September 5
Ezekiel 44:1-46:24
The temple Ezekiel describes seems to be a still future temple. So the natural question we might ask is, why all the sacrifices? If Christ is the once for all sacrifice, then why would there still be sacrifices offered in Ezekiel's temple? This is a great question. It may help to consider the chronology of sacrifices throughout the Old Testament. Initially, all people could offer sacrifices at all places to God. Then once the Mosaic Covenant was put in place, only priests could offer sacrifices and only at the tabernacle, and then the temple. Yet these sacrifices did not offer atonement by themselves but rather did so looking forward to Christ's sacrifice. Then once Jesus died there was no need for further animal sacrifices since Christ paid it all. If these sacrifices in Ezekiel are still future sacrifices, then they must function as remembrance or memorial sacrifices looking back to the sacrifice of Jesus.
As Old Testament sacrifices looked forward to Jesus' death on the cross, so these sacrifices may be offered to look back on the sacrifice of Jesus. It seems like a strange idea, but sometimes the Bible is honestly strange. Regardless of what is pictured in these chapters, we can trust Jesus' death completely atones for our sins and there is nothing else we need to do.
Father God, thank you for the sacrifice of Jesus. Help me to remember the price he paid for my sins and respond by living for your glory. Amen.
What habits do you have, or can you start, to call to mind Christ's sacrifice?
The temple Ezekiel describes seems to be a still future temple. So the natural question we might ask is, why all the sacrifices? If Christ is the once for all sacrifice, then why would there still be sacrifices offered in Ezekiel's temple? This is a great question. It may help to consider the chronology of sacrifices throughout the Old Testament. Initially, all people could offer sacrifices at all places to God. Then once the Mosaic Covenant was put in place, only priests could offer sacrifices and only at the tabernacle, and then the temple. Yet these sacrifices did not offer atonement by themselves but rather did so looking forward to Christ's sacrifice. Then once Jesus died there was no need for further animal sacrifices since Christ paid it all. If these sacrifices in Ezekiel are still future sacrifices, then they must function as remembrance or memorial sacrifices looking back to the sacrifice of Jesus.
As Old Testament sacrifices looked forward to Jesus' death on the cross, so these sacrifices may be offered to look back on the sacrifice of Jesus. It seems like a strange idea, but sometimes the Bible is honestly strange. Regardless of what is pictured in these chapters, we can trust Jesus' death completely atones for our sins and there is nothing else we need to do.
Father God, thank you for the sacrifice of Jesus. Help me to remember the price he paid for my sins and respond by living for your glory. Amen.
What habits do you have, or can you start, to call to mind Christ's sacrifice?
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