OT Fire Starters – Day 332: Ezekiel 41-42
READ: Ezekiel 41-42
THINK: What do have to offer God? Perhaps you feel that it’s not much or that it’s insignificant so far as God is concerned. But whatever gifts, abilities, opportunities and resources God has given you, He intends for you to use. While these things may seem ordinary, if surrendered to God they become holy-set apart for His service. Just as the offerings brought to God’s temple were holy (42:13), anything reserved for God’s purpose is holy. This doesn’t mean that your offering has to be perfect or extraordinary for God to use it. Neither does it mean that it can’t be used by common people in common situations. After all, God’s gifts are often best received in that context. It’s your choice whether to submit yourself and your gifts to God’s service. The New Testament puts all Christ’s followers in a priestly role (cf. 1 Peter 2:5,9; Revelation 1:10), representing God to others and ministering as unto Him. You can do that by returning to God whatever He’s given you, putting it to use for His honor.
RESPOND: How does the temple that Ezekiel saw differ from the former temple? (See 41:1 note.) Why do you think the temple vision is described in such intricate detail? What do you think is significant about the perfect symmetry in the temple’s dimensions? Why do you think that only the angel, not Ezekiel, entered the inner sanctuary-the Most Holy Place (cf. Leviticus 16)? Why and in what way is it important that offerings to God remain “holy”-pure and set apart from evil and reserved for God’s purposes (42:13)? What do you think it means “to separate the holy from the common” (42:20)? How does that happen and why is it important?
PRAY: Praise God for His purity, perfection and holiness. Thank Him for restoring ultimate purpose to your life.
ACT: Consider a talent, ability, opportunity or resource you have that you aren’t using as you could for God’s honor. Perhaps you don’t see the potential as God does. But what you have belongs to God, so surrender it to Him, let Him show you how to put it to use, then obey Him with positive action and purpose.