SàSo this is what the Sovereign Lord says: No foreigners, including those who live among the people of Israel, will enter my sanctuary if they have not been circumcised and have not surrendered themselves to the Lord. (Ezekiel 44:9)
HàWe’ve just heard a few chapters earlier of the promise to bring Israel back from exile and here the prophet is laying down the playing field for those coming back to the temple where the Lord dwells. God makes it very clear that the conditions for entering His sanctuary are circumcision and surrendering self to the Lord. These are the preconditions of coming into the sanctuary of God. Circumcision is a sign of belonging to the covenant people and the surrendering of self to God seems to be the hedge to keep one away from idolatry. Hence, if these people are a part of the covenant and surrender themselves to the Lord then the idolatry that sent them to exile should not be present in the temple. Its as if God is saying that “my holiness and justness will only allow those that are a part of my covenant who have surrendered themselves to me to be in my dwelling place; there is no room for folks who ride the fence or dry to live as double agents.”
AàThe first thing that strikes me this morning is that the same God in Ezekiel is the same God that I worship. This means that this same God must continue to act in the same way. This means that I can only enter into His presence through circumsicion and surrendering myself to Him. At this point I here St. Paul in my ear talking about the circumcision of the heart and I hear the gospels telling me I must first die before I can live. This same God is still just as holy and it is only by the grace of the Holy Spirit that my heart is cut/circumcised which brings me to my knees as I see the reality of my sin. I know that there is no way I can walk into the presence of God but the only way possible is if I lay my life before God and trust in His grace to purify me and allow me into His presence. This surrendering and purification only happens through Jesus Christ. It is through Jesus that I am aware of my sin; surrender myself; and am cleansed by the power of God’s grace that I may be acceptable to come into the presence of God’s dwelling.
PàThank you Jesus for the promise of this new covenant this morning. Thanks for invading my sin and circumcising my heart that I might surrender myself to you and be acceptable to be in your presence. Help me to live this restored life today and to dwell in the temple of your presence that I may experience life as you intended me to live it. Deliver me from the temptation to rebel against your love and inspire me to be completely devoted to you today in all that I do. Amen.
EàThrough Jesus I am circumcised and empowered to surrender myself to Him that I may enter the dwelling place of God.
