“When the people of the land come before the LORD at the appointed feasts, whoever enters by the north gate to worship is to go out the south gate; and whoever enters by the south gate is to go out the north gate. No one is to return through the gate by which he entered, but each is to go out the opposite gate.” (Ezek 46:9-10)
Recently I was reading my way through the last 9 chapters of the book of Ezekiel. In these chapters, the author takes great pains to describe a very complex temple plan. Part of the plan is descriptive of how the temple looked, where the rooms are, etc., part of the plan was to provide detailed instructions on how furnishings, etc., were to be placed, even how people were to worship in the temple . . . But when I came to Ezek. 46:9 I did a double take! I couldn’t believe that God would go so far as to describe how people were to go in and out of the temple! I mean, why would God care how the people went in and out of the temple?
I pondered this question, I was gently reminded that God’s presence was to fill that temple, that the people of Israel went there to enter into the presence of God!
Suddenly I understood. Like everything about the Earthly temple, the fact that the people should exit the temple at a different place from where they entered it was highly symbolic. When someone has been in the presence of the Lord, change is wrought. That person will no longer be exactly the same. Their walk through life will no longer follow the same path.
Matt 7:13 tells us that “wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.” On our own, we cannot hope to get off of this broad road. But should we choose to enter into the presence of the Lord, our path will change! Why? Because the presence of the Lord gives new direction to our walk through life! In fact, you cannot enter into the presence of the Lord without being changed! And it is only by entering into the presence of the Lord that you can find that “small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life . . .” (Matt. 7:14).
Won’t you enter into the presence of the Lord today? Allow Him to change the direction of your life. Allow Him to give your life new depth and meaning. Allow Him to point you down the narrow path, for “small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matt 7:14)
If you have never sought God’s presence, then today is your day! Answer the Savior’s Call! To do so, just click on the following link: Click here
In His love,
Lyn
Lyn Chaffart, Moderator, The Nugget, Scriptural Nuggets ( www.scripturalnuggets.org ), Answers2Prayer Ministries, www.Answers2Prayer.org