S) "13 Then he said to me, 'The north chambers and the south chambers, which are opposite the separate area, they are the holy chambers where the priests who are near to the Lord shall eat the most holy things. There they shall lay the most holy things, the grain offering, the sin offering and the guilt offering; for the place is holy. 14 When the priests enter, then they shall not go out into the outer court from the sanctuary without laying there their garments in which they minister, for they are holy. They shall put on other garments; then they shall approach that which is for the people.'"
Ezekiel 42:13-14 (NASB)
O) Despite the fact that this was given as instruction to Ezekiel, we must remember that this is specific command, to a specific man, during a specific time. To the point, this instruction was given under the old covenant, when temple sacrifices were still ordained. However, I think this still reveals a lot about who God is, and when we evaluate why He gave these commands to Ezekiel (and the people), there is a deeper understanding for how we are to live in the new covenant, through Jesus Christ. On the surface, this seems almost like straight elitism. The priests ate different food, wearing different clothes. This whole chapter serves to define a separation between the holy and the profane, even within the temple itself. The purpose there, is for the people to realize just how completely holy the LORD truly is. He is so far beyond our humanity, that there are hundreds and hundreds of regulations and laws that must be observed, before men could even think to approach His veiled presence. Not even any man could come, either. It was only certain men, from a certain tribe, from a certain nation. This was not to declare that there was anything special about the Levitical priests, among the sons of Zadok. This was to declare that there was something completely special about God. So, when this passage is read, it is really highlighting the depths of the redemption that took place at Calvary. When, through faith in Jesus Christ, we are made holy as God is holy, we are being taken to the front of the line, of page upon page, book upon book, of regulations and laws that used to define just how profane we truly were. In a matter of hours, the redemptive work on the cross fulfilled thousands of years of necessary work, tediously trying to close the gap between man and God. Jesus did this with a single mission accomplished upon the cross. So, among God's people, those who have put their complete faith and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord, there is no longer found a separation between the holy and the profane. When we are in Christ, when we are walking in the Holy Spirit, we are all given the righteousness and holiness of the Son, Himself. We are all wearing the same white robes of His righteousness, found in His holiness. We partake of His food, His flesh. We partake of His drink, His blood. We eat His food, His word. We drink His water, His Spirit.
A) Everyday that I wake up in the A.D., I should take a minute to thank God for His grace in my own life. What wonderful grace it is to me, that I have been offered reconciliation to my Creator, through the gospel. Without that, I was the most profane. I was relegated to normal clothes. I was destined for normal food. I was doomed to death. When I study the regulations, the thousands of laws given, that were required before a man could approach the LORD, and then I remember that it wasn't even any men, but only of a certain nation. Then I remember it wasn't even any Israelite, but only of the Levites. Then I remember it wasn't even any Levite, but only certain families within that tribe... I can finally start to realize just how blessed I am. At any moment, I can slow down my day. At any moment, I can stop and commit minutes to focused prayers. I can speak to my Creator directly. I don't even mean words spoken to the air, and I just know He's omniscient. I mean, it is a gift given to me, through the grace of the cross, that I can actually commune with my Lord. I can experience His presence and His power. I can meet Him while I study the Bible. I can be overwhelmed by His presence in worship. None of this would have been given to me Before Christ. I live in a culture today, when the vast majority of the next generation will grow up hearing "C.E." instead of A.D.. That stands for "Common Era" (and B.C. is now "B.C.E." or, "Before Common Era"). Because of a base-misunderstanding of what the gospel offers, they are choosing to move back to a time when it was nigh-impossible to relate with our Creator. Everyday I wake up in joy, that this year is not the "common era" but the Anno Domini, the Year of Our Lord. I understand that people want to rebel against rules and rulers, and so they don't like the idea that Jesus would be their Lord. I just wish more people knew, that when Jesus is your Lord, you get to skip so many rules... People long for eternal life. They long for purpose. They long for hope. They long for unconditional love. They jump through man-made hoops. They succumb to man-made pressures. They cling to ancient traditions. They reinvent rituals in the hopes of new revelation. They expend untold effort to become special. All the while, Jesus offers freedom from those fruitless rules. Jesus offers to take them to the front of the line, by offering them to join Him in specialness. He offers such a simple way to tear down the wall of profanity, to step into holiness.
P) Father, thank You so much for this grace. Thank You so much, for the beauty of the gospel. Open eyes and ears, to see and hear. Soften hearts to the gospel. Give me the boldness, and wisdom, to share the gospel to those who are spinning their wheels. Help me to show them that You offer life itself. Be glorified in my life. Let Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. In Jesus's name I pray. Amen.
Amen and amen-
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