Ezekiel 42:13-14 – “Then the man told me, ‘These rooms that overlook the Temple from the north and south are holy. Here the priests who offer sacrifices to the Lord will eat the most holy offerings. And because these rooms are holy, they will be used to store the sacred offerings—the grain offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings. When the priests leave the sanctuary, they must not go directly to the outer courtyard. They must first take off the clothes they wore while ministering, because these clothes are holy. They must put on other clothes before entering the parts of the building complex open to the public.’”
As we move through these final chapters of Ezekiel, we will be reading some interesting and hopeful prophecies that speak to things to come. Today we finish the major part of our tour of the temple, focusing on the rooms for the priests. In the highlighted verses, we see the rituals that the priests were instructed to perform to maintain the holiness of the Temple.
The types of offerings described — grain offerings, sin offerings, and guilt offerings — are first detailed in the book of Leviticus. God gave his people his laws and his requirements for offerings made to him. The grain offering was most similar to what we know know as a tithe. It was the first portion of the crop given to God. The sin or guilt offering was given when a person unintentionally broke one of God’s commands. The killing of a young bull would be the sacrifice required to bring the person back into right relationship with God.
Here’s your freedom for today:
You have been offered right standing with God.
As we discussed yesterday, we no longer kill animals in order to try to become right with God. Jesus’ death on the cross and resurrection (conquering death permanently) fulfilled the sacrificial requirements once for all. Through Jesus, you are given an offering from God instead of the other way around. He’s offering you right standing with him. Restored relationship. Eternal life. However, this offer does require a counteroffer — your life. As Romans 12 describes, we lay our lives down as a sacrifice. We accept his forgiveness and leadership in our lives. Have you accepted Jesus’ offer and given your life to him in surrender and sacrifice? Start by having a conversation with him. Invite him in.