Visions of Grandeur
Ezekiel 43:1-12
Lesson
Setting
The prophecy of Ezekiel occurs during the years of King
Nebuchadnezzar’s reign in Babylon, 605 BCE to 562 BCE. More specifically, Ezekiel’s ministry of
twenty-two years, 593 to 571, offers insight on Israel’s spiritual condition
before the Babylonian captivity, during the siege of Jerusalem and the exilic
period afterwards. Congruent with the
prophecies of Isaiah and Jeremiah, Ezekiel’s message offer both exhortations
relating to sin and rebellion and empowering hope of return, restoration and
renewal. Operating distinctly in his
priestly office in addition to his prophetic calling, Ezekiel reassures the
nation of the return of God’s favor to them as they genuinely and
wholeheartedly worship Him.
Reconciliation with Almighty God is Israel’s surest protection from
future adversity and tragedy. In this
passage, Ezekiel shares with them a vision of the coming grandeur of authentic
worship.
Lesson
Outline
I.
Ezekiel 43:1-5 – God’s Glory Fills the Temple
II.
Ezekiel 43:6-9 – Eliminate Detestable Practices
III.
Ezekiel 43:10-11 – A Sacred Space to Commune
IV.
Ezekiel 43:12 – A Holy Place to Meet Almighty God
Unifying
Principle
People look for a place in which they can experience some
sense of release and orderliness, away from the chaos that sometimes surrounds
them. Where can such a place be
found? Ezekiel’s vision, given to him by
God, revealed to the Israelites that God’s calming presence and merciful glory
could be felt in sacred places in which God is truly worshiped.
Introduction
Whereas adults strive for peace as an escape from daily
chaos due to poor choices and untoward behavior, they are subject equally to
natural disasters and adversarial global events which disrupt their lives. Regardless of their bad decisions, people
seek refuge from life’s turbulence.
Peace in its purest and most reliable sense is not easy to attain. Lifetimes are spent in pursuit of it, though
peace remains an elusive feeling and state of being for many persons. This difficult and unrewarding search for an
existential and physical space of peace can be rather costly, emotionally as
well financially. A radical change in
behavior and a renewed hope for better and brighter days are means of seeking
peace. Because those thoughts are so
intangible, many people label spaces as sacred hoping that entering those
places will yield instant peace. These hallowed
grounds offer a sense of peace, order and overall well-being to pilgrims and
other visitors. For Ezekiel’s listeners
and readers, the temple provides security from life’s unpredictability and
protection from daily fears that plague people.
When a worshipper crosses the threshold, he immediately feels an assurance
of being in God’s presence, a place of retreat and refuge from daily and
personal tribulation.
However, the nation defiled God’s temple instead of
esteeming it as a holy place that has been consecrated especially to honor and
glorify Almighty God. Disingenuously,
the leaders and people of Judah undermine one of their main venues for
protection and provision. They dishonor
the place of healing and wholeness. They
trample upon the sacred grounds where they commune with God to learn His
character and receive His guidance. In
so doing, they offend God’s holiness and righteousness by committing detestable
deeds in His holy temple. God condemns
the Hebrews for bringing their threshold of sin, rebellion and licentiousness
directly in contrast to God’s threshold of holiness and righteousness. Further, some of these persons confuse the
building with God’s essence; thereby, they practice idolatry as they equate
God’s character with something empirical and humanly constructed. To mediate this incredible and incalculable
offense to His character, God permits the resulting destruction of the temple
in Jerusalem and the subsequent Babylonian captivity and exile of Judah. Understandably, this divine judgment
devastates the Jews. Yet, in an ironic
twist, God gives Ezekiel sacred visions of the temple restoration during the
nation’s worst crisis. In Israel’s most
dire need, God gives the prophet a message of profound hope detailing a vision
of the return of God’s glory to the temple and in turn to the people. Essentially, persons in Judah and Israel need
no longer fear daily chaos as God’s presence will comfort, protect and sustain
them.
People of faith like Ezekiel can receive consolation and comfort
through divine visions of grandeur in worship, praise, miracles and simply
being in God’s presence. Like the people
of Ezekiel’s biblical era, contemporary disciples want reassurance of God’s
glorious presence alongside them as they travel life’s unpredictable
terrain. As they locate the secret
places and dwell within the shadows of the Most High God, they experience His
essence through genuine worship and praise.
The Word of God encourages and empowers them. They receive visions of hope and messages of
peace that enable them to persevere through their daily challenges and
adversities. In addition, being in God’s
presence results in discipline and correction both of which are necessary for
spiritual maturity. His loving guidance
redirects us to righteous pathways when we stray from His will. In certain holy places, disciples dwell in
the house of God, behold His beauty and inquire of His wisdom. Assuredly, He graciously grants them courage
and insight as they live to His honor and glory each day.
Exposition
Point I –
Ezekiel 43:1-5 – God’s Glory Fills the Temple
This week, we examine Ezekiel’s vision of God’s glory in the
temple. His depiction of God’s majestic
house of worship affords us the blessing of viewing churches and other sacred places
as settings where we relate to Almighty God.
As we converse with Him, we receive His comfort and teachings when life
is particularly difficult. However, we
do not limit sacred places to church buildings as God is ever-present. We are “in church” anywhere when we genuinely
and humbly worship Him whether on a park bench overlooking the Hudson River,
the roses section of botanical gardens, the Egyptian wing of a museum, the rare
book reading room of a university library, box seats of the Metropolitan Opera
House, a public school classroom, or the quietude and darkness of your bedroom
as you fall asleep.
This passage affords an opportunity for disciples to
comprehend Ezekiel’s vision of God’s loving presence and amazing glory. Worship reveals God’s calming presence and in
turn eliminates our fears. The prophet’s
vision also challenges us to identify any number of sacred places where we can
worship God. Praise and worship in the
“temple” which is any location dedicated to God’s holy and gracious presence
necessitates growth in respect for the sanctity of worship settings. Interestingly, any space from a disciple’s
closet, basement, attic, kitchen, garage, car or office can be a “temple” where
he truly worships the Lord in Spirit and truth.
Contemporarily, worship is a very controversial issue in
many churches. New church plants and
splits in longstanding congregations stem from debates relating to worship
style and musical genres. “Seasoned”
saints demand the preservation of formal liturgies and litanies and singing
traditional hymns. Seekers and new
converts prefer church adaptations to the secular music they like. Formality for its sake bores them; they want
the essence of praise, worship, prayer and proclamation of the Word of
God. They do not need nor do they want
traditional models of worship. Old
Christians rebuff the casual clothing and attitude with which seekers and new
disciples worship. They resent the lack
of decorum as newer believers do not know when to enter, be silent, stand, speak
and sit. Incredulously, these recent
converts bring food, water and other beverages into the sanctuary. Moreover, they cannot control their screaming
and unruly children whose piercing sounds inhibit everyone else from hearing
the sermon. Their selfishness is an
affront to the long-term commitment and contribution of these elders in the
church. Prevalent disagreements about
worship raise the question, “What is authentic worship?” Further, how do we discern genuine worship
that honors and glories Almighty God?
Ezekiel’s vision, although offered originally to the
Israelites within the context of captivity and exile, additionally affords
modern disciples a chance to comprehend God’s holy and merciful glory within
worship.
Ezekiel shares a vision that reverses a previous negative
and punishing depiction of the Lord’s judgment upon Israel. The prophet witnessed the departure of God’s
glory from the temple through the east gate.
He fell face down in an act of great lamentation and despair as he realized
the onset of God’s judgment of Israel’s and Judah’s sin and rebellion through
the siege of Jerusalem and the Babylonian captivity. Had the people understood that they no longer
enjoyed God’s provision and protection as His glory departs from the temple? With great delight, Ezekiel returns to the
setting of judgment and despair to receive a vision of grandeur as the Lord
shows Ezekiel that His glory shall return to the temple as an act of
reconciliation with His people. Imagine
Ezekiel’s joy in realizing God’s fulfillment of His promises of restoration and
renewal for the nation. The loss of all
material possessions, land, history, culture and legacy did not compare to the
severance of Israel’s relationship with God.
As a prophet and priest, Ezekiel rejoices for his people as he knows the
incredible and incalculable blessings and indescribable life that awaits them
upon their return. The Spirit lifts
Ezekiel above his physical existence and logical comprehension to reveal this
great and glorious return of God’s presence among the people.
Now, the temple shall indeed be a place of holiness as the
presence of God once again dwells therein.
Without God’s presence, holiness and mercy are theoretical concepts to
which believers traditionally and religiously subscribe. Grand buildings, exquisite architecture,
expensive materials and ostentatious furnishings do not equate with God’s
presence. Labeling a building does not
make it a church. The presence of God
yields holiness, healing, grace and mercy.
Ezekiel’s vision of grandeur also warns the nation to grow in respect
for sacredness in worship settings.
Irrespective of order of service or genre of music, contemporary
disciples, whether seasoned saints or seekers, could learn from Ezekiel’s
prophecy the importance of cultivating a respect for genuine worship.
Point II
– Ezekiel 43:6-9 – Eliminate Detestable Practices
To realize the blessings God will offer upon their return,
the people of Israel and Judah must cease their detestable worship
practices. They no longer can defile the
holy place where the Lord chooses to dwell amongst His people. The voice of God speaks to Ezekiel and
details God’s throne. He points to the
space where God’s throne will sit and where He will rest His feet. This graphic description further clarifies
God’s commitment to return His presence and glory to the temple. However, the Lord insists upon the absolute
and irreversible cessation of temple prostitution and funeral offerings for
kings in the temple. Such ghastly deeds
trample upon God’s holy character. In
the former instance, the people satisfy their physical instincts and hedonism
in the Name of God. By honoring kings
with elaborate funerals, the people’s hearts mourn finite human beings in total
disregard for the necessity of relying unwaveringly upon Almighty God. In the Ten Commandments, God insists
unreservedly He will share His glory with no one whether living or dead. These dreadful practices were brought into
the temple. The Lord alludes to their
threshold crossing into the temple’s threshold.
This description of adjacent spaces symbolizes an inappropriate
congruence of ideas and actions. God’s
holiness does not condone such behavior.
Thus, a building dedicated to His honor and glory cannot host any
activity that does not respect His character or further His will.
In exchange for their repentance, the Lord promises to withhold
His judgment and live amongst the people forever. Specifically, He says if they
“put away” these practices that He will reward them with His comforting and
sustaining presence. To repent means
practically to stop the behavior, turn around and proceed in another
direction. Lasting repentance requires a
change in attitude and lifestyle in addition to ceasing a form of ineffective
and untoward behavior. Change and growth
result from a wholesale transformation of a person’s thinking and character. For disciples, faithfulness with regard to
spiritual maturity and progress inevitably yields a more vibrant relationship
with God.
Point III
– Ezekiel 43:10-11 – A Sacred Space to Commune
In this few verses, the Lord graciously grants Ezekiel a
vision of the grandeur of the temple that will be built in the post-exilic
era. Amazingly, this new temple will far
exceed the magnificence of Solomon’s temple as great and glorious as it
was! The Lord tells the prophet to
describe meticulously the design of the temple.
Detail its arrangement of rooms, courtyards, sanctuary, closets,
kitchens, storage and other areas. Paint
a verbal picture of the altar and main worship space where the people will go
to commune with God. Use words to help
them realize the feelings of joy and satisfaction they will have as they sit in
this sacred space in solemn silence as God speaks. Further, tell them about the laws and
regulations pertaining to worship in the temple.
Moreover, Ezekiel shall tell the people that the temple is a
place where God will remove shame. They
should not languish in guilt and regret because of what they have done. Perhaps, architectural wonder of this temple
may make them feel that they are unworthy to enter. In stark contrast, the people may find refuge
and renewal in the temple as God’s glory dwells there. It is a sacred space in which they may
commune with Almighty God and find restoration via His unfailing love and
unquestionable faithfulness which eliminates their sin. Ezekiel further must write down these
instructions to prevent anyone from forgetting them. They will construct the temple in accordance
with his vision of grandeur.
The most majestic aspect of this vision is the restoration
of relationship between God and His covenantal people. It is not the architecture and construction
of a building which can easily be destroyed as the Babylonian siege of
Jerusalem and destruction of Solomon temple demonstrates. Recently, many church buildings were
decimated due to an unparalleled tornado on Moore, Oklahoma. Those edifices will be rebuilt perhaps more
substantively and impressively than before.
But, the Church was not lost or destroyed as the congregations that
worshipped in those buildings found other spaces to worship and commune with
God. Possibly, the lost of their
material facilities motivated them to focus more closely upon their
relationships with God and each other.
Centuries earlier, Israel and Judah achieved that spiritual insight
through Ezekiel’s grand vision of God’s majestic house of worship.
Point IV
– Ezekiel 43:12 – A Holy Place to Meet Almighty God
Ezekiel concludes this vision with the statement of one
cardinal law relating to worship. All of
the surrounding area on the top of the mountain adjacent to the temple shall be
most holy. This decree is the
fundamental law relating to the temple.
As God shall dwell in the temple, any area near it shall be held just as
sacred as the temple’s interior.
Shockingly, a religious people would not willingly allow a brother to
exist adjacent to the temple. In the
flight of fantasy, people would leave one place and immediately go to the
other. In fact, some of the religious
may operate the brothel with the good intentions of sharing a percentage of the
proceeds with the temple. Such was the
case in Ezekiel’s time; that dastardly practice necessitates the Lord’s fierce
condemnation and righteous and wrathful judgment. To prevent a reoccurrence, God establishes a
cardinal law that stipulates that the temple and its surroundings shall be
consecrated for His worship and service.
The
Lesson Applied
Let’s
Talk About It
1.
What does it mean to be in the “presence” of God?” Is the “presence” of God necessarily a
physical space? Does it equate with
being in church?
2.
Are sanctuaries the only sacred spaces where we commune with
God? If not, name other places and
explain how they are also sacred?
3.
Is church the primary place to listen to God’s voice?
4.
In the United States of America, each year seven thousand
(7000) churches open and four thousand (4000) close or die. How can a church close or die?
5.
What are the practical benefits of worship in the sanctuary?
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