A Work in Progress….

Ezekiel 47:15 “This is to be the boundary of the land: “On the north side it will run from the Mediterranean Sea by the Hethlon road past Lebo Hamath to Zedad….

There is some debate in commentary about whether this is a real, physical place or a spiritual promise. I kind of think that question misses the point.

Ezekiel 47:18 “On the east side the boundary will run between Hauran and Damascus, along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel, to the Dead Sea and as far as Tamar. This will be the eastern boundary.

The point is that God has a perfect plan, He plans for us a hope and a future. It may not look anything like we had hoped or imagined, but we can trust Him.

Ezekiel 47:19 “On the south side it will run from Tamar as far as the waters of Meribah Kadesh, then along the Wadi of Egypt to the Mediterranean Sea. This will be the southern boundary.

Lord, I get so caught up in plans and details, in worrying about the small stuff. Help me to trust You and Your promises, even through the chaos and upheaval of life. Amen.

Ezekiel 47:20 “On the west side, the Mediterranean Sea will be the boundary to a point opposite Lebo Hamath. This will be the western boundary.

Have a blessed day. I love you.

Ezekiel 45:21 “‘In the first month on the fourteenth day you are to observe the Passover, a festival lasting seven days, during which you shall eat bread made without yeast.

Today is one of those days where nothing seems to stick, nothing seems to make sense. I’ve read the text twice and read the commentary thoroughly and I’m scratching my head wondering what God wants me to get from this. There are lots of sevens in this chapter. Maybe He has a message about perfection and completion.

Ezekiel 45:22 On that day the prince is to provide a bull as a sin offering for himself and for all the people of the land.

Or maybe His message today is much more elemental: Despite my best efforts, sometimes life just doesn’t make sense. It’s messy and awkward and uncomfortable. If that’s the case, what’s the point? If I had to guess, it would be to keep on keeping on, to put my faith and trust in Him, that He has a plan, to keep seeking, keep searching, keep trying, even in the face of futility. To not give up. To keep striving for Him. Jesus, Help me.

Ezekiel 45:23 Every day during the seven days of the festival he is to provide seven bulls and seven rams without defect as a burnt offering to the Lord, and a male goat for a sin offering.

Lord, Help me, on days like today when everything feels a little off, when nothing makes a ton of sense, when the effort just feels too hard, Help me to persevere, to trust You, to seek You, to praise You. Help me to see You, Your miraculous love and grace, with every breath. And help me to share Your love with others. Amen.

Ezekiel 45:25 “‘During the seven days of the festival, which begins in the seventh month on the fifteenth day, he is to make the same provision for sin offerings, burnt offerings, grain offerings and oil.

Have a blessed day.

Ezekiel 44:5 The Lord said to me, “Son of man, look carefully, listen closely and give attention to everything I tell you concerning all the regulations and instructions regarding the temple of the Lord….”

Certain verses jumped out at me as I read today’s scripture, the first of which was the beginning of verse 5: “Son of man, look carefully, listen closely and give attention to everything I tell you….” Isn’t God telling us this daily? Look closely. Listen intently. Pay attention. What might I see, what truth might He reveal, if I took this directive to heart as I went throughout my day?

Ezekiel 44:23 ”They are to teach my people the difference between the holy and the common and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean.”

Verse 23 is the second verse that jumped out at me and reminded me of a song we sing in church: “Holy Now,” which talks about how everything is holy, miraculous, if we only have eyes to see it. And isn’t that what verse 5 is talking about? Looking closely. Listening intently. Paying attention. If we seek God’s presence in everything, we will see God’s presence in everything.

Ezekiel 44:28 “‘I am to be the only inheritance the priests have. You are to give them no possession in Israel; I will be their possession.’”

Lord, Thank You for this reminder to actively seek You, to pay attention to the world around me, expecting that I will see You everywhere. In a terribly jaded world, help me to approach life with the attitude that everything’s a miracle—because it is. Help me to see Your world with the wonder of a child and to teach others to see it that way as well. Amen.

Ezekiel 44:30 “‘The best of all the firstfruits and of all your special gifts will belong to the priests. You are to give them the first portion of your ground meal so that a blessing may rest on your household.’”

Have a blessed day.

Ezekiel 41:1 Then the man brought me to the main hall and measured the jambs; the width of the jambs was six cubits on each side.

This entire chapter is devoted to measuring the temple. Commentary says over and over some variation of “This was a substantial building with real, measurable dimensions.” It’s incredibly odd unless I go back to yesterday’s idea of God giving His people hope that He has not abandoned them, that He is working toward their restoration.

Ezekiel 41:2 The entrance was ten cubits wide, and the projecting walls on each side of it were five cubits wide. He also measured the main hall; it was forty cubits long and twenty cubits wide.

The temple was destroyed. The people were exiled. But here in vivid measurements and detail is proof that God has not forsaken them, that He is with them, is for them, is making a way, even now, even through this wilderness.

Ezekiel 41:3 Then he went into the inner sanctuary and measured the jambs of the entrance; each was two cubits wide. The entrance was six cubits wide, and the projecting walls on each side of it were seven cubits wide.

God of all creation, Thank You for Your steadfast love, even in the face of our sometimes wavering affections. Thank You for Your abundant grace, even in the face of our effrontery. Thank You for Your eternal hope, so desperately needed in this world. Draw us closer. Amen.

Ezekiel 41:4 And he measured the length of the inner sanctuary; it was twenty cubits, and its width was twenty cubits across the end of the main hall. He said to me, “This is the Most Holy Place.”

Have a blessed day.

Ezekiel 40:1 In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth of the month, in the fourteenth year after the fall of the city—on that very day the hand of the Lord was on me and he took me there.

According to commentary, there is much debate about whether this chapter describes a literal, figurative, spiritual, or some other form of temple. I certainly don’t have the knowledge to weigh in on the matter. One scholar mentions that “To measure property is symbolic of claiming it for yourself.” Perhaps this idea holds a key.

Ezekiel 40:2 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.

I fully believe in the God of hope, love, and compassion. To me, this detailed measuring of a temple, whether real or figurative, is God’s way of providing hope to His people: the temple, which was destroyed, will be rebuilt, strong and solid. This chastisement of His people wasn’t about punishment, it was about restoration.

Ezekiel 40:3 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.

Lord, I am no Bible scholar, but I search to know You more every day when I read Your word. Thank You for the insights that You share. Thank You for the hope that You give. Draw me closer always. Amen.

Ezekiel 40:4 The man said to me, “Son of man, look carefully and listen closely and pay attention to everything I am going to show you, for that is why you have been brought here. Tell the people of Israel everything you see.”

Have a blessed day.

Ezekiel 38:14 “Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: In that day, when my people Israel are living in safety, will you not take notice of it?’”

Why do bad things happen to good people? Does all suffering go through God’s hands? Does God cause suffering? Does He cause bad things to happen just to show His sovereignty, to “save the day” if you will?

Ezekiel 38:15 “‘You will come from your place in the far north, you and many nations with you, all of them riding on horses, a great horde, a mighty army.’”

My questions about God and the Bible far outweigh my answers and assurances, but I keep searching, which I think is God’s purpose—for me, for each of us, to seek, to search, to wrestle with incredibly difficult questions as we strive to know Him more, know Him better.

Ezekiel 38:16 “‘You will advance against my people Israel like a cloud that covers the land. In days to come, Gog, I will bring you against my land, so that the nations may know me when I am proved holy through you before their eyes.’”

Lord, I like answers and certainty and to know the why of a situation. Yet You don’t often work in concrete answers. Thank You for my questions and curiosity, which keep me searching for answers, searching to know You more. Thank You for showing me glimpses and understandings daily of who You are. Help me to keep seeking You always. Amen.

Ezekiel 38:23 ‘And so I will show my greatness and my holiness, and I will make myself known in the sight of many nations. Then they will know that I am the Lord.’

Have a blessed day. I love you.