Divine Design Ezekiel 43

If they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the house, its structure, its exits, its entrances, all its designs, all is statutes, and all its laws. And write it in their sight, so that they may observe its whole design and all its statutes and do them. Ezekiel 43:11

Divine design.

There has been talk in the world of Christian women about God's design for us. There is a book with this subtitle. God has placed an order for how the world is supposed to work, and unfortunately for most of us, we refuse to read the directions and build appropriately.

There are a few types of fabric work that throw out the rule book when it comes to making things. There are artists who brag about breaking the rules. But many of these works end up looking like a mishmash of stuff. There is no pattern, no crispness, no order. Often these are “art pieces” that hang on a wall and may draw us to wonder, but serve no other real purpose. They are mere curiosities. Personally, when there is an amazing structure to a piece, it draws me in. Compared to a more free-form work, there is an admiration for the designer, vs. perceiving a sense of laziness or rebellion in the other artist. I was going to type the word creator, but the thought of creation conjures up a plan and construct. Purposefulness. Artist in this day and age almost has come to mean one who does their own thing in resistance to the “norm” and this rebellious spirit is rejoiced over. Instead of creating a higher beauty, it dissolves into meaningless lack of form and definition. It can be unsettling, confusing, and ugly.

When it comes to God, He had a plan. He knew how he wanted His house to look. He had the plans, picked out the curtains (literally), and had the rooms planned and furnished. There was no second-guessing about it.He had had one house built, but their sin led to the destruction of their temple and their nation. God wanted to reestablish His presence among His people, but only when they were ready. When was that? When they repented. When they acknowledged their sin before Him and were begging for the place to return that they could take their sacrifices to and be forgiven. God had no intention of letting non-repentant sinners know what He had on His mind. They could not build something that God could accept, let alone live in, in their state. And they would have rejected the design, anyway. They wouldn't have sacrificed their materials to have it made. Their hands were dirty, and you cannot build something pure when the materials and workman are contaminated.

And in that time, they had to come and offer sacrifices for their sin before they could enter and hear the Word of the Lord.

So confession was their secret code. When confession, true, heart-felt spilling out of their sins before God, took place, the blueprints could be handed over. It is the prayer of Psalm 51 that cleanses our hearts before God. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven, Jesus reminds us. The truth and beauty of God's plan are handed over and seen for the amazing grace that they contain. Not only are the plans for how to worship God appropriately given, but also the mind of God is handed to them in His laws and statutes. As we can see in modern culture, handing people God's Word without a repentant spirit guiding them leads only to mocking God's ways. Why marriage? Why abstinence? Why honor your parents, take a day off each week, or not steal or otherwise take things from your neighbor? Why not look at what your neighbor has and covet it, or take his wife while he's out of town? We ask a lot of whys in this day and age, questioning if God has any say over life in America or the rest of the world. We call it culture. God calls it Righteousness, the way we ought to live regardless of all other factors. He laid out good and evil, right and wrong, truth and error. He set boundaries for our good, whether we call it good or not. Isn't it good to have sex? Yes, within boundaries. Isn't it good to have stuff? Yes, within boundaries. Isn't it good to worship a higher power? Yes, if it is THE Higher Power and no other one.

When it comes down to it, we get bent out of shape when sports teams, politicians, or the person who cuts in line ahead of us don't follow the rules. The rules are the rules! They can't get away with that! We were robbed! They cheated! But when it comes to God's rules, we question their validity, let alone their benefit. And it has reached the place where sin and disorder has gotten so out of hand that we get rid of the law because we can't rein in the lawless. So unless the mind is repentant and submissive, making more rules only leads to more lawlessness, and the situation become more intolerable.

Do you long to know God's design? Do you long to have a heart that doesn't want to resist His Word when it makes you uncomfortable and your mind tells you to question Him? Do you want to know how to build the temple of your heart, furnished with the throne for Him to sit on? Be ashamed of your sin. That is how the Prophet Ezekiel was told to identify the righteous and a rebuilding can begin. And then the pattern can be laid out, the fabric cut to measure, and the construction can begin. I think you will like the end result. In fact, I guarantee it (even more than Men's Warehouse).