a promise revealed

Posted on February 25, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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a promise revealed

Titus 1:1-4 (JDV)

Titus 1:1 From Paul, servant of God, and missionary sent by Jesus Christ, representing the faith of God’s chosen ones, and the awareness of the truth which godliness brings;
Titus 1:2 In hope of permanent life, which God (who is free from deceit) promised before the ages began;
Titus 1:3 But he has revealed that promise in our own seasons through preaching, a task which has been handed over to me by order of God our Savior;
Titus 1:4 To Titus, a legitimate child representing that shared faith: Favor, and peace, from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.

a promise revealed

God has revealed a promise that he hinted at in the Old Testament — a promise of another life, a life that will not end. It is a permanent life, and only those who put their faith in Christ will receive it. Immortality is not an inherent possession of every soul. It is a gift, and it will be given only to those who respond to the promise in faith.

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put him in the center

Posted on February 24, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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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.

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inheriting the land

Posted on February 23, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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inheriting the land

Ezekiel 48:23-29 (JDV)

Ezekiel 48:23 “As for the rest of the tribes: From the east side to the west, will be Benjamin– one portion.
Ezekiel 48:24 Next to the territory of Benjamin, from the east side to the west, will be Simeon– one portion.
Ezekiel 48:25 Next to the territory of Simeon, from the east side to the west, will be Issachar– one portion.
Ezekiel 48:26 Next to the territory of Issachar, from the east side to the west, will be Zebulun– one portion.
Ezekiel 48:27 Next to the territory of Zebulun, from the east side to the west, will be Gad– one portion.
Ezekiel 48:28 Next to the territory of Gad toward the south side, the border will run from Tamar to the Waters of Meribath-kadesh, to the Brook of Egypt, and out to the Mediterranean Sea.
Ezekiel 48:29 This is the land you are to allot as an inheritance to Israel’s tribes, and these will be their portions.” This is the declaration of the Lord Yahveh.

inheriting the land

When Jesus blessed the meek by telling them that they will inherit the “earth” he would have used the same language that we see in Ezekiel 48. The word for “land” and “earth” is the same word in Hebrew (ארץ (erets) ) and Greek (γῆ (gē) ). He was not promising that we would own the planet. He was promising that we would have land apportioned to us in the new kingdom.

As I write this, I am freshly showered from the morning garden chores. A basket full of vegetables was harvested, and a mountain of weeds were pulled, and I am now ready for the rest of the day. Praise the Lord for land that can produce an abundant harvest. Yet my garden plot is on borrowed land. No matter. I will inherit my own land someday.

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top rung

Posted on February 22, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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top rung

Ezekiel 48:21-22 (JDV)

Ezekiel 48:21 “The remaining area on both sides of the sacred donation and the city property will belong to the prince. He will own the land adjacent to the tribal portions, next to the 25,000 cubits of the donation as far as the eastern border and next to the 25,000 cubits of the donation as far as the western border. The sacred donation and the sanctuary of the house will be in the middle of it.
Ezekiel 48:22 Except for the Levitical property and the city property in the middle of the area belonging to the prince, the area between the territory of Judah and that of Benjamin will belong to the prince.

The political ramifications of a pronouncement like this bear noting. Neither the Levites nor the prince has an autocracy. The prophet speaks for God, and God decides what is appropriate. Each of these — the priests and their workers, and the ruling class — bows the knee to God.

Leadership cannot function right without submission. Dictatorships will all eventually fall because no one but God can really be the top rung.

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even the common is set apart

Posted on February 21, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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even the common is set apart

Ezekiel 48:15-20 (JDV)

Ezekiel 48:15 “The remaining area, 5000 cubits wide and 25,000 cubits long, will be for common use by the city, for both residential and open space. The city will be in the middle of it.
Ezekiel 48:16 These are the city’s measurements: 4,500 cubits on the north side; 4,500 cubits on the south side; 4,500 cubits on the east side; and 4,500 cubits on the west side.
Ezekiel 48:17 The city’s open space will extend 425 feet to the north, 425 feet to the south, 425 feet to the east, and 425 feet to the west.
Ezekiel 48:18 “The remainder of the length alongside the sacred donation will be 10,000 cubits to the east and 10,000 cubits to the west. It will run alongside the sacred donation. Its produce will be food for the workers of the city.
Ezekiel 48:19 The city’s workers from all the tribes of Israel will cultivate it.
Ezekiel 48:20 The entire donation will be 25,000 cubits by 25,000 cubits; you are to set apart the sacred donation along with the city property as a square area.

even the common is set apart

Even the common area of the next Jerusalem is a sacred place. City workers from each tribe will cultivate and preserve this land.

Our Master calls us to be a city on a hill, which cannot be hidden. We should have no mundane areas that do not reflect his presence and power. Even the common everyday moments of our lives should shine for the world to see.

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sacred layers

Posted on February 20, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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sacred layers

Ezekiel 48:11-14 (JDV)

Ezekiel 48:11 It is for the consecrated priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept my charge and did not go astray as the Levites did when the Israelites went astray.
Ezekiel 48:12 It will be a special donation for them out of the sacred donation of the land, a most sacred place adjacent to the territory of the Levites.
Ezekiel 48:13 “Next to the territory of the priests, the Levites will have an area 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits wide. The total length will be 25,000 cubits and the width 10,000 cubits.
Ezekiel 48:14 They must not sell or exchange any of it, and they must not transfer this first part of the land, for it is devoted to Yahveh.

sacred layers

Next to the land given to the priests will be a land designated for the Levites, and this too is sacred. There are layers of sacred land that set this entire land apart as unique and special to God.

As people ap[proach the land, they should sense the difference. While all the planet is God’s, what belongs to us should demonstrate a sacredness that is recognizable.

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the priest’s land

Posted on February 19, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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the priest’s land

Ezekiel 48:8-14 (JDV)

Ezekiel 48:8 “Next to the territory of Judah, from the east side to the west, will be the portion you donate to Yahveh, 25,000 cubits wide, and as long as one of the tribal portions from the east side to the west. The sanctuary will be in the middle of it.
Ezekiel 48:9 “The special portion you donate to Yahveh will be 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits wide.
Ezekiel 48:10 This devoted donation will be set apart for the priests alone. It will be 25,000 cubits long on the northern side, 10,000 cubits wide on the western side, 10,000 cubits wide on the eastern side, and 25,000 cubits long on the southern side. Yahveh’s sanctuary will be in the middle of it.

the priest’s land

The priest gets a portion of the land as well. That makes sense in God’s plan because the sanctuary in the middle of this land is to be glorified by the land that surrounds it.

Our lives are to glorify God as well. I am not talking about our “religious” lives, but all our lives. Like the priests, everything we do should glorify God.

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treat them as native-born

Posted on February 18, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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treat them like native-born

Ezekiel 47:21-23 (JDV)

Ezekiel 47:21 “You are to divide this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel.
Ezekiel 47:22 You will allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the aliens residing among you, who have fathered children among you. You will treat them as native-born Israelites; along with you, they will be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel.
Ezekiel 47:23 In whatever tribe the alien resides, you will assign his inheritance there.” This is the declaration of the Lord Yahveh.

treat them like native-born

Resident aliens in this land will not be treated as slaves or second-class citizens. They will be allotted an inheritance within the land of the tribe they have been born into.

God does not endorse a caste system. He treats people fairly and is not a respecter of persons.

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a plan for each side

Posted on February 17, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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a plan for each side

Ezekiel 47:18-20 (JDV)

Ezekiel 47:18 On the east side it will run between Hauran and Damascus, along the Jordan between Gilead and the land of Israel; you will measure from the northern border to the eastern sea. This will be the eastern side.
Ezekiel 47:19 On the south side it will run from Tamar to the Waters of Meribath-kadesh, and on to the Brook of Egypt as far as the Mediterranean Sea. This will be the southern side.
Ezekiel 47:20 On the west side the Mediterranean Sea will be the border, from the southern border up to a point opposite Lebo-hamath. This will be the western side.

a plan for each side

The borders will detail the proportions of the land, and each side will be significant. Our God has a purpose in the history of the world for all these details. If we do not know why he has a plan for the land in the future, it is enough for us to acknowledge that he does have a plan.

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land matters

Posted on February 16, 2023 by Jefferson Vann

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land matters

Ezekiel 47:15-17 (JDV)

Ezekiel 47:15 This is to be the border of the land: On the north side it will extend from the Mediterranean Sea by way of Hethlon and Lebo-hamath to Zedad,
Ezekiel 47:16 Berothah, and Sibraim (which is between the border of Damascus and the border of Hamath), as far as Hazer-hatticon, which is on the border of Hauran.
Ezekiel 47:17 So the border will run from the sea to Hazar-enon at the border of Damascus, with the territory of Hamath to the north. This will be the northern side.

land matters

The land will be apportioned because land matters to our God. He created the land to bring him glory, and he will decide who works the land, and who is responsible for its protection and cultivation.

Our God is not a God of spirit and mind only. Land matters to him because all creation matters to him. He plans to restore the land, not discard it.

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