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put him in the center

Ezekiel 48:30-35 (JDV)

Ezekiel 48:30 “These are the exits of the city: On the north side, which measures 4,500 cubits,
Ezekiel 48:31 there will be three gates facing north, the gates of the city being named for the tribes of Israel: one, the gate of Reuben; one, the gate of Judah; and one, the gate of Levi.
Ezekiel 48:32 On the east side, which is 4,500 cubits, there will be three gates: one, the gate of Joseph; one, the gate of Benjamin; and one, the gate of Dan.
Ezekiel 48:33 On the south side, which measures 4,500 cubits, there will be three gates: one, the gate of Simeon; one, the gate of Issachar; and one, the gate of Zebulun.
Ezekiel 48:34 On the west side, which is 4,500 cubits, there will be three gates: one, the gate of Gad; one, the gate of Asher; and one, the gate of Naphtali.
Ezekiel 48:35 The perimeter of the city will be 18,000 cubits, and the name of the city from that day on will be, Yahveh Is There.”

put him in the center

Laura Putnam comments on this text: “Because the people had turned from God, he, in turn, had sent them off to exile, not as punishment exactly, but as a teaching experience — that they might learn to trust and obey him, to put him in the center of their lives as was only fitting for the great Creator God that he truly is” (Maranatha Daily Devotional, August 10th, 2020).

This picture of a city, with Yahveh’s temple in the center, and a life-giving river flowing from it — shows us what can happen if we dare put him in the center of our lives today.