Sat.’s Devo - The Tax

Read: Ezekiel 45:13-46:24; 1 Peter 1:13-2:10; Psalm 119:33-48; Proverbs 28:11 In this new Temple, they were to give a tax to the prince of one bushel of wheat for every 60 they harvested, one percent of the olive oil, and one sheep for every 200 they had in their flocks. Compared to what income tax is for us, that is nothing. *** The prince was to provide the offerings at the religious festivals, the new moon and the Sabbaths. He was to provide the sin offerings, burnt offerings, grain offerings, liquid offerings and peace offerings to purify the people. *** In the spring on the first of Nisan, they were to offer a sin offering was to be offered to purify the Temple. This was to be offered on the first and the seventh day of the celebration to atone for any sin done through error or ignorance by the people. *** On the fourteenth day of Nixon, they were to celebrate the Passover and Unleavened Bread for a week. On the day of Passover, the prince was to offer a sin offering for himself and the people of Israel. On the seven days of the feast, burnt offering were to be offered and grain offerings. *** In the fall during the Feast of Tabernacles, the prince was to offer sacrifices of the sin offering, the burnt offering and the grain offering, along with olive oil. *** The east gateway was to be closed during the six workdays but open on the Sabbath for the prince. He would enter through that gateway from the outside and stand by the gatepost where he was to offer his burnt offering and peace offering. He would bow and worship inside the gateway passageway and then leave the way he came. The gate would be closed at evening. The common people would bow down and worship in front of their gateway on Sabbath days and on new moon celebrations. *** The people who entered the north gateway were to exit the south gateway and those who entered the south gateway were to exit the north gateway. I think this was to represent that when we go to the Lord in prayer, or go to church, etc, we should not leave the way we came. We should be changed in some positive way. *** All the offerings made during the year were provided by the prince from the tax the people gave. *** If the prince wanted to give a gift of land to his children, it must be from his allotted land. He must not take any land that belongs to the people. If the prince gave land to a servant, it must return to his family inheritance at the Year of Jubilee, but any gift given to his sons would be permanent. *** The man brought Ezekiel to the sacred rooms where the priest cooked the meat from the gilt offerings and sin offerings and baked the bread for the grain offerings. Then he took him to the corner rooms in the outer courtyard and showed him fireplaces where the priest boiled the sacrifices offered by the people. *** Peter told us to prepare our minds to exercise self-control. He warned us not to go back to our old ways of living to satisfy our own selves. *** We are to live our lives in the fear of the Lord who will one day judge or reward us according to what we do. Our lives have been purchased by the precious blood of Christ, who was the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. Because he so loved us, we are to love him and his people. We are the living stones that make up his Temple; Jesus was the cornerstone. People stumbled over Jesus and met the fate of disobedience. But we are a chosen people, royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. We are to show others the goodness of God who have received God’s mercy and grace. *** Lord, help us to give this mercy and grace to others. Thank you for Salvation and your Spirit.