Though lost a bit in the details of descriptions today, there are few points that got through to me. First, God wants people to know the difference between the holy and the common:
They are to teach my people the difference between the holy and the common and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean. (Ezk 44:23)
This instruction described the mission of the priests who are to serve in the temple. Today still, people need to know this difference. I think one of the biggest stumbling blocks we might have to letting go of control and admitting to God that he has authority over us, is that we don’t realize that He is holy and we are unholy. Instead of submitting to His authority, we keep demanding God to lower His standards. We ask: “Why should I accept Jesus. Why should I change the way I live”. You can’t lower the standards of holiness, it is impossible, it’s against it’s definition. That’s why Jesus‘ atonement was necessary, to reconcile the difference between a holy God and a common human.
Second, The description of the life giving river, the fish and the trees which bear fruit were a reminder to me of: Jesus being the true giver of life, the work the Lord gave us of proclaiming the good news to people and loving them, and the work of the Holy Spirit in us bearing fruit.
When I arrived there, I saw a great number of trees on each side of the river. He said to me, "This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, [q] where it enters the Sea. [r] When it empties into the Sea, [s] the water there becomes fresh. Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live. Fishermen will stand along the shore; from En Gedi to En Eglaim there will be places for spreading nets. The fish will be of many kinds—like the fish of the Great Sea. [t] But the swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they will be left for salt. Fruit trees of all kinds will grow on both banks of the river. Their leaves will not wither, nor will their fruit fail. Every month they will bear, because the water from the sanctuary flows to them. Their fruit will serve for food and their leaves for healing." (Ezk: 47:7-12)
Finally, God’s presence in the lives of believers is visible, it’s overt. If we were a city dedicated to God, God would’ve put a sign on it: “The LORD is there.” As believers, we are too dedicated to Him and even though we might not wear signs, the message is still the same: God lives in us. The Holy Spirit lives in us and this is displayed through the way we live.
"On the west side, which is 4,500 cubits long, will be three gates: the gate of Gad, the gate of Asher and the gate of Naphtali.
"The distance all around will be 18,000 cubits.
"And the name of the city from that time on will be:
The LORD is There ." (Ezk 48:34-35)
Question: What are the ways in which God’s love is displayed in your life?
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