Ezekiel 40:38-43: a reflection

38A room with its door was by the posts at the gates. They washed the burnt offering there. 39In the porch of the gate were two tables on this side and two tables on that side, on which to kill the burnt offering, the sin offering, and the trespass offering. 40On the one side outside, as one goes up to the entry of the gate toward the north, were two tables; and on the other side, which belonged to the porch of the gate, were two tables. 41Four tables were on this side, and four tables on that side, by the side of the gate: eight tables, on which they killed the sacrifices. 42There were four cut stone tables for the burnt offering, a cubit and a half long, a cubit and a half wide, and one cubit high. They laid the instruments with which they killed the burnt offering and the sacrifice on them. 43The hooks, a hand width long, were fastened within all around. The meat of the offering was on the tables.

In Ezekiel's vision of the temple, the prophet is shown room after room, table after table, all prepared for the offering of sacrifices. Tables for the burnt offering, the sin offering, the trespass offering; eight tables in all for slaughtering the sacrifices, with their instruments laid ready. The sheer provision for sacrifice, table upon table, speaks of how central and how costly the approach to a holy God was. To draw near to God was no light or casual thing; it required sacrifice, blood, the death of an offering, again and again. The many tables set for sacrifice picture the seriousness and the cost of approaching a holy God, a cost paid over and over in the old covenant, and finally paid in full by Christ's one sacrifice.

Notice what all these tables for sacrifice speak of: the cost of approaching a holy God. The vision does not show a casual, easy approach to God, but table after table prepared for the death of offerings, the shedding of blood. To draw near to a holy God required sacrifice, again and again; it was serious and costly. The many tables underline how much was required, how weighty the approach to God was. And all of it pointed forward: the endless sacrifices, table upon table, could never finally take away sin, but pictured the cost that Christ would pay once for all in his own sacrifice. The cost of approaching God, pictured in all these tables, was finally met by Christ, who by one sacrifice opened the way to God. The seriousness of the sacrifices pointed to the seriousness of what Christ accomplished.

That is worth taking to heart, for the cost of approaching a holy God, pictured in the sacrifices, was met in full by Christ. We can take our approach to God lightly, as though it were a casual and costless thing; but the many tables set for sacrifice remind us how serious and costly it was to draw near to a holy God, a cost paid over and over, and finally paid in full by Christ. Because Christ has paid that cost, we may draw near; but we do well to remember it was not costless. Do not take your approach to God lightly, as a casual thing; remember the cost of drawing near to a holy God, pictured in the sacrifices and paid in full by Christ. Remember the cost of approaching a holy God, pictured in the many tables set for sacrifice and met in full by Christ's one offering, rather than treating your access to God as casual or costless; for it was no light thing to draw near to a holy God, but required sacrifice again and again, and the cost that all those sacrifices pictured was finally paid by Christ, who opened the way to God at the price of himself.

Lord, in Ezekiel's vision of the temple, the prophet is shown room after room, table after table, all prepared for the offering of sacrifices. Tables for the burnt offering, the sin offering, the trespass offering; eight tables in all for slaughtering the sacrifices, with their instruments laid ready. The sheer provision for sacrifice, table upon table, speaks of how central and how costly the approach to a holy God was. To draw near to you was no light or casual thing; it required sacrifice, blood, the death of an offering, again and again. Show me what all these tables for sacrifice speak of: the cost of approaching a holy God. The vision does not show a casual, easy approach to you, but table after table prepared for the death of offerings. To draw near to a holy God required sacrifice, again and again; it was serious and costly. And all of it pointed forward: the endless sacrifices could never finally take away sin, but pictured the cost that Christ would pay once for all. The cost of approaching you was finally met by Christ, who by one sacrifice opened the way. Take that to my heart, for the cost of approaching a holy God, pictured in the sacrifices, was met in full by Christ. I can take my approach to you lightly, as though it were a casual and costless thing; but the many tables set for sacrifice remind me how serious and costly it was to draw near to a holy God. Because Christ has paid that cost, I may draw near; but keep me from treating it as costless. Help me remember the cost of drawing near to you, Lord, pictured in the sacrifices and paid in full by Christ, and never take my access to you lightly.