Ezekiel 42
Building with three floors of rooms to the north verse 1- 9
THEN he brought me forth into the outer court
the way toward the north and he brought me
into the chamber that was over against the separate place
and which was before the building toward the north
Before the length of an hundred cubits was the north door
and the breadth was fifty cubits
over against the twenty cubits which were
for the inner court
and over against the pavement which was for the outer court
was gallery against gallery in three stories
And before the chambers was a walk to ten cubits breadth inward
a way of one cubit – and their doors toward the north
NOW the upper chambers were shorter
for the galleries were higher than these
than the lower
and than the middlemost of the building
for they were in three stories
BUT had not pillars as the pillars of the courts
THEREFORE the building was straitened more than
the lowest and the middlemost from the ground
And the wall that was without over against the chambers
toward the outer court on the forepart of the chambers
the length thereof was fifty cubits
FOR the length of the chambers that were in the outer court
was fifty cubits
AND – LO – before the temple were an hundred cubits
AND from under these chambers was the entry on the east side
as one goes into them from the outer court
Building with three floors of rooms to the south verse 10- 12
The chambers were in the thickness of the wall of the court
toward the east over against the separate place
and over against the building
AND the way before them was like the appearance of the chambers
which were toward the north
as long as they –and as broad as they
and all their goings out were both according to their fashions
according to their doors
and according to the doors of the chambers that were toward
the south was a door in the head of the way
even the way directly before the wall
toward the east
as one enters into them
Rooms will be used for storage and changing clothes verse 13- 14
Then said he to me – The north chambers and the south chambers
which are before the separate place – they be holy chambers
where the priests that approach unto the LORD shall eat
the most holy things
there shall they lay the most holy things
and the meat offering – the sin offering
and the trespass offering – for the place is holy
When the priests enter therein
then shall they not go out of the holy place into the outer court
but there they shall lay their garments wherein they minister
for they are holy
and shall approach to those things which are for the people
Measurements of entire Temple complex verse 15-20
NOW when he had made an end of measuring the inner house
he brought me forth toward the gate
whose prospect is toward the east
and measured it round about
He measured the east side with the measuring reed
five hundred reeds
with the measuring reed round about
He measured the north side – five hundred reeds
with the measuring reed round about
He measured the south side – five hundred reeds
with the measuring reed
He turned about to the west side
and measured five hundred reeds
with the measuring reed
He measured it by the four sides – it had a wall round about
five hundred long – and five hundred broad
to make a separation between the sanctuary
and the profane place
COMMENTARY:
DAILY SPIRITUAL BREAKFAST: Young Believers
: 13 Then said he unto me, The north chambers and the south chambers, which are before the separate place, they be holy chambers, where the priests that approach unto the LORD shall eat the most holy things: there shall they lay the most holy things, and the meat offering, and the sin offering, and the trespass offering; for the place is holy. (398 “eat” [akal] means devour, consume, burn up, feed or taste.)
DEVOTION: The LORD designated a special place for the priests to store and consume the sacrifices. The place was holy. The sacrifices were considered the most holy things.
The people were to bring their sacrifices to the Temple and part of the animal or grain sacrifices were to be offered to the LORD. The remainder of the sacrifices was for the feeding of the priests. They were to only consume them in the room designated for this purpose.
Biblical scholar L.E. Cooper writes: “From the whole burnt offering they received only the skin of the animal (Lev 7:8). A memorial portion of grain offerings was burned on the altar of burnt offering and the remainder given to the priests (Lev 2:3, 10; 6:16–18; 7:14–15). The priests received the brisket and right thigh from the peace offering (Lev 7:30–34). The fat of the sin offering and trespass offering was burned on the altar of burnt offering and the remainder eaten by the priests (Lev 6:26; 7:6–7). These regulations for the priests were observed in the tabernacle and temple. The offerings were types of the perfect sacrifice, Jesus Christ the Messiah (Heb 10:1–39; ….”
The priests would have communal meals together. This was done to support them during their time of ministry. The LORD allowed each priest an portion of the offerings. They had to work during these time periods and so their meals were provided.
Today we have offerings taken in church to support those who work in the ministry. The church designates an annual salary for the pastor/pastors and that is what they take home. If the church doesn’t give the pastor/pastors a good living wage they will have to answer to the LORD but if the pastor takes more than he should he will have to answer to the LORD.
Meals were consumed in the presence of the LORD by the priests in a holy place. Our homes are holy places if we dedicate them to the LORD. Every family of believers should realize that God has provided all of their needs. This includes our food.
CHALLENGE: All of our meals should be blessed with prayer of thanksgiving to the LORD. Even we are out in public we should be the ones who are praying over our meals. It is part of our witness to the LORD.
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: 13 ….Here the priests who offer sacrifices to the Lord will eat the most holy offering.
Our meals are supposed to be sacred events in our life. If we believe that the LORD provides for our every need than food is a need not just a want. We should bow our heads in prayer to HIM each time we eat. It is a gift from HIM.
We should be able to know the difference between a need and a want in our life. Too often we think that we need things that are not basic to life. We would rather have a steak than soup. We would rather have name brand clothes over inexpensive clothes. We would rather have an expensive car over a just a car that will get us around. Too often we go into debt or spend our allowance right away instead of saving for something we really want.
The LORD wants us to understand that everything HE gives us is a gift from HIM to be used for HIS glory. So each time we spend money or ask for things we should first ask the LORD if it is really a need. Every part of our life is important to the LORD.
DAILY SPIRITUAL LUNCH: Transitional Believers
: 14 When the priests enter therein, then shall they not go out of the holy place into the utter court, but there they shall lay their garments wherein they minister; for they are holy; and shall put on other garments, and shall approach to those things which are for the people. (8334 “minister” [sharath] means serve, servant, wait upon, be an attendant to, officiate or render assistance or help.)
DEVOTION: The Millennial priests in the new tabernacle would be ministering to the LORD first and to the people second. Here we have the priests in their garments for worship which were special and the garments they went out into the public wearing. There was a distinction between the clothes that they wore before the LORD and those they wore outside the Temple.
It used to be that people would dress up special for Sunday services. They would wear their “Sunday best” to church. Everyone would come in looking good for the LORD. It didn’t matter what their occupation was during the week they would wear only their Sunday best on Sunday to honor the LORD.
This has changed quite a bit today. It seems that some come to church wearing play clothes and go to work in their Sunday best. There has been a change that might not be for the better. It happens that even the pastors are dressing down to please the people rather than the LORD.
The church has become common ground rather than holy ground. There seems to be less and less respect for the worship of the LORD. Many people come to church for the coffee and the donuts rather than to come into the presence of the LORD.
This verse shows that those who were workers in the Temple had to have certain garments that they wore and then changed their clothes to go into the public square. Should this still be true today? Are people generally disregarding the difference between going to church and other places? Should this be a practice?
CHALLENGE: Those of us who are worship leaders and pastors and officers in the church need to set the example for the rest of the congregation. Our standards should be high then common!! HE is still the KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS!!
DAILY SPIRITUAL SUPPER: Mature Believers
: 20 He measured it by the four sides: it had a wall round about, five hundred reeds long, and five hundred broad, to make a separation between the sanctuary and the profane place. (914 “separation” [badal] means divide, set apart, sever, to make a distinction, or to divide into parts.)
DEVOTION: There is a difference made between the sanctuary or holy place and the profane place or the unholy place. The Temple during the Millennium was for worship. There were guidelines for the priests. They were not to offer the sacrifices and leave the Temple without changing their clothes. The clothes were to be keep in the holy area and not outside the Temple.
The Bible makes a distinction between those who follow the LORD and those who don’t. Those who follow the LORD obey HIS rules, whereas, those who don’t follow the LORD make up their own rules. The Bible is the rulebook.
Many people try to say that they believe in God but their lifestyle says something different. Christians do sin after they chose to follow Christ but they don’t live in a lifestyle that is unholy. Many people think that they can make an arrangement with GOD. They think that GOD will allow them to live any way they think in right and HE will go along with it. HE doesn’t!!!
Many people are living in sin and think that GOD will never send them to the lake of fire for eternity. HE will!!! The temple represented a place where people could go into the presence of GOD. They had to enter HIS presence with offerings. They had to enter HIS presence with reverence. They had to enter HIS presence with confession.
How are we entering into the presence of GOD each time we pray? Do we pray? Do we want HIS presence in our everyday life?
HE makes a difference between the holy and the unholy. Do we???? Were we in church this week to reverently worship the LORD?
When we walk into a home that is occupied by Christians there should be a difference than when we walk into a home of those who are not believers. There should be an atmosphere of love in every Christian home. Those who visit us should know without us saying a word that they are in the presence of someone who is a believer in Jesus Christ.
CHALLENGE: Think about those you visit. When you enter a Christian home can you sense the presence of the LORD? When someone enters your home do they sense the presence of the LORD? Should they?
: 20 …to separate the holy areas from the common.
There is a division between the different areas of our life. There are things that are holy and things that are common. In each area we should pray that we honor the LORD.
The priests knew that the Temple area was a holy area. They had to do everything right before the LORD. If they didn’t the LORD would judge them. It was a holy obligation that every priest had to serve for a certain time period. Once their time was up they went home to a parcel of land that was given to them by the LORD. Their only inheritance was that parcel of land.
The LORD had promised to provide for the priests and their families through the giving of the rest of the tribes of Israel. When the people were faithful in their giving the priests were well taken care of but when the people were unfaithful the priests had to care for themselves in other ways.
Sometimes even the priests and Levites would not honor the LORD in their actions. They were not separating between what was holy and what was common. The Christian life is not to be common. We are to honor the LORD in all that we do every day.
We are part of a holy nation today. That nation is made up of only those who are true followers of the LORD. One person told me the definition of church people was those who like to hang around Christians.
Most of those in America claim to be Christians but their lifestyle and words say something different. Be one of those who claim to be Christian that works at acting like a Christian and talking like a Christian. That is the only type of separation that makes a difference. It is not just an outward appearance but an attitude of the heart.
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DISCIPLINES OF THE FAITH:
BODY
Chastity (Purity in living)
Fasting (Time alone with LORD without eating or drinking)
Sacrifice (Giving up something we want to serve the LORD)
Submission (Willing to listen to others and LORD)
Solitude (Going to a quiet place without anyone)
SOUL
Fellowship (Gathering together around the Word of God)
Frugality (wise use of resources)
Journalizing (Writing down what you have learned from the LORD)
Study and Meditation (Thinking through your study in the Word)
Secrecy (Doing your good deeds without others knowing but God)
SPIRIT
Celebration (Gathering around a special occasion to worship LORD)
Confession (Tell the LORD we are sorry for our sins on a daily basis)
Prayer (Conversation with God on a personal level)
Silence (Letting the LORD deal with some problems and needs)
Worship (Time to praise the LORD alone or in a group)
Eat the most holy things verse 13
Lay the most holy things verse 13
Meat offering verse 13
Sin offering verse 13
Trespass offering verse 13
Garments wherein they minister verse 14
Sanctuary verse 20
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DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH:
Scripture (66 inerrant books of the Bible)
God the Father (First person of the Godhead)
LORD – Jehovah (Covenant keeping, Personal) verse 13
God the Son (Second person of the Godhead –God/man, Messiah)
God the Holy Spirit (Third person of the Godhead – our comforter)
Trinity (Three persons of the Godhead who are co-equal = ONE God)
Angels (Created before the foundation of the world – Good and Evil)
Man (Created on the sixth twenty-four hour period of creation)
Sin (Missing the mark set by God on man and angels)
Sin verse 13
Trespass verse 13
Profane verse 20
Salvation (Provided by Christ’s death on the cross for our sins)
Holy verse 13
Israel (Old Testament people of God)
Priests verse 13, 14
Other garments verse 14
Profane place verse 20
Church (New Testament people of God)
Last Things (Future Events)
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QUOTES regarding passage
From the whole burnt offering they received only the skin of the animal (Lev 7:8). A memorial portion of grain offerings was burned on the altar of burnt offering and the remainder given to the priests (Lev 2:3, 10; 6:16–18; 7:14–15). The priests received the brisket and right thigh from the peace offering (Lev 7:30–34). The fat of the sin offering and trespass offering was burned on the altar of burnt offering and the remainder eaten by the priests (Lev 6:26; 7:6–7). These regulations for the priests were observed in the tabernacle and temple. The offerings were types of the perfect sacrifice, Jesus Christ the Messiah (Heb 10:1–39; see discussion of 41:13–26). (Cooper, L. E. (1994). Vol. 17: Ezekiel. The New American Commentary (371). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
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42:13–14 Use of these buildings and rooms was reserved for the priests when they ate communal offering meals. The buildings and rooms were used for both dining and storage of offerings until they were needed (vv. 13–14). According to the Mosaic system, the priests received a portion of some offerings that were eaten. From the whole burnt offering they received only the skin of the animal (Lev 7:8). A memorial portion of grain offerings was burned on the altar of burnt offering and the remainder given to the priests (Lev 2:3, 10; 6:16–18; 7:14–15). The priests received the brisket and right thigh from the peace offering (Lev 7:30–34). The fat of the sin offering and trespass offering was burned on the altar of burnt offering and the remainder eaten by the priests (Lev 6:26; 7:6–7). These regulations for the priests were observed in the tabernacle and temple. The offerings were types of the perfect sacrifice, Jesus Christ the Messiah (Heb 10:1–39; see discussion of 41:13–26). (Cooper, L. E. (1994). Ezekiel (Vol. 17, p. 371). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.)
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13–14 These two buildings provided a holy place where the ministering Zadokian priests could eat the holy offerings and change from their holy ministering garments to everyday clothes. The priests were to eat portions of the grain offerings, the sin offerings, and the guilt offerings. This building also provided a place to store these portions of the sacrifices. The priests would leave the priestly garments in these buildings. In doing so they would continue to distinguish between the holy and the profane. (Alexander, R. H. (1986). Ezekiel. In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel (Vol. 6, p. 967). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House.)
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We have already seen that special chambers will be set aside in the temple for the use of the priests (Ezek. 40:44–46; 42:1–14). Some will be residences while other rooms will be used for daily ministry, such as changing garments, preparing the sacrifices, and cooking the meat for the meals. (See verses 13–14.) When the temple is dedicated, the priests will offer the sacrifices (43:18–27), just as the priests did when the tabernacle and the temple were dedicated (Num. 7:2; 2 Chron. 7:1–11). (Wiersbe, W. W. (2000). Be reverent (p. 194). Colorado Springs, CO: Chariot Victor/Cook Communications.)
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The priests were to eat of the holy things within the temple enclosure in the chambers, or rooms prepared for them. In this they picture God’s priestly house today feeding by meditation upon Christ who is the satisfying portion of His people’s hearts. He has said, “He that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me” (John 6:57). All the offerings spoke of Him, and the priests fed upon these. (Ironside, H. A. (1949). Expository notes on Ezekiel, the prophet. (p. 298). Neptune, NJ: Loizeaux Brothers.)
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Ver. 14. When the priests enter therein, &c.] Into the holy place, these holy chambers, and approach unto God, and eat of the most holy things, and minister therein to the Lord: then shall they not go out of the holy place into the utter court; denoting, not that the ministers of the word should not concern themselves in secular employments, but give themselves up to the word and prayer, though so to do is right; but the perseverance of the saints in the house and worship of God, in grace and holiness, and in all the duties of religion; these should not relinquish their profession, desert their station and the service of God, and return to the world; but continue as pillars in the temple of God, and go no more out, but abide by the truths and ordinances of the Gospel: but there they shall lay their garments wherein they minister, for they are holy; these signify Christ’s robe of righteousness and garments of salvation, that fine linen, clean and white, which is the righteousness of the saints; and fitly represented by the linen garments of the priests, in which they ministered in their office, and were like them holy, pure, and spotless; in these only saints appear before God, and present their supplications to him, not for their own, but for Christ’s righteousness-sake, making mention of that only; and herein they have acceptance with God now, and shall be introduced into his presence hereafter, and behold his face, clothed with these garments, and serve him for ever: and shall put on other garments, and shall approach to those things which are for the people; these are the conversation-garments of the saints, which are not fit to appear in before God, being attended with imperfection and sin; but very proper to appear in before men, among whom their lights should shine, and their good works be seen, for the adorning of the doctrine of Christ, the recommending of the Christian religion, and the stopping of the mouths of gainsayers: for this respects not the different habits of ministers, when they are in their ministrations, and out of them; though the allusion is to the priests under the law, who wore their priestly garments only in the temple, and whilst ministering there, and never elsewhere, or when among the common people on civil accounts: so Josephus says, the priests only wore their holy garments when they ministered, at other times they appeared in the habit of private persons; with which agrees what Maimonidesd says, their garments are not upon them when they are not ministering in the priestly office, but then they are clothed as laymen; or when, as the Targum here has it, “they were mingled with the people.” There were places in the temple where they put on and off their clothes, and where they were laid up. So Adrichomius says, speaking of the temple, “there were rooms, otherwise called treasuries, and priests’ apartments, which were houses on the side of it, like towers, long, broad, and high; in which the priests, when they went into the sanctuary, put off their common woollen garments, and put on their holy linen ones; and, when they had performed their holy services, laid them up there again.” “And another writer, quoted by Solomon Ben Virgaf, observes, that here (that is, the temple) was a house for the priest, whose office it was to clothe the rest of the priests at the time of service; and he gave to everyone of them four sorts of garments, as were commanded, and fetched them out of the chests of the wardrobe; and on every chest, which were at the walls of this house, that is, above every one of them, was the name of the garment, that there might be no mistake nor confusion when they were wanted.” And this agrees with what is said in the Misnah, that there was one that was appointed over the priests’ garments, and who might be properly enough called the master of the wardrobe; on which one of the commentators saysh, his business was “to clothe the priests at the time of service, and to unclothe them after service was done, and to keep the garments of the priesthood in the chambers made for that purpose.” Very wrongly, therefore, is the learned Selden charged by Mr. Sheringhamk with a mistake, in denying that the priests wore their holy garments at any other time but when they were at divine service. (Gill, J. (1810). An Exposition of the Old Testament (Vol. 6, pp. 229–230). London: Mathews and Leigh.)
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This term is used most frequently as the special term for service in worship. The Levitical priests “stand before the Lord to minister unto him” (Deut. 10:8). They also are “to stand before the congregation to minister unto them” (Num. 16:9). In the post-exilic temple, the Levites who had earlier “ministered” in idolatry will not be allowed “to serve” as priests but rather as maintenance workers in the temple (Ezek. 44:11-14). (Vine, W. E., Unger, M. F., & White, W., Jr. (1996). Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words (Vol. 1, p. 152). Nashville, TN: T. Nelson.)
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The second category involves mostly the Levites and priests who served in the tabernacle, and later the temple (in one passage, Ps 103:21, the angelic hosts are so designated). In a number of passages their service is specifically related to the sanctuary. Thus Ex 28:35 speaks of Aaron’s ministry in the holy place, and v. 43 speaks of Aaron’s sons as they minister at the altar (cf. Joel 1:13). The Levites were also so designated. I Chr 6:17 and 16:4, 37 speak of their ministry in song, worship, and praise. Samuel, in I Sam 2:11, 18 and 3:1, serves in the tabernacle as Eli’s assistant.
The special status of the priest was not merely one of ritual or ceremony. He had the grave responsibility of representing the people before God, and it was through his ministry that Israel had access to God. He also stood before the people as God’s official representative. As such they settled disputes among individuals (Deut 2:15), and in Deut 17:12 God decrees that whoever refuses to heed the priest, God’s servant, shall be put to death.
Psalm 101:6 is an important reminder that he who would dwell in God’s presence and serve him must walk blamelessly before him. This obviously goes far beyond mere ritual purity. Eventually the whole nation of Israel, not only one tribe, will serve God as his priests (Isa 61:6), thus fulfilling their calling as a “kingdom of priests” (Ex 19:6). Beyond that, the addition even of gentiles to this privileged class is anticipated in Isa 56:6–9. It should be noted here that they humbly recognize themselves as lowly servants (ʿebed), but they love the name of the Lord and will minister to him. (Austel, H. J. (1999). 2472 שָׁרַת. R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer Jr., & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament (electronic ed., p. 958). Chicago: Moody Press.)
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FROM MY READING:
Joanne writes (MO): The oldest Computer was owned by Adam and Eve. It was an Apple with very limited memory. Just 1 byte and everything crashed!
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The Temple’s Silent Construction
“And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither: so that there was neither hammer nor axe nor any tool of iron heard in the house, while it was in building.” (1 Kings 6:7)
Here is a remarkable testimony to the engineering and construction skills of the ancients. In order to erect the magnificent temple of Solomon, every portion was so carefully fabricated, far away from the construction site, that the building could be completely erected in reverent silence.
Furthermore, the stones were not small and rough. “They brought great stones, costly stones, and hewed stones, to lay the foundation of the house” (1 Kings 5:17). They were quarried from limestone beds beneath the city and had to be fabricated and brought to the temple site, all ready to be laid in place. “And Solomon’s builders and Hiram’s builders did hew them, and the stonesquarers” (1 Kings 5:18).
In both its unique beauty and its silent assemblage, the temple is a striking type of the spiritual temple now being erected by the Holy Spirit. “Now therefore ye are . . . built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner stone; In whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in the Lord; In whom ye also are builded together for an habitation of God through the Spirit” (Ephesians 2:19-22).
In this spiritual temple, each new believer is a costly stone, carefully cut from the world’s dark quarry, then silently placed in the growing structure by the Holy Spirit on the foundation of Jesus Christ, “to whom coming, as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God, and precious, Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house” (1 Peter 2:4-5). “Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?” (1 Corinthians 3:16). (HMM, The Institute for Creation Research)
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1 Kings 9
The Lord reiterates His promise to bless Israel for faithfulness and to judge her for sin.
INSIGHT
Three things happen when Israel lives in a righteous relationship with the Lord. First, God is glorified. Second, Israel is blessed, receiving the fullness of life for which she longs. Third, the unsaved world is drawn to want to know God because of the magnificent picture they see of Him.
Because so much hinges on Israel’s standing before God, the Lord makes it clear to her how serious her position is. If she will trust and obey Him, He will bless Israel forever. However, if she lives in sin, He will utterly destroy her. (Quiet Walk)
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A REVIVAL’S OVERWHELMING CHARACTER
That all the people of the earth might know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty: that ye might fear the LORD your God for ever. Joshua 4:24
A revival is something that, when it happens, leads people to say, as the townspeople said in Jerusalem on the Day of Pentecost, “What is this? What is it?” It is something that comes like a tornado. It is almost like an overflowing tide; it is like a flood. Astounding things happen, and of such a magnitude that men are left amazed, astonished.
Let me give you an illustration that is one of the most lyrical and one of the most wonderful. There was a preacher in Scotland three hundred years ago by the name of John Livingstone of Kilsyth. John Livingstone and a number of others had been spending Sunday night after the services in prayer. Monday morning came, and John Livingstone had been asked to preach. He was out in the fields meditating, and suddenly he felt that he could not preach, that the thing was beyond him and that he was inadequate. And he felt like running away. But suddenly the voice of God seemed to speak to him, not in audible language, but in his spirit, telling him not to do that and that God did not work in that way, and it made him feel that he must go back. He preached, he tells us, on Ezekiel 36. And he said, “I preached for about an hour and a half.
Then,” he said, “I began to apply my message,” and as he was beginning to apply it, suddenly the Spirit of God came upon him, and he went on for another hour in this application. And as he did so, people were literally falling to the ground, and in that one service five hundred people were converted.
That is the kind of thing that happens in a revival. And poor John Livingstone says that kind of thing only happened to him on one other occasion.
A Thought to Ponder: Revival is almost like an overflowing tide; it is like a flood.
(From Revival, pp. 115-116, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones)
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When You’ve Been WRONGED by Erwin W. Lutzer
All that matters to the hateful heart is latching onto something that confirms your hatred and affirms your pain. There is no need for facts’ no need for perspective, no need for objectivity. Hat makes you vulnerable to lies you are anxious to believe. (p. 34)
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A person offended can very quickly become what the Bible calls a destroyer, the same description that is given to the Devil who opposes all that heals and blesses. If you told someone who is in the process of destroying someone else that he/she is in league with the Devil, they would be incredulous. They do not see themselves as doing the work of the Devil but as doing the work of God – or at least the work that God should be doing. (p. 34)
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