Ezekiel 43:11 If they are ashamed of all that they have done, make known to them the design of the house, its structure, its exits, its entrances, all its designs, all its statutes, and all its laws. And write it in their sight, so that they may observe its whole design and all its statutes and do them. NASB

I have to ask, is this too much for me to understand? I’ve been studying the Word of God for decades and the more I learn, the more I understand that I do not know it all.

I am reminded of a judge’s admonishment about my ignorance of the laws of a town in which I had to answer a court summons. “Ignorance of the law is no excuse.”

I could study the Word my whole life and never get to a point in which I put those commandments into practice. The end of the statutes is “to do them”. A some point we have to put them in practice no different than trying to make a living by spending all my time, effort and money in being a perpetual student. That is not a career.

How can I put in to practice that which I do not have an “all” understanding?

Matthew 22:27-40 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Well why didn’t Ezekiel just say so?

Because the purpose of “all that” was to point us to God’s perfect love, Jesus Christ. Then as we come to Jesus we “get it”.

1 Corinthians 16:24 My love be with you all in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Isaiah 61:10 I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for he hath clothed me with the garments of salvation, he hath covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorneth herself with her jewels.

Philippians 3:9 And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Looking at these two passages about the robe of righteousness we can see that His robe is not our robe. If you looked at this as wearing someone else’s robe, how much care do you take to ensure that you do not get those robes dirty?

The more you care about the owner, the more care you would take in keeping them clean.

Lamentations 1:9 Her filthiness is in her skirts; she remembereth not her last end; therefore she came down wonderfully: she had no comforter. O Lord, behold my affliction: for the enemy hath magnified himself.

Key to this Lamentation is the fact she had no comforter. To us the Comforter is given, we have the help we need to keep these garments clean.

Malachi 2:16 For the Lord, the God of Israel, saith that he hateth putting away: for one covereth violence with his garment, saith the Lord of hosts: therefore take heed to your spirit, that ye deal not treacherously.

Heed the Holy Spirit. Those aren’t your robes!