September 10: Ezekiel 42-43

September 10, Ezekiel 42-43

Ezekiel continued…

Ezekiel 42 This chapter is a continuation of the description to Ezekiel about the details of the temple. He was then led to the outer court and given in great detail the measurements of the chambers, The thickness of the walls and chambers... The emphasis is at the end - the wall that separated the holy and the common was placed by God. God will still not have anything to do with sin.

Ezekiel 43 The return of God’s Glory! This is the turning point to this vision… the only thing up to this point was the fact that everything was just right and there was only one thing missing: God’s Glory and presence. What this must have been like… “And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory. And the vision I saw was just like the vision that I had seen when he[a] came to destroy the city, and just like the vision that I had seen by the Chebar canal. And I fell on my face. As the glory of the Lord entered the temple by the gate facing east, the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the temple.” God’s presence is so powerful that Ezekiel fell on his face. God told Ezekiel to go back to the people of Israel and tell them every detail. God’s desire was to dwell with His people. A day will come where they will be obedient and pursue holiness. God demands holiness from His people.

Then Ezekiel is given the details for the altar and how God wanted it consecrated for seven days with offerings. “And when they have completed these days, then from the eighth day onward the priests shall offer on the altar your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, and I will accept you, declares the Lord God.”

To sum it all up: 

• God demands holiness from His people. Yes, we will sin but we are not to live a lifestyle of sin - there is a huge difference. When we sin, we must repent of our sin and turn from it. A believer in Christ will not want to sin or continue in it.