(REFLECTIONS ON EZEKIEL 43:1-27)

1 Then the man brought me to the gate facing east, 2 and I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east. His voice was like the roar of rushing waters, and the land was radiant with his glory. 3 The vision I saw was like the vision I had seen when he came to destroy the city and like the visions I had seen by the Kebar River, and I fell facedown. 4 The glory of the Lord entered the temple through the gate facing east. 5 Then the Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court, and the glory of the Lord filled the temple.

Just as the glory of the God of Israel left the temple from the east, we see a dramatic scene of the glory of the God of Israel coming back from the east to His temple and His land. I don’t know how you feel when you read these verses of the return of His glory, but for me it takes my breath away. The reason it takes my breath away is because it reminds me that we are not worthy of His glory.

Israel was not worthy of His glory, and actually deserved to be abandoned as a people that failed the God that called them. For the glory of God to return, even though it was not earned and not deserved, reminds me of how deep God’s GRACE is for Israel and for the church today.

If we had forgotten about what grace is and what grace feels like, it is my hope and prayer that as you read today’s passage, it will be more than just words, but may be our vision where we can SEE with Ezekiel the glory of God return to His temple, land, and people.

We are not worthy of His glory, yet His glory fills us. We do not need a physical temple today, but we are still not worthy on our own. It is because of Jesus Christ that His glory fills us, fills our hearts, and fills our church. Remember our church is not just a place, a building, but His glory fills our worship and our fellowship.

In today’s Scripture, instructions are left for how Israel is to respond to GRACE, and we as the church has also been commanded by Jesus on how to respond. We are to respond by doing good, by forgiving those in our lives that have hurt us, by loving our neighbor, by giving up our life and our will to Him who gives us eternal life. We give up authority to our Lord, and our prayer is for His will to be done, and not just for our desires to be fulfilled.

May the Holy Spirit touch our hearts this morning, and may we feel the impact of His glory in our midst. He is with us now, wherever we are, wherever we are in life, His glory is with us now. Oh Lord,

Let Your glory fall in this room
Let it go forth from here to the nations
Let Your fragrance rest in this place
As we gather to seek Your face

Pastor Michael Lu
Enduring Word Bible Commentary: Ezekiel 43