Sat.’s Devo - Our Hearts

Read: Ezekiel 40:28-41:26; James 4:1-17; Psalm 118:19-29; Proverbs 28:3-5 Ezekiel was led into the inner court gateway which led to the inner courtyard. The gateways were the same on the south, east, and north. The west is not mentioned here. All of the gateways had alcoves and rooms along their halls. They all led to an inner courtyard. There was a room just for sacrificing the meat and washing it for the burnt offerings, sin offering and guilt offerings. Inside the inner courtyard were two rooms one on the north side facing south and the other on the south side facing north. These rooms were for the priests who supervised the Temple maintenance and took care of the altar. They were the descendants of Zadok which were the only priests who could approach the Lord to minister to him. In the middle of the inner courtyard was the altar. Ezekiel was brought into the sanctuary of the Temple and then into the inner room behind the sanctuary. He was told that this was the Most Holy Place. Along the outer wall of the Temple were a row of rooms built on three levels with 30 rooms per level. There was a large building toward the west facing the Temple courtyard. The three parts of the Temple were all paneled with wood and the walls were decorated with carvings of cherubim each with two faces. The faces were of a man and a young lion. Between each of the cherubim there was a caving of a palm tree. There was an altar in the Holy Place which was to stand in the Lord’s presence. Both the sanctuary and the Most Holy Place had double doorways with swinging doors. Each were decorated with carved cherubim and palm trees like on the walls. It sounds like our hearts are the Holy of Holies and it is surrounded and protected by walls and rooms for many other things like our thoughts and memories. We have a special place of repentance where Christ’s sacrifice atones for them. In James, he came down heavy on those with wrong motives. He summed it up with: if you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. Humility and taking responsibility is the only way to be honored by God. We must place our plans and our future in God’s hands. Lord, we surrender to your will and plans for our lives. You hold our future and it is full of hope and the good things You have prepared for us. May we have clean hands and a pure heart.