Glory Has Returned
Notes
Transcript
Scripture Intro:
Scripture Intro:
Ezekiel Overview Outline
Judgment (ch. 1-32)
For Israel (ch. 1-24)
For the Nations (ch. 25-32)
Hope (ch. 33-48)
God’s People Restored (ch. 33-39)
God’s Worship Restored (ch. 40-48)
Scripture Reading (“Please stand…”)
Then he led me to the gate, the gate facing east. And behold, the glory of the God of Israel was coming from the east. And the sound of his coming was like the sound of many waters, and the earth shone with his glory.
And the vision I saw was just like the vision that I had seen when he came to destroy the city, and just like the vision that I had seen by the Chebar canal. And I fell on my face.
As the glory of the Lord entered the temple by the gate facing east, the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the temple.
While the man was standing beside me, I heard one speaking to me out of the temple, and he said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the people of Israel forever.
And the house of Israel shall no more defile my holy name, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoring and by the dead bodies of their kings at their high places, by setting their threshold by my threshold and their doorposts beside my doorposts, with only a wall between me and them.
They have defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed, so I have consumed them in my anger. Now let them put away their whoring and the dead bodies of their kings far from me, and I will dwell in their midst forever.
“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.
Pray...
Intro:
Intro:
At one time or another,
most of all us have dreamed of living life on our own terms.
No strings attached.
Nobody to tell us what to do.
You’re in charge.
Ex. Think of a little kids when they threaten to run away.
They are tired of their parents ruining their life.
They know better.
And life would be a lot more enjoyable if I could simply get away from these oppressive authority figures.
Sure, they pay for everything in my life...
They provide everything that I need
They feed me, clothe me, protect me...
but I am better on my own.
B/c at least then...
they will stop telling me what to do.
And many parents help their kids pack their bags...
Waiting for the moment when their child realizes the idiocy of their thinking.
Life isn’t better without their parents.
Actually, it is far worse than what they are reacting to.
This is very similar to one of the greatest moments of sadness in the history of Israel.
Back in 1 Samuel 4,
before Israel had asked for a king...
the Philistines attacked Israel...
and the ark of the covenant was taken by the Philistines.
In this battle,
the two sons of Eli (the High Priest) were killed.
30,000 soldiers of Israel died (“a very great slaughter”).
A messenger escaped the battle and ran back to the people to report the news.
He told Eli about the defeat, the death of his sons, and that the ark was captured.
“As soon as he mentioned the ark of God,
Eli fell over backward from his seat...”
broke his neck and died.
He didn’t fall over when he heard of the death of his sons.
He fell backwards when he heard that the ark was taken.
When his daughter-in-law head the news...
she gave birth prematurely...
and died as she gave birth to her son.
And as she died,
she named the child Ichabod (which means, “the glory has departed”)
saying,
“The glory has departed from Israel, for the ark of God has been captured.”
App. We often think that life will be better without the presence of God...
but based on the reactions of Eli and his daughter-in-law...
we see the devastating effects when God is not in our midst.
Written to people who have given up hope.
In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in the fourteenth year after the city was struck down, on that very day, the hand of the Lord was upon me, and he brought me to the city.
In visions of God he brought me to the land of Israel, and set me down on a very high mountain, on which was a structure like a city to the south.
When he brought me there, behold, there was a man whose appearance was like bronze, with a linen cord and a measuring reed in his hand. And he was standing in the gateway.
And the man said to me, “Son of man, look with your eyes, and hear with your ears, and set your heart upon all that I shall show you, for you were brought here in order that I might show it to you. Declare all that you see to the house of Israel.”
Life is Found When God Dwells With Us
Life is Found When God Dwells With Us
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(Usually between 8:15 and 12:30 to get to 1st point)
This is the culmicaiton of the book.
As the glory of the Lord entered the temple by the gate facing east, the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court; and behold, the glory of the Lord filled the temple.
App. the despair of God’s people
By the waters of Babylon, there we sat down and wept, when we remembered Zion. On the willows there we hung up our lyres.
For there our captors required of us songs, and our tormentors, mirth, saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?
Reversal is the Heart of Redemption
Reversal is the Heart of Redemption
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Return of the Presence of God
Return of the Presence of God
Diagram of the Temple
Notice the entrance from the east (on the right)
East gate
Outer court
Inner court
Altar
Holy of Holies
And the glory of the Lord went up from the midst of the city and stood on the mountain that is on the east side of the city.
Recognition of People’s Sin
Recognition of People’s Sin
and he said to me, “Son of man, this is the place of my throne and the place of the soles of my feet, where I will dwell in the midst of the people of Israel forever.
And the house of Israel shall no more defile my holy name, neither they, nor their kings, by their whoring and by the dead bodies of their kings at their high places, by setting their threshold by my threshold and their doorposts beside my doorposts, with only a wall between me and them.
They have defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed, so I have consumed them in my anger.
Now let them put away their whoring and the dead bodies of their kings far from me, and I will dwell in their midst forever.
“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.
Acceptance is Only by Grace
Acceptance is Only by Grace
(Timer: How much time left?)
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.
“These are the measurements of the altar by cubits (the cubit being a cubit and a handbreadth): its base shall be one cubit high and one cubit broad, with a rim of one span around its edge. And this shall be the height of the altar:
from the base on the ground to the lower ledge, two cubits, with a breadth of one cubit; and from the smaller ledge to the larger ledge, four cubits, with a breadth of one cubit; and the altar hearth, four cubits; and from the altar hearth projecting upward, four horns.
The altar hearth shall be square, twelve cubits long by twelve broad. The ledge also shall be square, fourteen cubits long by fourteen broad, with a rim around it half a cubit broad, and its base one cubit all around. The steps of the altar shall face east.”
And he said to me, “Son of man, thus says the Lord God: These are the ordinances for the altar: On the day when it is erected for offering burnt offerings upon it and for throwing blood against it, you shall give to the Levitical priests of the family of Zadok, who draw near to me to minister to me, declares the Lord God, a bull from the herd for a sin offering.
And you shall take some of its blood and put it on the four horns of the altar and on the four corners of the ledge and upon the rim all around. Thus you shall purify the altar and make atonement for it.
You shall also take the bull of the sin offering, and it shall be burned in the appointed place belonging to the temple, outside the sacred area.
And on the second day you shall offer a male goat without blemish for a sin offering; and the altar shall be purified, as it was purified with the bull.
When you have finished purifying it, you shall offer a bull from the herd without blemish and a ram from the flock without blemish.
You shall present them before the Lord, and the priests shall sprinkle salt on them and offer them up as a burnt offering to the Lord.
For seven days you shall provide daily a male goat for a sin offering; also, a bull from the herd and a ram from the flock, without blemish, shall be provided. Seven days shall they make atonement for the altar and cleanse it, and so consecrate it.
And when they have completed these days, then from the eighth day onward the priests shall offer on the altar your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, and I will accept you, declares the Lord God.”
Close in Prayer
Close in Prayer
Closing Song:
Closing Song:
Benediction:
Benediction:
