Ezekiel 45:1-9 (NRSV)
God promises a sanctuary
When you allot the land as an inheritance, you shall set aside for the Lord a portion of the land as a holy district, twenty-five thousand cubits long and twenty thousand cubits wide; it shall be holy throughout its entire extent. Of this, a square plot of five hundred by five hundred cubits shall be for the sanctuary, with fifty cubits for an open space around it. In the holy district you shall measure off a section twenty-five thousand cubits long and ten thousand wide, in which shall be the sanctuary, the most holy place. It shall be a holy portion of the land; it shall be for the priests, who minister in the sanctuary and approach the Lord to minister to him; and it shall be both a place for their houses and a holy place for the sanctuary. Another section, twenty-five thousand cubits long and ten thousand cubits wide, shall be for the Levites who minister at the temple, as their holding for cities to live in.
Alongside the portion set apart as the holy district you shall assign as a holding for the city an area five thousand cubits wide, and twenty-five thousand cubits long; it shall belong to the whole house of Israel.
And to the prince shall belong the land on both sides of the holy district and the holding of the city, alongside the holy district and the holding of the city, on the west and on the east, corresponding in length to one of the tribal portions, and extending from the western to the eastern boundary of the land. It is to be his property in Israel. And my princes shall no longer oppress my people; but they shall let the house of Israel have the land according to their tribes.
God promises a sanctuary
When you allot the land as an inheritance, you shall set aside for the Lord a portion of the land as a holy district, twenty-five thousand cubits long and twenty thousand cubits wide; it shall be holy throughout its entire extent. Of this, a square plot of five hundred by five hundred cubits shall be for the sanctuary, with fifty cubits for an open space around it. In the holy district you shall measure off a section twenty-five thousand cubits long and ten thousand wide, in which shall be the sanctuary, the most holy place. It shall be a holy portion of the land; it shall be for the priests, who minister in the sanctuary and approach the Lord to minister to him; and it shall be both a place for their houses and a holy place for the sanctuary. Another section, twenty-five thousand cubits long and ten thousand cubits wide, shall be for the Levites who minister at the temple, as their holding for cities to live in.
Alongside the portion set apart as the holy district you shall assign as a holding for the city an area five thousand cubits wide, and twenty-five thousand cubits long; it shall belong to the whole house of Israel.
And to the prince shall belong the land on both sides of the holy district and the holding of the city, alongside the holy district and the holding of the city, on the west and on the east, corresponding in length to one of the tribal portions, and extending from the western to the eastern boundary of the land. It is to be his property in Israel. And my princes shall no longer oppress my people; but they shall let the house of Israel have the land according to their tribes.
Thus says the Lord God: Enough, O princes of Israel! Put away violence and oppression, and do what is just and right. Cease your evictions of my people, says the Lord God.
Reflection
This is God taking up space on earth; this is God giving away some of God's space to us. God is specific in measurement and all detail of this sanctuary. The sanctuary given to us to show God's presence in this place. And the sanctuary had degrees of holiness included. The closer you approached, the closer you came to the Holy of Holies where God resided.
As we set aside a place for God, may we realize that the sanctuary is a special place that God has freely given us in the first place. I would suggest that we set aside the very gut or heart of our being to God as this sanctuary. This is not my own idea, but a compilation of biblical thoughts. You see, through Jesus crucifixion and death the curtain to the Holy of Holies was torn and this section of the sanctuary was opened. I like to think of it as God opened God's heart to all people in the gift of Jesus to us.
So likewise, I believe that God would like for us to tear or rip open our hearts or even better our guts (the very core of our beings) to the presence of Jesus in our lives. In a sense we give our lives to God so that God may dwell within us as we dwell within the now open sanctuary of God.
It's a wonderful vision of unity and love...God for the created and the created for God. It's an ultimate love. Thanks be to God!
Prayer
Lord, this day I rip open that door to my heart, the gut of my being to see you. Let's go into your Kingdom this day in the strength of the love you have shown to all to love and serve all those you give this day. --- Amen
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