46 lines
2.5 KiB
Markdown
46 lines
2.5 KiB
Markdown
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title = "Ezekiel 46:1–15"
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date = "2023-07-17"
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### [Read the passage.](https://biblia.com/bible/esv/Ezekiel46.1-15)
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Previously the Lord had given instructions for worship on the great feast days,
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and now He continues with instructions for the rest of the calendar year, the
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Sabbaths, and the new moons. In the Hebrew calendar, the new moon marks the
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first day of the month, and is marked with sacrifices even when it does not
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fall on a Sabbath. The prince in particular is given instructions on how many
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animals he is to bring for sacrifice, which is a greater number than what Moses
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had instructed Israel to bring. Along with the six lambs and a ram for the
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burnt offering on the new moons and the Sabbaths, the prince is also to bring a
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grain offering to go with them. An ephah for the ram, a bit more than a
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5-gallon bucket (close to 22 liters), but for the lambs, just "as much as he is
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able". I'm not sure how one even figures out how much that would be. You have
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to plan for the fact that you will be doing this at least 5 times a month, and
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grain harvests only happen in certain times of the year.
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Because the eastern gate to the outer court has been sealed, the worshippers
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must enter from the north or south gates. Here they are given the restriction
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to not exit the outer court by the same gate they entered in. This is
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speculation, but I can see a couple of reasons for this. First, we are told
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that the east gate to the inner court is opened during Sabbaths and new moons,
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which allows the congregation to observe the sacrifices being offered on the
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altar. By being required to go in the north gate and out the south or _vice
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versa_, everyone will have a chance to look towards the temple and see the
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place God dwells. This also calls for more commitment. No one can just pop in
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and out of the temple really quickly just to merely say they were there. They
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will have to go all the way through and then around again to get back to where
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they were.
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There is also a daily burnt offering, but the amounts offered are again
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different than what was prescribed by Moses. One lamb in the morning instead of
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two each day, but more grain and oil to go with it. Because these verses
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address "you", I had at first taken this to mean everyone in Israel was to do
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this. That would have been excessive even in Moses's day, and really that "you"
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is a collective "you", referring to the whole house of Israel.
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* * *
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Even when we don't understand, we can trust You to have good reasons for all
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You have done and told us to do.
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