Then he said to me, "The north and south rooms facing the temple courtyard are the priests' rooms, where the priests who approach the Lord will eat the most holy offerings. There they will put the most holy offerings—the grain offerings, the sin offerings and the guilt offerings—for the place is holy. – Ezekiel 42:13

Today's Scripture Reading (October 12, 2026): Ezekiel 42

It is one of my favorite quotes of all time. No, it is not from the Bible. It is from "Star Trek – The Original Series." I know, quite a letdown. The episode aired on December 15, 1966, during the first season of the series, and the episode was titled "Balance of Terror." Captain James T. Kirk's ship, "The Enterprise," was sent to investigate the destruction of some Federation outposts. They discovered a Romulan Bird-of-Prey with a cloaking device that was attacking Federation outposts. The Romulans, along with the Klingons, were the ever-present bad guys in that first Star Trek series.

The Enterprise is outgunned, and the Bird-of-Prey has a cloaking device that lets it vanish at will. The battle is fierce, but Kirk and his crew are on the wrong end of it. Near the end of the story, after a ferocious battle between the two ships, both ships hang in space. Kirk has the Enterprise systems shut down, pretending to be dead, in an attempt to lure the Romulan ship closer so it can take a shot. Tension is high, and Dr. McCoy visits his captain with an important message: the aforementioned quote.

In this galaxy, there's a mathematical probability of three million Earth-type planets. And in all of the universe, three million, million galaxies like this. And in all of that... and perhaps more, only one of each of us. [pause] Don't destroy the one named Kirk.

                                        Dr. Leonard McCoy

                                        Balance of Terror (Star Trek, The Original Series)

I believe Leonard McCoy is right. Think about it. There are almost eight billion people on the planet. I don't know what is out there, but even if there are three million Earth-like planets in our galaxy and three million, million galaxies like ours, there is still only one like you. We are a unique people. No one in this world is quite like you or quite like me. And that is a good thing. The fabric of this world is made up of us. Rather than feeling lost in this world, we need to recognize what we add to its tapestry.

As Ezekiel continues through his vision of the ideal temple, he comes to the rooms set aside for the priests. It was to these rooms that the offerings were brought. What has been placed before God is holy, and because it is holy, it must be treated differently. It is set apart for God.

We sometimes forget that God is still asking us for an offering, but the offering He wants is our lives. Does He want our tithe? Yes, but that is only the beginning of the offering He asks of us. He wants what is unique and special about us, left on His altar. He wants to make us holy. What was once only a description of items and offerings entrusted to the priests is now a description of our unique lives.

Ezekiel might have written about rooms that could be measured, but Jesus uses the illustration of the church as His body. Jesus speaks of lives that can be measured and set apart for Him. And that includes you and me. We are called to so much more than just belief; we are called to be offerings, holy and set apart for God, because in all of creation, there is only one of you and me.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 43

Happy Birthday, Mom.