The East Gate to the Outer Court
And behold, there was a wall all around the outside of the temple area, and the length of the measuring reed in the man’s hand was six long cubits, each being a cubit and a handbreadth in length. So he measured the thickness of the wall, one reed; and the height, one reed.
Unless you work in the industry of building and construction it might be hard to see how you can look at a blueprint of a structure and use it to build the structure. It is obvious that you must have a blue print, a design, to construct the building. But it is a special gift to be able to design some building or structure on a table and use that design to erect it on the ground. In chapters 40-42 we are reading God’s blueprint for the new temple. The above verse starts the long, detailed measurements and descriptive blueprint for a temple Ezekiel is told to prophecy about. There is much speculation as to what the temple is about, when it is to be built, what it represents and even if it is a literal temple or a figurative temple. Whatever path we follow in the interpretation of Ezekiel’s prophecy we can learn a few things from this detailed blueprint:
1. God uses design, structure and order in all that He does. Our paths of our lives are designed by God in such a manner.
2. God has a plan and expects us to follow it. Whenever this temple is to be built, it will be built based upon the plan.
3. God is very specific in his designs. This entire design is not written in generalities. God is taking great pains to outline the specific sizes of the temple. God expects us to be detailed oriented in or walk with Him.
4. Our lack of ignorance for a blueprint does not exempt us from obedience to the blueprint. God communicates to us and we are responsible to walk by faith regarding that communication, no matter what we might think about it.
5. All Scripture is inspired by God. When we read these types of prose we can often question what God is doing and thinking. We might not see it right away but we are still instructed to believe it and see that God is doing something we are to be aware of in our walk with Him. He is communicating to us so that we can walk in obedience to Him.
6. God is establishing a way for us to worship Him. A temple is designed for worship. Whether this is an earthly temple or heavenly, or a future temple or a here and now temple, it is God telling us He desires our worship.
7. Just as the temple is communicating to us that God wants us to worship, He is saying He has a way in which that worship must be approached.
God is the God of order. We are responsible to learn that order and follow it in our lives.
1 Corinthians 14:33a (ESV)
For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.
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