Ezekiel 11:16 Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.
In the previous chapter, God's glory departs from the temple of the Lord. Nothing could have been more devastating. Israel was only great because of their God. Without Him, they were the weakest nation in their region; with Him, they were the strongest. The only thing that made them safe, prosperous, and special was gone. They were about to be scattered among the nations and would no longer have a temple or even a tabernacle to worship God. They could no longer carry out the commands of the Lord to make sacrifices and worship according to the Law. Yet, our focus today is not on the judgment they are under but on the mercy of the Lord amidst their judgment and how He will deal with them in the days to come.
When there was no longer a sanctuary, a place for God to reside among His people, God would become that sanctuary: “Yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come.” They would not have their temple, their land, or their preeminence, but they would still have their God. Dear reader, if you are a child of God, sin can strip you of everything—your joy, your peace, your fellowship with God—but it can never strip you of your relationship with Him. Like the promises made to Abraham and David concerning this sinful nation, your relationship with God is based upon His faithfulness, not yours; His righteousness, not yours. Sin can even lead you to an early grave, but nothing, not even death, can separate you from the love of God in Christ Jesus. We may lose the places He blesses us with, but we will never lose the Person He blessed us with—His Son, Jesus Christ. He will always be our sanctuary.
God says He will be a “little sanctuary.” How does this apply? How could God be little at all? Of course, He could not be little, but the provision of a holy place would not be like before when thousands would come to the tabernacle or temple. This is a personal walk with the Lord rather than a national one. Our God is so powerful that He can bless both a nation and an individual. He is involved in the cosmic powers that keep our earth in orbit, our sun shining, and our moon waxing and waning, yet He is also present at the most microscopic levels of our existence. Not a single sparrow falls from the sky without His knowledge, and He not only has His people numbered but even the hairs on each person’s head. By “little,” He is emphasizing His ability to work with individuals as He has worked on a national level.
How can New Testament Christians apply these verses? We have never known a national religion established by God. In our day, and since the day of Pentecost, we have been the temple of the Holy Ghost. This has been His dealing with us from our inception—not a national religion but a personal one. The heart of flesh spoken of in verse 19 of this chapter was given to each of us at our new birth. I believe we can apply this to both the large works of God in our lives and the seemingly “little” ones. When we examine our lives, the things that stand out are those “big” moves of God—when He saved us, gave us our spouse, or called us into ministry, among others. These sorts of things usually happen only once in a believer's life, with years between each. During the times we feel scattered in the mundane everyday dealings of life, we might think that God has not been involved for a long time. This could not be further from the truth! He is a “little sanctuary” as well as a big one. Every day He is our hiding place, our dwelling place. Not only do I find harbor in Him during the big storms of life, but also in the little ones. He provides not only for my big needs but for my daily needs as well. He is with us from day to day and in us always. Do you need rest in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation? He is your sanctuary! Truly, “Lord, Thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations.”
Comments