How does Ezekiel 48:15 guide us in balancing sacred and secular spaces?

Setting the Scene

Ezekiel 48 describes the future allotment of Israel’s land, carefully distinguishing areas set apart for the temple, the priests, the Levites, and the ordinary citizens. Verse 15 centers on the city’s “common use” zone—land not deemed holy yet still purposefully arranged within God’s blueprint.

Ezekiel 48:15

“The remainder, 5,000 cubits wide and 25,000 cubits long, shall be for common use for the city, for dwellings and for open pasture; the city shall be in the center of it.”

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Sacred and Secular Delineated

• Literal boundaries: exact cubit measurements show God values order in both worship and daily life.

• “Common use”: a deliberate category distinct from the temple precincts, signaling God’s approval of everyday activity within His plan.

• City at the center: secular life is geographically—and spiritually—anchored to sacred space, never detached from God’s presence.

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Principles for Today

• God authorizes ordinary spaces. Workplaces, homes, parks, and markets fit within His design (cf. Genesis 1:31; Acts 17:26).

• Distinction without separation: sacred (worship) and secular (daily tasks) have different roles yet coexist under one Lord (Psalm 24:1).

• Worship shapes the common: the temple zone sets the tone for the city zone, implying that corporate worship fuels righteous civic life (cf. Hebrews 10:25).

• Balance prevents two extremes:

– Over-sacralizing everything and neglecting practical responsibilities (2 Thessalonians 3:10–12).

– Over-secularizing and pushing God to the margins (Romans 1:21).

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Living It Out

• Schedule rhythms that tether everyday activity to worship: Lord’s Day gatherings, family devotion, personal Scripture time (Colossians 3:16).

• Dedicate ordinary tasks to God’s glory—meals, meetings, chores (1 Corinthians 10:31; Colossians 3:17).

• Preserve clear moments solely for worship—undistracted, God-centered times that recalibrate the rest of life.

• Cultivate city-center influence: let gospel values inform neighborhood projects, business ethics, civic engagement (Matthew 5:16; Jeremiah 29:7).

• Remember the literal hope: Ezekiel’s future city forecasts eternity’s New Jerusalem (Revelation 21:2-3). Our present balance anticipates that perfect union of sacred and ordinary when “the Lord is there” (Ezekiel 48:35).