Today, I am reading and commenting on Ezekiel 46-48.

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I wish I fully understood the significance of the symbolism in this passage.  First, we have the idea that “the prince” shall enter the temple to worship through the vestibule of the east gate and worship from the threshold of that gate.  While the people shall enter from either the north gate or the south gate and exit through the other.  Both of those things have a lot of symbolic significance, but I do not understand it.  I tried doing an internet search to see what others thought about it, but what I found failed to fully explain the symbolism in my view.  The passage certainly emphasizes the importance of worshiping God together with others of the people of God, but there is more here and I can’t quite make it out.

At one point in this description Ezekiel says that they shall prepare the offerings in a particular part of the temple in order to avoid transmitting holiness to the people.  This seems counterintuitive.  Surely we should seek to transmit holiness to as many people as possible?  However, if we think about what being holy really means we may understand.  Holy means separateness, or apartness.  So, in this case the instruction was not about transmitting holiness to the people that was the holiness which comes from obeying God’s command to “Be holy as I am holy.”  This was a holiness which would have required the people to set aside to serve in the temple.  Something for which they were not properly prepared.  I started writing this paragraph thinking that I could fully explain the meaning I see in this idea, but I just realized I cannot do so.  So I will stop here.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Ezekiel 44-45.

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Today’s passage has more about Ezekiel’s vision of the temple which will be built in the future and the sacrifices which will be performed in it.  I could be mistaken, but I do not believe that these were meant to be taken literally.  I believe that all of these prophecies are symbolic about the relationship between God and His people.  However, in the midst of this God calls out the people of Israel for committing the abomination of admitting foreigners who were uncircumcised in heart and flesh into His sanctuary.  Further, the passage seems to imply that not only did they allow them into God’s sanctuary, they gave them charge over God’s holy things.  I know of people who interpret this to mean that we should require men to be physically circumcised before allowing them into the Church.  Since that runs counter to things taught in the New Testament, I do not believe that is what we should take from that statement.  Another way to interpret that is to believe that this passage applies only to those who are descended from Israel, those who are descended from Jacob.  Since I believe that God intends for this passage to provide understanding to those whom He adopted into His people through the death and resurrection of Jesus, I do not take that interpretation either.

So, I believe that the important part of this focuses on those who are “circumcised in heart.”  Which means those who have allowed the Holy Spirit to cut off their sinful nature and are striving to live in imitation of Jesus Christ.  All of those who make Jesus their Lord should strive for that, but we should be doubly sure that those whom we give authority over the Temple of God, which is the Body of Christ, which is the Church, are circumcised in heart and have taken this step.  Which brings me to what I think He means when He adds “and flesh” to that phrase.  I believe this means that we should be different from the society around us.  We make sacrifices which they will not make.  We look different from those around us in ways which people notice when they look closely.  We should not blithely accept into the Body of Christ those who strive to look like everyone else.  Being circumcised in heart is about how we think and feel.  Being circumcised in flesh is about how we act and look.  As we come into God’s sanctuary, as we enter the Body of Christ, let us allow the Holy Spirit to transform us so that we think, feel, act, and look different from those who have not accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on  Ezekiel 41-43.

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Today’s passage continues the description of the massive temple which Ezekiel saw in his vision.  Yesterday I said that the temple described here in Ezekiel was a square mile in size, much larger than any other ever built in Jerusalem.  To put that in perspective, a square mile is over 27 million square feet, the largest convention center in the United States is less than 5 million square feet.  Considering the immensity of this temple along with what happens when Ezekiel’s vision describes the glory of God entering this temple gives us some insight into the symbolism which Ezekiel’s vision conveys.   When He enters into this new temple in Ezekiel’s vision, God tells Ezekiel that He will dwell in it in the midst of the people of Israel forever and they will no longer defile His name.

The idea being that the area dedicated to God’s temple will be so large that there will be no place near it for people to set up idols, or other things which will distract from worshiping God.  Considering that in the New Testament we are told that our bodies are a temple to God, it gives us an idea of what we should do.  We should make the temple of God within our bodies so large, by doing the things which God desires us to do, that there is no room for anything which distracts us from worshiping God.  Let us fill our lives with godly things to do so that we do not have time to sin.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Ezekiel 39-40.

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I really don’t know what to write about today’s passage.  First we have the prophecy against Gog, the prince of Meshech and Tubal.  The only other places in the Old Testament where these two lands are mentioned is in Genesis 10 where it lists the descendants of Noah, a list which is taken as a list of nations, and in Psalms 120 verse 5, where the psalmist complains about sojourning in Meshech among those who hate peace.  History tells us only a very little more about these two lands and then only if we make connections using similar naming constructions in other languages vaguely related to Hebrew.  My best guess of why they are mentioned by Ezekiel is to indicate a people who were militarily powerful but were not one of the previous adversaries of the people of Israel.  God tells Ezekiel the key purpose behind the events in this prophecy, “”They shall know that I am the Lord.”  This is the key point of these prophecies.  Events yet unknown will happen and God’s people will more firmly know that He is indeed the only true and mighty God.  Those who seek the Lord will know Him, and He will pour out His Spirit upon them.

Then we come to Ezekiel’s prophecy concerning a rebuilt temple.  I will be perfectly honest, as I read this I cannot picture what Ezekiel is describing.  I tried to picture it as I read, but I quickly got lost.  However, I did an Internet search which told me that the temple itself is one mile square, which completely dwarfs not only every previous temple built in Jerusalem, it dwarfs the entire temple mount.  The temple mount in Jerusalem is about 36 acres, a square mile is 640 acres.  My conclusion from this is that Ezekiel was not intending to describe a building which would actually be built at some time in the future.  Instead, he was describing something which had a lot of symbolic imagery.  I do not understand the significance of that imagery at this time.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Ezekiel 37-38.

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I love this passage about Ezekiel’s vision of the valley of dry bones.  It tells us so much about hope and God’s power.  Perhaps the part we often overlook is Ezekiel’s faith.  When God asks Ezekiel if the bones he sees in this vision can live, Ezekiel does not say, “Of course not.”  He also does not say, “Of course they can.”  Instead Ezekiel says, “O Lord God, you know.”  Ezekiel did not look at the dry bones and think that they could no longer do as God willed.  He knew that it was up to God whether or not those bones could live once more.  There is another part to this as well.  God didn’t just command the bones to come together and live.  He told Ezekiel to prophesy that the bones would live.  And then, when Ezekiel prophesied as God commanded, the bones came together, but they didn’t come to life.  It was only when God told Ezekiel to prophesy to the spirit of those bones, and when Ezekiel did as God commanded once more, that life came into the bodies which had formed on the bones.  Ezekiel could have given up when the first prophecy failed to bring life.  He had prophesied and brought about change, but it wasn’t enough.  The bones had come together and had bodies, but they were not alive.  It was only when God told him to prophesy to the breath, to the spirit, of the bones that the bodies came to life.  We must remember that part of the lesson.  Don’t tell God, “I did what you told me to do and it didn’t work.”  It did work, it just wasn’t enough.  God had more for you to do.  So do the rest of the job God gave you.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Ezekiel 34-36.

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Today’s passage begins with two related prophecies: one concerning the shepherds God had appointed over His flock, the other concerning the way God’s sheep treated each other.  When I read what Ezekiel says about the shepherds I am reminded of Jesus’ Parable of the Lost Sheep. I am convinced that Jesus had this passage, among others, in mind when He told that parable.  Here Ezekiel condemns the shepherds for feeding themselves from the flock, but not caring for the flock.  The shepherds met their own needs off of the flock, but they did not meet the needs of the flock.  Ezekiel lays out the job of those who lead Christ’s Church.  Their job is to strengthen those who need strengthening; to heal those who are sick; to bind up the wounds of the injured; to bring back those who stray; and seek out those who are lost.  Any of us who have a leadership position in the Church are called to do those things.  If we do not do those things, God is against us.  I do not want God to be against me, so I am going to strive to do all of those things…even though I’m not sure that I am one of the shepherds.  I’m not willing to take the chance that God views me as one and thus is against me because I haven’t done my job.

However, Ezekiel also has a message for those of you who are positive that you are not one of the shepherds God has appointed over His flock, for those who are convinced that they are only one of the sheep.  God will judge you if you trample on the spiritual food which God has given to those weaker than you.  God will judge you if you muddy the water where others go to drink of God’s Living Water.  God will judge you if you push away from Him those whose faith is weak.  Instead, you should make way for the weak to get to the good food and water.  God will judge you if you cause others to leave Him. Don’t do it.

Let us all work together to strengthen those who are weak in faith, to heal those who are spiritually sick, to bind the wounds of those who have been emotionally and spiritually injured, to bring back to God those who have wandered away, and actively seek out those who have been lost.  Instead of shouldering aside those who struggle to follow God, let us pick them up and carry them to Him.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Ezekiel 32-33.

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Today’s passage begins with Ezekiel continuing to prophecy against Egypt.  This prophecy speaks of the downfall of Egypt, while doing so it reminds the reader of all of the great nations which have previously fallen.  This means that it serves as a reminder that all power is temporary.  Sooner or later every great nation will be brought down and exercise power no longer.  Only God’s power endures.

There may be more to say about that prophecy, but I want to go on to God’s calling Ezekiel to be a watchman for the house of Israel.  God called Ezekiel to warn the people of Israel against the wicked acts which God points out to him.  If Ezekiel fails to warn them, they will die in their sins and God will hold Ezekiel liable for their death.  However, if Ezekiel does warn them and they fail to listen, they will still die in their sins, but God will hold Ezekiel innocent of their death.  I believe that God intends for us to hear that message and take it to heart.  If God sends us a warning for people who do wicked things and we do not warn them of God’s judgement, God will hold us accountable for their death.  We are not responsible for whether or not they turn from their wicked ways, but we are responsible to warn them.  This is not to say that we are to call out complete strangers for the wicked things which they do.  This applies to the people we know.  Embedded within this instruction is also the warning to the righteous that their previous righteous acts will not save them if they turn to committing wicked acts.  And God makes clear to Ezekiel that He will give grace to the wicked who truly turn from their wickedness to performing righteous acts.  Those who turn back from evil ways will live.  God does not take pleasure in punishing the wicked.  Instead He takes joy in those who turn to Him, no matter how late.

There is one final point in this that I want to look at.  God tells Ezekiel that many of the people who come to him for his prophecies are doing so only for the entertainment value.  They have no intention of allowing his words, the words which God had given him, change their actions.   We must take this to heart.  When we go to worship services on Sunday, we should listen to the message which is given in order to hear what God tells us to change about ourselves.  When we read the Scripture, let us think about what we should do differently.  As I read today’s passage, I need to think about whom God is giving me a message of warning.  Is there someone God wants me to warn to change their ways?  Or, is there something I do, or don’t do, which God is telling me to change?

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.

Today, I am reading and commenting on Ezekiel 24-26.

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Earlier in the Book of Ezekiel, Ezekiel reported that people were saying that his prophecies about the destruction of Jerusalem would take place in the future and God had told him that no, those prophecies would take place presently.  Now, in the beginning of today’s passage, Ezekiel tells the Jewish exiles in Babylon that the siege which would lead to Jerusalem’s destruction had begun.  Then God told Ezekiel that his wife, his joy in life, would die that evening and that he should not publicly mourn her.  When this happened the people asked for an explanation.  God told the people that when they received news that Jerusalem, which was the delight of their eyes, fell, they would not be able to mourn publicly.  The pride and delight which they took in Jerusalem would be turned to dust, but they would not be able to mourn publicly because the people among whom they lived would be celebrating its fall.  I cannot imagine being told by God that my wife would die tonight and I could not mourn her.  I strive to obey what God tells me to do, but I don’t think I could do that.

After ending that prophecy Ezekiel records prophecies against the nations which surrounded Jerusalem.  Those nations were condemned for rejoicing in the destruction of Jerusalem, for claiming that Jerusalem’s destruction showed that God was no greater than other gods, and for inflicting violence against the people of Israel and Judah when they were weakened by their enemies.  We should not rejoice when those we dislike suffer hard times.  Instead we should strive to relieve their suffering.  Even more we should not seek to profit at the expense of others who are experiencing misfortune.

I use the daily Bible reading schedule from “The Bible.net” for my daily Bible reading.