Ezekiel 48:1-35

Ezekiel ends the book with a description of the division of the land of Israel by tribe, the division of the area dedicated to the temple and the gates to the city.  The boundaries of the nation are clearly described, and the order in which the land shall be divided from north to south.  God is a God of details and He has revealed very carefully how this land is to be divided.  He clearly has a plan for the future of this world in which we live and we can rest assured in His control over all of history and all of our lives.

THE DIVISION OF LAND FOR THE TRIBES: Ezekiel is given the order in which each of the tribes of Israel is to receive their inheritance.  Starting from the north and moving to the south the name of each tribe is given and the land that has been allotted to them.  This will be a permanent division for the people to be able to inherit this land and dwell there securely just as the Lord had promised to Abraham and the prophets.  God will always fulfill His promises.

THE DEDICATION OF LAND FOR THE TEMPLE: The area in the center of the land is to be dedicated to the structure of the temple that has been described in the previous chapters.  The land surrounding the temple is to be used for the priests and the left over portion of land was to e common ground for all the people to be able to worship.  Just as the temple occupies the center of the property; worship should be at the very center of our lives and the purpose for our existence.


THE DESCRIPTION OF GATES FOR EACH TRIBE: The city is to have one gate for each tribe so there will be twelve gates in which people can go into the city.  The name of this city is to be called the Lord is there indicating that the Lord Jesus will take of residence in this city as the rightful king of the nation just as He is the rightful king of all who place their faith in Him.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Isaiah 54:1-17

Hope is a wonderful blessing from God, without which we would be vulnerable to all kinds of destructive tendencies in our lives.  Today’s society is marked by depression, anger, fear, anxiety and self-righteousness, in large part, because of the sense of hopelessness that prevails in our culture.  Isaiah writes to a people who are about to be taken into captivity because of their sin.  God knows that they will feel rejected, threatened and hopeless so He reveals His future plans for the nation in order to give them hope in the midst of the coming trial.  Hope is the expectation of good based upon the promises of God.  Many times when our lives are marked by the sins mentioned above it is because we have forgotten or failed to focus upon the promises of God’s Word. THE PROMISE OF GOD: From the very first day that God revealed His plan for the nation of Israel, He promised numerous descendants.  God chose Abraham, not because he was more righteous than any of the other people of his
Read more

1 Timothy 1:3-7

As I urged you when I was going to Macedonia, remain at Ephesus so that you may charge certain persons not   to teach any different doctrine,   nor   to devote themselves to myths and endless   genealogies, which promote   speculations rather than the stewardship from God that is by faith.    The aim of our charge is love   that issues from a pure heart and   a good conscience and   a sincere faith.    Certain persons, by   swerving from these, have wandered away into   vain discussion, desiring to be teachers of the law,   without understanding either what they are saying or the things about which they make confident assertions.   There will always be false teachers that come into the church attempting to distract people from the truth and destroy people’s faith.  When this happens, it is the job of spiritually mature leaders to confront these false teachers and correct their teachings.  However, it is important that this correction be accomplished with the right motives and methods. 
Read more

1 Timothy 2:11-15

Let a woman learn quietly   with all submissiveness.    I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet.    For Adam was formed first,   then Eve;   and Adam was not deceived, but   the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.    Yet she will be saved through   childbearing—if they continue in   faith and love and holiness, with self-control. There is certainly controversy and confusion about this passage in many churches today.  The idea of a distinction between men and women and their roles in the family and church certainly goes against the flow of many cultures around the world.  Some would argue that the literal and plain teaching of this passage is no longer applicable to today’s culture.  However, it is always dangerous to discard biblical teaching or try to interpret Scripture based on the cultures in which we live.  Certainly, the Spirit who inspired this text was aware of the many changes that would occur in future cul
Read more