(Dear Lord Jesus, guide me and give me insight as I read and study Your word, and let it be the meditation of my heart...)
(Ezekiel 47:13-23) This is what the Lord God says: “This shall be the boundary by which you shall divide the land for an inheritance among the twelve tribes of Israel; Joseph shall have two portions. 14 And you shall divide it for an inheritance, each one equally with the other; for I swore to give it to your forefathers, and this land shall fall to you as an inheritance.15 “And this shall be the boundary of the land: on the north side, from the Great Sea by the way of Hethlon, to the entrance of Zedad; 16 Hamath, Berothah, Sibraim, which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath; Hazer-hatticon, which is by the border of Hauran. 17 The boundary shall extend from the sea to Hazar-enan at the border of Damascus, and on the north toward the north is the border of Hamath. This is the north side.
18 “The east side, from between Hauran, Damascus, Gilead, and the land of Israel, shall be the Jordan; from the north border to the eastern sea you shall measure. This is the east side.
19 “The south side toward the south shall extend from Tamar as far as the waters of Meribath-kadesh, to the brook of Egypt and to the Great Sea. This is the south side toward the south.
20 “And the west side shall be the Great Sea, from the south border to a point opposite Lebo-hamath. This is the west side.
21 “So you shall divide this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. 22 You shall divide it by lot for an inheritance among yourselves and among the strangers who stay in your midst, who bring forth sons in your midst. And they shall be to you as the native-born among the sons of Israel; they shall be allotted an inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel. 23 And in the tribe with which the stranger resides, there you shall give him his inheritance,” declares the Lord God.
(Ezekiel 48:1-35) “Now these are the names of the tribes: from the northern extremity, beside the way of Hethlon to Lebo-hamath, as far as Hazar-enan at the border of Damascus, toward the north beside Hamath, running from east to west, Dan, one portion. 2 Beside the border of Dan, from the east side to the west side, Asher, one portion. 3 Beside the border of Asher, from the east side to the west side, Naphtali, one portion. 4 Beside the border of Naphtali, from the east side to the west side, Manasseh, one portion. 5 Beside the border of Manasseh, from the east side to the west side, Ephraim, one portion. 6 Beside the border of Ephraim, from the east side to the west side, Reuben, one portion. 7 Beside the border of Reuben, from the east side to the west side, Judah, one portion.
8 “And beside the border of Judah, from the east side to the west side, shall be the allotment which you shall set apart, twenty-five thousand cubits in width, and in length like one of the portions, from the east side to the west side; and the sanctuary shall be in the middle of it. 9 The allotment that you shall set apart to the Lord shall be twenty-five thousand cubits in length and ten thousand in width.
10 The holy allotment shall be for these, namely for the priests, toward the north twenty-five thousand cubits in length, toward the west ten thousand in width, toward the east ten thousand in width, and toward the south twenty-five thousand in length; and the sanctuary of the Lord shall be in its midst. 11 It shall be for the priests who are sanctified of the sons of Zadok, who have taken the responsibility I gave them, who did not go astray when the sons of Israel went astray as the Levites went astray. 12 It shall be an allotment to them from the allotment of the land, a most holy reserve, by the border of the Levites. 13 And alongside the border of the priests, the Levites shall have twenty-five thousand cubits in length and ten thousand in width. The entire length shall be twenty-five thousand cubits and the width ten thousand. 14 Moreover, they shall not sell or exchange any of it, or allow this choice portion of land to pass to others; for it is holy to the Lord.
15 “The remainder, five thousand cubits in width and twenty-five thousand in length, shall be for common use for the city, for homes and for open spaces; and the city shall be in its midst. 16 And these shall be its measurements: the north side, 4,500 cubits, the south side 4,500 cubits, the east side 4,500 cubits, and the west side, 4,500 cubits. 17 The city shall have open spaces: on the north 250 cubits, on the south 250 cubits, on the east 250 cubits, and on the west 250 cubits. 18 The remainder of the length alongside the holy allotment shall be ten thousand cubits toward the east and ten thousand toward the west; and it shall be alongside the holy allotment. And its produce shall be food for the workers of the city. 19 And the workers of the city, out of all the tribes of Israel, shall cultivate it. 20 The whole allotment shall be twenty-five thousand by twenty-five thousand cubits; you shall set apart the holy allotment, a square, with the property of the city.
21 “The remainder shall be for the prince, on the one side and on the other of the holy allotment and of the property of the city; in front of the twenty-five thousand cubits of the allotment toward the east border and westward in front of the twenty-five thousand toward the west border, alongside the portions, it shall be for the prince. And the holy allotment and the sanctuary of the house shall be in the middle of it. 22 And exclusive of the property of the Levites and the property of the city, which are in the middle of that which belongs to the prince, everything between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin shall belong to the prince.
23 “As for the rest of the tribes: from the east side to the west side, Benjamin, one portion. 24 Beside the border of Benjamin, from the east side to the west side, Simeon, one portion. 25 Beside the border of Simeon, from the east side to the west side, Issachar, one portion. 26 Beside the border of Issachar, from the east side to the west side, Zebulun, one portion. 27 Beside the border of Zebulun, from the east side to the west side, Gad, one portion. 28 And beside the border of Gad, at the south side toward the south, the border shall be from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh, to the brook of Egypt, to the Great Sea. 29 This is the land which you shall divide by lot to the tribes of Israel for an inheritance, and these are their several portions,” declares the Lord God.
30 “Now these are the exits of the city: on the north side, 4,500 cubits by measurement, 31 shall be the gates of the city, named for the tribes of Israel, three gates toward the north: the gate of Reuben, one; the gate of Judah, one; and the gate of Levi, one. 32 On the east side, 4,500 cubits, shall be three gates: the gate of Joseph, one; the gate of Benjamin, one; and the gate of Dan, one. 33 On the south side, 4,500 cubits by measurement, shall be three gates: the gate of Simeon, one; the gate of Issachar, one; and the gate of Zebulun, one. 34 On the west side, 4,500 cubits, shall be three gates: the gate of Gad, one; the gate of Asher, one; and the gate of Naphtali, one. 35 The city shall be eighteen thousand cubits all around; and the name of the city from that day shall be, ‘The Lord is there.’”
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
8 “And beside the border of Judah, from the east side to the west side, shall be the allotment which you shall set apart, twenty-five thousand cubits in width, and in length like one of the portions, from the east side to the west side; and the sanctuary shall be in the middle of it. 9 The allotment that you shall set apart to the Lord shall be twenty-five thousand cubits in length and ten thousand in width.
10 The holy allotment shall be for these, namely for the priests, toward the north twenty-five thousand cubits in length, toward the west ten thousand in width, toward the east ten thousand in width, and toward the south twenty-five thousand in length; and the sanctuary of the Lord shall be in its midst. 11 It shall be for the priests who are sanctified of the sons of Zadok, who have taken the responsibility I gave them, who did not go astray when the sons of Israel went astray as the Levites went astray. 12 It shall be an allotment to them from the allotment of the land, a most holy reserve, by the border of the Levites. 13 And alongside the border of the priests, the Levites shall have twenty-five thousand cubits in length and ten thousand in width. The entire length shall be twenty-five thousand cubits and the width ten thousand. 14 Moreover, they shall not sell or exchange any of it, or allow this choice portion of land to pass to others; for it is holy to the Lord.
15 “The remainder, five thousand cubits in width and twenty-five thousand in length, shall be for common use for the city, for homes and for open spaces; and the city shall be in its midst. 16 And these shall be its measurements: the north side, 4,500 cubits, the south side 4,500 cubits, the east side 4,500 cubits, and the west side, 4,500 cubits. 17 The city shall have open spaces: on the north 250 cubits, on the south 250 cubits, on the east 250 cubits, and on the west 250 cubits. 18 The remainder of the length alongside the holy allotment shall be ten thousand cubits toward the east and ten thousand toward the west; and it shall be alongside the holy allotment. And its produce shall be food for the workers of the city. 19 And the workers of the city, out of all the tribes of Israel, shall cultivate it. 20 The whole allotment shall be twenty-five thousand by twenty-five thousand cubits; you shall set apart the holy allotment, a square, with the property of the city.
21 “The remainder shall be for the prince, on the one side and on the other of the holy allotment and of the property of the city; in front of the twenty-five thousand cubits of the allotment toward the east border and westward in front of the twenty-five thousand toward the west border, alongside the portions, it shall be for the prince. And the holy allotment and the sanctuary of the house shall be in the middle of it. 22 And exclusive of the property of the Levites and the property of the city, which are in the middle of that which belongs to the prince, everything between the border of Judah and the border of Benjamin shall belong to the prince.
23 “As for the rest of the tribes: from the east side to the west side, Benjamin, one portion. 24 Beside the border of Benjamin, from the east side to the west side, Simeon, one portion. 25 Beside the border of Simeon, from the east side to the west side, Issachar, one portion. 26 Beside the border of Issachar, from the east side to the west side, Zebulun, one portion. 27 Beside the border of Zebulun, from the east side to the west side, Gad, one portion. 28 And beside the border of Gad, at the south side toward the south, the border shall be from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh, to the brook of Egypt, to the Great Sea. 29 This is the land which you shall divide by lot to the tribes of Israel for an inheritance, and these are their several portions,” declares the Lord God.
30 “Now these are the exits of the city: on the north side, 4,500 cubits by measurement, 31 shall be the gates of the city, named for the tribes of Israel, three gates toward the north: the gate of Reuben, one; the gate of Judah, one; and the gate of Levi, one. 32 On the east side, 4,500 cubits, shall be three gates: the gate of Joseph, one; the gate of Benjamin, one; and the gate of Dan, one. 33 On the south side, 4,500 cubits by measurement, shall be three gates: the gate of Simeon, one; the gate of Issachar, one; and the gate of Zebulun, one. 34 On the west side, 4,500 cubits, shall be three gates: the gate of Gad, one; the gate of Asher, one; and the gate of Naphtali, one. 35 The city shall be eighteen thousand cubits all around; and the name of the city from that day shall be, ‘The Lord is there.’”
TODAY'S THOUGHTS AND MEDITATION:
After all the warnings throughout this book, God ends by reminding the Israelites of the plans He has for them and the capital city, Jerusalem. This was and is to inspire and encourage the Israelites. But because they rejected Christ when He first came in the flesh, this prophecy will be fulfilled when Jesus comes again and sets up the Millennial kingdom.
For all of us now, we can be encouraged and inspired by the fact that God is fair and oversees all the details. His overall plan isn't just for the Israelites. The Lord desires that all come to know Him personally! Doesn't matter where one comes from, anyone who chooses to become a child of God receives eternal life and an inheritance.
(John 3:16) For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish, but have eternal life.
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