“When you allot the land as an inheritance, you shall set apart for the Lord a portion of the land as a holy district, 25,000 cubits long and 20,000 cubits broad. It shall be holy throughout its whole extent…
“Thus says the Lord God: Enough, O princes of Israel! Put away violence and oppression, and execute justice and righteousness…
“You shall have just balances, a just ephah, and a just bath. The ephah and the bath shall be of the same measure, the bath containing one tenth of a homer, and the ephah one tenth of a homer; the homer shall be the standard measure. The shekel shall be twenty gerahs; twenty shekels plus twenty-five shekels plus fifteen shekels shall be your mina.
“This is the offering that you shall make: one sixth of an ephah from each homer of wheat, and one sixth of an ephah from each homer of barley, and as the fixed portion of oil, measured in baths, one tenth of a bath from each cor (the cor, like the homer, contains ten baths). And one sheep from every flock of two hundred, from the watering places of Israel for grain offering, burnt offering, and peace offerings, to make atonement for them, declares the Lord God.” Ezekiel 45:1,9-15
In Ezekiel’s prophetic vision of the temple, the Lord imparted specific illustrations and instructions regarding the new temple and worship surrounding it. Led by the Spirit, Ezekiel recorded explicit descriptions of what he saw and heard to impart God’s message to the house of Israel. Order, beauty, and just measure carried peace and hope for this rebellious nation in bleak times. (Ezekiel 40:1-4; 1 Corinthians 14:33; 2 Peter 1:20-21)
The Lord almighty is precise in every way, instructing and working and loving in perfect measure. No word He speaks falls empty or returns void, no time He spends is frivolous, no blood He spilled was wasted. Where He prescribes for man exact measures for practical uses and priestly services, they point to the exquisite, perfect measure of His love and grace toward His own. (Isaiah 55:11; 2 Corinthians 5:21)
In His holy economy, God cares about how we treat and deal with those among us. He calls us to be fair and just, and even generous in stewardship of resources. The practical measures in how we interact with and treat others is an indication of the higher interest we exhibit spiritually. Humanity’s best pales in comparison to having the mind of Christ and exhibiting His character and generosity. (Deuteronomy 25:15; Luke 6:38; Ephesians 4:32; Philippians 2:3-4).
How well do we measure in comparison to His perfect standard? Are we scant or lavish in worship? Do we skimp on love and mercy with those in our households? Are we cheap against fair wages, do we cut corners in honesty, or do we take unfair advantage of others at work, in commerce?
How we deal with others on earth is a reflection of our understanding of how Christ has dealt with us in heaven. When we fail to accept His full pardon and rest in the lavish sufficiency of His love, we will treat others out of the dearth and insecurity we carry. Resentment, greed, and fear unsettle God’s quantity of grace in any interaction.
Lord, fill me to full measure with the bounty You’d have me share, that Your perfection and sufficiency are magnified.
As the rain and snow 