Ezekiel 44

Ezekiel 44:1

44:1-3 The east . . . gate of the outer court must be permanently shut because once the LORD returns to the temple, He will never leave. Only the prince could sit in the vestibule of the gate and eat the sacrificial meal there. Some think that the prince is the Messiah Himself, others that he is a descendant of David who will serve as a vice-regent under Christ, the King. However, F. W. Grant points out that he cannot be the Messiah because he has sons (Eze_46:16) and he offers a sin offering for himself (Eze_45:22). 44:4-9 When the Lord brought Ezekiel to the front of the temple, the prophet was awestruck by the glory of the LORD as it filled the house. Verse 4 should create a passionate desire for worship meetings where the glory of the Lord is so manifest that the worshipers are prostrate before Him. The Lord instructed him to pay close attention to the new ordinances . . . concerning the temple, its entrance and exits (v. 5), and to warn the people that the use of any foreigner in the service of the temple must cease (vv. 6-9). 44:10-16 Henceforth, the menial work would be assigned to the Levites, who had once fallen into idolatry. Only the sons of Zadok could serve as priests, drawing near and ministering to God. The sons of Zadok were faithful in the times of trouble under David (2Sa_15:24; 1Ki_1:32 etc.; 1Ki_2:26-27, 1Ki_2:35). The Levites might be suspended from priestly service because of the curse on Eli’s family or because of unfaithfulness during the times of the kings. We learn from all this that sin often has bitter consequences, and that faithfulness will be rewarded. 44:17-19 The priests would be required to wear linen garments, not woolen. The expression “in their holy garments they shall not sanctify the people” (v. 19b) refers to a ritual holiness reserved only for the service of the sanctuary and not for the priests’ regular duties (Exo_29:37; Exo_30:29; Lev_6:18, Lev_6:27; Hag_2:10-12). 44:20-22 Regulations are given concerning well-trimmed haircuts, restrictions on wine, and suitable marriages for the priests. 44:23, 24 The sons of Zadok would also serve as teachers and judges, making God’s people discern between what is holy and clean on the one hand, and unholy and unclean on the other. 44:25-27 Their necessary contact with a dead person would require certain rituals of cleansing. 44:28-31 They will be supported by things dedicated to the Lord. The Lord wants to be their inheritance, and they will have nothing on earth. This is true for the servants of God today; He wants us to find our full satisfaction in Him, and thus be free to serve unhindered by worldly attachments. Like Paul we can learn to be content in every state (Phi_4:11), but we do have to learn it because it does not come naturally to anyone. A broken man can say, “There is none upon earth that I desire besides You. . . . God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psa_73:25-26).