King James Bible Study – [Mark 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.]
Date: Friday, September 10, 2021
Chapters: Ezekiel 43-45
Message: God’s Detours
Hello My Friend,
I learned something very valuable these past couple of months, well, a couple of things actually. One; more money does not necessarily mean God’s will. And two; when it is God’s will, even if you take a detour, He gets you right back on track. Here is the thing though, when He does, He is going to prove you just to make sure that you are serious about it this time. Let me tell you, even faithful, saved, born again Christians, get out of God’s will sometimes (the apostles did too), and He will prove us. This is not about Jesus proving our faith, remember, we are saved by grace through our faith in Christ alone. This is about our being minsters to Christ’s sheep, that while we may take some detours, they only make us stronger to be able to carry His sheep even further that He has carried us in our walk with Him.
[John 21:15-18 So when they had dined, Jesus saith to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me more than these? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my lambs. 16 He saith to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? He saith unto him, Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee. He saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 17 He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? Peter was grieved because he said unto him the third time, Lovest thou me? And he said unto him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed my sheep. 18 Verily, verily, I say unto thee, When thou wast young, thou girdedst thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest: but when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and carry thee whither thou wouldest not.]
Now, we must understand that detours are another direction that we take to get around an obstruction in the road, eventually, as long as we keep following the detour, we get back on the right path. And oddly enough, this is why God does allow the detours, they actually get us excited to get back on the right path and give us a new zeal for serving Him. As we continue reading through Ezekiel, God continues giving him visions of the beautiful and enormous temple that will be on the earth when Jesus returns and reigns as KING. Remember when God had shown Ezekiel what was going on in the temple and how He had taken His glory out of the temple? Well, this time, He shows His return.
[Ezekiel 43:1-5 Afterward he brought me to the gate, even the gate that looketh toward the east: 2 And, behold, the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east: and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory. 3 And it was according to the appearance of the vision which I saw, even according to the vision that I saw when I came to destroy the city: and the visions were like the vision that I saw by the river Chebar; and I fell upon my face. 4 And the glory of the LORD came into the house by the way of the gate whose prospect is toward the east. 5 So the spirit took me up, and brought me into the inner court; and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house.]
[when I came to destroy the city:] Remember, Jesus does not lift one finger to destroy man, they do that all on their own in their own sin, which became the ruin of their city, [Ezekiel 9:3-4]. In fact, God goes on to tell us that He gave them up to their sin because they defiled His holy name.
[Ezekiel 43:8-11 In their setting of their threshold by my thresholds, and their post by my posts, and the wall between me and them, they have even defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed: wherefore I have consumed them in mine anger. 9 Now let them put away their whoredom, and the carcases of their kings, far from me, and I will dwell in the midst of them for ever. 10 Thou son of man, shew the house to the house of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities: and let them measure the pattern. 11 And if they be ashamed of all that they have done, shew them the form of the house, and the fashion thereof, and the goings out thereof, and the comings in thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and all the forms thereof, and all the laws thereof: and write it in their sight, that they may keep the whole form thereof, and all the ordinances thereof, and do them.]
[And if they be ashamed of all that they have done,] Jesus actually became sin in order to destroy sin all together when He died on the cross. We must first acknowledge that we have sinned before He even acknowledges us, [2 Corinthians 5:19-21 To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation. 20 Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God. 21 For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.]
During this time, sin will actually be suppressed, but the desire to sin will not. Therefore, the acceptable sacrifices will be restored as Israel will finally acknowledge Christ, but not in the cleansing of the soul, rather the cleansing of the temple itself.
[Ezekiel 43:18,20,24-27 And he said unto me, Son of man, thus saith the Lord GOD; These are the ordinances of the altar in the day when they shall make it, to offer burnt offerings thereon, and to sprinkle blood thereon. 20 And thou shalt take of the blood thereof, and put it on the four horns of it, and on the four corners of the settle, and upon the border round about: thus shalt thou cleanse and purge it. 24 And thou shalt offer them before the LORD, and the priests shall cast salt upon them, and they shall offer them up for a burnt offering unto the LORD. 25 Seven days shalt thou prepare every day a goat for a sin offering: they shall also prepare a young bullock, and a ram out of the flock, without blemish. 26 Seven days shall they purge the altar and purify it; and they shall consecrate themselves. 27 And when these days are expired, it shall be, that upon the eighth day, and so forward, the priests shall make your burnt offerings upon the altar, and your peace offerings; and I will accept you, saith the Lord GOD.]
[and I will accept you, saith the Lord GOD.] You know, we truly are saved by grace, and nothing, except if we have believed in vain, would ever change that, but that does not mean that God accepts the life we live if we a living a life of sin. We are not perfect, and even His faithful are going to take many detours, but that does not give us just cause to stay on the detour as we will give an account to Jesus Himself, [2 Corinthians 5:6-10 Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the Lord: 7 (For we walk by faith, not by sight:) 8 We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord. 9 Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or absent, we may be accepted of him. 10 For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.]
Do you actually think that God is going to allow you to just receive His Son to save you from your sin death and let you keep living a sinful life? Of course not! He will chasten you until you repent or have suffered so much in your sin that He brings you home sooner so you cannot hurt yourself any longer. When we get to see this new temple, not only will God be present as KING, but Jesus will be there in the flesh as the Prince, and the Holy Spirit will be there is well through the Glory of the LORD. This is the Trinity of God all together in each of their individual persons, all appearing at one time in all His omnipotent glory. During this time, the believing Jews will worship God with a new heart, and every detail of the temple services will be restored, and carried out according to God’s appointment. Now, As God leads Ezekiel out of the sanctuary, he sees a gate that is shut.
[Ezekiel 44:1-5 Then he brought me back the way of the gate of the outward sanctuary which looketh toward the east; and it was shut. 2 Then said the LORD unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut. 3 It is for the prince; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same. 4 Then brought he me the way of the north gate before the house: and I looked, and, behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house of the LORD: and I fell upon my face. 5 And the LORD said unto me, Son of man, mark well, and behold with thine eyes, and hear with thine ears all that I say unto thee concerning all the ordinances of the house of the LORD, and all the laws thereof; and mark well the entering in of the house, with every going forth of the sanctuary.]
[and mark well the entering in of the house,] Jesus is the only one with the key to heaven, the only one who can sit with God and eat bread with Him, and the only one who can give is the Holy Spirit so that we too can have the Trinity of God within us, [1 John 5:8-11 And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. 9 If we receive the witness of men, the witness of God is greater: for this is the witness of God which he hath testified of his Son. 10 He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record that God gave of his Son. 11 And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.]
We can come to God through our faith in Christ, He will let us in that gate, and we will be able to eat bread with Him. In fact, He wants to let everyone in, and is knocking on the door of every heart as we speak, but until they let Him in all He sees them as is a stranger. God goes on to address that both Jew and Gentile strangers.
[Ezekiel 44:9,12-16 Thus saith the Lord GOD; No stranger, uncircumcised in heart, nor uncircumcised in flesh, shall enter into my sanctuary, of any stranger that is among the children of Israel. 12 Because they ministered unto them before their idols, and caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity; therefore have I lifted up mine hand against them, saith the Lord GOD, and they shall bear their iniquity. 13 And they shall not come near unto me, to do the office of a priest unto me, nor to come near to any of my holy things, in the most holy place: but they shall bear their shame, and their abominations which they have committed. 14 But I will make them keepers of the charge of the house, for all the service thereof, and for all that shall be done therein. 15 But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord GOD: 16 They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge.]
[of any stranger that is among the children of Israel.] Jew or Gentile, unless you acknowledge that you are a sinner, believe that Jesus died to save you, and confess that you need Him and He alone is the only one who can save you, then you are a stranger to Him, [Romans 10:9-13 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. 12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.]
[But I will make them keepers of the charge of the house,] Let me tell you, it is a good thing that salvation has never been about works because if one gets saved and that is all they ever do, their faith will still save them when they do stand before Christ. Praise God! They will however, lose all communion with God if they do not repent. This is confirmed as those Levites who defiled the temple would never serve in the temple again, but the ones who remained faithful will. God goes on to describe how the faithful priests will behave.
[Ezekiel 44:20-25 Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll their heads. 21 Neither shall any priest drink wine, when they enter into the inner court. 22 Neither shall they take for their wives a widow, nor her that is put away: but they shall take maidens of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow that had a priest before. 23 And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. 24 And in controversy they shall stand in judgment; and they shall judge it according to my judgments: and they shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine assemblies; and they shall hallow my sabbaths. 25 And they shall come at no dead person to defile themselves: but for father, or for mother, or for son, or for daughter, for brother, or for sister that hath had no husband, they may defile themselves.]
[And they shall come at no dead person to defile themselves:] Any person who has not received Christ as their Saviour is dead, meaning their soul is dead and the only thing keeping them alive is the breath of God. Once He takes that away, unless you know Christ as your Saviour you will die not once, but twice, [Revelation 20:11-14 And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. 12 And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. 13 And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. 14 And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.]
And this is why those who are saved, but live in sin get to go to heaven too, their faith saves them. However, Jesus only ordains His faithful and true to keep His sheep in check, and He gives us some rules to follow so that we can minister to them effectively. Once you receive the Lord, Jesus Christ as your Saviour, never stop allowing Him to work in you, He is the key to all the blessings in our lives, even in the struggles. Now, during the kingdom age, Israel will also restore their inheritance.
[Ezekiel 45:1,6-8 Moreover, when ye shall divide by lot the land for inheritance, ye shall offer an oblation unto the LORD, an holy portion of the land: the length shall be the length of five and twenty thousand reeds, and the breadth shall be ten thousand. This shall be holy in all the borders thereof round about. 6 And ye shall appoint the possession of the city five thousand broad, and five and twenty thousand long, over against the oblation of the holy portion: it shall be for the whole house of Israel. 7 And a portion shall be for the prince on the one side and on the other side of the oblation of the holy portion, and of the possession of the city, before the oblation of the holy portion, and before the possession of the city, from the west side westward, and from the east side eastward: and the length shall be over against one of the portions, from the west border unto the east border. 8 In the land shall be his possession in Israel: and my princes shall no more oppress my people; and the rest of the land shall they give to the house of Israel according to their tribes.]
[In the land shall be his possession in Israel:] During this time also, God will set portions of land set apart for divine service, both for the Levites and a special portion for the prince. Sin offerings will be offered according to God’s appointment, again, while sin will be suppressed, the tendency to sin will not be removed until the new heaven and earth are established. And it will actually be the Prince who prepares the sacrifices.
[Ezekiel 45:16-17,21-24 All the people of the land shall give this oblation for the prince in Israel. 17 And it shall be the prince’s part to give burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and drink offerings, in the feasts, and in the new moons, and in the sabbaths, in all solemnities of the house of Israel: he shall prepare the sin offering, and the meat offering, and the burnt offering, and the peace offerings, to make reconciliation for the house of Israel. 21 In the first month, in the fourteenth day of the month, ye shall have the passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten. 22 And upon that day shall the prince prepare for himself and for all the people of the land a bullock for a sin offering. 23 And seven days of the feast he shall prepare a burnt offering to the LORD, seven bullocks and seven rams without blemish daily the seven days; and a kid of the goats daily for a sin offering. 24 And he shall prepare a meat offering of an ephah for a bullock, and an ephah for a ram, and an hin of oil for an ephah.]
[ye shall have the passover,] Now, we all know that Jesus is the Passover lamb that replaced the need for a yearly sacrifice, and again, this is just ceremonial to remind them that death passed them up through the blood. Those who have accepted Christ as their Saviour ought to know how blessed they are, and start taking their salvation more seriously. The Church is a complete mess, and Jesus needs some able bodies to minister to His sheep. If we are estranged from Christ and want to be lifted up by Him we need draw closer to Him in repentance and remind ourselves that we are atoned and reconciled with God through Christ, [2 Corinthians 7:10-11 For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. 11 For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved yourselves to be clear in this matter.]
Jesus Christ Magnified: [Ezekiel 44:2-3 Then said the LORD unto me; This gate shall be shut, it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter in by it; because the LORD, the God of Israel, hath entered in by it, therefore it shall be shut. 3 It is for the prince; the prince, he shall sit in it to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by the way of the porch of that gate, and shall go out by the way of the same. Ezekiel 45:16-17 All the people of the land shall give this oblation for the prince in Israel. 17 And it shall be the prince’s part to give burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and drink offerings, in the feasts, and in the new moons, and in the sabbaths, in all solemnities of the house of Israel: he shall prepare the sin offering, and the meat offering, and the burnt offering, and the peace offerings, to make reconciliation for the house of Israel.]
Today’s Prayer: God, We look to Your Son alone for our salvation, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved than Your Son, Jesus Christ. Lord, Lead us and guide us, give us Your power to live by faith and in the power of Christ, not by our circumstances. With the aid of Your Holy Spirit dwelling in and guiding us, we will be able to overcome every situation that comes our way. I ask these thing in Your name, Jesus. Amen.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina
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