Ezekiel 43:10-12
“As for you, son of man, describe to the house of Israel the temple, that they may be ashamed of their iniquities; and they shall measure the plan. And if they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the temple, its arrangement, its exits and its entrances, that is, its whole design; and make known to them as well all its statutes and its whole design and all its laws, and write it down in their sight, so that they may observe all its laws and all its statutes and carry them out. This is the law of the temple: the whole territory on the top of the mountain all around shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the temple.
Tag: God's Holiness shames us!
In this section of Ezekiel, it might be hard to find some practical and relevant truth to live by. The section has just ended with the measurements of the Temple and will now move into the Law to be practiced in the land and the framework for the city. However, the above verse gives us some insight into the reason and the meaning of all the measurements. Why has God given us such a description of the Temple and the City? Note one commentator's take:
World Biblical Commentary, OT.:
This opening section of the law code provides the necessary introduction to the ideas and principles that will characterize the entire unit. Verses 10–12 introduce the idea of temple ordinances. Then, at the beginning of the code, verses 13–17 describe the altar in detail, and verses 18–27 describe the ritual for its consecration.
The transition from the vision of the temple to the Law of the Temple begins with an idea common in Ezekiel: “Son of man, describe the temple to the people of Israel, that they may be ashamed of their sins” (v. 10). Elsewhere in Ezekiel, it is God’s forgiveness and deliverance that lead to shame, as the people look back regretfully on their sins and realize their unworthiness (see the discussion of 6:9–10 and 16:60–63). Here, it is the perfection of the temple the prophet has envisioned that leads to shame. But, in response to their shame, Ezekiel is to set the temple before them all the more—its arrangement, its exits and entrances (v. 11; see the Additional Note on this difficult verse)—setting these down in a written document.
God has given us, in this section, the measure of perfection. God does not cut any curves. He has a measurement of what it should look like. The purpose is to show how we are and how we would fail in comparison. This is not, however, like the perfectionist father who always raises the bar for the failing son. No, this is the God of the Universe expression a desire for perfection and then, through Christ, providing a way for us to reach it. The Law was there to show us we CAN'T reach it. The Law is the measurement of perfection. We are supposed to keep the Law, but can't. But, the Law MUST still be kept. So, we, in Christ, keep the Law and reach the perfection that only Christ can accomplish and provide us. He kept the Law for us. When we see God's holiness we should be ashamed of our sin. But, in Christ we have God's righteousness applied to us and we are declared Holy, even as He is Holy.
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