Ezekiel 11:13-17: a reflection

13When I prophesied, Pelatiah the son of Benaiah died. Then I fell down on my face, and cried with a loud voice, and said, “Ah Lord GOD! Will you make a full end of the remnant of Israel?” 14The LORD’s word came to me, saying, 15“Son of man, your brothers, even your brothers, the men of your relatives, and all the house of Israel, all of them, are the ones to whom the inhabitants of Jerusalem have said, ‘Go far away from the LORD. This land has been given to us for a possession.’ 16“Therefore say, ‘The Lord GOD says: “Whereas I have removed them far off among the nations, and whereas I have scattered them among the countries, yet I will be to them a sanctuary for a little while in the countries where they have come.”’ 17“Therefore say, ‘The Lord GOD says: “I will gather you from the peoples, and assemble you out of the countries where you have been scattered, and I will give you the land of Israel.”

When the exiles are scattered far from Jerusalem, far from the temple where God's presence dwelt, and told by those left behind, Go far away from the LORD, God speaks a word of surprising comfort: I will be to them a sanctuary for a little while in the countries where they have come. Though they are far from the temple, scattered among the nations, God himself will be their sanctuary, their holy place, in the very lands of their exile. His presence is not confined to the temple; he will be a sanctuary to his people wherever they are, even far from home.

Notice what God promises the scattered: he himself will be their sanctuary. They had lost the temple, the place where God's presence was known; they were far off, scattered among the nations, and might have thought themselves cut off from God's presence. But God says he will be their sanctuary, wherever they are; his presence would go with them into exile, so that even far from the temple, they were not far from him. God's presence was not tied to a building or a place; he would be a holy dwelling to his people in the lands of their scattering, wherever they had come.

That is worth taking to heart, for God can be a sanctuary to us wherever we are, even far from where we would worship him. We can feel far from God, cut off from his presence, when we are away from the places and circumstances in which we have known him; but God was a sanctuary to his exiled people wherever they were, his presence not confined to a place. God can be a sanctuary to us in the far country, in the strange land, wherever we find ourselves. When you feel far from God, scattered from where you have known his presence, do not think yourself cut off from him; he can be a sanctuary to you wherever you are. Trust that God can be a sanctuary to you even far from home, his presence going with you into whatever exile you find yourself, as he promised to be a sanctuary to his scattered people in the lands of their exile; for God's presence is not confined to a place, and he is a holy dwelling to his people wherever they are.

Lord, when the exiles are scattered far from Jerusalem, far from the temple where your presence dwelt, and told by those left behind, go far away from the LORD, you speak a word of surprising comfort: I will be to them a sanctuary for a little while in the countries where they have come. Though they are far from the temple, scattered among the nations, you yourself will be their sanctuary, their holy place, in the very lands of their exile. Your presence is not confined to the temple. Show me what you promise the scattered: you yourself will be their sanctuary. They had lost the temple, the place where your presence was known; they were far off, and might have thought themselves cut off from your presence. But you say you will be their sanctuary, wherever they are; your presence would go with them into exile. Your presence was not tied to a building or a place; you would be a holy dwelling to your people wherever they had come. Take that to my heart, for you can be a sanctuary to me wherever I am, even far from where I would worship you. I can feel far from you, cut off from your presence, when I am away from the places and circumstances in which I have known you; but you were a sanctuary to your exiled people wherever they were. You can be a sanctuary to me in the far country, wherever I find myself. When I feel far from you, keep me from thinking myself cut off from you; you can be a sanctuary to me wherever I am, Lord. Help me trust that you can be a sanctuary to me even far from home, your presence going with me into whatever exile I find myself.