The sparkling man took Ezekiel back to the outer courtyard near the east gate and God told him that the gate must remain closed forever. Then the man took Ezekiel through the north gate to the front of the temple, where Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord and he bowed down with his face to the ground. The Lord told him that He would give the laws of the temple to Ezekiel. God told him to pay attention to what kind of people were (and were not) allowed in the temple. No godless foreigner who disobeyed God would be allowed in the temple. Also because the Levites had turned their backs on God and worshiped idols and led the people away from God, they would do the hard work that was done in the temple. The Levites who were from the family of Zadok had been faithful to God when everyone else wasn't, so they would offer sacrifices and lead others in worship. Their clothing, the way they should wear their hair, and other details of personal conduct were given. The Lord wanted the people to be taught the difference between what is sacred and ordinary. As before, touching a dead body would render the priest unclean; and they weren't to receive any land of their own.
The Lord told Ezekiel that they were to set aside an area 8 miles by 6 miles for Him when they divided the land among the tribes. A portion of the sacred land would be given to the priests who worked in the temple for their homes. The other half would be for the Levites. Another portion would be for the Israelites and would include the city of Jerusalem. A portion would be given to the ruler of Israel. The Lord gave the people weights and measures to promote honest trade. The people were to bring offerings of oil and grain to the Lord.
The Lord gave Ezekiel special instructions for offerings by the ruler and the people for the Sabbath, New Moon Festival, and other celebrations. Each morning a lamb, flour, and olive oil would be offered for all time - this law would never change. Laws concerning property given by Israel's leader were given. The sparkling man took Ezekiel back to the inner courtyard to the sacred rooms for the priests. There were more rooms which the man said were kitchens. Also, there were other areas for fires to boil the meat that worshipers offer as sacrifices.
The man took Ezekiel back to the temple where he saw a stream flowing out from under the entrance. Outside the temple, Ezekiel saw that the stream flowed east. The man took out his measuring stick and measured the stream as various levels and told Ezekiel to walk out into it, so he did. The water got deeper and deeper. Then the man told Ezekiel all about the stream and the Jordan river and the Dead Sea. He also told him about the trees that would always have fruit and the leaves would be used for healing. The Lord gave Ezekiel details about how the land was to be divided among the twelve tribes of Israel. God gave the land to the Israelites and foreigners whose children were born in Israel, who would be considered part of the tribe.
Tomorrow read Ezekiel 48 & Daniel 1-2:30
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment