Thus says the Lord God: “The gateway of the inner court that faces toward the east shall be shut the six working days; but on the Sabbath it shall be opened, and on the day of the New Moon it shall be opened." v.1
Read chapter 46
The east gate of the inner court was to be closed six days of the week and opened on the Sabbath and day of the New Moon. This was the gate into the inner most court, where the altar of burnt offerings was. This seems different to the Law of Moses where there was morning and evening sacrifices going on all the time so the doors never shut. Again this is a continued vision of the Lord to Ezekiel of the future order. This chapter is continue from the previous chapter of the ordinances of worship at the temple. It is not that it becomes a religious repetitious worship, but orderly.
We can't think of this like a church today in that only on Sunday's is when you go to church when the doors are open and the rest of the week it should stay locked up, but it does signify that just as in Genesis man shall labor six days and on the seventh day rest and that rest a day of sole worship and devotion to the Lord. Worshipping the Lord should happen throughout our week wherever we are working or resting, yet corporate worship is necessary too. Do you have a corporate worship once a week that you desire and can't wait for every week just waiting for the doors to swing wide open? Or do you dread those doors being opened and forced to enter? What would need to change if that's how you feel?
Sunday, July 31, 2016
Saturday, July 30, 2016
Ezekiel 45
“Moreover, when you divide the land by lot into inheritance, you shall set apart a district for the Lord, a holy section of the land; its length shall be twenty-five thousand cubits, and the width ten thousand. It shall be holy throughout its territory all around." v.1
Read chapter 45
When I first read this chapter in the NIV I thought of the Hunger Games. Because of the wording "district" and their being a sacred district and everyone else living off from that. Now it's not the Hunger Games where the capitol district hates the other districts and keeps all the other districts at disadvantages, it's an areas where the sanctuary will be and land of the priests (priest's allotment/inheritance was serving in the temple and teaching all the tribes so were to be in a central location of the temple). Now we don't know what exactly is a cubit but some commentaries suggest this was around 722 square miles, Butte, Montana is close to this size of 716 sq miles. This wasnt the size of their promised land when they entered Canaan after Moses, nor was it after exile, so then this must be still to come and this only the land of Israel mentioned in this chapter. Like the Hunger Games the capitol district was what controlled all the land and governing powers came from, yet to travel to see the capitol will be possible and everyone will be blessed by the laws and judgments that come out of this sacred district yet to come.
Read chapter 45
When I first read this chapter in the NIV I thought of the Hunger Games. Because of the wording "district" and their being a sacred district and everyone else living off from that. Now it's not the Hunger Games where the capitol district hates the other districts and keeps all the other districts at disadvantages, it's an areas where the sanctuary will be and land of the priests (priest's allotment/inheritance was serving in the temple and teaching all the tribes so were to be in a central location of the temple). Now we don't know what exactly is a cubit but some commentaries suggest this was around 722 square miles, Butte, Montana is close to this size of 716 sq miles. This wasnt the size of their promised land when they entered Canaan after Moses, nor was it after exile, so then this must be still to come and this only the land of Israel mentioned in this chapter. Like the Hunger Games the capitol district was what controlled all the land and governing powers came from, yet to travel to see the capitol will be possible and everyone will be blessed by the laws and judgments that come out of this sacred district yet to come.
Friday, July 29, 2016
Ezekiel 44
They shall have linen turbans on their heads and linen trousers on their bodies; they shall not clothe themselves with anything that causes sweat. v.18
Read chapter 44
I could never be a priest. I sweat all the time no matter what I wear. Ok all joking aside this chapter is talking about the line of priest that will be in the future order; yes there will be priest in the Kingdom. The priests will be from the line of Zadok. They were the priests that didn't go astray to idols and other abominations. The sons of Zadok were priests in the line of Aaron who were the high priest (different from Levitical priests). These priests will be clean shaving, trimming their hair and not sweating- a hard thing to do with all the duties of the priest killing the sacrifices, butchering a chicken is hard work that exhausts me, I can imagine bulls, rams, goats, etc. Yet these linen garments they were to wear when they were in the temple was only for that work and then they were to change; priest have uniforms but also "play" clothes too. Yet their personality doesn't change from "at work" to "after work hours." Priest were to teach the people of what is holy and what is common, they are to be the judges of the people (vv.23-24).
How have you seen jobs or positions of people that are different during working hours and off hours? Who do you know that is the same (not working after work hours but consistent in who they are)?
Read chapter 44
I could never be a priest. I sweat all the time no matter what I wear. Ok all joking aside this chapter is talking about the line of priest that will be in the future order; yes there will be priest in the Kingdom. The priests will be from the line of Zadok. They were the priests that didn't go astray to idols and other abominations. The sons of Zadok were priests in the line of Aaron who were the high priest (different from Levitical priests). These priests will be clean shaving, trimming their hair and not sweating- a hard thing to do with all the duties of the priest killing the sacrifices, butchering a chicken is hard work that exhausts me, I can imagine bulls, rams, goats, etc. Yet these linen garments they were to wear when they were in the temple was only for that work and then they were to change; priest have uniforms but also "play" clothes too. Yet their personality doesn't change from "at work" to "after work hours." Priest were to teach the people of what is holy and what is common, they are to be the judges of the people (vv.23-24).
How have you seen jobs or positions of people that are different during working hours and off hours? Who do you know that is the same (not working after work hours but consistent in who they are)?
Thursday, July 28, 2016
Ezekiel 43
“Son of man, describe the temple to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and let them measure the pattern. And if they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the temple and its arrangement, its exits and its entrances, its entire design and all its ordinances, all its forms and all its laws. Write it down in their sight, so that they may keep its whole design and all its ordinances, and perform them." vv.11-12
Read chapter 43
This temple that is chapter describes does not have the same measurements as what the one Solomon built. This temple is measurements of the temple that will be in the future, when God will dwell among the house of Israel forever (v.7). When Ezekiel is to describe to Israel the temple it will cause them to be ashamed of their iniquities. They will realized the perfect pattern of God's design and how they didn't "stay in the lines" of His drawing, not just in building God's house and how they had defiled it but in all matters of God's decrees. Ezekiel is to write down all the temple's measurements that they may keep it as a reference when and question or doubt come up. This wasn't the whole Bible that he wrote down for them but the exact measurements of the temple. I'm no carpenter but have good friends who are and if something is 1/16th of an inch off it can mess up the whole fitting. Or a friend who's a artist that if one brush stroke is not how she wanted it, she starts all over again with a new canvas.
How have you drawn outside the lines of God's plan for you and seen the need for God's pattern over your own?
Read chapter 43
This temple that is chapter describes does not have the same measurements as what the one Solomon built. This temple is measurements of the temple that will be in the future, when God will dwell among the house of Israel forever (v.7). When Ezekiel is to describe to Israel the temple it will cause them to be ashamed of their iniquities. They will realized the perfect pattern of God's design and how they didn't "stay in the lines" of His drawing, not just in building God's house and how they had defiled it but in all matters of God's decrees. Ezekiel is to write down all the temple's measurements that they may keep it as a reference when and question or doubt come up. This wasn't the whole Bible that he wrote down for them but the exact measurements of the temple. I'm no carpenter but have good friends who are and if something is 1/16th of an inch off it can mess up the whole fitting. Or a friend who's a artist that if one brush stroke is not how she wanted it, she starts all over again with a new canvas.
How have you drawn outside the lines of God's plan for you and seen the need for God's pattern over your own?
Wednesday, July 27, 2016
Ezekiel 42
He measured it on the four sides; it had a wall all around, five hundred cubits long and five hundred wide, to separate the holy areas from the common. v.20
Read chapter 42
Ezekiel's vision of the temple continues. Here we see the dimensions of both the inner and outer courts. The inner court is more like a rectangle with the dimensions given of the length of the chambers facing the temple and the outer units (50 x 100 cubits). The out court is a perfect square 500 x 500 cubits.
The wall that was built outside was to separate the holy areas from the common. Israelites had access to the outer court but only priests had access to the inner court. But the wall around was to keep the clean and unclean separate, also a protection again enemies. Other nations were not allowed to enter the court but I wonder if this is the vision of the heavenly temple what unclean thing will there still need to be protection from? For even the non Israelite nations will enter the Kingdom and visit the temple. Yet I think of the vast space in the outer court and wonder what the people would do there. Maybe it was used a place of prayer, meditation, worship, gathering with others and a safe place. Sometimes when one goes to a church today you can get lost or unsure of what place you are to take and how you should act, wondering about going up to the altar or seeking sanctuary somehow. Do you have a space wherever you are as a place of worship and protection?
Read chapter 42
Ezekiel's vision of the temple continues. Here we see the dimensions of both the inner and outer courts. The inner court is more like a rectangle with the dimensions given of the length of the chambers facing the temple and the outer units (50 x 100 cubits). The out court is a perfect square 500 x 500 cubits.
The wall that was built outside was to separate the holy areas from the common. Israelites had access to the outer court but only priests had access to the inner court. But the wall around was to keep the clean and unclean separate, also a protection again enemies. Other nations were not allowed to enter the court but I wonder if this is the vision of the heavenly temple what unclean thing will there still need to be protection from? For even the non Israelite nations will enter the Kingdom and visit the temple. Yet I think of the vast space in the outer court and wonder what the people would do there. Maybe it was used a place of prayer, meditation, worship, gathering with others and a safe place. Sometimes when one goes to a church today you can get lost or unsure of what place you are to take and how you should act, wondering about going up to the altar or seeking sanctuary somehow. Do you have a space wherever you are as a place of worship and protection?
Tuesday, July 26, 2016
Ezekiel 41
"And the galleries all around their three stories opposite the threshold were paneled with wood from the ground to the windows...And it was made with cherubim and palm trees, a palm tree between cherub and cherub." vv.17, 18
Read chapter 41
We continue in the visions of God that Ezekiel was taken to. This chapter is visions of the temple with exact measurements and design. Every detail is stated, no matter how small it's important. When I was first reading this chapter I was thinking it sounded like it had a beach house theme because of the palm trees, but then I was thinking it had a rustic, mining theme because of the wood all around the gallery areas. Think of all the different genre of how people have decorated their homes and how they change over the years. I mean if you walk in to a house that has orange countertops and orange furniture with yellow wallpaper or tile walls, you know the place was decorated in the 80s. Yet God's interior and exterior design will never go out of style, it will be a style that is timeless. And we're not talking about living situations in this chapter but the temple, the center of activity where God's government will be carried out from. How do you picture architecture and designing in the Kingdom?
Read chapter 41
We continue in the visions of God that Ezekiel was taken to. This chapter is visions of the temple with exact measurements and design. Every detail is stated, no matter how small it's important. When I was first reading this chapter I was thinking it sounded like it had a beach house theme because of the palm trees, but then I was thinking it had a rustic, mining theme because of the wood all around the gallery areas. Think of all the different genre of how people have decorated their homes and how they change over the years. I mean if you walk in to a house that has orange countertops and orange furniture with yellow wallpaper or tile walls, you know the place was decorated in the 80s. Yet God's interior and exterior design will never go out of style, it will be a style that is timeless. And we're not talking about living situations in this chapter but the temple, the center of activity where God's government will be carried out from. How do you picture architecture and designing in the Kingdom?
Monday, July 25, 2016
Ezekiel 40
And the man said to me, “Son of man, look with your eyes and hear with your ears, and fix your mind on everything I show you; for you were brought here so that I might show them to you. Declare to the house of Israel everything you see.” v.4
Read chapter 40
Oh that this experience that Ezekiel has could be said and done to me. To be taken to see the new city and temple that will be in the Kingdom! He's even taken to see it in the middle of captivity, the same day the city was destroyed. Oh how on what seems like my hardest day that I could be taken away by the Lord to see something so much greater then my present moment that it would be worth any hardship in this life. Ezekiel is told to make sure his whole mind, spirit, soul were set on what he was about to see so that he could reveal it to Israel, this was his specific and unique assignment. Although this doesn't happen to us today, being taken to see heavenly things, we can still look, hear and fix our minds on everything Christ is showing us. Can you see Him in any part of your day whether through people or creation or circumstance? Are you listening to Him by reading His word or in prayer? Are you so fixing your mind on all the truth that has been revealed to you? Are you declaring what you see, hear, know of God to everyone else?
For all this is why you were brought here, where you are right now, to bring God glory. How can you understand your present moment of being purposely brought here?
Read chapter 40
Oh that this experience that Ezekiel has could be said and done to me. To be taken to see the new city and temple that will be in the Kingdom! He's even taken to see it in the middle of captivity, the same day the city was destroyed. Oh how on what seems like my hardest day that I could be taken away by the Lord to see something so much greater then my present moment that it would be worth any hardship in this life. Ezekiel is told to make sure his whole mind, spirit, soul were set on what he was about to see so that he could reveal it to Israel, this was his specific and unique assignment. Although this doesn't happen to us today, being taken to see heavenly things, we can still look, hear and fix our minds on everything Christ is showing us. Can you see Him in any part of your day whether through people or creation or circumstance? Are you listening to Him by reading His word or in prayer? Are you so fixing your mind on all the truth that has been revealed to you? Are you declaring what you see, hear, know of God to everyone else?
For all this is why you were brought here, where you are right now, to bring God glory. How can you understand your present moment of being purposely brought here?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)