Ezekiel 45

Ezekiel 45

"When you divide the land among the tribes of Israel, you must set aside a section for the LORD as his holy portion. This piece of land will be 8 1/3 miles long and 6 2/3 miles wide. The entire area will be holy. 

When you build the city, set aside a place for God.  When you build your houses, make sure God has a place where you will meet with Him daily.

A section of this land, measuring 875 feet by 875 feet, will be set aside for the Temple. An additional strip of land 87 1/2 feet wide is to be left empty all around it. 

God gave us the measurement and wants it to be made exactly as instructed.  God has confidence in men.  Those who pay attention to Him can do what He already knows you can do.

Within the larger sacred area, measure out a portion of land 8 1/3 miles long and 3 1/3 miles wide. Within it the sanctuary of the Most Holy Place will be located. 

Inside the temple is the sanctuary.  My body is the temple, and the sanctuary is my heart to do what pleases God in my temple.

This area will be holy, set aside for the priests who minister to the LORD in the sanctuary. They will use it for their homes, and my Temple will be located within it. 

God has allocated a place for those who will live and teach His Word.  If you are a vessel unto honor who is God, your need will be supplied.

The strip of sacred land next to it, also 8 1/3 miles long and 3 1/3 miles wide, will be a living area for the Levites who work at the Temple. It will be their possession and a place for their towns. 

God has a place for everybody connected to His space.

"Adjacent to the larger sacred area will be a section of land 8 1/3 miles long and 1 2/3 miles wide. This will be set aside for a city where anyone in Israel can live. 

God has a place for everybody in His space.

"Two special sections of land will be set apart for the prince. One section will share a border with the east side of the sacred lands and city, and the second section will share a border on the west side. Then the far eastern and western borders of the prince's lands will line up with the eastern and western boundaries of the tribal areas. 

The prince who Jesus will be on the east and west side of the land.  Jesus wants us to know His exact location.

These sections of land will be the prince's allotment. Then my princes will no longer oppress and rob my people; they will assign the rest of the land to the people, giving an allotment to each tribe. 

The leaders will have a designated space.  They will no longer rob the people of their land.  God is making sure everybody knows their part in His plan.

"For this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Enough, you princes of Israel! Stop your violence and oppression and do what is just and right. Quit robbing and cheating my people out of their land. Stop expelling them from their homes, says the Sovereign LORD. 

God told the leaders to stop taking advantage of the people they were to lead.  

Use only honest weights and scales and honest measures, both dry and liquid. 

God said to use scales that measure correctly. No matter if it is dry or liquid.

The homer will be your standard unit for measuring volume. The ephah and the bath will each measure one-tenth of a homer. 

Use liquid measurements for liquid.  Use dry measurements for dry products.

The standard unit for weight will be the silver shekel. One shekel will consist of twenty gerahs, and sixty shekels will be equal to one mina. 

God gave specifications for weighing.

"You must give this tax to the prince: one bushel of wheat or barley for every 60 you harvest, 

Give 1/60 of grain to the leader.

one percent of your olive oil, 

1% of your oil will be given to the leader.

and one sheep or goat for every 200 in your flocks in Israel. These will be the grain offerings, burnt offerings, and peace offerings that will make atonement for the people who bring them, says the Sovereign LORD. 

If you have 200 goats, give the leader one.

This applies to all offerings.

All the people of Israel must join in bringing these offerings to the prince. 

All people must bring this amount to the leader.

The prince will be required to provide offerings that are given at the religious festivals, the new moon celebrations, the Sabbath days, and all other similar occasions. He will provide the sin offerings, burnt offerings, grain offerings, liquid offerings, and peace offerings to purify the people of Israel, making them right with the LORD. 

What is given to the leader will be the provision saved for the people.

"This is what the Sovereign LORD says: In early spring, on the first day of each new year, sacrifice a young bull with no defects to purify the Temple. 

Sacrifice a  young bull with no defects.  Take his blood and clean the temple.

The priest will take blood from this sin offering and put it on the doorposts of the Temple, the four corners of the upper ledge of the altar, and the gateposts at the entrance to the inner courtyard. 

Follow these directions for the use of the blood.

Do this also on the seventh day of the new year for anyone who has sinned through error or ignorance. In this way, you will purify the Temple. 

Follow the same directions for the sins of those who made a mistake or willfully sinned.

"On the fourteenth day of the first month, you must celebrate the Passover. This festival will last for seven days. The bread you eat during that time must be made without yeast. 

Time to celebrate!  Follow the directions given.

On the day of Passover the prince will provide a young bull as a sin offering for himself and the people of Israel. 

Day 50!

On each of the seven days of the feast he will prepare a burnt offering to the LORD, consisting of seven young bulls and seven rams without defects. A male goat will also be given each day for a sin offering. 

The prince will provide a basket of flour as a grain offering and a gallon of olive oil with each young bull and ram. 

"During the seven days of the Festival of Shelters, which occurs every year in early autumn, the prince will provide these same sacrifices for the sin offering, the burnt offering, and the grain offering, along with the required olive oil.

During the fall, use the same outline as for early spring.