Ezekiel 43:7

In 1 Kings chapter 8, King Solomon made a speech and a prayer at the opening of the original *temple. King Solomon organised the construction of that *temple. He acted as its architect, although he received the plans from his father, King David. The speech that begins in 43:7 has a similar purpose to Solomon’s speech. However, the speaker here is God himself. He is the architect of the *temple that Ezekiel saw. And God’s speech is like a reply to Solomon’s prayer.

In his prayer, Solomon confessed that the original *temple was not good enough for God (1 Kings 8:27). God did not live on earth, even in that great building. But Solomon asked God to watch that building constantly, in order to hear his people’s prayers.

In Ezekiel 43:7, we read God’s reply. God would not just watch his people. He would live among them. And he would continue to do so always. His royal seat would be here, and he would rest his feet here. So God would remain among his people. A king relaxes in his palace. And in the same manner, God would be content as he lived among his loyal people.

In his prayer, Solomon also confessed the future *sins of the *Israelites (1 Kings 8:46-50). They might *sin so greatly that God would send enemies to attack them. And those enemies would take them into *exile. Those things happened during Ezekiel’s life. Ezekiel himself was in *exile when he saw this *vision. But Solomon had prayed that God would still hear his people’s prayers. Solomon prayed that God would forgive his humble people, even after such terrible events.

And, in Ezekiel’s *vision, God replied to that prayer too. He would bring about a new relationship between himself and his people. It was true that, in the past, they had not been loyal to him. They served false gods instead of him. They behaved like a woman who has sex with men other than her husband. Their kings had led them in this evil behaviour. But God would change the attitude of his people. He would give them a new desire to love him and to obey him (Jeremiah 31:31-34).