SANCTUARY
OBSERVATION: THE HEBREW NAME EZEKIEL MEANS, “GOD STRENGTHENS-GOD IS STRONG”. THE BABYLONIANS LAY SIEGE TO JERUSALEM IN 588 B.C. IN 586 B.C., THE CITY AND THE JEWISH TEMPLE WERE BURNED. ISRAEL’S MONARCHY ENDED: THE CITY OF DAVID AND THE TEMPLE WERE IN SHAMBLES. KING NEBUCHADNEZZAR EXILED EZEKIEL AND MANY JEWS TO BABYLON IN 597 B.C.
INTERPRETATION: EZEKIEL 11:16 (NKJV) THEREFORE SAY, THUS SAYS THE LORD GOD: ALTHOUGH I HAVE CAST THEM FAR OFF AMONG THE GENTILES, AND ALTHOUGH I HAVE SCATTERED THEM AMONG THE COUNTRIES, YET I SHALL BE A LITTLE SANCTUARY FOR THEM IN THE COUNTRIES WHERE THEY HAVE GONE. NOTE: THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE SOMETIMES USES THE WORD SANCTUARY AS A PLACE OF REFUGE.
POINTS TO PONDER:
EZEKIEL UNDERSTOOD GOD’S SOVEREIGNTY. HE HAD A KEEN SENSE OF HUMAN RESPONSIBILITY TO HIM. HE KNEW GOD AS A COVENANT GOD WHO EXPECTED MEN TO OBEY HIM IN COVENANT. HE KNEW MAN COULD FIND SANCTUARY AND SHELTER IN COVENANT. THIS RESPONSIBILITY WAS PERSONAL AND NATIONAL.
THE SELF-RIGHTEOUS JEWS IN JERUSALEM THOUGHT THEY WERE SECURE BECAUSE OF THE TEMPLE.
EZEKIEL REFERS TO “A LITTLE SANCTUARY”. IT IS FOR ALL PEOPLE IN DISTRESS NEEDING SANCTUARY. THIS SANCTUARY IS NOT LIMITED TO A BUILDING. IT IS NEVER LIMITED AND REACHES ALL WHO NEED REFUGE AND PEACE.
APPLICATION: GOD THE FATHER IS YOUR SANCTUARY!
