Immerse: Bible Reading Experience - NLT Daily Bible In A Year

Day 278: The Sacred Regulations and Allotments of Israel

Welcome to Immerse: The Daily Bible Reading Experience on Day 278. In this profound journey, we delve into the divine ordinances delivered to the prophet concerning the temple's sanctity. The passage begins with a directive to keep the East Gateway permanently shut, symbolizing the Lord's unique entry. Only the prince may feast there in the presence of the Lord, and only through specific chambers. Details unfold about the role of the Levites, the sacred duties of the faithful Zadok priests, and the necessity to keep foreign influences out of the sanctuary. The boundaries and divisions of Israel's land for each tribe are meticulously described, emphasizing fairness and sacredness. The boundaries of the holy allotment, including the priestly and Levitical portions, as well as the land for the common people and the prince, are also detailed. A vision of a life-giving river flowing from the temple ends the reading, symbolizing purification and the flourishing of life wherever it reaches. The reading concludes with the Lord’s command on the proper distribution of the land among the tribes and the equitable treatment of residents, ensuring lasting peace and justice.

00:00 Introduction to Immerse: Daily Bible Reading
00:04 The Closed East Gateway
00:54 Regulations for the Temple
02:52 The Role of the Levitical Priests
03:21 Sacred Clothing and Conduct
05:18 Offerings and Sacrifices
07:23 The Prince's Responsibilities
15:49 The River of Life
18:10 Boundaries and Allotments for Israel
24:36 City Gates and Final Words

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4 Questions to get your conversations started:
1. What stood out to you this week?
2. Was there anything confusing or troubling?
3. Did anything make you think differently about God?
4. How might this change the way we live?

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Nancy: Welcome to immerse: the
daily bible reading experience.

day 200 and 78

Then the man brought me back to the East
Gateway in the outer wall of the temple

area, but it was closed, and the Lord
said to me, this gate must remain closed.

It will never again be opened.

No one will ever open it and
pass through for the Lord.

The God of Israel has entered here.

Therefore, it must always remain shut.

Only the prince himself may sit inside
this gateway to feast in the Lord's

presence, but he may come and go only
through the entry room of the gateway.

Then the man brought me through the
north gateway to the front of the temple.

I looked and saw that the glory of
the Lord filled the temple of the

Lord, and I fell face down on the
ground and the Lord said to me,

son of man, take careful notice.

Use your eyes and ears and listen
to everything I tell you about the

regulations concerning the Lord's temple.

Take careful note of the procedures
for using the temple's, entrances

and exits, and give these
rebels the people of Israel.

This message from the sovereign
Lord oh people of Israel.

Enough of your detestable sins.

You have brought uncircumcised
foreigners into my sanctuary.

People who have no heart
for God in this way.

You defiled my temple even as
you offered me my food, the

fat and blood of sacrifices.

In addition to all your other detestable
sins, you have broken my covenant.

Instead of safeguarding my sacred
rituals, you have hired foreigners

to take charge of my sanctuary.

So this is what the sovereign Lord says.

No foreigners, including those who live
among the people of Israel, will enter

my sanctuary if they have not been
circumcised and have not surrendered

themselves to the Lord and the men of
the tribe of Levi who abandoned me when

Israel strayed away from me to worship.

Idols must bear the consequences
of their unfaithfulness.

They may still be temple guards and
gatekeepers, and they may slaughter

the animals brought for burnt offerings
and be present to help the people.

They encouraged my people to worship idols
causing Israel to fall into deep sin.

So I have taken a solemn oath that
they must bear the consequences for

their sins, says the sovereign Lord.

They may not approach me
to minister as priests.

They may not touch any of my holy
things or the holy offerings for,

they must bear the shame of all the
detestable sins they have committed.

They are to serve as
the temple caretakers.

Taking charge of the maintenance
work and performing general duties.

However, the Levitical priests of
the family of Zadak continued to

minister faithfully in the temple
when Israel abandoned me for idols,

these men will serve as my ministers.

They will stand in my presence and
offer the fact and blood of the

sacrifices, says the sovereign Lord.

They alone will enter my sanctuary
and approach my table to serve me.

They will fulfill all my requirements.

When they enter the gateway
to the inner courtyard, they

must wear only linen clothing.

They must wear no wool while
on duty in the inner courtyard

or in the temple itself.

They must wear linen turbans,
and linen undergarments.

They must not wear anything that
would cause them to perspire.

When they return to the outer
courtyard where the people are,

they must take off the clothes
they wear while ministering To me.

They must leave them in the sacred
rooms and put on other clothes so they

do not endanger anyone By transmitting
holiness to them through this clothing,

they must neither shave their heads,
nor let their hair grow too long.

Instead, they must trim it regularly.

The priests must not drink wine
before entering the inner courtyard.

They may choose their wives only
from among the virgins of Israel

or the widows of the priests.

They may not marry other
widows or divorced women.

They will teach my people the difference
between what is holy and what is common.

What is ceremonially, clean and unclean.

They will serve as judges to resolve
any disagreements among my people.

Their decisions must be based on
my regulations, and the priests

themselves must obey my instructions
and decrees at all the sacred festivals.

And see to it that the Sabbaths
are set apart as holy days.

A priest must not defile himself by
being in the presence of a dead person

unless it is his father, mother,
child, brother, or unmarried sister.

In such cases, it is permitted even
then he can return to his temple duties

only after being ceremonially cleansed
and then waiting for seven days.

The first day he returns to
work and enters the inner

courtyard and the sanctuary.

He must offer a sin offering for
himself, says the sovereign Lord.

The priests will not have any
property or possession of land for

I alone am their special possession.

Their food will come from the gifts
and sacrifices brought to the temple

by the people, the grain offerings, the
sin offerings, and the guilt offerings.

Whenever anyone sets apart, for the
Lord will belong to the priests.

The first of the ripe fruits
and all the gifts brought to

the Lord will go to the priests.

The first batch of dough must
also be given to the priests, so

the Lord will bless your homes.

The priests may not eat meat from any
bird or animal that dies in natural

death or the dies after being attacked
by another animal when you divide

the land among the tribes of Israel.

You must set aside a section for
the Lord as his holy portion.

This piece of land will be
eight and a third miles long and

six and two thirds miles wide.

The entire area will be holy.

A section of this land measuring
875 feet by 875 feet will

be set aside for the temple.

An additional strip of land
87 and a half feet wide is to

be left empty all around it.

Within the larger sacred area, measure out
a portion of land eight and a third miles

long and three and one third miles wide.

Within it, the sanctuary of the
most holy place will be located.

This area will be holy set aside
for the priests who minister

to the Lord and the sanctuary.

They will use it for their homes, and
my temple will be located within it.

The strip of sacred land next to it.

Also eight and one third miles
long and three and one third miles

wide will be a living area for the
Levites who work at the temple.

It'll be their possession
and a place for their towns.

Adjacent to the larger sacred
area will be a section of land

eight and one third miles long
and one and two thirds miles wide.

This will be set aside for a city
where anyone in Israel can live.

Two special sections of land
will be set apart for the prince.

One section will share a border with
the east side of the sacred lands

and city, and the second section
will share a border on the west side.

Then the far eastern and western
borders of the prince's lands will

line up with the eastern and western
boundaries of the tribal areas.

These sections of land will
be the prince's allotment.

Then my princes will no longer
oppress and rob my people.

They will assign the rest of
the land to the people giving an

allotment to each tribe for this
is what the Sovereign Lord says.

Enough, you, princes of Israel,
stop your violence and oppression

and do what is just and right.

Quit robbing and cheating
my people out of their land.

Stop expelling them from their
homes, says the sovereign Lord.

Use only honest weights and scales and
honest measures, both dry and liquid.

The Homer will be your standard
unit for measuring volume.

The EFA and the bath will each
measure one 10th of a homer.

The standard unit for weight will
be the silver shekel one shekel

will consist of 20 giras and 60
shekels will be equal to one meina.

You must give this tax to the prince,
one bushel of wheat or barley.

For every 60 you harvest.

1% of your olive oil and one sheep or
goat for every 200 in your flocks In

Israel, these will be the grain offerings,
burnt offerings, and peace offerings

that will make atonement for the people
who bring them says the sovereign Lord.

All the people of Israel must join in
bringing these offerings to the prince.

The Prince will be required to
provide offerings that are given

at the religious festivals, the New
Moon celebrations, the Sabbath days.

All other similar occasions, he will
provide the sin offerings, burnt

offerings, grain offerings, liquid
offerings, and peace offerings

to purify the people of Israel,
making them right with the Lord.

This is what the sovereign
Lord says in early spring.

On the first day of each new
year, sacrifice a young bull with

no defects to purify the temple.

The priest will take blood from this sin
offering and put it on the doorposts of

the temple, the four corners of the upper
ledge of the altar, and the gate posts

at the entrance to the inner courtyard.

Do this also on the seventh
day of the new year.

For anyone who has sinned
through error or ignorance.

In this way, you will purify the temple.

On the 14th day of the first month,
you must celebrate the Passover.

This festival will last for seven days.

The bread you eat during that
time must be made without yeast.

On the day of Passover, the Prince will
provide a young bull as a sin offering

for himself and the people of Israel.

On each of the seven days of the feast,
he will prepare a burnt offering to

the Lord consisting of seven young
bulls and seven rams without defects.

A male goat will also be given
each day for a sin offering.

The prince will provide a basket
of flour as a grain offering.

And a gallon of olive oil
with each young bull and ram.

During the seven days of the festival of
shelters, which occurs every year in early

autumn, the Prince will provide these
same sacrifices for the sin offering, the

burnt offering, and the grain offering,
along with the required olive oil.

This is what the sovereign Lord says.

The east gateway of the inner
courtyard will be closed during

the six work days each week.

But it will be open on Sabbath days
and the days of New Moon celebrations.

The prince will enter the entry room
of the gateway from the outside.

Then he will stand by the gatepost.

While the priest offers his burnt offering
and peace offering, he will bow down and

worship inside the gateway passage and
then go back out The way he came, the

gateway will not be closed until evening.

The common people will bow down and
worship the Lord in front of this gateway.

On Sabbath days and the days of
new moon celebrations, each Sabbath

day, the prince will present to the
Lord a burnt offering of six lambs

and one ram all with no defects.

He will present a grain offering of a
basket of choice flour to go with the ram

and whatever amount of flour he chooses
to go with each lamb, and he is to offer

one gallon of olive oil for each basket
of flour at the new Moon celebrations,

he will bring one young bull.

Six lambs and one ram all with no defects.

With a young bull, he must
bring a basket of choice flour.

For a grain offering with the ram, he
must bring another basket of flour.

And with each lamb, he is
to bring whatever amount of

flour he chooses to give.

With each basket of flour, he must
offer one gallon of olive oil.

The prince must enter the
gateway through the entry room,

and he must leave the same way.

But when the people come in through
the North Gateway to worship the

Lord during the religious festivals,
they must leave by the South Gateway.

And those who entered through the South
gateway must leave by the North gateway.

They must never leave by the same
gateway they came in, but must

always use the opposite gateway.

The Prince will enter and leave
with the people on these occasions.

So at the special feasts and sacred
festivals, the grain offering will

be a basket of choice flour with
each young bull, another basket of

flour with each ram and as much flour
as the worshiper chooses to give

with each lamb, give one gallon of
olive oil with each basket of flour.

When the prince offers a voluntary
burnt offering or peace offering to

the Lord, the east gateway to the
inner courtyard will be opened for him.

He will offer his sacrifices
as he does on Sabbath days.

Then he will leave and the gateway
will be shut behind him each morning.

You must sacrifice a one year old
lamb with no defects as a burnt

offering to the Lord with the lamb.

A grain offering must also be given
to the Lord about three quarts of

flour, with a third of a gallon of
olive oil to moisten the choice flour.

This will be a permanent law for you.

The lamb, the grain offering, and the
olive oil must be given as a daily

sacrifice every morning without fail.

This is what the sovereign Lord says.

If the prince gives a gift of land to one
of his sons as his inheritance, it will

belong to him and his descendants forever.

But if the Prince gives a gift of
land from his inheritance to one

of his servants, the servant may
keep it only until the year of

Jubilee, which comes every 50th year.

At that time, the land will return
to the prince, but when the prince

gives gifts to his sons, those gifts
will be permanent, and the prince may

never take anyone's property by force.

If he gives property to his sons,
it must be from his own land.

For I do not want any of my people
unjustly evicted from their property.

In my vision, the man brought me
through the entrance beside the gateway.

And led me to the sacred rooms assigned to
the priests, which faced toward the north.

He showed me a place at the
extreme west end of these rooms.

He explained this is where the priests
will cook the meat from the guilt

offerings and sin offerings, and bake the
flour from the grain offerings into bread.

They will do it here to avoid carrying
the sacrifices through the outer

courtyard and endangering the people
by transmitting holiness to them.

Then he brought me back to
the outer courtyard and led me

to each of its four corners.

In each corner, I saw an enclosure.

Each of these enclosures was
70 feet long and 52 and a half

feet wide, surrounded by walls.

Along the inside of these walls was
a ledge of stone with fireplaces

under the ledge all the way around.

The man said to me, these are the kitchens
to be used by the temple assistance.

To boil the sacrifices offered by the
people in my vision, the man brought

me back to the entrance of the temple.

There I saw a stream flowing
east from beneath the door of the

temple and passing to the right
of the altar on its south side.

The man brought me outside the wall
through the North gateway and led me

around to the Eastern entrance there.

I could see the water flowing out through
the south side of the East Gateway.

Measuring as he went, he took
me along the stream for 1,750

feet and then led me across.

The water was up to my ankles.

He measured off another 1,750
feet and led me across again.

This time the water was up to my knees.

After another 1,750 feet,
it was up to my waist.

Then he measured another 1,750 feet.

And the river was too deep to walk across.

It was deep enough to swim in,
but too deep to walk through.

He asked me, have you
been watching Son of Man?

Then he led me back along the riverbank.

When I returned, I was surprised
by the side of many trees growing

on both sides of the river.

Then he said to me, this river
flows east through the desert

into the Valley of the Dead Sea.

The waters of this stream
will make the salty waters of

the dead sea, fresh and pure.

There will be swarms of living things
wherever the water of this river

flows, fish will abound in the dead
sea, for its waters will become fresh.

Life will flourish
wherever this water flows.

Fishermen will stand along the
shores of the dead sea, all

the way from nge I to an egm.

The shores will be covered
with nets drying in the sun.

Fish of every kind will fill the
dead sea just as they fill the

Mediterranean, but the marshes
and swamps will not be purified.

They will still be salty.

Fruit trees of all kinds will grow
along both sides of the river.

The leaves of these trees will never
turn brown and fall, and there will

always be fruit on their branches.

There will be a new crop every
month for they are watered by the

river, flowing from the temple.

The fruit will be for food.

The leaves for healing.

This is what the sovereign Lord
says, divide the land in this way.

For the 12 tribes of Israel,
the descendants of Joseph will

be given two shares of land.

Otherwise, each tribe will
receive an equal share.

I took a solemn oath and swore
that I would give this land to

your ancestors and it will now
come to you as your possession.

These are the boundaries of the land.

The northern border will run from
the Mediterranean tort Helon, then

on through Libo Hamath to Zda.

Then it'll run to Roha and Sibr, which are
on the border between Damascus and Hamath.

And finally to Hazer Hadan
on the border of Haran.

So the northern border will run
from the Mediterranean to Hazer on

the border between Hamath to the
north and Damascus to the south.

The eastern border starts at a
point between Haran and Damascus and

runs south along the Jordan River,
between Israel and Gilead past the

Dead Sea, and as far south as Tamar.

This will be the eastern border.

The southern border will go west from
Tamar to the waters of Marba at Kadish,

and then follow the course of the
brook of Egypt to the Mediterranean.

This will be the southern border.

On the west side, the Mediterranean itself
will be your border from the southern

border to the point where the northern
border begins opposite Libo Hamath.

Divide the land within these
boundaries among the tribes of Israel.

Distribute the land as an allotment
for yourselves and for the foreigners

who have joined you and are
raising their families among you.

They will be like native born
Israelites to you and will receive

an allotment among the tribes.

These foreigners are to be given
land within the territory of the

tribe with whom they now live.

I the sovereign Lord have spoken.

Here is the list of the tribes of Israel
and the territory each is to receive.

The territory of Dan is
in the extreme north.

Its boundary line follows the heathland
road to Lebo, Hamath, and then runs

on to Hayes Arena on the border of
Damascus with Hamath to the north.

Dan's territory extends all the way across
the land of Israel from east to west.

Asher's territory lies south of Dan's
and also extends from east to west.

Nafta.

Lies, land, lies south of Asher's,
also extending from east to west.

Then comes Manasses south of
nafta, lie, and its territory

also extends from east to west.

South of Manassa is Eef and
then Ruben and then Judah.

All of whose boundaries extend from
east to west, south of Judah is the

land set aside for a special purpose.

It will be eight and one third miles
wide and will extend as far east

and west as the tribal territories.

With the temple at the center, the
area set aside for the Lord's temple

will be eight and one third miles long
and six and two thirds miles wide.

For the priests, there will be a strip of
land measuring eight and one third miles

long by three and one third miles wide
with the Lord's temple at the center.

This area is set aside for the
ordained priests, the descendants of

Zadak who served me faithfully and
did not go astray with the people of

Israel and the rest of the Levites.

It'll be their special portion
when the land is distributed.

The most sacred land of all.

Next to the priest's territory
will lie, the land where

the other Levites will live.

The land allotted to the Levites will be
the same size and shape as that belonging

to the priests eight and one third miles
long and three and one third miles wide.

Together, these portions of land will
measure eight and one third miles

long by six and two thirds miles wide.

None of this special land may ever
be sold or traded or used by others.

For It belongs to the Lord.

It is set apart as holy.

An additional strip of land, eight and
a third miles long by one and two thirds

miles wide south of the Sacred Temple
area will be allotted for public use

homes, pasture lands, and common lands.

With a city at the center, the city
will measure one and one half miles on

each side, north, south, east, and west.

Open Lands will surround the city for 150
yards in every direction outside the city.

There will be a farming area that
stretches three in one third miles to the

east and three in one third miles to the
west along the border of the sacred area.

This farmland will produce food
for the people working in the city.

Those who come from the various
tribes to work in the city may

farm it this entire area, including
the sacred lands and the city.

Is a square that measures eight and
one third miles on each side, the

areas that remain to the east and
to the west of the sacred lands, and

the city will belong to the prince.

Each of these areas will be eight and
one third miles wide, extending in

opposite directions to the eastern
and western borders of Israel with

the sacred lands and the sanctuary
of the temple in the center.

So the prince's land will
include everything between the

territories allotted to Judah.

And Benjamin, except for the areas set
aside for the sacred lands and the city.

These are the territories allotted
to the rest of the tribes.

Benjamin's territory lies just south of
the Prince's lands, and it extends across

the entire land of Israel from east
to west, south of Benjamin's territory

lies that of Simeon also extending
across the land from east to west.

Next is the territory of Iscar.

With the same Eastern
and Western boundaries.

Then comes a territory of Zein, which also
extends across the land from east to west.

The territory of Gadd is just
south of Zein with the same

borders to the east and west.

The southern border of Gadd runs
from Tamar to the waters of Marba

at Kadish, and then follows the
brook of Egypt to the Mediterranean.

These are the allotments that
will be set aside for each

tribe's exclusive possession.

I the sovereign Lord have spoken.

These will be the exits to the
city on the north wall, which

is one and a half miles long.

There will be three gates, each
one named after a tribe of Israel.

The first will be named for Reuben,
the second for Judah, and the

third for Levi on the east wall.

Also one and a half miles long.

The gates will be named for
Joseph, Benjamin, and Dan.

The South Wall, also one and a half miles
long will have gates named for Simeon.

It's a car in Zebulon and on the West
Wall, also one and a half miles long.

The gates will be named for
Gadd, Asher and Naftaly.

The distance around the entire city
will be six miles, and from that day,

the name of the city will be the Lord.

Is there.

This concludes today's
Immerse Reading experience.

Thank you for joining us.