Ezekiel 45:1-5: a reflection

1“‘“Moreover, when you divide by lot the land for inheritance, you shall offer an offering to the LORD, a holy portion of the land. The length shall be the length of twenty-five thousand reeds, and the width shall be ten thousand. It shall be holy in all its border all around. 2Of this there shall be a five hundred by five hundred square for the holy place, and fifty cubits for its pasture lands all around. 3Of this measure you shall measure a length of twenty-five thousand, and a width of ten thousand. In it shall be the sanctuary, which is most holy. 4It is a holy portion of the land; it shall be for the priests, the ministers of the sanctuary, who come near to minister to the LORD. It shall be a place for their houses and a holy place for the sanctuary. 5Twenty-five thousand cubits in length and ten thousand in width shall be for the Levites, the ministers of the house, as a possession for themselves, for twenty rooms.

In the vision of the restored land, when it is divided among the tribes for their inheritance, God gives a particular instruction: first, before the rest is portioned out, a holy portion of the land is to be set apart for the LORD, for the sanctuary and for those who minister there. The holy portion comes first; before the people take their inheritance, a portion is set aside as holy to God. God's portion was not an afterthought, but was set apart first.

Notice the order: the holy portion for God is set apart first, before the rest is divided. God's portion did not come last, from what was left over after the people had taken theirs; it was set apart first, off the top, as holy to the LORD. The principle is one of giving God the first portion, the holy portion, before taking our own; his share comes first, not from the leftovers.

That principle, of setting apart God's portion first, speaks to how we handle what we have. We can be tempted to give God what is left over, after we have taken our own portion, our time, our money, our energy; and God gets the leftovers, if anything. But the holy portion was set apart first, before the rest. Give God the first portion, the holy portion, off the top, rather than the leftovers. Whether of your time, your money, or your energy, set apart a portion for God first, as holy to him, before taking your own; do not give him only what is left after you have taken yours. The holy portion came first in the dividing of the land; let God have the first and holy portion of what you have, set apart to him before the rest, rather than the leftovers of a life that has already taken its own portion first.

Lord, in the vision of the restored land, before the rest was portioned out among the tribes, a holy portion was to be set apart first for you, for the sanctuary and those who minister there; your portion was not an afterthought, but set apart first. Let that principle, of setting apart your portion first, speak to how I handle what I have. I can be tempted to give you what is left over, after I have taken my own portion, my time, my money, my energy; and you get the leftovers, if anything. But the holy portion was set apart first, before the rest. Help me give you the first portion, the holy portion, off the top, rather than the leftovers. Whether of my time, my money, or my energy, help me set apart a portion for you first, as holy to you, before taking my own; keep me from giving you only what is left after I have taken mine. The holy portion came first in the dividing of the land; let you have the first and holy portion of what I have, set apart to you before the rest, Lord, rather than the leftovers of a life that has already taken its own portion first. Help me give you the first and best, not the leftovers.