Eze.40:1-4, Live Looking Toward the Heavenly Sanctuary

Eze.40:1-4, Live Looking Toward the Heavenly Sanctuary

<Scripture> 1-4, 1. In the twenty-fifth year of our captivity, in the fourteenth year after the city was captured, on the tenth day of the first month, the very day the power of the LORD came upon me and carried me to the land of Israel. 2. He carried me in a vision of God to the land of Israel and set me down on a very high mountain. There, facing south, was something like the likeness of a city. 3. And he brought me to the place where a man who looked like bronze stood at the gate, holding a measuring line and a measuring rod in his hand. 4. The man said to me, “Son of man, see with your eyes what I show you, hear with your ears, and consider with your heart what I show you. For I have brought you here to show you this, and tell the house of Israel everything you have seen.”

<Sermon Summary>
Beloved saints, what do we look toward as we live? If we look only at the problems right in front of us, we are prone to discouragement; if we look only at failure and difficulties, we are prone to losing hope. However, if we look to God, we gain the strength to rise again even in the midst of despair. Today's passage is a message from 25 years after the Israelites were taken captive to Babylon and 14 years after the destruction of the Jerusalem sanctuary(1). The people had lost their nation and their sanctuary, and their hope for the future had faded. However, God showed Ezekiel a vision of a new sanctuary. He was revealing that the collapsed reality was not the end of God's plan.

First, we must look to God's comfort in the midst of despair(1, Is.40:1)
God is not one who gives hope only after all problems have been resolved. Even while the life of captivity was still ongoing, He showed Ezekiel a vision of restoration. We, too, sometimes lose heart due to family problems, health difficulties, and financial worries. However, just because our reality has collapsed does not mean that God's promises have collapsed as well. Even if the current situation does not change, we must live by faith, trusting in God who sustains us.

Second, we must look to Jesus Christ, who is the glory of the heavenly Sanctuary(2–3).
The true glory of the sanctuary lies not in the size or beauty of the building, but in the presence of God. The New Testament testifies that Jesus Christ opened the way to God through the cross (Heb.10:19-20). Furthermore, Rev.21:22 shows that God and the Lamb are the eternal sanctuary. Therefore, our ultimate hope lies not in worldly circumstances or possessions, but in Jesus Christ. Whenever your heart is weary and your life is dry, go to the Lord. Hold fast to the hope of forgiveness of sins and eternal life within the Lord.

Third, we must look toward the hope of heaven and share it with others(4).
God did not stop at merely showing Ezekiel a vision; He said, "Tell the house of Israel everything you have seen"(Eze.40:4). The comfort and hope received from God are not to be kept only by us. There are people around us who are discouraged by heartache and the difficulties of life. We must offer them a warm word, pray with them, and reach out a hand when needed. We must convey the love and hope of Jesus Christ through our words and actions.
Beloved saints, do not look only at the ruined sanctuary. Look toward God, who is greater than the reality before your eyes. I pray in the name of the Lord that you live holding fast to Jesus Christ, the glory of the heavenly sanctuary, and sharing the grace and hope you have received with your neighbors. Amen.

Resolution/I will look to God's promises rather than the circumstances before my eyes. I will place Jesus Christ at the center of my life and live by sharing the comfort and hope I have received from God with my family and neighbors.
Prayer/God the Father, grant that I may look to Your promises even in the midst of despair. Grant that I may hold fast to Jesus Christ and live by faith and hope. Grant that I may put Your will into practice by sharing the comfort and love I have received with my neighbors. I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, our eternal hope. Amen.
Bible Study Material /Ezek.40:1–4, Live Looking Toward the Heavenly sanctuary

Scripture: “Son of man, see with your eyes, hear with your ears, and think with your heart… Tell the house of Israel everything you have seen”(40:4).
Theme: Even if the reality before our eyes crumbles, God’s promises do not crumble. We must look to Jesus Christ and live in hope.

1. Look to God’s comfort from the place of despair (1, Isaiah 40:1)
Observation/How many years has it been since the people of Israel were taken captive? (1) What must the people have felt in the situation where the Jerusalem sanctuary had been destroyed?
Interpretation/The people of Israel were in deep despair due to their long captivity and the destruction of the sanctuary. However, God did not forget them and showed them a vision of a new sanctuary. This demonstrates that the reality before our eyes is not the end of God’s plan.
Application/What is the problem that is causing you the most distress right now? Even if the problem is not resolved, what is the part where you will trust in God’s faithfulness and entrust it to Him?

2. Look to Jesus Christ, the Glory of the Heavenly sanctuary (2–3)
Observation/Where did God take Ezekiel? (2) What did the person Ezekiel saw look like, and what did he possess? (3)
Interpretation/God showed Ezekiel a vision of a new sanctuary on a high mountain. The true glory of the sanctuary lies not in the building itself, but in God's presence. The New Testament shows that the way to God has been opened through Jesus Christ, and that God and the Lamb will become the eternal sanctuary in the future (Heb 10:19–20, Revelation 21:22).
Application/When I encounter difficulties, do I look only at the problem, or do I look at Jesus? What will I do today to restore my relationship with God?

3. Look to the Hope of Heaven and Live a Life of Proclaiming It(4)
Observation/What did God command Ezekiel to do? (4) How did God tell Ezekiel to use his eyes, ears, and heart?
Interpretation/God did not let Ezekiel stop at merely seeing the vision; He commanded him to convey what he saw to the people of Israel. We, too, must not keep the comfort and hope we have received in Jesus Christ to ourselves, but must share them with our neighbors through our words and actions.
Application/Who around me needs comfort and hope? How will you share love and the hope of the Gospel with that person this week?

Resolution/1. I will look to God's promises rather than the problems right before my eyes. 2. I will place Jesus Christ at the center of my life and restore worship and prayer. 3. I will share the comfort and hope I have received from God with my neighbors.
Practice/Let us choose one problem we are worried about and pray about it, and let us reach out first to one discouraged person to share comfort and love with them.

Prayer/Loving God the Father, thank you for not forgetting us even in places of despair and for showing us the hope of restoration. Help us not to let our hearts be captivated by the difficulties before our eyes, but to trust in God's promises. Help us to look to Jesus Christ, who is the way to God and the hope of eternal life. May we restore worship and prayer, and share the comfort and love we have received with our families and neighbors. May we live according to the Lord's Word without losing faith and hope in any situation. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.