Ezekiel 11:16 "Therefore say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Although I have cast them far off among the heathen, and although I have scattered them among the countries, yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come."
There is something about Christmas in December that draws one's heart toward home. I love to travel, but there is just something about December that makes me think of home! I suppose the captives in Babylon felt that way about Jerusalem every day. They were far from home and far from the place of worship. It may have been tempting to think that being away from Jerusalem was equal to being out of God's jurisdiction, but you are never outside God's jurisdiction!
In contrast, the people in Jerusalem thought that being in Jerusalem meant they were spiritually fine. Verse 15 shows us their scornful attitude toward those in Babylon: "Get you far from the LORD: unto us is this land given in possession." They thought the captives were as far from God as they were from Jerusalem. Actually, the captives were close to God, despite being far from home.
God is not impressed by where you are; He is impressed by what you are. If we are not careful, we can buy into the same misconception today that the people in Jerusalem had centuries ago. Although there is not a central place of worship like Jerusalem, there are "places of worship"-ministries, churches, and Bible colleges. Being part of a ministry, a good Bible-preaching church, or a Bible college will not make up for being in the right place in your relationship with God. In Ezekiel's vision, he saw God's glory literally move from the Holy of Holies to the edge of the temple, and from the edge of the temple to the edge of the city (Ezekiel 9:3; 10:18; 11:23). Yet the folks in Jerusalem thought they were right with God because they were in the right place. You are not in the right place if you are not right in your relationship with God. God was not confined to Jerusalem, and He is not confined to any place today!
The wonderful truth found in Ezekiel 11:16 is that God will be a sanctuary to you, wherever you are. To the captives in a far country, God said, "Yet will I be to them as a little sanctuary in the countries where they shall come." Being close to God is not a matter of having a sanctuary made by the hands of men; being close to God is a matter of taking advantage of the sanctuary that God is. This morning, God wants to be such a sanctuary to you. The question is, will you take advantage of God as your sanctuary wherever you are today?
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