All Publications by Under The Fig Tree

Make space for true worship.

Dive into the tender, parental love of God revealed in Hosea 11's imagery.

How far will you go for God?

God is good, even in ways that defy our expectations.

Persecutions will come. But will we stand?

The everlasting King will help us win our spiritual battle against this sinful world.

After a lengthy tour rich with details of God’s new temple, Ezekiel watches his guide measuring the external temple dimensions. The section ends with the image of a wall and God’s purpose for this temple: “to separate the holy areas from the common ” (Ezekiel 42:20). Holiness is key for God’s glory to return and fill this temple in the vision (Eze 43:2-5). After all, a lack of holiness caused God’s glory to depart from the temple. To His people, God instructs, “No more shall the house of Israel defile My holy name.” (Eze 43:7) We, too, have the great honour of receiving the Holy Spirit today and becoming God’s temple (1 Cor 3:16-17). But this is more than just accommodation logistics. Being God’s temple has much to do with beating death and receiving everlasting life through holiness. When God resurrected the dry bones of Israel into an exceedingly great army, being the Spirit’s temple was part of it. God declared to them, “I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live” (Eze 37:10, 14). As God’s temple, we are called to live out holiness: “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own? For you were bought at a price; therefore glorify God in your body and in your spirit, which are God’s.” (1 Cor 3:19-20) But we are not alone, for we live when we overcome our sinful nature with the Spirit’s help (Rom 8:13). Having the answer to history’s perennial question of achieving immortality is a wondrous thing. So is witnessing God’s glory fill the temple. Thunderstruck, Ezekiel falls on his face. Isn’t it incredible that the glorious God chooses to make you His temple and home (Jn 14:23)? We need to be renewed in our sensitivity to God’s awesomeness. So shatter the shell of numbness cementing over your heart. Brush away the sediments of sin and the dust of doubt. Renew your actions through this glorious truth: God chooses to make you His temple. Let His glory be shown to the world through you.

In Ezekiel 34, God brings a prophecy against the shepherds of Israel, whom God had instituted as spiritual leaders over the flock—His people. Not only had these leaders failed to nourish God’s sheep, they had also abused their power, reaping personal benefits at the sheep’s expense. “The weak you have not strengthened, nor have you healed those who were sick, nor bound up the broken, nor brought back what was driven away, nor sought what was lost; but with force and cruelty you have ruled them.” (Eze 34:4) You and I may not so be so bold to abuse God’s flock as these failed leaders had.  It would, however, be foolish of us to disregard these rebukes completely. You likely have others you can look out for in this journey of faith – your sheep. Let us consider: Whatever kind of a shepherd we now are, however our sheep may respond to us, Jesus wants us to always pray and not lose heart (Lk 18:1). The perfect Shepherd is ready to grant us an upright heart and a skilful hand to shepherd His people as David did (Psa 78:72).  More importantly, God is the perfect Shepherd. Where we may fail in our ministry, God can do infinitely more. Despite those shepherds’ failings, God says, “I will seek what was lost and bring back what was driven away, bind up the broken and strengthen what was sick” (Ezekiel 34:16). Moreover, when you and I are in our darkest days, we have a perfect shepherd who restores our soul (Psa 23:3). Our Shepherd declares, “You are My flock, the flock of My pasture; you are men, and I am your God” (Eze 34:31). As you embrace your ministry of shepherding God’s sheep, never stop allowing God to shepherd you. All the sheep of His pasture fare so wondrously fine His sheep am I.