12/12/11

Man's ways are not God's ways nor are his directions

Ezekiel 40:23 [KJV - AV] - And the gate of the inner court was over against the gate toward the north, and toward the east; and he measured from gate to gate an hundred cubits.


What we received as today's scripture if checked in different translations would be put in different ways. I quote some of the other versions below:-

[ASV] 23 - And there was a gate to the inner court over against the other gate, both on the north and on the east; and he measured from gate to gate a hundred cubits.

[NASB] 23 - The inner court had a gate opposite the gate the gate on the north as well as the gate on the east; and he measured a hundred cubits from gate to gate.

[ESV & RSV] 23 - And opposite the gate on the north, as on the east, was a gate to the inner court. And he measured from gate to gate, a hundred cubits.

[NKJV] 23 - A gate of the inner court was opposite the northern gateway, just as the eastern gateway; and he measured from gateway to gateway, one hundred cubits.

[NIV] 23 - There was a gate to the inner court facing the north gate, just as there was on the east. He measured from one gate to the opposite one; it was a hundred cubits.

Some may say what is the difference between these scriptures? If you notice up to the stating of the gate being opposite the north gate is all okay but the confusion comes when stating the east gate.

Note the scripture talks of one gate being opposite the north gate now the translators got confused when the mentioning of the east gate came into picture. If the gate is opposite the north gate, how can it be opposite the east gate?

The most accurate translation between all these is the NASB for it states it exactly how the Lord puts it. It talks of one gate which is the entrance to the inner court and it states this gate is opposite the north gate as well as the east gate. You may ask how is this gate opposite both the north and the east?

I have mentioned before these dimensions of the Temple are the dimensions of the inner-man which the Lord desires. First let me state to you the ways of the Lord are very simple and not like the ways of man. We live in a world that has four directions north, south, east and west. The Kingdom of God has only two directions one that goes towards Him and the other far from Him.

To confuse you more there is a Hebrew word 'teyman' <08486> translated as south means 'towards the right' and we know right means towards the west. So is south also west?

You will understand more the words used for east and north.

The Hebrew word used here is 'qadiym' <06921> is one of the many words translated as east. This word has the root meaning 'to confront'. Similarly the Hebrew word 'tsaphown' <06828> translated as north comes from the root meaning 'to hide' or 'secret'.

We need to understand God is Light and darkness is defined as obstruction to light. God is from the beginning and darkness came when Lucifer and the other fallen angels obstructed the Light of God and made their own ways. Secondly in the Kingdom of God the plans of God are revealed to all. We can experience this example with the Bible. For man all that he needs to know are already there in the Word of God. It is our sin and our flesh (carnal minds) that prevents us from knowing His plans. Therefore the Lord came as man to be our Sacrificial Lamb to cleanse us of sin so as to receive His Spirit. It is by the working of the Holy Spirit of we stop become rebellious children and flow in His Light, that the Holy Spirit reveals the Word unto us and we know the plans of God and have the Light shine in us.

The distance between the South/West and the North/East is given as 100cubits. A cubit is the length of the human hand. The number 100 in Hebrew is a metaphor meaning large number. The scripture defines to us the distance between right and wrong is not small but very large. We as humans may take a small decision to correct ourselves but for Kingdom of God this is considered a great leap therefore the Heavens rejoice when we do even small corrections in our lives.

The Lord is telling us today to stop making excuses in life and stop trying different ways. He is telling us there is only one way to Him and Jesus Christ paved this way for us. The only way is by surrendering to Him and by the understanding of His Kingdom; for this let us surrender to the sacrifice of Jesus and to His Word and let the Holy Spirit help us by working in us and revealing them unto us. The small decisions of correcting our lives give the Kingdom of God great joy.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, Your ways are not the ways of man. Your Kingdom is not of this world. This world is a rebellious world corrupted by evil and therefore distorts the Truth and confuses man. Lord, we pray that more and more of your children surrender to You and your Kingdom. That they let the Holy Spirit work in us and help us overcome our rebellious nature and open our minds to the Truth...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scriptures ]
Ezekiel 20:46 - Son of man, set thy face toward the south <08486>, and drop thy word toward the south <01864>, and prophesy against the forest of the south <05045> field;

Proverbs 16:2 - All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the LORD weigheth the spirits.

Jeremiah 17:10 - I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.



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