Details of Design; Ezekiel 40-43

May the mumbling commence!

The devil is in the details.  Sometimes, as church members, we major in the minor subjects.  Sometimes, we trivialize the essential.  Today’s reading from Ezekiel gives a lot of love to the details of the temple that Ezekiel saw in a vision.  Lots of details do not have much meaning to me.  I think back to the details of the tabernacle from earlier in the year of reading.  I think a model or drawn depiction would be more impactful for me.

Then, I read Ezekiel 43:6-12 –

While the man was standing beside me, I heard someone speaking to me from inside the temple.  He said: "Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place for the soles of my feet. This is where I will live among the Israelites forever. The house of Israel will never again defile my holy name – neither they nor their kings – by their prostitution and the lifeless idols of their kings at their high places.  When they placed their threshold next to my threshold and their doorposts beside my doorposts, with only a wall between me and them, they defiled my holy name by their detestable practices. So I destroyed them in my anger.  Now let them put away from me their prostitution and the lifeless idols of their kings, and I will live among them forever. 

Son of man, describe the temple to the people of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their sins. Let them consider the plan, and if they are ashamed of all they have done, make known to them the design of the temple – its arrangement, its exits and entrances – its whole design and all its regulations and laws. Write these down before them so that they may be faithful to its design and follow all its regulations. 

This is the law of the temple: All the surrounding area on top of the mountain will be most holy. Such is the law of the temple.”  

How many times in our lives has our idolatry and sin only been separated from our relationship with God by the thin four walls of the church building?  We must remember that we represent the Lord as we move about our daily lives.  What we do reflects on Jesus – whether the reflection is good or bad.

All of God’s design for our relationship with Him and with all creation is essential.  To be faithful we must live worthy of our design – to worship the Lord and bring praise to His holy name.  If we live worthy of our design, then it will not be only us that praise and worship the Lord.  The people around us will we attracted to us and to the Lord.  These people, then, will have the potential to become our brothers and sisters. 

Then, we can become truly holy – set apart for the work of the Lord, set apart for life eternal.  Eternal life is rich both in quality and quantity.

So, mind the details of design.  The details of design will steer us clear of idolatry and sin.

Enough mumbling for now…

Peace Out