Ezekiel 45: The Sacred
Thursday, January 10, 2019
I am wondering how our weeks and years might change if we were to use honest weights and measures in our interactions with one another. When we read about the Lord God’s opinion on this subject we can see that, of course, he is quite aware of the human tendency to hoard and store up . . . even at the expense of others. Enough you princes of Israel! Put away violence and oppression, and do what is right and just! Stop evicting my people! Says the Lord God. You shall have honest scales, an honest ephah and an honest liquid measure. In this description of the New Jerusalem there is honesty. Can we imagine how that might feel?
I am wondering how our future might change if we all agreed to remember God’s covenant and providence by celebrating memories of the good God has brought to our lives. Thus says the Lord God: On the first day of the first month . . . you shall remember and celebrate the Passover . . . you shall make offerings to remember my goodness and patience. When we worship God well we indicate that we understand our proper relationship with him and all of creation. We demonstrate our appreciation for our place in God’s story; we express our desire to fulfill our role as God’s adopted children. In this description of the New Temple there is reverence and balance. Can we imagine how that might soften hearts and un-bend stiff necks?
Ezekiel tells us what the Lord God says as he describes the vibrant details of a life he wishes for all of us. There is no mistaking the qualities of sacred living. In this and in the following chapters we are told what to expect so that there will be no surprises. When we live with God we live in a sacred space. When we act in God we act with integrity. When we worship God we give our problems and anxieties over to him, and we fully trust that the Lord God has the common good in mind.
In the immensity of God’s heart there is a home for each of us. Let us take the time to provide a sacred tract within our own hearts for the Lord God to inhabit and make his own.
In the infinity of God’s mind there is a plan for each of us. Let us make ourselves as honest and constant as possible so that the Lord God will recognize us as his own.
In the eternity of God’s love there is deliverance for each of us. Let us make the offering of ourselves to the Lord God and prepare to recognize him as the redeemer of our souls.
Let us prepare to live a life that is dedicated to the sacred.
A re-post from January 10, 2012.
Images from: http://bible-truth.org/Feasts-Tabernacles.html and https://thenoontimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/55408-nof1.jpg and https://thenoontimes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/z_page-8-weights-011.jpg
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