PRECISE - Ezekiel 40

Ezekiel 40: 2 In visions of God he took me to the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain, on whose south side were some buildings that looked like a city. 3 He took me there, and I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze; he was standing in the gateway with a linen cord and a measuring rod in his hand. 4 The man said to me, “Son of man, look carefully and listen closely and pay attention to everything I am going to show you, for that is why you have been brought here. Tell the people of Israel everything you see.”

Israel was exiled to Babylon. Twenty-five years into what would be a 70 year captivity God escorts  Ezekiel back to his homeland in a vision.  He is shown with precise detail the walls, the rooms, the gates, the inner court and the Holy of Holies and every single measurements is given.   

As I read these chapters in Ezekiel I asked God what my lesson was from a slew of measurements.  Why could it possibly be important for us to read, ad infinitum, such details  and the word that came immediately to my mind and heart was "precise".  

 
·       Look closely
·       Listen carefully
·       Pay close attention 

When God speaks to us, either through His word or through the teaching of His Word, or if He should give a vision or dream we are to look closely, listen carefully, and pay close attention because when we then tell the people what we have seen and heard we need tell exactly, precisely what we have been shown.   

 

A young man I fellowship with told me of a dream he had that was very troubling to his soul and he wondered why he remembered this dream when he didn't usually dream, or remember them at least.  I think the tendency is to discount all or parts of our visions (and sadly even what we read in God’s Word) because it seems nonsensical.  I wonder if that is how Ezekiel felt. Why all the fuss about stats - thickness of walls, distance between, number of steps etc?  But Ezekiel was a seasoned prophet and it was second nature for him to look closely, listen carefully, pay close attention and then to tell the people precisely what he saw.  We are not so seasoned, so it is even more imperative we understand that whatever God speaks to us to share with others must be precisely what He tells us, completely what He tells, only what He tells us. 

A funny saying just crossed my mind - "the devil is in the details." I looked that up and basically it means that the details are crucial.  For instance in a medical lab where tests are being done, one tiny thing missed will cause the results to be faulty, and, it comes to my mind, then hell's to pay.  Here is the online wiseGEEK.com’s explanation:   

"The slang term “the devil is in the details” . . . .one might say “the devil's in the details” to refer to very small but ultimately important components of a larger task. For example, performing a scientific experiment in a laboratory is a hugely involved task which can sometimes be highly dangerous. A small error at the beginning can translate into a useless experiment at the end, so experimenters are reminded that the devil's in the details. This reminder is intended to encourage the scientists to check their work, and to be thorough and careful in the lab." 

I think this is so appropriate because if we do not pay close attention to all God speaks to our hearts and then follow through as He directs, precisely as He directs then satan gets to confuse and wreak havoc all too easily.  

Look closely, listen carefully, and pay close attention

It is a valuable take-away.

suemccarysargis

9/16/2014