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Ezekiel 45 (ESV)
7 “And to the prince shall belong the land on both sides of the holy district and the property of the city, alongside the holy district and the property 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 8 of the land. It is to be his property in Israel. And my princes shall no more oppress my people, but they shall let the house of Israel have the land according to their tribes.
9 “Thus says the Lord God: Enough, O princes of Israel! Put away violence and oppression, and execute justice and righteousness. Cease your evictions of my people, declares the Lord God.
10 “You shall have just balances, a just ephah, and a just bath.
REFLECTION:
The theme of this passage is “The Rights and Responsibilities of Princes”. The prince here has the same meaning as in the previous chapter. It can represent the leaders of the Israelites in the kingdom of God, and can also symbolize the victorious believers who share in the first resurrection. They will “reign with Christ for a thousand years.” “The land of the prince” is the land that belongs to the prince. It is located on both sides of the holy district and the property of the city, from the Mediterranean Sea in the west to the Jordan River in the east. The princes in the kingdom of God are all established by God and govern the people under the management of the Messianic King. God first allocated the land to the prince, and the prince was provided and satisfied by God, and then he could “let the house of Israel have the land according to their tribes”. Today, those who are leaders in the church must first receive from God every day and be spiritually satisfied and abundant before they can share spiritual food with other people. In addition, greed and blackmail were common evils in society at that time. Therefore, God commands the king to “execute justice and righteousness.” Today, we can also check whether we are fair and upright in our daily work. If we are employees, we should do our best and work diligently; if we are bosses, we should not exploit our subordinates. God is completely faithful and righteous, and God’s people should strive to live faithfully and righteously.
PRAYER:
Whether you are a leader of the church or a layman who has not participated in many ministries, ask God to enlighten and guide you so that you can be satisfied with God’s rich spiritual provision, and give you fairness and integrity, so that you owe no one anything, but love each other and grow together with brothers and sisters in the church.
