Tues.’s Devo - The Prince

Read: Ezekiel 45:13-46:24; 1 Peter 1:13-2:10; Psalm 119:33-48; Proverbs 28:11 Never in the priesthood of Moses was the prince involved. But in this new Temple the priest is the major player. The prince represents Jesus. A tax is given to the priest to use to purchase the animals and grain used for the sacrifices. The prince was to give the sacrifices and prepare them. He made reconciliation for the people. On the first day of Nissan, the prince was to cleanse the sanctuary with the blood of a young bull. The priests would take the blood and put it on the posts of the house, the four corners of the border of the altar and upon the posts of the gate of the inner court. The priests stand for the believers. (1 Peter 2:9; Revelation 1:6) Jesus prepares the sacrifice and offers it to us. We have to take it by faith and apply his blood to the doorposts of our hearts. On the fourteenth day of Nissan was Passover which stood for the day Jesus died on the cross for our sins. On this day the prince would provide the bull and a sin offering for himself and the people. That is exactly what Jesus did on that day. The next seven days were the Feast of Unleavened Bread which stands for our purification for sin. All the days of our lives we will walk in the saving grace of our salvation. We will be righteous because of the sacrifice made for us. God’s mercy’s are new every morning. The prince enters through the eastern gate just as Jesus will enter the eastern gate of Jerusalem when he comes back. He will stand and watch as the priests offer HIS burnt offering and peace offering. Then he will bow down in worship inside the gateway passage and then go back the way he came. The people must enter through the north gateway and leave by the south gateway or vice versa. They cannot leave the way they came. That is a message to us. When we experience the presence of the Lord, we have to change. We cannot leave the way we came. If the prince gives a gift to his son, the gift is his inheritance and can never be taken from him. (Our gifts are irrevocable.) But if the prince gives a gift to a servant, his gift will not be his forever. There are many people on the earth that are given great gifts to be used in this world for the benefit of his children. When they die without Christ, their gifts will not follow them to hell. Our gifts will follow us to heaven and we will use them there. First Peter explains everything we just read about in Ezekiel. I love how God’s Word fits together and the Old Testament and the New confirm one another. First Peter is self-explanatory. The one thing that we have to remember as Christians is that our deeds are the extension of our hearts. We are crucified with Christ so in this life we give, suffer, sacrifice and serve. We are not living for this life; we are living for our heavenly home where will will be eternally blessed and suffer nothing. This is our test. Lord, help us to live in a way that You are glorified through us. Thank you for the cross and the resurrection. We are crucified with you and we will rise with you. Glory to Your Name!