Today's Scripture
God’s Glory: Ezekiel 33:1-11
TODAY’S READING SCHEDULE: Ezekiel 42-43 (CEB)
Then he led me to the east gate, 2 where the glory of Israel’s God was coming in from the east. Its sound was like the sound of a mighty flood, and the earth was lit up with his glory. 3 What appeared when I looked was like what I had seen when he[a] came to destroy the city, and also like what I saw at the Chebar River, and I fell on my face. 4 Then the Lord’s glory came into the temple by way of the east gate. 5 A wind picked me up and brought me to the inner courtyard, and there the Lord’s glory filled the temple. 6 A man was standing next to me, but the voice that I heard came from inside the temple. 7 He said to me, Human one, this is the place for my throne and the place for the soles of my feet, where I will dwell among the Israelites forever. The house of Israel will never again defile my holy name, neither they nor their kings, with their disloyalties and with their kings’ corpses at the shrines. 8 When they set their plazas with mine and their doorposts next to mine, the wall was between us. They defiled my holy name with their detestable practices, so I consumed them in my anger. 9 Now let them remove their disloyalties and their kings’ corpses from me, and I will dwell among them forever.
10 You, human one, describe the temple to the house of Israel. Let them be humiliated because of their guilt when they think about its design. 11 When they feel humiliated by all that they have done, make known to them the shape of the temple and its adornment, its exits and its entrances, its entire plan and all of its regulations. Write them down in their sight so that they may observe all of its entire plan and all its regulations and perform them.
What does this passage mean to me/us
When God says that the temple was defiled and the people should be humiliated, it was because the people of God brought other gods into the temple and defiled God’s holy place.
God’s glory rises from the east, like the Sun, and shines a ray of cleansing and restoration.
When the light shines to the temple, it does expose the dirt covered by the darkness.
The ray of God’s glory not only exposes but also cleans and sanctifies the temple.
Do you remember how Paul reveals how our body is a temple? Paul says, “Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; ” (1 Cor. 6:19 NIV).
This means that our body is God’s dwelling place. We need to keep it holy.
This is not limited to keeping it healthy, but more on to keep is pure and clean from sin.
It is about walking away from our ways and wants, and have our life opened to receive God’s Spirit dwelling in us.
The light of restoration is waiting from the east, it is our time to open ourselves to receive the glory.
Prayer
Lord, Help us to be opened to your glory to shine in our lives. Shine through us today. We pray in Christ name, AMEN.
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