GOD’S TEMPLES

Today’s Reading: Ezekiel 41-43

Click scripture link to read online or HERE to listen online (then click the symbol of the audio speaker above the scripture portion).

Looking towards the walls of the Old City of Jerusalem, you can see an entrance where visitors can go deep into King Solomon’s Quarries, also known as Zedekiah’s Cave. The stones for Solomon’s Temple are believed to have been hewn from this quarry around 970 BC (1 Kings 6:1). As evident in today’s reading, God pays careful attention to detail when giving instructions in the construction of His temples.

GOOGLE MAPS – To see where the photo was taken, click HERE.

Key Verses: Ezekiel 43:5

The Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the temple.

Twenty-five years had passed since the first captives were brought to Babylon from Jerusalem, and approximately ten years since the magnificent Temple built by Solomon had been totally destroyed. Ezekiel’s vision of a new Temple must have brought much-needed encouragement to the Jewish exiles. Daniel, who became governor of one-third of the Persian empire, would have read Ezekiel’s writings and perhaps had these words in mind as he opened his window three times each day and prayed while looking in the direction of Jerusalem (Daniel 6:10-13). No doubt the content of Daniel’s prayers would have included the rebuilding of the Temple and the return of the glory of the Lord to the Jerusalem Temple. A suggested New Testament reading could be Hebrews 9:6-28.

We, as believers in Jesus, the One of whom John wrote, should be able to say with John, “We beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father” (John 1:14b). In Scripture, we are called God’s temples in which He dwells (1 Corinthians 6:19-20). God, who pays such close attention to the details of a building as described by Ezekiel, surely pays close attention to the building of His human temples. God has a design blueprint for our individual lives, His temples!!!

PRAYER FOR TODAY:

Lord God, You have a plan for my life, and You are in the construction business. I welcome You to take complete charge of my life, Your temple. I pray that as a “living stone” I’ll not walk away from You as You place me where You want me (read 1 Peter 2:4-7). Lord Jesus, You are the “Chief Cornerstone,” and I pray in Your Name. Amen!!!

100 PERSONAL WORDS:

I’ve had the privilege of visiting some of the great cathedrals of Europe, marvelling at the overall grandeur and also at the amazing attention to detail. The sculptures depicting Bible stories are everywhere. These visuals taught Bible stories to generations of people who were unable to read the Scriptures for themselves. I think that the construction of the Jerusalem Temples had the same visual purpose. As a 10 and 11-year-old boy, I had a job after school delivering letterhead stationery to Members of Parliament in Ottawa. The print shop would pay me a few cents for each delivery. Up the elevators and down the bannisters I would go, all the time learning from the amazing features of the buildings and sculptures which taught me some of the history of Canada.

Yours for following God’s detailed plans for all His temples, including each one of us,

David