This Encouraging Scripture Results in a Deeper Relationship! (Ezekiel 42-48)
Sometimes we all just need a little bit of inspiration! A helpful reminder to inspire us to do better and be better.
While the Bible is permeated with just such verses, the book of Ezekiel holds some of the most awe-inspiring imagery we could ever read, including encouraging scripture to invigorate us!
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Sometimes we all just need a little bit of inspiration! A helpful reminder to inspire us to do better and be better.
While the Bible is permeated with just such verses, the book of Ezekiel holds some of the most awe-inspiring imagery we could ever read, including encouraging scripture to invigorate us!
It’s never too late to start!
Download your first two weeks free by signing up below (or buy Book One of the Family Bible Plan)!
The purpose of the Temple...
If you remember, the Old Testament walks through the beginning of the Israelite people and their use of the Tabernacle (nomads with temporary structures), they then transform into a formed nation with a temple (settled with land and permanency).
The temple held a couple different purposes, but the main one was God dwelling among His people because He was their ruler. Other nations had temples with their idols, but the Israelites’ had the glory of God fill their temple.
Why this imagery?
In captivity, the Israelites faced an unsure foundation which was further rocked when they found out the walls of the temple were burned.
The temple was to be the ‘center’ of their nation. Originally, the tabernacle had been set up to be in the middle of the camp with 3 tribes camping on each side of it. Everyone could see it and knew where it was in relation to their camp.
When Solomon built the temple, it was a grand structure in their holy city, Jerusalem. And now it was gone, burned and lying in rubble.
Ezekiel’s vision contained a new temple, ie., a new promise for the future, where He would dwell among His people once again. It was, in part, a sign of hope for them.
An encouraging scripture...
The glory of the Lord was to come live among the people again!
This meant the destruction of the temple was not the final end of the nation. A refreshing gift was given for Ezekiel to relay to the people of Israel!
And the vision I saw was just like the vision that I had seen when He came to destroy the city, and just like the vision that I had seen by the Chebar canal. And I fell on my face.
As the glory of the Lord entered the temple by the gate facing east, the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the temple.
Picture the details...
Close your eyes and imagine what Ezekiel saw. As God’s glory comes from the East to fill the temple:
What power rests in the One who dwells in their temple! Only God could command such a presence and such a response!
The result...
What an encouraging scripture for us to reflect on. Think of what a promise that was to the Israelites, to the remnant who would return.
For us, we get to also see the promise and the result of encouraging scripture verses, get to read them in context, and in light of Ezekiel’s other visions.
These encouraging scripture passages present to us a God who is immeasurable and incomparable. There is none like Him.
Ezekiel's response...
Think about Ezekiel’s response. Here he was a prophet of God, who had visions of Him and was guided by Him throughout his ministry.
And even he was so consumed and overwhelmed that he would fall facedown.
He was clearly no stranger to falling facedown. He knew on a deeply intimate level how holy God is! Also an encouraging scripture verse set for us to look over.
Our response...
If Ezekiel’s response was such, do we bend our knee? I mean, we get to read about the love God had for His people, how He taught them, cared for them, lead them, opened up salvation for all, etc. And what is our response?
Do we take the time to be in awe of His holiness and power? Do we consider the vastness of His glory? Are we noting that the very things of nature around us point to Him (the rushing waters, the sun, the clouds that lead us)?
Since we are not called on this earth to be hermits who keep our faith to ourselves, this brings up a whole new line of questions to ponder.
Do your children, neighbors, grandchildren, nieces, spouse, nephews, etc. know:
- that nature will display God’s glory?
- how your faith can bring you to your knees?
- the Israelites’ stories and how they can grow our faith?
- how the prophets were treated?
The Bible is full of wisdom, and God doesn’t require us to know it all before we share the pieces we do know; you need not be a Bible scholar first.
(And if it concerns you that a question will rise from this that you don’t know the answer to, take a breath and say you’ll have to get back to the person while you study it or seek out a source who does know. It’s completely fine and normal if you cannot answer every question about the Bible, because no one can!)
Every knee...
An encouraging scripture does more than just impact you, it impacts others (sometimes through you). And one thing these sets of verses do are depict a reaction that will eventually be taken by every single person whether or not they have read them or not.
Every knee will one day bow down in acknowledgement of who God truly is. Every. Knee.
What are you doing to advance the kingdom of God? We should all be working to plant seeds with weak knees… knees not afraid to bend!
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