BIBLE CHALLENGE
September 18, 2021
"Then he said to me, ‘The north and south rooms in front of the separated yard are the holy rooms where the priests who approach Adonai will eat the especially holy things."
Ezekiel 42
“Then he said to me, ‘The north and south rooms in front of the separated yard are the holy rooms where the priests who approach Adonai will eat the especially holy things. This is where they will put the especially holy things – the grain offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings: for the place is holy.
Ezekiel 42: 13
It is difficult to find much drama in these last few chapters of Ezekiel. Most of it reads like an architect’s blueprints! But the essence of what is being communicated is quite fascinating: we serve a precise God, Who is fully aware of every detail. Not only does He concern Himself with construction details, but He also is intimately aware of His standard for mankind and how each of us “measures up” to His requirements.
God’s standard for mankind is perfect holiness, an impossible goal for men to reach by their own achievement. The reason is that we are sinful and fall short of God’s requirements. That is why Jesus’ atoning work on the cross was so important. Only Jesus, “God made flesh” (John 1), could accomplish atonement for us, making up the good works, which are lacking in our lives.
“And you, who were once alienated because of your evil deeds He has now reconciled in His fleshly body through His death, to present you holy, without blemish and irreproachable before Him, provided that you persevere in the faith, firmly grounded, stable, and not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been preached to every creature under heaven, of which I, Paul, am a minister.” 1 Colossians 1:21-23
Whenever a building inspector steps onto a worksite, everyone gets nervous. If he is a good inspector, he will explore every detail of construction, making sure everything meets the standard set by the building codes. The building inspector has the power to shut a whole construction site down, making the contractors start again, even pouring a new foundation.
Similarly, people will stand before the Lord in the last days and be judged according to God’s “building codes”: the Ten Commandments. Each life will be thoroughly scrutinized, and not one detail allowed to “slip by” the Inspector’s eye. That is why I am so grateful that Jesus is not just the architect of my salvation but also the finish carpenter.
“Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author, and Finisher of our faith; Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and set down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:12