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Ezekiel 48 (ESV)
1 “These are the names of the tribes: …
29 This is the land that you shall allot as an inheritance among the tribes of Israel, and these are their portions, declares the Lord God.
30 “These shall be the exits of the city: On the north side, which is to be 4,500 cubits by measure, 31 three gates, the gate of Reuben, the gate of Judah, and the gate of Levi, the gates of the city being named after the tribes of Israel. 32 On the east side, which is to be 4,500 cubits, three gates, the gate of Joseph, the gate of Benjamin, and the gate of Dan. 33 On the south side, which is to be 4,500 cubits by measure, three gates, the gate of Simeon, the gate of Issachar, and the gate of Zebulun. 34 On the west side, which is to be 4,500 cubits, three gates, the gate of Gad, the gate of Asher, and the gate of Naphtali. 35 The circumference of the city shall be 18,000 cubits. And the name of the city from that time on shall be, The Lord Is There.”
REFLECTION:
The Book of Ezekiel ends with the allocation of land. From the Jordan River, the Dead Sea to the Mediterranean, this land must be divided equally into thirteen parts (plus the land in the Holy District), and each tribe gets one part. The distribution of land shows that the kingdom of God is a place for all those who believe in and obey God. The Book of Ezekiel described at the beginning that because Israel rejected and ignored the holiness of God, the glory of God left the temple, the holy city, and the people of God, and finally ended with a vision of a new temple, a new city, and a new people. In the whole process, it was people who failed, people who deceived themselves, God who demolished, and God who rebuilt, and the rejuvenation of the kingdom did not involve human struggles and efforts. The only thing people can do is to admit their total failure and completely rely on God, and freely receive the inheritance, rest, and God’s presence. The message of Ezekiel is the best gospel for every loser and the weak, and it is also the best reminder for people who think they are standing firm. Today, through the incarnation of the Lord Jesus, God’s promise has become a grace that we experience every day, and it encourages us to share it with others. In the future, as the Apostle John heard: “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God” (Revelation 21: 3), that will be the ultimate place where “The Lord is There” and the ultimate fulfillment of all good promises. Every reader of the Book of Ezekiel is responsible for preaching the gospel of the kingdom of heaven to the world, and sharing the good news to all those who are lost!
PRAYER:
Pray that God will be with you in all your weaknesses and failures, and give you hope and strength, so that you can see that God’s beautiful promise will eventually be fulfilled; pray that God will give you the passion to spread the gospel and encourage you to proclaim God’s salvation to the needy people around you and testify to God’s grace and glory with your life.
