1co6 – PulpitPress

The Glory of Holiness!

The man with the bronze face continues in today’s reading, giving Ezekiel a tour of the new Temple. This vision that Ezekiel has is quite elaborate. What becomes apparent is the way the design of this new Temple emphasizes holiness, keeping a greater degree of separation between holy and unholy than Solomon’s Temple did. In fact, the following verse stands out, highlighting this emphasis. And this is the basic law of the Temple: absolute holiness! The entire top of the mountain where the Temple is built is holy. Yes, this is the basic law of the Temple. (Ezekiel 43:12, NLT)

This reminded me of what the New Testament says about our bodies as believers: They are the temples of the living God. …for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. (2 Corinthians 6:16–18, KJV)

What, then, does it mean to be holy? Simply put, it means consecrated or set apart for a sacred use. As Christians, we are to be set apart from sin and worldliness for our Father’s sacred use and glory. …dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. (2 Corinthians 7:1, KJV) For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s. (1 Corinthians 6:20, KJV)

What a joyous calling in Jesus Christ to be the temple of the living God! We are set apart for His use and glory amidst a world of darkness, delusion, and despair. Let us shine as lights, radiating the light of God’s glorious gospel, calling others to come out of darkness and into His marvelous light!

Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Ezekiel 42-43.

All of Life for Christ!

Therefore, give the people of Israel this message from the Sovereign LORD: I am bringing you back, but not because you deserve it. I am doing it to protect my holy name, on which you brought shame while you were scattered among the nations. (Ezekiel 36:22, NLT) According to the vision Ezekiel received, God is about to do something for His name’s sake, not for the sake of His people. The House of Israel doesn’t deserve what God is about to do.

By today’s standards, this approach would offend many people. In a day when self-love, self-pity, self-esteem, and ultimately a self-centric view of life are god, this stings. The truth is, life is not about us; it is about God and glorifying God. It is to be God-centric. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19–20, ESV) And he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. (2 Corinthians 5:15, ESV)

What a reminder to keep our eyes off ourselves and keep them on God and others. What a reminder to be careful about our motives: are we doing what we do for ourselves and how others perceive us, or are we caught up in glorifying God with our being? For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them. (Ephesians 2:10, NKJV)

Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Ezekiel 35-37.

Jesus is King!

Psalm 110 is the most quoted and alluded-to psalm in the New Testament! A theme stood out when I came across it in my chronological reading this morning: Jesus is King!

The LORD says to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.” (Psalm 110:1, ESV)

Kings have thrones and dominions. They rule. They have armies. They execute judgment. Jesus has such. He is enthroned at the right hand of God the Father, a place of honor. He is Sovereign over all that is. None can contest His rule. None can rival Him. He is King (Psalm 110:2–3, 6)! This reminds me of what Paul said in his epistle to the Philippians.

Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:9–11, KJV)

The question that comes to mind is: Does my life reflect Jesus as Lord and King? Meaning, do I accept His lordship and live accordingly? A simple but effective and practical way to know the answer is found in 1 Corinthians.

For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s. (1 Corinthians 6:20, NKJV)

Am I glorifying God in my body and spirit as I live life? That’s the question! I don’t belong to myself as a Christian; I belong to the King! I don’t live according to my rule as a Christian; I live according to His! In fact, according to the Bible, it is my delight to do so!

For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: (Romans 7:22, KJV)

To glorify God practically means to put God on display in our lives. Living according to the flesh does not put God on display. It displays a different kingdom. Walking according to the Spirit and in obedience to the Word of God puts God on display in our lives, glorifying Him!

Believer, is Jesus not worthy of being Lord in our lives? Did He not pay a great price to redeem us and call us His own? Is serving and glorifying Him not better than serving the flesh and the devil? Jesus is King! What a gracious King! What a worthy King!

Thank you for joining me as I read and journal chronologically through the Bible! This devotional reflection comes from Psalms 108-110.

273!

Well, how many of us find excitement in reading about censuses? This morning, there are three of them: the census of the Levites, the firstborn of Israel, and the working Levites with their tasks. A number stood out to me in the middle of all this counting: 273!

“Take the Levites as substitutes for the firstborn sons of the people of Israel. And take the livestock of the Levites as substitutes for the firstborn livestock of the people of Israel. The Levites belong to me; I am the Lord. There are 273 more firstborn sons of Israel than there are Levites. To redeem these extra firstborn sons, collect five pieces of silver for each of them (each piece weighing the same as the sanctuary shekel, which equals twenty gerahs). (Numbers 3:45–47, NLT)

In Israel, firstborn sons and livestock, regardless of tribe, belong to the Lord. In this census, however, God allows a substitution. But there’s a problem! There are 273 more firstborn sons of Israel than there are Levites to substitute for them! So, to redeem these extra 273, a price must be paid. In the middle of a bunch of numbers, redemption comes alive!

This reminds me of what the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 6.

…You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price… (1 Corinthians 6:19–20, NLT)

What is this high price? It certainly isn’t silver weighed according to the sanctuary shekel, as we see in Numbers! Notice what the Apostle Peter writes…

For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom… (1 Peter 1:18–20, NLT)

Amazing, isn’t it? God was not willing that the extra 273 people be left unredeemed! God is unwilling that you and I should be left without redemption, either! Let us rejoice that God paid the high price for us through His Son Jesus! Let us rejoice that God substituted His Son to die in our place on the cross! Let us rejoice in God, our redeeming Savior! What a Savior, what an extraordinary God!

Today’s reading: Numbers 3-4 | Tomorrow’s reading: Numbers 5-6