Read Ezekiel 46
46 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: The gate of the inner courtfacing east is to be shut on the six working days, but on the Sabbath day and on the day of the New Moon it is to be opened. 2 The prince is to enter from the outside through the portico of the gateway and stand by the gatepost. The priests are to sacrifice his burnt offering and his fellowship offerings. He is to bow down in worship at the threshold of the gateway and then go out, but the gate will not be shut until evening. 3 On the Sabbathsand New Moons the people of the land are to worship in the presence of the Lord at the entrance of that gateway. 4 The burnt offering the prince brings to the Lord on the Sabbath day is to be six male lambs and a ram, all without defect. 5 The grain offering given with the ram is to be an ephah, and the grain offering with the lambs is to be as much as he pleases, along with a hin of olive oil for each ephah. 6 On the day of the New Moon he is to offer a young bull, six lambs and a ram, all without defect. 7 He is to provide as a grain offering one ephah with the bull, one ephah with the ram, and with the lambs as much as he wants to give, along with a hin of oil for each ephah.8 When the prince enters, he is to go in through the portico of the gateway, and he is to come out the same way.
9 “‘When the people of the land come before the Lord at the appointed festivals, whoever enters by the north gate to worship is to go out the south gate; and whoever enters by the south gate is to go out the north gate. No one is to return through the gate by which they entered, but each is to go out the opposite gate. 10 The prince is to be among them, going in when they go in and going out when they go out. 11 At the feasts and the appointed festivals, the grain offering is to be an ephah with a bull, an ephah with a ram, and with the lambs as much as he pleases, along with a hin of oil for each ephah.
12 “‘When the prince provides a freewill offering to the Lord—whether a burnt offering or fellowship offerings—the gate facing east is to be opened for him. He shall offer his burnt offering or his fellowship offerings as he does on the Sabbath day. Then he shall go out, and after he has gone out, the gate will be shut.
13 “‘Every day you are to provide a year-old lamb without defect for a burnt offering to the Lord; morning by morning you shall provide it. 14 You are also to provide with it morning by morning a grain offering, consisting of a sixth of an ephah with a third of a hin of oil to moisten the flour. The presenting of this grain offering to the Lord is a lasting ordinance. 15 So the lamb and the grain offering and the oil shall be provided morning by morning for a regularburnt offering.
16 “‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: If the prince makes a gift from his inheritance to one of his sons, it will also belong to his descendants; it is to be their property by inheritance. 17 If, however, he makes a gift from his inheritance to one of his servants, the servant may keep it until the year of freedom; then it will revert to the prince. His inheritance belongs to his sons only; it is theirs. 18 The prince must not take any of the inheritance of the people, driving them off their property. He is to give his sons their inheritance out of his own property, so that not one of my people will be separated from their property.’”
19 Then the man brought me through the entrance at the side of the gate to the sacred rooms facing north, which belonged to the priests, and showed me a place at the western end. 20 He said to me, “This is the place where the priests are to cook the guilt offering and the sin offering and bake the grain offering, to avoid bringing them into the outer court and consecrating the people.”
21 He then brought me to the outer court and led me around to its four corners, and I saw in each corner another court. 22 In the four corners of the outer court were enclosed courts, forty cubits long and thirty cubits wide;each of the courts in the four corners was the same size. 23 Around the inside of each of the four courts was a ledge of stone, with places for fire built all around under the ledge. 24 He said to me, “These are the kitchens where those who minister at the temple are to cook the sacrifices of the people.”
Go Deeper
Many times, as we read scripture, we can hear the clear messages God has for us. Ezekiel 46 is wrapped in mysterious visions that are hard to understand. Who is the ‘prince?” Who is the “man?” Theologians are still struggling to answer those questions over this chapter. However, as we read on here, some of the mystery can be addressed and applicable for us today.
This chapter clearly focuses on the importance of worship offerings and the special purposes of the gates within the temple. The offerings listed are many and varied and the locations of the gates are significant. It is obvious from the start, that the inner gate facing east is special. It is used only for the sabbath and new moon worship. The sabbath was weekly and the new moon monthly. Keep in mind that this entrance was closed until these times. Furthermore, the prince was the only one to enter through this gate first, to present the burnt and fellowship offerings.
According to this chapter, the prince then worshiped along with the priest and left the gate open. The people of the land would then enter through the north gate to share in the worship time. Also, notice the animals and produce offered by the prince are the best of the best. Lambs, bulls, rams, and grains were all the best of the land. Verse 10 says, “The prince is to be among them, going in when they go in, and going out when they go out.” The worshippers exited the south gate and the prince, the east gate which would then be closed. Verse 14 says, “The presenting of the grain offering to the Lord as a lasting ordinance.” We see in this that the prince worshiped with the people and the grain offered represented their ongoing devotion to the Lord from week to week and month to month.
Even in the uncertainty of this chapter, two important thoughts emerge for us today. First, the temple in Jerusalem is where Christ will return in His second coming. He will lead and worship with His chosen people by entering the east gate. Every place in the temple described in this chapter are important to the service of God and its people. The parallel for the modern-day church is in Christ who is with us as we come to worship Him. Every corner of the church has its perfect purpose in both worship and service to God and its people.
Second, our whole selves, body, soul, and spirit, have the same purpose. Every part and corner of our lives, as His temple, are His for service unto God and others. First Corinthians 6:19 says, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own.” What a blessing and mystery is ours through the gift of the Holy Spirit! In this chapter, we see that Christ is both our altar and our sacrifice into a redeemed relationship with God. We can now boldly go before God in worship, praise, and service. We can gladly surrender every part of our lives to Him and trust Him to work all things for our good and His glory. May every gate and corner of ourselves be fully surrendered to Him. From this place, we can love, serve, and worship Him now and forever.
Questions
- What does this passage teach you about God? What does it teach you about humanity?
- The Jewish law of sacrifices and offerings is important in this chapter. Why is this important to God?
- Why do you think the east gate of the temple is important?
A Quote
“After surrender what? The whole of the life after surrender is an aspiration for unbroken communion with God.”
Oswald Chambers, My Utmost For His Highest
2 thoughts on “Ezekiel 46”
Details, orders, rhythms—God prescribed specific ways of acceptable worship. His specifications may make no sense to us, but what is noteworthy is the thread of holiness woven throughout every one of his commands. He is sovereign Lord, and we must take his mandates seriously. When we don’t understand his ways, we can completely trust his heart. We can lean into the mystery by daily honoring him with what we do grasp, Jesus became the perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world and live a life worthy of his atonement.
We think of Jesus as unreachable or untouchable. He was a man that walked this earth. He intermingled with the best and the least of people daily. He made himself available, most of the time, to all. He wants and desire NOW to have even a greater relationship with us. He is interceding for us to God. When we ask Christ to be our Lord and Savior, we get/got a awesome, wonderful, best gift of all, Holy Spirit. God in Christ in us lives, dwells and is 24/7 available. I believe that we should set aside for a day of worship, but I also believe that everyday we can breath, listen, walk, talk with the Holy Spirit, who is living and abiding in us. Ephesians 1:3-14
14 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.
Colossians 3:15-17: Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
God thank You for making my way to You accessible. Thank You for all You do for me every single minute. Thank You for guidance in those minutes. Give me wisdom to to see others through Your Love goggles to love, and speak You in all aspects of my life in Jesus name amen
WOOHOO!!!!