Ezekiel 48:31-34 - Homilies By W. Clarkson

God the Accessible One.

Admitting to the sacred city, in the midst of which, was " the sanctuary of the Lord" ( Ezekiel 48:10 ), were twelve gates, three on each side of it, and bearing the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. Surely the significance of this arrangement was that the Divine Sovereign was always accessible to all his people; that he desired to be approached by them all in order that they might have fellowship with him, and that he might confer blessing upon them. In that kingdom, of which the vision is prophetic, the Divine Lord is accessible to all; and it is not only true that he may be approached by all who will seek him, but that it is his express, his strong desire that all his children should freely draw near to him and hold converse with him. God, as revealed and related to us in Jesus Christ, is accessible—

I. AT ALL TIMES . The gates into the kingdom, or into the near presence of God, shall "in no wise be shut," either day or night. There may be days and hours when we may be offered unusual facilities for coming before God, but there is no day and there is no hour when we may not draw nigh unto him, when he is not willing and even desirous that we should pour our prayers or our praises into his ear.

II. FROM ALL DIRECTIONS . These gates looked in all directions—north, south, east, and west. From all the four quarters of the land the children of Israel were to draw near to the sacred city and to the more sacred sanctuary of the Lord. From all possible directions are we now to approach God.

1. All geographical directions. There is no sort of favoritism anywhere. As well be born in any one place under heaven as in any other. There is no Jerusalem, no Gerizim, no Mecca, no Benares, no Rome, in the kingdom of Christ.

"Where'er we seek thee, thou art found,

And every place is hallowed ground."

2. All moral directions. We may approach God from a great variety of spiritual standpoints.

III. THROUGH JESUS CHRIST . He is "the Door," and "no man cometh unto the Father but by him." By him both Jew and Gentile "have access unto the Father" ( John 10:7 ; John 14:6 ; Ephesians 2:18 ). Jesus Christ is our Mediator ( 1 Timothy 2:5 ); he is the one Propitiation for our sins, having offered the one sacrifice for sins forever ( 1 John 2:2 ; Hebrews 9:26 ; Hebrews 10:12 ). It is through him we come, and it is his Name we plead ( John 16:23 ). He is the open Door, and whether we approach as sinners seeking reconciliation, or as children or friends seeking communion and blessing, we have constant admission to the ever-accessible Father of our spirits.—C.