What We Have In The Lord Is Grand And Magnificent! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Ezekiel 43:10-11,

"Son of man, describe the temple to the people of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their sins. Let them consider the plan, and if they are ashamed of all they have done, make known to them the design of the temple—its arrangement, its exits and entrances—its whole design and all its regulations and laws. Write these down before them so that they may be faithful to its design and follow all its regulations."

Ezekiel's temple is a mystery. We have no record of it ever being built and there is no evidence it ever has been. The Lord had Moses build the tabernacle to be carried in the wilderness and to the Promised Land. Solomon built a beautiful and magnificent temple on the temple mound which was destroyed by the Babylonians when they took the remainder of Israel into captivity in 586 B.C. Following the Jews release from captivity Zerubbabel built a much more modest temple (so much more modest that we are told the people wept as they viewed this new temple in remembrance of the grand temple built by Solomon). This temple was rebuilt by Herod and the one we read of in the accounts of Jesus' ministry in the gospels. It was later destroyed by the Romans in 70 A.D. (or something like that).

In Ezekiel 43:18, the Lord says to Ezekiel, "Son of man, this is what the Sovereign Lord says: These will be the regulations for sacrificing burnt offerings and sprinkling blood upon the altar when it is built…" And yet, as noted by many, the Lord never commanded anyone to build the altar, let alone the entire temple.

Some feel it will be a temple that will be built during and for the millennial reign of Jesus Christ, in the future from now. This makes for a difficult explanation for me as the animal sacrifices outlined for this temple, the burnt and sin offerings called for in the worship that is to take place make little sense as we read that all these looked forward to, and were replaced by, the once-for-all sacrifice of Jesus Christ's own body. Additionally, the priesthood called for in Ezekiel's temple, any human priesthood for temple worship, has been superseded by our great high priest, Jesus Christ who intercedes for us now on our behalf and forever.

So, this temple of Ezekiel is a bit of a mystery to me. One thing that is not a mystery for me is the grand scale of its design. This is one magnificent temple! In these verses the Lord tells Ezekiel to describe the temple to the people of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their sins. They are to consider its plans and if they feel the appropriate sense of shame for their sins, Ezekiel is to "make known to them the design of the temple-its arrangement, its exits and entrances-its whole design and all its regulations and laws."

What God offers is that which is grand, sweeping and magnificent. The best result we experience when sin has its way with us (or the other way around) is always less than what God offers us. I don't know if that is the intended message of Ezekiel's temple or not, but what strikes me today is just that: in our sin, we have what might be considered small, insignificant and lacking the grandeur and magnificence compared to that which we have in the Lord!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

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Jesus Christ Is Our Way To The Father! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Ezekiel 42:15-20,

"When he had finished measuring what was inside the temple area, he led me out by the east gate and measured the area all around: He measured the east side with the measuring rod; it was five hundred cubits. He measured the north side; it was five hundred cubits by the measuring rod. He measured the south side; it was five hundred cubits by the measuring rod. Then he turned to the west side and measured; it was five hundred cubits by the measuring rod. So he measured the area on all four sides. It had a wall around it, five hundred cubits long and five hundred cubits wide, to separate the holy from the common."

By my calculations this temple area was about 750 feet by 750 feet or so, maybe about 13 acres. What does not escape my attention is that there is a wall around it, just like the temple that Solomon built. The purpose of the surrounding wall is "to separate the holy from the common" – that is, the holy from the unholy.

This separation declares the contrast between sinful man and a holy God. Our God is separated from this cursed and fallen world, from sinful man - all mankind. Access to God is restricted as this wall portrays.

But we read of One who has removed this separation from our heavenly Father. "Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water." Hebrews 10:19-22.

Jesus Christ has breached that wall for us! No longer does there have to be a separation between us and our God. As he himself has said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."

How wonderful is our Lord Jesus Christ who is our way to the Father!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

The Sacrifice Of Jesus Christ For Us Is Always Before The Father! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Ezekiel 41:22,

"There was a wooden altar three cubits high and two cubits square; its corners, its base and its sides were of wood. The man said to me, 'This is the table that is before the Lord.'"

As I read of this temple, and as we will be reading of the glory of the Lord entering into it in the next chapter, and of the burnt offerings and sin offerings that are prescribed, I am reminded of the ultimate sacrifice that all sacrifices under the old covenant were a foreshadow of.

This table "that is before the Lord" reminds me of some things that exist in front of our God today and for all eternity, that have been wrought for us on our behalf by our Lord Jesus Christ.

"…because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. Such a high priest meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself." Hebrews 7:24-28.

Just how wonderful is this?!

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

God Will Dwell In His Temple! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Ezekiel 40:2-4,

"In visions of God he took me to the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain, on whose south side were some buildings that looked like a city. He took me there, and I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze; he was standing in the gateway with a linen cord and a measuring rod in his hand. The man said to me, 'Son of man, look with your eyes and hear with your ears and pay attention to everything I am going to show you, for that is why you have been brought here. Tell the house of Israel everything you see.'"

Fourteen years after the fall of Jerusalem, the Lord took Ezekiel to the temple site in Jerusalem in a vision. Here in this vision is "a man whose appearance was like bronze". He tells Ezekiel to pay attention, to listen and look at the temple in the vision and report what he sees to the house of Israel.

A detailed description of the layout and measurements of this temple is given in the vision. I am reminded that the Lord can be very specific when he chooses to do so. Later, in chapter 43 we read that the purpose of the Lord in having Ezekiel provide this detailed description is so that the people of Israel may be ashamed of their sins. The Lord wants them to consider the plan, and if they are ashamed at all they have done, Ezekiel is to make known to them the design of the temple.

This temple, the Lord says, will be the place of his throne and "the place for the soles of my feet." Ezekiel 43:7. It will be where he will live among the Israelites forever.

This morning I am reminded that the Lord has chosen us, those who have embraced Jesus Christ in faith, those of us who have become his children, to be his temple today. "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? If anyone destroys God's temple, God will destroy him; for God's temple is sacred, and you are that temple." 1 Corinthians 3:16-17.

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.

God's Name Will Be Revered! - Ruminating in the Word of God

The Lord is awe-inspiring, fearsome, fascinating, intriguing, and majestic in his radiant splendor: breathtaking! Here is what I saw of him today and what came to my heart and mind in Ezekiel 39:7-8,

"I will make known my holy name among my people Israel. I will no longer let my holy name be profaned, and the nations will know that I the Lord am the Holy One in Israel. It is coming! It will surely take place, declares the Sovereign Lord. This is the day I have spoken of."

In the midst of this fascinating prophecy of the future destruction of the hordes of Gog and Magog that come against Israel, the Lord lays out the purpose of his judgment: to make his name known among Israel and the nations as the "Holy One in Israel". He will make it so. In the long run the Lord will not allow his name, his stature, his position as the Creator of the cosmos, God Almighty, to be impugned, besmirched or discredited in any way. He will be revered and feared, held in awe and worshipped.

This theme reminds me of a couple of passages. Psalm 2:1-6, "Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers gather together against the Lord and against his Anointed One. 'Let us break their chains,' they say, 'and throw off their fetters.' The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. Then he rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, 'I have installed my King on Zion, my holy hill.'"

Also Isaiah 45:23-24, "By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked: Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. They will say of me, 'In the Lord alone are righteousness and strength.' All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame."

Anything of the Lord capture your heart from Scripture today? Share what moved you about him from your Bible reading today. I'd love to hear from you!

If you have someone you would like to receive these ruminations, send me their email address. I'm happy to add them to the list. If you are receiving this and would like to be removed from the list, just reply and let me know.