The Chambers and the Vestibule

Todays' bible passage comes from Ezekiel 40:44-49.

Before today I didn't know that the priests split their duties.   Some priests would be in charge of the temple and other priests in charge of the altar. 

I also wasn't aware that ONLY the sons of Zadok were allowed to "come near to the Lord to minister to him".   Only them.  I knew vaguely there were some divisions in the priesthood, but it was just a vague thing .. you know?

I just figured it was divided up by seniority and whatever each family within the priesthood liked to do.  But here I realized that God had it all sorted out.

 ⁴⁴ On the outside of the inner gateway there were two chambers in the inner court, one at the side of the north gate facing south, the other at the side of the south gate facing north. ⁴⁵ And he said to me, “This chamber that faces south is for the priests who have charge of the temple, ⁴⁶ and the chamber that faces north is for the priests who have charge of the altar. These are the sons of Zadok, who alone among the sons of Levi may come near to the Lord to minister to him.” ⁴⁷ And he measured the court, a hundred cubits long and a hundred cubits broad, a square. And the altar was in front of the temple.
⁴⁸ Then he brought me to the vestibule of the temple and measured the jambs of the vestibule, five cubits on either side. And the breadth of the gate was fourteen cubits, and the sidewalls of the gate were three cubits on either side. ⁴⁹ The length of the vestibule was twenty cubits, and the breadth twelve cubits, and people would go up to it by ten steps. And there were pillars beside the jambs, one on either side.

A cubit is 45.72 centimetres OR 18 inches. 

So the inner court is 150 feet square.  The door jams are 7.5 feet.

Can you imagine door jambs that large?  It gives you an idea of the overall size.

But more importantly... God had all the details worked out.  ALL of them.   From where the priests served, to what family could approach him in ministry, to the size of the building they served in.  God took all the guess work and politics out of the picture.

Rather cool that.

You can read more in my Ezekiel Studies here and here.

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