Ezekiel – Page 2 – Be Still…

Ezekiel 45:1-8 – Fairness of God

Read Ezekiel 45:1-8

There’s land to distribute again. When the Israelites first took the Promised Land, the land was intentionally distributed among the twelve tribes. I couldn’t help but remember that story. However, this is different because it speaks of the holy land that will house the temple of God’s presence, a place for the priests, the princes, and the people. God’s place is discussed first.

Nobody has been left out. All have a place and a purpose. That’s God’s fairness. After all that the people have gone through, God wants to restore them in the land. There is a great promise here. If only they would listen to him this time and not try to figure things out on their own. Continue reading “Ezekiel 45:1-8 – Fairness of God”

Ezekiel 44:1-31 – Prince and Priests

Read Ezekiel 44:1-31

This was an interesting part of the vision because it we see how God’s holy presence is set apart in the temple as well as who can approach him there. While some might see this distinction as limiting or menacing, it is really quite reassuring and encouraging. God wants to be with his people, and he is setting out the expectations for how it all works.

There is a bit of rebuke here against priests who fell away and reward for those from the line of Zadok who stayed faithful during those years of idol worship that led to God’s fury and discipline. These priests are in the line of Levi, not necessarily those we see in churches today. Continue reading “Ezekiel 44:1-31 – Prince and Priests”

Ezekiel 43:13-27 – Sacrificial Lamb

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. Continue reading “Ezekiel 43:13-27 – Sacrificial Lamb”

Ezekiel 43:1-12 – A Vision Within a Vision

Read Ezekiel 43:1-12

Ezekiel returns to the beginning of his tour of the temple only to see God’s glory revealed. The message I take away here was to be given to the people of Israel to expose their sinfulness, call for holiness, and point them toward the promise of being with God forever in his kingdom.

This is a key passage in the book of Ezekiel for us to ponder. We have a vision within a vision. While Ezekiel is still in this place he has been taken to, he is now taken into the inner court where he sees yet another vision of God taking possession of this temple. Continue reading “Ezekiel 43:1-12 – A Vision Within a Vision”

Ezekiel 42:1-20 – Holy Rooms

Read Ezekiel 42:1-20

Oh to be an architect and be able to make sense of all these details. Being able to picture these divine plans coming to life would be magnificent. One measurement I can almost picture is the perimeter of 875 feet. This is 291 yards, so nearly three football fields! That’s a lot of real estate to cover.

Ezekiel’s guided tour is coming to an end as this reading is the last of our temple dimensions. The vision will continue to give Ezekiel purposeful instructions, but for now we see the distinction between what is holy and what is not. A separation exists between the priests and everyone else. Even the priests have a time when they are recognized as holy and an expectation of what they must be doing. Continue reading “Ezekiel 42:1-20 – Holy Rooms”