleansing ourselves of our sinfulness. Your ultimate sacrifice is astounding to me. Forgive me for the times I fall short. I look to you to lead my life and open up the opportunities to bring others to know you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
