Gold for the heart - Ezekiel 45-48

Ezekiel 45

1 Moreover, when you divide by lot the land for inheritance, you are to offer an oblation to the LORD, a holy portion of the land: the length will be 8.7 miles, and the width will be 3.5 miles. This will be holy/set apart in all its borders round about. 2 And from this will be for the sanctuary 916.7 feet in length, with 916.7 feet in width, square round about; and 91.7 feet surrounding it for its open space.

An oblation is a gift to Deity.
This offering of land to God was about nine miles long and 3.5 miles wide with a center part for the sanctuary of about 1/5 of a mile square with a space of @ 91 feet around the 1/5 mile area for open space around the sanctuary.

3 And from this measure you are to measure the length of 8.7 miles, and the width of 3.5 miles: and in it will be the sanctuary and the most holy place. 4 The holy portion of the land is to be for the priests, the ministers of the sanctuary, who come near to minister to the LORD: it will be a place for their houses, and a holy place for the sanctuary. 5 And the 8.7 miles of length, and the 3.5 miles of width, the Levites, the ministers of the house, will have for themselves, for a possession for twenty chambers. 6 And you are to appoint the possession of the city 12.2 miles wide, and 8.7 miles long, alongside the oblation of the holy portion: it will be for the whole house of Israel. 7 And a portion will be for the prince on the one side and on the other side of the oblation of the holy portion, and of the possession of the city, before the oblation of the holy portion, and before the possession of the city, from the west side toward the west, and from the east side toward the east: and the length is to be adjacent to one of the portions, from the west border to the east border. 8 In this land will be his possession in Israel: and my princes are to no longer oppress my people; and they are to give the rest of the land to the house of Israel according to their tribes.

This property is all that the rulers will be allowed to own. They arere given this so that they won't take the peoples land.
No power monopolies allowed.
Nor will they be allowed to tax excessively or draft for services beyond what is set by God.

Matthew 11:30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

God demanded that the leaders stop extortion of God’s people

9 The Lord God says this; Let it be enough for you, O princes of Israel: remove violence and plundering, and execute judgment and justice, stop your extortions/expulsions from my people, says the Lord GOD. 10 You are to have just balances, a just dry measure, and a just wet measure. 11 The dry measure and the wet measure are to be the same, that the bath (wet measure) may contain the 7 1/2 gallons, and the ephah the tenth part of a homer: its measure is to be after the homer. 12 And the shekel is to be twenty gerahs: twenty shekels, twenty-five shekels, fifteen shekels, is to be your maneh.

God set the measurements and the value of money so that no one could steal from His people by changing the values.
The homer was 5.1 pints.

13 This is the oblation that you are to offer; the sixth part of an ephah of an homer of wheat, and you shall give the sixth part of an ephah of a homer of barley: 14 Concerning the ordinance of oil, the bath of oil, you shall offer the tenth part of a bath out of the cor, which is a homer of ten baths; for ten baths are a homer: 15 And one lamb out of the flock, out of two hundred, out of the fat pastures of Israel; for a grain offering, and for a burnt offering, and for peace offerings, to make reconciliation for them, says the Lord GOD. 16 All the people of the land shall give this oblation for the prince in Israel. 17 And it will be the prince’s part to give burnt offerings, and grain offerings, and drink offerings, in the feasts, and in the new moons, and in the sabbaths, in all appointed feasts of the house of Israel: he shall prepare the sin offering, and the food offering, and the burnt offering, and the peace offerings, to make reconciliation for the house of Israel.

This brought the nation back into the favor and presence of their Maker, the Creator of heaven and earth.

1John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

James 4:8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded.

18 The Lord God says this; In the first month, in the first day of the month, you shall take a young bull without blemish, and cleanse the sanctuary: 19 And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering, and put it on the posts of the house, and on the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and on the posts of the gate of the inner court. 20 And this you shall do the seventh day of the month for every one that goes astray or is simple: by this you shall atone for the house.

Hebrews 9:22 And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.

21 In the first month, in the fourteenth day of the month, you shall have the passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten. 22 And on that day the prince shall prepare for himself and for all the people of the land a bull for a sin offering. 23 And seven days of the feast he shall prepare a burnt offering to the LORD, seven bulls and seven rams without blemish daily the seven days; and a kid of the goats daily for a sin offering. 24 And he shall prepare a grain offering of an ephah for a bull, and an ephah for a ram, and a hin of oil for an ephah. 25 In the seventh month, in the fifteenth day of the month, he will do this in the feast of the seven days, according to the sin offering, according to the burnt offering, and according to the grain offering, and according to the oil.

The hin was about six pints or 3/4 of a gallon.
Remember that all the offerings were detailed, intricate portrayals of God’s love for man poured out like the blood of the animal sacrifices.
The Maker of all the universe, the Maker of all things is high and holy.
We are not acceptable in His presence as we are, but His love is great and He made a way.

John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming to him, and said, Behold the Lamb of God, which takes away the sin of the world.

John 6:35 And Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life: he that comes to me shall never hunger; and he that believes on me shall never thirst.

Ezekiel 46

1 The Lord God says this; The gate of the inner court that looks toward the east is to be shut the six working days; but on the sabbath it is to be opened, and in the day of the new moon it is to be opened. 2 The prince is to enter by way of the porch outside that gate, stand by the post of the gate, and the priests is to prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings: and he will worship at the threshold of the gate: then he will go out; but the gate is not to be shut until the evening. 3 In the same way the people of the land are to worship at the door of this gate before the LORD in the sabbaths and in the new moons. 4 And the burnt offering that the prince is to offer to the LORD in the sabbath day is to be six lambs without blemish, and a ram without blemish. 5 And the grain offering is to be a 1/2 bushel of flour for a ram, the grain offering for the lambs as he is able to give, and 3/4 of a gallon of olive oil to a 1/2 bushel of flour.

God’s order of worship was a frequent reminder of who and what He is to us.
He is our source and our destiny (Genesis 1 and Revelation 1:8).
The burnt offering was the portrayal of His great love poured out for us by His Son’s death in our place for our sins.
The peace offering showed that Jesus is our peace with God.
The grain or food offering celebrated that He is the bread of life.
These mentioned offerings were like our communion service showing us the way to communion with Him.

6 And in the day of the new moon it is to be a young bull without blemish, six lambs, and a ram: they are to be without blemish. 7 And he is to prepare a grain offering, 1/2 bushel for a bull, 1/2 bushel for a ram, for the lambs according as his hand can afford, and 3/4 of a gallon of olive oil to every 1/2 bushel of flour.

Oil is the symbol for God the Holy Spirit.
All that God is and has for us, is administered to us by His Holy Spirit.
The sacrifices were to be without blemish because God’s sacrifice, His Son, is without blemish.

8 And when the prince enters, he is to go in by the way of the porch of that gate, and he is to go out by its way. 9 But when the people of the land come before the LORD in the solemn feasts, he that enters in by the way of the north gate to worship is to go out by the way of the south gate; and he that enters by the way of the south gate is to go out by the way of the north gate: he is not to return by the way of the gate by which he came in, but is to go out opposite it.

For everyday worship, the prince or leader of the people came and went into the presence of God the by the same gate.
However the people were to leave by the opposite gate by which they came.
The people would flow in one gate and out the other rather than mill about.
However, on holidays, the prince came and went with the people.
Certain offerings were eaten by the people as part of the worship.

1Corinthians 14:40 Let all things be done decently and in order.

10 And the prince in the midst of them is to enter and leave with them on these occasions. 11 And in the festivals and in the appointed feasts the grain offering is to be 1/2 bushel of flour to a bull, 1/2 bushel to a ram, and to the lambs as he is able to give, and 3/4 of a gallon of olive oil to 1/2 bushel of flour. 12 Now when the prince prepares a voluntary burnt offering or peace offerings voluntarily to the LORD, then someone is to open for him the gate that faces east, and he is to prepare his burnt offering and his peace offerings as he did on the sabbath day: then he is to go out; and after he leaves someone is to shut the gate.

Leaders were honored in this way. They deserve honor because of the responsibility that they carry.

13 Daily you are to prepare a burnt offering to the LORD of a lamb of the first year without blemish: prepare it every morning. 14 And you are to prepare a grain offering for it every morning, 2 1/2 quarts of flour and 1/3 gallon of oil to moisten the fine flour; a grain offering continually by a perpetual ordinance to the LORD. 15 This is how they are to prepare the lamb, the grain offering, and the oil, every morning for a continual burnt offering.

John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming to him, and said, Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.

16 The Lord God says this; If the prince gives a gift to any of his sons, the inheritance of it is to be his sons’; it will be their possession by inheritance. 17 But if he gives a gift of his inheritance to one of his servants, then it will be his until the year of liberty; after that, it is to return to the prince: but his inheritance to his sons will be permanent. 18 Moreover the prince is not to take of the people’s inheritance by oppression, to thrust them out of their possession; but he is to give his sons inheritance out of his own possession: that my people be not scattered every man from his possession.

God gave all His people property that belonged to them forever.
If they worshipped the Lord and worked the land they would prosper.
Idolatry brought drought.
Ahab wanted Naboth’s vineyard. He pouted because Naboth would not sell to him his family’s inheritance from the Lord.
His wife arranged the death of Naboth and his sons (1 Kings 21).

19 After he brought me through the entry, which was at the side of the gate, into the holy chambers of the priests, which looked toward the north: behold, there was a place on the two sides toward the west. 20 Then said he to me, This is the place where the priests are to boil the trespass offering and the sin offering, and where they will bake the grain offering; that they not carry them out into the outer court, to sanctify the people.

The priests cooked the offering and the person who brought the offering ate of it.
This symbolized our communion with Christ as the bread of life.

John 6:35 And Jesus said to them, I am the bread of life: he that comes to me will never hunger; and he that believes on me will never thirst.

Revelation 3:20 Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hears my voice, and opens the door, I will come in to him, and will feast with him, and he with me.

21 Then he brought me into the outer court, and caused me to pass by the four corners of the court; and behold, in every corner of the court there was an enclosed court. 22 In the four corners of the court the enclosed courts joined, 73.3 feet long and 55 feet wide wide: these four corners were of the same measure. 23 And there was a ledge of stone around them, around the four of them, and it was made with fireplaces under the ledges all the way around. 24 Then he said to me, These are the places of those that boil, where the ministers of the house will boil the sacrifice of the people.

Psalm 8:1 O LORD our Lord, how excellent is your name in all the earth! Who has set your glory above the heavens.

Ezekiel 47

The Lord’s great blessing for all

1 Afterward he brought me again to the door of the house; and, behold, water came out from under the threshold of the house toward the east: for the front of the house faced the east, and the waters came down from under from the right side of the house at the south side of the altar. 2 Then he brought me out of the north gate and led me around outside the way to the outer gate that faces east; and, behold, water was trickling out of the right side. 3 And when the man that had the line in his hand went toward the east, he measured a thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles. 4 Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through the waters; the waters were to the knees. Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins. 5 Afterward he measured a thousand; and it was a river that I could not crossed over: for the waters were raised high, waters to swim in, a river that could not be passed over.

The water was ankle deep at about 1/3 of a mile, knee deep at 2/3 of mile from the temple, waist deep at about a mile and too deep to walk across at the 4^th thousand cubits.
The water trickled from the side of God’s temple and became a deep river. This is not natural but a miracle.

John 4:14 But whoever drinks of the water that I give him will never thirst; but the water that I give him will be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.

6 And he said to me, Son of man, have you seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to the bank of the river. 7 Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the river were a great many trees on one side and on the other. 8 Then said he to me, These waters go out toward the east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought into the sea, the waters will be healed.

Remember that during the tribulation the waters of the seas will be turned to blood because the people of earth shed the blood of God’s servants in mass (Revelation 16).
Here God foretells that He will send out healing waters that will heal the sea after that judgment.
God foretells things so that man cannot give credit to the wrong place for what God does.

The Lord heals the waters

9 And it will come to pass, that everything that lives, that moves, wherever the rivers go, will live: and there will be a very great multitude of fish because these waters will go there: they will be healed; and everything will live where the river comes. 10 And it will come to pass, that the fishermen will stand on it from En-gedi even to En-eglaim; that will be a place to spread nets; their fish will be according to their kinds, as the fish of the great sea, exceedingly many. 11 But its miry places and its marshes will not be healed; they will be given to salt. 12 And by the river on its bank, on this side and on that side, will grow all trees for food, whose leaf will not fade, neither will its fruit be consumed: it will bring forth new fruit according to his months, because their waters come out of the sanctuary: its fruit will be for food, and its leaf for medicine.

Exodus 15:26 … I am the LORD that heals you.

God gave His people the best land on earth

13 The Lord God says this; This will be the border by which you are to inherit the land according to the twelve tribes of Israel: Joseph will have two portions. 14 And you will inherit it, one as well as another: concerning what I lifted up my hand to give to your fathers: and this land will fall to you for an inheritance.

God gave the nation of Israel the ‘promised land.’ He specified its boundaries. They include all Israel, Lebanon, Irag, 2/3 of Jordan, 1/2 of Syria, and the northern part of Saudi Arabia.

Ezekiel 20:6 the glory of all lands.

Deuteronomy 8:7 For the LORD your God brings you into a good land, a land of brooks of water, of fountains and depths that spring out of valleys and hills; 8 A land of wheat, and barley, and vines, and fig trees, and pomegranates; a land of oil olive, and honey.

15 And this will be the border of the land toward the north side, from the great sea, the way of Hethlon, as men go to Zedad; 16 Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath; Hazar-hatticon, which is by the coast of Hauran. 17 And the border from the sea will be Hazar-enan, the border of Damascus, and the north northward, and the border of Hamath. And this is the north side. 18 And you are to measure the east side from Hauran, and from Damascus, and from Gilead, and from the land of Israel by Jordan, from the border unto the east sea. And this is the east side. 19 And the south side southward, from Tamar even to the waters of strife in Kadesh, the river to the great sea. And this is the south side southward. 20 The west side also will be the great sea from the border until a man comes over against Hamath. This is the west side. 21 So you are to divide this land unto you according to the tribes of Israel. 22 And it will come to pass, that you will divide it by lot for an inheritance unto you, and to the foreigners that stay among you, who beget children among you, they will be unto you as those born in the country among the children of Israel; they are to have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel. 23 And in what tribe the foreigner stays, there you are to give him his inheritance, says the Lord GOD.

Foreigners who stay in God’s land with God’s people and bear children will be considered citizens.
They will be given property…given…not charged outrageous prices for it.
God has room enough for all and wants to include all in His kingdom.

Ezekiel 48

The Lord is there

1 Now these are the names of the tribes (of Israel and the territory each one will receive): from the north end to the coast of the way of Hethlon, as one goes to Hamath, Hazar-enan, the border of Damascus north, to the coast of Hamath; these are his borders east and west; one portion for Dan. 2 And by the border of Dan, from the east side to the west side, a portion for Asher. 3 And by the border of Asher, from the east side to the west side, a portion for Naphtali. 4 And by the border of Naphtali, from the east side to the west side, a portion for Manasseh. 5 And by the border of Manasseh, from the east side to the west side, a portion for Ephraim. 6 And by the border of Ephraim, from the east side to the west side, a portion for Reuben. 7 And by the border of Reuben, from the east side to the west side, a portion for Judah. 8 And by the border of Judah, from the east side to the west side, is to be the offering that you are to offer of 8.7 miles wide, and the same length as one of the other portions, from the east side to the west side: and the sanctuary will be in the center of it.

God gave the nation of Israel the land He had promised Abraham forever.
He outlined its borders to include all Israel, Lebanon, Iraq, 2/3 of Jordan, 1/2 of Syria, and the northern part of Saudi Arabia.
He said who will live where in the future.
The tribe of Dan will have the most eastern strip of property that goes from the northern to southern border of the nation. Then proceeding west Asher’s property, Naphtali, Manasseh, Ephraim, Reuben and Judah.

Psalm 24:1 The earth is the LORD’s, and the fullness of it, the world, and they that dwell there. 2 For he has founded it on the seas, and established it on the floods.

9 The gift that you are to offer to the LORD is to be of 8.7 miles in length, and of 3.5 miles in width. 10 And this holy gift is for the priests; toward the north 8.7 miles in length, and toward the west 3.5 miles in width, and toward the east 3.5 miles is width, and toward the south 8.7 miles in length: and the sanctuary of the LORD will be in the center of it.

Six tribes of Israel are to the east of God’s house.
About nine miles of land to the north and south of the sanctuary will be for the use of the priests for houses fields, gardens etc.
About 3.5 miles on each side east and west of the sanctuary also will be for the use of the priests.

11 It will be for the priests that are sanctified of the sons of Zadok; that have kept my charge that did not go astray when the children of Israel went astray, as the Levites went astray. 12 And this gift of the land that is offered will be to them a thing most holy by the border of the Levites. 13 And over against the border of the priests the Levites are to have 8.7 miles in length, and 3.5 miles wide: all the length are to be 8.7 miles, and the widths 3.5 miles. 14 And they are not to sell any of it or exchange or transfer the first fruits of the land: for it is holy to the LORD. 15 And the 1.6 mile that is left in the width over against the 4.4 miles in length, will be for common use for the city, for dwellings, and for suburbs: and the city will be in the center of it.

About 1.6 sq miles for the city that will sit in the center of the land area described after verse 8.

16 And these are to be its dimensions; the north side 1.6 miles, and the south side 1.6 miles, and on the east side 1.6 miles, and the west side 1.6 miles. 17 And the open spaces of the city will be toward the north 152.8 yards, and toward the south 152.8, and toward the east 152.8, and toward the west 152.8 yards. 18 And the remainder in length alongside the gift of the holy portion will be 3.5 miles eastward, and 3.5 miles westward: and it will be alongside the oblation/gift to diety of the holy portion; and its produce is to be for food to those that serve the city.

About 1.6 miles square with open spaces of about 152.8 feet. The remaining 3.5 miles to the east and west is for growing food for the civil servants.

29 And those that serve the city will serve it out of all the tribes of Israel. 20 All the gift is to be 8.7 miles by 8.7: you will offer the holy gift foursquare, with the possession of the city. 21 And the remainder is to be for the prince, on the one side and on the other of the holy gift, and of the possession of the city, in front of the 8.7 miles of the oblation toward the east border, and westward in front of the 8.7 miles toward the west border, alongside the portions for the prince: and it is to be the holy gift; and the sanctuary of the house will be in the center of it.

Zechariah 2:10 Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion: for, behold, I come, and I will dwell in the midst of you, says the LORD.

22 Moreover from the possession of the Levites, and from the possession of the city, being in the midst of that which is the prince’s, between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin, will be for the prince. 23 As for the rest of the tribes, from the east side to the west side, Benjamin will have a portion. 24 And by the border of Benjamin, from the east side to the west side, Simeon will have a portion. 25 And by the border of Simeon, from the east side to the west side, Issachar a portion. 26 And by the border of Issachar, from the east side to the west side, Zebulun a portion. 27 And by the border of Zebulun, from the east side to the west side, Gad a portion. 28 And by the border of Gad, at the south side southward, the border will be from Tamar to the waters of strife in Kadesh, and to the river toward the great sea. 29 This is the land that you are to divide by lot to the tribes of Israel for inheritance, and these are their portions, says the Lord GOD.

Judah’s land from north to south of the nation is in the center.
His people are both to the east and west of the city with God’s sanctuary being in the center of it.
The prince also has land east and west of the city. Benjamin’s land is just west of the princes land outside the city.
Then Simeon, Issachar, Zebulun, Gad.
The Creator of the Universe, the Maker of all things, is the One who decided and decreed this for Israel’s future.

30 And these are the exits of the city on the north side, 1.6 miles. 31 And the gates of the city are to be named after of the tribes of Israel: three gates northward; one gate of Reuben, one gate of Judah, one gate of Levi. 32 And at the east side 1.6 miles: and three gates; and one gate of Joseph, one gate of Benjamin, one gate of Dan. 33 And at the south side 1.6 miles: and three gates; one gate of Simeon, one gate of Issachar, one gate of Zebulun. 34 At the west side 1.6, with their three gates; one gate of Gad, one gate of Asher, one gate of Naphtali. 35 Its circumference was about 6.3 miles: and the name of the city from that day will be, The LORD is there.

Zechariah 2:5 For I, says the LORD, will be to her a wall of fire round about, and will be the glory in the midst of her.

Acts 17:24 God that made the world and all things in it, since he is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands; 25 Neither is worshipped with men’s hands, as though he needed any thing, since he gives to all life, and breath, and all things; 26 And has made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation; 27 That they should seek the Lord, if perhaps they might feel after him, and find him, though he is not far from every one of us: 28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being.

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SUMMARY: Ezekiel 45-48

God demanded that the leaders stop extortion of God’s people

The Lord’s great blessing for all

The Lord heals the waters

God gave His people the best land on earth

The Lord is there