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In Christ, Mark
In Christ, Mark
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The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
The scriptures. May God bless the reading of His holy word.
“When the land of Israel is divided among the twelve tribes,
you must set aside an area that will belong to Me. This sacred area will be
eight miles long and six miles wide. The temple will be on a piece of land
eight hundred forty feet square, and the temple will be completely surrounded
by an open space eighty-four feet wide.”
“I will give half of My sacred land, a section eight miles
long and three miles wide, to the priests who serve in the temple. Their houses
will be in this half, as well as My temple, which is the most sacred place of
all.
I will give the other half of My land to the Levites who
work in My temple, and the towns where they will live will be there.”
“Next to My sacred land will be an area eight miles long and
two miles wide. This will belong to the people of Israel and will include the
city of Jerusalem.”
“The regions west and east of my sacred land and the city of
Jerusalem will belong to the ruler of Israel. He will be given the region
between the western edge of my land and the Mediterranean Sea, and between the
eastern edge of my land and the Jordan River. This will mean that the length of
his property will be the same as the sections of land given to the tribes.”
“This property will belong to every ruler of Israel, so they
will always be fair to My people and will let them live peacefully in the land
given to their tribes.”
“The distance all around will be 18,000 cubits.”
This is what the Sovereign Lord says: “These are the
boundaries of the land that you will divide among the twelve tribes of Israel
as their inheritance, with two portions for Joseph. You are to divide it
equally among them. Because I swore with uplifted hand to give it to your
ancestors, this land will become your inheritance.”
“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, Berothah and Sibraim (which lies on
the border between Damascus and Hamath), as far as Hazer Hattikon, which is on
the border of Hauran. The boundary will extend from the sea to Hazar Enan,
along the northern border of Damascus, with the border of Hamath to the north.
This will be the northern boundary.”
“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.”
“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.”
“On the west side, the Mediterranean Sea will be the
boundary to a point opposite Lebo Hamath. This will be the western boundary.”
“You are to distribute this land among yourselves according
to the tribes of Israel. You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselves
and for the foreigners residing among you and who have children. You are to
consider them as native-born Israelites; along with you they are to be allotted
an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. In whatever tribe a foreigner
resides, there you are to give them their inheritance,” declares the Sovereign Lord.”
“These are the tribes, listed by name: At the northern
frontier, Dan will have one portion; it will follow the Hethlon road to Lebo
Hamath; Hazar Enan and the northern border of Damascus next to Hamath will be
part of its border from the east side to the west side.”
“Asher will have one portion; it will border the territory
of Dan from east to west.”
“Naphtali will have one portion; it will border the territory
of Asher from east to west.”
“Manasseh will have one portion; it will border the
territory of Naphtali from east to west.”
“Ephraim will have one portion; it will border the territory
of Manasseh from east to west.”
“Reuben will have one portion; it will border the territory
of Ephraim from east to west.”
“Judah will have one portion; it will border the territory
of Reuben from east to west.”
“Bordering the territory of Judah from east to west will be
the portion you are to present as a special gift. It will be 25,000 cubits
wide, and its length from east to west will equal one of the tribal portions;
the sanctuary will be in the center of it.”
“The special portion you are to offer to the Lord will be
25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits wide. This will be the sacred portion for
the priests. It will be 25,000 cubits long on the north side, 10,000 cubits
wide on the west side, 10,000 cubits wide on the east side and 25,000 cubits
long on the south side. In the center of it will be the sanctuary of the Lord. This
will be for the consecrated priests, the Zadokites, who were faithful in
serving me and did not go astray as the Levites did when the Israelites went
astray. It will be a special gift to them from the sacred portion of the land,
a most holy portion, bordering the territory of the Levites.”
“Alongside the territory of the priests, the Levites will
have an allotment 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits wide. Its total length
will be 25,000 cubits and its width 10,000 cubits. They must not sell or
exchange any of it. This is the best of the land and must not pass into other
hands, because it is holy to the Lord.”
“The remaining area, 5,000 cubits wide and 25,000 cubits
long, will be for the common use of the city, for houses and for pastureland.
The city will be in the center of it and will have these measurements: the
north side 4,500 cubits, the south side 4,500 cubits, the east side 4,500 cubits,
and the west side 4,500 cubits. The pastureland for the city will be 250 cubits
on the north, 250 cubits on the south, 250 cubits on the east, and 250 cubits
on the west. What remains of the area, bordering on the sacred portion and
running the length of it, will be 10,000 cubits on the east side and 10,000
cubits on the west side. Its produce will supply food for the workers of the
city. The workers from the city who farm it will come from all the tribes of
Israel. The entire portion will be a square, 25,000 cubits on each side. As a
special gift you will set aside the sacred portion, along with the property of
the city.”
“What remains on both sides of the area formed by the sacred
portion and the property of the city will belong to the prince. It will extend
eastward from the 25,000 cubits of the sacred portion to the eastern border,
and westward from the 25,000 cubits to the western border. Both these areas
running the length of the tribal portions will belong to the prince, and the
sacred portion with the temple sanctuary will be in the center of them. So the
property of the Levites and the property of the city will lie in the center of
the area that belongs to the prince. The area belonging to the prince will lie
between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin.”
“As for the rest of the tribes: Benjamin will have one
portion; it will extend from the east side to the west side.”
“Simeon will have one portion; it will border the territory
of Benjamin from east to west.”
“Issachar will have one portion; it will border the
territory of Simeon from east to west.”
“Zebulun will have one portion; it will border the territory
of Issachar from east to west.”
“Gad will have one portion; it will border the territory of
Zebulun from east to west.”
“The southern boundary of Gad will run south from Tamar to
the waters of Meribah Kadesh, then along the Wadi of Egypt to the Mediterranean
Sea.”
“This is the land you are to allot as an inheritance to the
tribes of Israel, and these will be their portions,” declares the Sovereign Lord.
“These will be the exits of the city: Beginning on the north
side, which is 4,500 cubits long, the gates of the city will be named after the
tribes of Israel. The three gates on the north side will be the gate of Reuben,
the gate of Judah and the gate of Levi.”
“On the east side, which is 4,500 cubits long, will be three
gates: the gate of Joseph, the gate of Benjamin and the gate of Dan.”
“On the south side, which measures 4,500 cubits, will be
three gates: the gate of Simeon, the gate of Issachar and the gate of Zebulun.”
“On the west side, which is 4,500 cubits long, will be three
gates: the gate of Gad, the gate of Asher and the gate of Naphtali.”
This ends today’s
reading from God's holy word. Thanks be to God.
So far in the closing chapters of Ezekiel, we have seen the
Lord speak at length about the construction of His temple, those who will serve
within it, and the responsibilities of those who serving, all this while
proclaiming a restoration of worship, holiness, His Spirit, and forgiveness of
His people’s sins.
But where will the Israelites live when God makes the way
for them to return home and restore their homes, their lives, and their
relationships with Him?
We see the answers in today’s scripture passage from these
opening verses of Ezekiel 45. I am drawing from the Contemporary English
Version today in order to bring better clarity to what God’s word is saying.
“When the land of
Israel is divided among the twelve tribes, you must set aside an area that will
belong to Me. This sacred area will be eight miles long and six miles wide. The
temple will be on a piece of land eight hundred forty feet square, and the
temple will be completely surrounded by an open space eighty-four feet wide.”
“I will give half of
My sacred land, a section eight miles long and three miles wide, to the priests
who serve in the temple. Their houses will be in this half, as well as My
temple, which is the most sacred place of all.
I will give the other
half of My land to the Levites who work in My temple, and the towns where they
will live will be there.”
“Next to My sacred
land will be an area eight miles long and two miles wide. This will belong to
the people of Israel and will include the city of Jerusalem.”
“The regions west and
east of my sacred land and the city of Jerusalem will belong to the ruler of
Israel. He will be given the region between the western edge of my land and the
Mediterranean Sea, and between the eastern edge of my land and the Jordan
River. This will mean that the length of his property will be the same as the sections
of land given to the tribes.”
“This property will
belong to every ruler of Israel, so they will always be fair to My people and
will let them live peacefully in the land given to their tribes.” Ezekiel 45:1-8
(CEV)
Note the sequence of priority in regard to land allocation.
It should be of no surprise that God got the first choice.
After all, He was God and all of creation was created by His hands. Everything
belonged to Him first. So He set aside an area that was “eight miles long and
six miles wide” which would hold His temple, labeled by Him as the “most sacred
place of all”, as well as the homes of the Levitical priests who would serve as
the temple’s spiritual leaders.
Once God had chosen His allocation, we see the surrounding
land, an area measuring “eight miles long and two miles wide”, was given to the
Israelites. This land included the holy city of Jerusalem which would be
rebuilt along with the temple after God’s people returned from their seventy
year exile, a punishment imposed on them by God for their sinful worshiping of
false gods and idols.
Next, God designates the regions which would belong to the
man Israel would designate as their ruler. That region ranged from the “western
edge” of God’s land to the “Mediterranean Sea” and from the “eastern edge” to
the “Jordan River”. To sum up these dimensions,
God reinforced that “the length of his (the ruler’s) property” would equal “the
sections of land given to the tribes.”
Why the equity?
Because the Lord expected that the rulers of His people,
present and future, would always be as fair and equitable to His people as He
was to them in the allocation of property, allowing all Israelites to “live
peacefully in the land given” to them.
Why lay all this out before the people of God were restored
and returned to the land?
To ensure an orderly resettlement took place.
There would be no free-for-all when it came to property, no
land grabbing by the people or the ruler leading them. God eliminated any
possibility that would happen through His early direction. He wanted the people
to be focused on returning to Him, making their hearts His home as they renewed
their commitment and devotion to His word, will, and way.
Today, there is a saying you may hear used which goes like
this:
“Bloom where you’re planted”
I believe this connects us much to the scriptures we have
studied for today. The idea is that God puts us where we are for a reason and
we are always to look to Him for guidance as to how He wants to use us to fulfill
His purposes. When we do this, placing our focus on the Lord and His will
instead of where we might be in life, then we can have the opportunity to
blossom and flower into the people He intends for us to be.
This is what He had in mind for the Israelites in Ezekiel’s
day and that’s what He expects from us today.
Amen
In Christ,
Mark
PS: Feel free to leave a comment and please share this with anyone you feel might be blessed by it.
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