Theological
Commentary: Click Here
The major
theme of Ezekiel 45 is the development of the city surrounding the temple. Within this theme, there is a thread of
truth. The land is given, not earned. The land is a product of God’s generosity,
not payment for services rendered.
Across this
whole chapter is a tone of reception.
God provides for the prince so that the prince can provide for the
priests. The prince provides for the
priests so that the priests provide for the people. It’s a chain driven by generosity.
This fits marvelously
with God’s overall handiwork. Who among
us can save ourselves? We receive
salvation from God. Salvation itself
comes from God, who gives to us not because we deserve it but He desires us to
have it.
There’s a
very good reason that God depends on this pattern and not what we typically use
as human beings. Humans live in a
meritocracy: people get what they earn or deserve. It is a system that seems fair, but it generates
animosity and stress. It creates a
system where people ultimately fail because we aren’t and can never be perfect.
On the other
hand, if we start with grace and generosity, we are then able to extend grace
and generosity to others. Instead of
fearing falling short, we feel grace and want others to feel the same thing. We can extend grace because of what has
already been done to us.
Meritocracies
seem fair. They end with stress,
antagonism, conflict, and doubt. Grace,
on the other hand, is absolutely not fair.
But it typically ends up being passed along. That’s the point of the culture that God is
demonstrating to Ezekiel in this passage.
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