Godly Privilege

Privilege

There are five definitions for the word privilege.

a right, immunity, or benefit enjoyed by a particular person or a restricted group of people beyond the advantages of most.

the unearned and mostly unacknowledged societal advantage that a restricted group of people has over another group:

a special right, immunity, or exemption granted to persons in authority or office to free them from certain obligations or liabilities:

a grant to an individual, corporation, etc., of a special right or immunity, under certain conditions.

the principle or condition of enjoying special rights or immunities.

One of the most dangerous things we can do is look at God and our devotion to God through obligatory eyes. We have to be mindful of what Jesus did for us. He provided us this privilege of worship, service and sacrifice through His giving spirit. He did not have to give His life but understood the desire of God that all humankind be saved. It took preparation, it took diligence and it took faith. Preparation is a part of the worship process, how are we preparing to worship God? What does our week look like before Sunday?

What does our worship unto God look like, are we just going through the motions? Do we see the privilege of the sacrifice? This can be a lot more difficult that we think. It takes faith and strength to find joy in sacrifice. The crux of the matter is no matter what we do it never measures up to what God has done for us. It’s a privilege to make a sacrifice unto God when He’s done so much for us.

As we enter chapter 44 we are reminded of how we got here in the first place. How the consecration of the altar happens in the previous chapter and God provides the laws of sacrifice, and how God desired to be worshipped in a particular way.

With every privilege there is a responsibility. Let us give God our best. Furthermore, let us think about the things in life that we give our best to. Think about all of the people who have given your best to that did not provide their best in return.

What removes our privilege is unfaithfulness and entitlement. When we refuse to adhere to God’s word, or we walk around in life as if God is supposed to provide for us in every way we see fit regardless of our lifestyle we have a poor idea of who God truly is. Yes God is our Father, yes he did tell us He would never leave us, but obedience has to be a part of the equation.

Chapter 44 re-establishes a sense of honor and respect for God and His house. The priest has to be careful what they wore, what they ate, and how they looked. It was impossible for them to teach anything to the people of God if they did not practice.

Sometimes God has to give us a hard reset, to help us understand that He is still soveriegn and He is still in control.

This is the first time in the book of Ezekiel that Yahweh is described in the full title of the God of Israel. This further solidifies the point that the church does not belong to us. God is in control of the church, the direction and the design of the church is developed and sustained by God.

What’s On Your Heart?

Ezekiel 44:5 “And the Lord said to me, “Son of man, mark well, see with your eyes and hear with your ears, all that I say to you concerning all the ordinances of the house of the Lord and all its laws. Mark well who may enter the house and all who go out from the sanctuary.”

In effort to truly embrace this privilege to serve it’s going to take us using our whole selves. God is explaining to Ezekiel, Prophet use your eyes, your ears, pay careful and close attention to everything I tell you about the ordinances of the Temple of God.

Every entrance and exit should have the tenets of God on them. So going and coming you know exactly what the expectations are.

I remember as a child the church we attended said enter to worship, and as we exited it said leave to serve. Understand that the basis of our devotion to Christ does not begin or stop once we enter or exit this building it is an extension of how we live our lives. I’m an advocate for the afflicted when they respond to the call of repentance just like I’m an advocate of the afflicted that I may run into on the door steps of a gas station who may be struggling with addiction. My ability to be a child of God does not end at 12:30 to be quite honest it is truly just beginning.

In the same token, Jesus is that prince for us. He sits in the presence of the Lord to advocate on our behalf due to our many afflictions. This is something we cannot fully do on our own. It is only God that has the power to insert such ability on behalf of Jesus. “As for the prince because he is prince, he may sit in it to eat bread before the Lord.”

Set the Scene

Although the specificity of what the prophet sees is uncertain all we know is it’s the glory of the Lord.

Sometimes life will provide such circumstances for us. I can’t explain it, I can’t describe it as specific as you would like I just know it’s God.

The next time someone is looking for an explanation, sometimes all I can tell you is its the Glory of the Lord! I can’t explain it, I can only attribute it to God. I know you are looking for an explanation, but my brothers and sister all I know it was God that brought me here.

There is a responsibility we have as it pertains to conduct. God basically explains to Ezekiel that what happened in the past is not happening again.

There is no more defiling of my temple.

There is no more breaking of my covenants because of your abominations.

God places accoutability on the lap of leaders! Although Ezekiel was not primarily responsible for the abomination, he was the mouthpiece that God expected to set the people in order.

Mark well or set your heart on the ordinances of the Lord!

Sometimes all lessons are happy hallelujah moments, sometimes it’s about living a better life in a midst of all the temptation we are faced with on a daily basis.

The lifestyle of people kept them out of the temple, but let us be reminded of the grace of God that even in the midst of the problems and sins we have committed God still has a come unto me word for everyone who is willing!

Revelation 2:7 ““He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give to eat from the tree of life, which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.” ’”

With every tough word from God there is an opportunity of forgiveness and grace for all of us.

This reappearing of God in the temple does not eliminate the past decisions but the best thing we do is move forward like grace and mercy exist and do our best to be our best in the eyes of God.

This isn’t the first time that we’ve seen prophets deal with rebellion. As difficult as it is to minister and encourage through rebellion understand that there is also some personal accountability for the rebellious as well.

Numbers 16:7 “put fire in them and put incense in them before the Lord tomorrow, and it shall be that the man whom the Lord chooses is the holy one. You take too much upon yourselves, you sons of Levi!””

We all have a personal responsibility to live according to the ordinances of God. If we are out of alignment with God or ritually unfit, scripture refers to them in this text as foreigner.

There’s going to have to be things that we are going to have to cut off. Romans 2:28-29 “For he is not a Jew who is one outwardly, nor is circumcision that which is outward in the flesh; but he is a Jew who is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the Spirit, not in the letter; whose praise is not from men but from God.”

This explanation in Ezekiel is relatable becuase the people of God know what it’s like to be an outsider considering they had been in babylonian captivity for quite some time.

This world is not my home! But thank God through the sacrifice of Jesus I have a home with Him. It’s a privilege to live with God admist all of my issues! But thank God for reappearing in my life at the right time! Worship is a privilege! Service and Sacrifice is a privilege! We did not deserve salvation, we did not deserve a second chance but thank God that second chances, third chances and for some of us fourth chances exist!