10 “As for you, son of man, describe to the house of Israel the temple, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and they shall measure the plan. – Ezekiel 43:10
Faith Exercised
When Abram was childless and beyond the age of childbearing, God told him to go outside and look up at the night sky and count the stars if he could. God then promised Abram that despite his age and currently empty quiver, his offspring would be as numerous as the stars he was gazing at. As incredulous as this promise must have sounded to Abram, he believed God nonetheless…
…..And then we are told that Abram’s belief was credited to him as righteousness. But God not only promised Abram descendants, He also promised to give his descendants land to possess. A covenant God confirmed with a sacrifice…
Faith Tested
The faith of Abram recorded in Genesis chapter 15 would be greatly tested in Genesis chapter 22. After Abram’s promised son was born, it was time to see if Abraham’s love of God was superseded by his love of his son Isaac. The test was one most of us would fail (most days). God asked Abraham to take Isaac and sacrifice him on Mount Moriah. Abraham obediently took his only son, “the son whom he loved”, as Genesis emphasizes, and proceeded to Moriah to carry out the sacrifice. With his only hope for countless offspring laying on the altar, and a knife lifted skyward in his hand, God intervened. He had seen enough. A ram caught in a thicket would replace Isaac as the sacrifice. James tells us that the faith of Abraham was proven by his willingness to sacrifice his only son. Tradition tells us that the location of this sacrifice would hold great significance for the Jewish people. We know it today as the Temple Mount.
Temple Mount
After King David brought stability to the land, he desired to build a permanent temple to replace the tabernacle. Why should God “reside” in a tent when the King was living in a luxurious home of cedar? Ironically, God told King David that he was not to build the Temple as he had shed too much blood as a man of war. Instead, his son Solomon who would reign in peace was to build the Temple. With large quantities of gold, silver, bronze, and iron, Solomon oversaw the construction of a majestic temple on the Temple Mount, where Abraham had placed Isaac on the altar. Solomon had built the Temple as a “house for God’s name” as God had charged his father David.
Here, where Abraham’s faith was tested, the nation of Israel would “exercise” their faith. Here, they would offer their sacrifices. Here they would gather for prayer. Here they would assemble for worship. After years of wandering and warring, the Temple represented stability. God’s children could finally settle down and rest. God had assured them they would be His people, and He would be their God. And now their God had a “home” in the land He promised to Abraham.
The Temple
For the Jewish people, the Temple was more than just the center for public worship, it was in many ways their source of identity. Being the most sacred site in Jerusalem, it was the “nucleus” of Judaism. Living under the New Covenant it is difficult for us to relate to its significance, but before Pentecost, if you wanted to “experience” God you would most likely go to the Temple. It was here that God met with His people. With the Holy of Holies, the ark of the Covenant, the altar, etc. one could “sense” the presence of God. As we looked at in the last devotion, this helps us to put into perspective Ezekiel’s vision of God departing the Temple. But this wasn’t the only vision God gave Ezekiel pertaining to the Temple.
In Ezekiel chapter forty, Ezekiel encounters a man whose appearance is like bronze who is holding a measuring rod. This man explains in great detail to Ezekiel the plans for a new Temple. For three chapters, Ezekiel shares the details of this new Temple, and then at the beginning of Chapter 43, he is given a vision of God returning to the Temple. Then Ezekiel records what God spoke to him.
“Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the people of Israel forever. – Ezekiel 43:7
Temple Shame
There is great debate regarding the Temple of Ezekiel’s vision. Some believe the Temple will be the Millennial Temple. Some believe this passage is not to be taken literally but spiritually. Some believe this is God’s ideal for a Temple. I am going to avoid the controversy and simply look at the purpose God had in asking Ezekiel to share this incredibly detailed vision of this majestic Temple and God’s filling of it with His glory; “that they may be ashamed of their iniquities.” That was God’s desire. That is why He gave Ezekiel this vision and asked him to share it with the people.
There was a large chasm between how things were and how God intended them to be. God’s presence had left the current Temple because its destruction was imminent due to the sins of Israel. There are harsh consequences to our sins, but is there a corresponding shame?
Under the cloak of grace, it is easy to dismiss our sins. It is easy to be casual about them. But what is their cost? Look at Jesus’ Temple. Glance at His nail-scarred hands and feet and His pierced side. Look at the crown of thorns. Listen to His cry of forsakenness as the Father has to look away from our sins that He bore. Is there a sense of shame? On the altar of Calvary’s cross, the Lamb of God’s was sacrificed. As His life was ebbing away, his blood was staining the cross and purifying our souls. His dying blood would germinate the church. The heart of Christ was broken so we could be given new hearts. The heart of Christ was stilled, so we could truly live.
It is more difficult to dismiss our sins when we see their real cost. The first step in experiencing the “fullness” of God is a shame for our iniquities.
“Describe to the house of Israel the Temple, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities.”
Will Ezekiel’s Temple ever be constructed? I don’t know, but it won’t be in heaven. Nor will there be shame there.
22 And I saw no temple in the city, for its temple is the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb. – Revelation 21:22
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