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The Prince, the Levites, the Priests
Ezekiel 44:1-31
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The Prince, the Levites, the Priests
Text:
Ezekiel 44:1-31,
1. Then he brought me back by way of the outer gate of the
sanctuary which faces east, but it was shut.
2. The Lord said to me: “This gate will be shut; it will not be
opened, and no one will enter by it. For the Lord, the God of Israel,
has entered by it; therefore it will remain shut.
3. Only the prince may sit in it to eat a sacrificial meal before the
Lord; he will enter by way of the porch of the gate and will go out
by the same way.”
4. Then he brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the
temple. As I watched, I noticed the glory of the Lord filling the
Lord’s temple, and I threw myself face down.
5. The Lord said to me: “Son of man, pay attention, watch closely
and listen carefully to everything I tell you concerning all the
statutes of the Lord’s house and all its laws. Pay attention to the
entrances to the temple with all the exits of the sanctuary.
6. Say to the rebellious, to the house of Israel, ‘This is what the
sovereign Lord says: Enough of all your abominable practices, O
house of Israel!
7. When you bring foreigners, those uncircumcised in heart and in
flesh, into my sanctuary, you desecrate it—even my house—when
you offer my food, the fat and the blood. You have broken my
covenant by all your abominable practices.
8. You have not kept charge of my holy things, but you have
assigned foreigners to keep charge of my sanctuary for you.
9. This is what the sovereign Lord says: No foreigner, who is
uncircumcised in heart and flesh among all the foreigners who are
among the people of Israel, will enter into my sanctuary.
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10. “‘But the Levites who went far from me, straying off from me
after their idols when Israel went astray, will be responsible for
their sin.
11. Yet they will be ministers in my sanctuary, having oversight at
the gates of the temple, and serving the temple. They will slaughter
the burnt offerings and the sacrifices for the people, and they will
stand before them to minister to them.
12. Because they used to minister to them before their idols, and
became a sinful obstacle to the house of Israel, consequently I have
made a vow concerning them, declares the sovereign Lord, that they
will be responsible for their sin.
13. They will not come near me to serve me as priest, nor will they
come near any of my holy things, the things which are most sacred.
They will bear the shame of the abominable deeds they have
committed.
14. Yet I will appoint them to keep charge of the temple, all of its
service and all that will be done in it.
15. “‘But the Levitical priests, the descendants of Zadok who kept
the charge of my sanctuary when the people of Israel went astray
from me, will approach me to minister to me; they will stand before
me to offer me the fat and the blood, declares the sovereign Lord.
16. They will enter my sanctuary, and approach my table to minister
to me; they will keep my charge.
17. “‘When they enter the gates of the inner court, they must wear
linen garments; they must not have any wool on them when they
minister in the inner gates of the court and in the temple.
18. Linen turbans will be on their heads and linen undergarments
will be around their waists; they must not bind themselves with
anything that causes sweat.
19. When they go out to the outer court to the people, they must
remove the garments they were ministering in, and place them in
the holy chambers; they must put on other garments so that they
will not transmit holiness to the people with their garments.
20. “‘They must not shave their heads nor let their hair grow long;
they must only trim their heads.
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21. No priest may drink wine when he enters the inner court.
22. They must not marry a widow or a divorcee, but they may
marry a virgin from the house of Israel or a widow who is a priest’s
widow.
23. Moreover, they will teach my people the difference between the
holy and the common, and show them how to distinguish between
the ceremonially unclean and the clean.
24. “‘In a controversy they will act as judges; they will judge
according to my ordinances. They will keep my laws and my statutes
regarding all my appointed festivals and will observe my Sabbaths.
25. “‘They must not come near a dead person or they will be defiled;
however, for father, mother, son, daughter, brother or sister, they
may defile themselves.
26. After a priest has become ceremonially clean, they must count
off a period of seven days for him.
27. On the day he enters the sanctuary, into the inner court to serve
in the sanctuary, he must offer his sin offering, declares the
sovereign Lord.
28. “‘This will be their inheritance: I am their inheritance, and you
must give them no property in Israel; I am their property.
29. They may eat the grain offering, the sin offering, and the guilt
offering, and every devoted thing in Israel will be theirs.
30. The first of all the first fruits and all contributions of any kind
will be for the priests; you will also give to the priest the first portion
of your dough, so that a blessing may rest on your house.
31. The priests will not eat any bird or animal that has died a
natural death or was torn to pieces by a wild animal. (NET)
Introduction:
I. Coffman outlined this chapter as follows:
A. The east gate is assigned to the priests (verses 1-3).
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B. The priesthood is reproved and condemned for their sins (verses
4-14).
C. Specific regulations are next given for cleansing and purifying
the priesthood (verses 15-31).
Commentary:
Ezekiel 44:1, Then he brought me back by way of the outer gate of
the sanctuary which faces east, but it was shut. (NET)
I. Then the man brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary, the
one facing east, and it was shut.
A. Smith explained, “From the inner court in which he had
received the statutes of the altar Ezekiel was conducted back to the
eastern gate of the outer court.
1. Ezekiel 43:1, 4, Then he brought me back by way of the
outer gate of the sanctuary which faces east, but it was
shut. The glory of the Lord came into the temple by way
of the gate that faces east. (NET)
2. Ezekiel 44:1, Then he brought me back by way of the
outer gate of the sanctuary which faces east, but it was
shut. (NET)
3. “This was the principal entrance to the Temple,” Smith
further wrote.
4. Ezekiel 40:6, Then he went to the gate facing east. He
climbed its steps and measured the threshold of the gate
as 10½ feet deep. (NET)
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5. This door had previously been open. Its now being closed
was a marked change.
B. The closure of a gate of the sanctuary was surprising, but the
issue is holiness, preserving the holiness produced by the entrance
of God through this gate. (See Fredenburg.)
1. Ezekiel 42:14, When the priests enter, then they will
not go out from the sanctuary to the outer court without
taking off their garments in which they minister, for these
are holy; they will put on other garments, then they will
go near the places where the people are.” (NET)
Ezekiel 44:2, The Lord said to me: “This gate will be shut; it will not
be opened, and no one will enter by it. For the Lord, the God of
Israel, has entered by it; therefore it will remain shut. (NET)
I. The Lord said to me, “This gate is to remain shut. It must not be
opened; no one may enter through it.
A. This gate was to permanently remain closed. (Smith)
1. The east gate of the tabernacle and of Solomon’s temple
had always remained open.
2. Having this gate permanently closed was a major change.
II. It is to remain shut because the Lord, the God of Israel, has entered
through it.
A. The God of Israel had made this gate holy by passing through it.
No human thereafter would be permitted to pollute it by passing
through it. (See Smith.)
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1. This is to inspire an exalted conception of the sanctity of
the temple and all its belongings. (The Pulpit Commentary)
Ezekiel 44:3, Only the prince may sit in it to eat a sacrificial meal
before the Lord; he will enter by way of the porch of the gate and
will go out by the same way.” (NET)
I. The prince himself is the only one who may sit inside the gateway to
eat in the presence of the Lord.
A. The “Prince” is the Messiah, a descendant of David. He alone
could sit inside the gateway to eat in the presence of the Lord.
(See Smith.)
1. Ezekiel 46:1-8, “‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:
The gate of the inner court that faces east will be closed
six working days, but on the Sabbath day it will be
opened and on the day of the new moon it will be opened.
The prince will enter by way of the porch of the gate from
the outside, and will stand by the doorpost of the gate.
The priests will provide his burnt offering and his peace
offerings, and he will bow down at the threshold of the
gate and then go out. But the gate will not be closed until
evening. The people of the land will bow down at the
entrance of that gate before the Lord on the Sabbaths and
on the new moons. The burnt offering which the prince
will offer to the Lord on the Sabbath day will be six
unblemished lambs and one unblemished ram. The grain
offering will be an ephah with the ram, and the grain
offering with the lambs will be as much as he is able to
give, and a gallon of olive oil with an ephah. On the day of
the new moon he will offer an unblemished young bull,
and six lambs and a ram, all without blemish. He will
provide a grain offering: an ephah with the bull and an
ephah with the ram, and with the lambs as much as he
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wishes, and a gallon of olive oil with each ephah of grain.
When the prince enters, he will come by way of the porch
of the gate and will go out the same way. (NET)
2. Ezekiel 43:6-9, I heard someone speaking to me from
the temple, while the man was standing beside me. He
said to me: “Son of man, this is the place of my throne
and the place for the soles of my feet, where I will live
among the people of Israel forever. The house of Israel
will no longer profane my holy name, neither they nor
their kings, by their spiritual prostitution or by the pillars
of their kings set up when they die. When they placed
their threshold by my threshold and their doorpost by my
doorpost, with only the wall between me and them, they
profaned my holy name by the abominable deeds they
committed. So I consumed them in my anger. Now they
must put away their spiritual prostitution and the pillars
of their kings far from me, and then I will live among
them forever. (NET)
3. 1 Samuel 8:6-7, But this request displeased Samuel, for
they said, “Give us a king to lead us.” So Samuel prayed
to the Lord. 7 The Lord said to Samuel, “Do everything
the people request of you. For it is not you that they have
rejected, but it is me that they have rejected as their king.
(NET)
B. The Pulpit Commentary agrees that the prince could include the
righteous Messiah, but that the prince could also include all
righteous, future rulers of Israel.
1. Ezekiel 37:25, They will live in the land I gave to my
servant Jacob, in which your fathers lived; they will live
in it—they and their children and their grandchildren
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forever. David my servant will be prince over them
forever. (NET)
C. In regard to permitting princes to eat in the presence of the
Lord, this was a major change.
III. He is to enter by way of the portico of the gateway and go out the
same way.”
A. The prince was to enter and leave by the porch of the gateway
gaining entrance to the outer court by either the north or south
gate.
Ezekiel 44:4, Then he brought me by way of the north gate to the
front of the temple. As I watched, I noticed the glory of the Lord
filling the Lord’s temple, and I threw myself face down. (NET)
I. Then the man brought me by way of the north gate to the front of the
temple.
A. Ezekiel was taken back to the front of the temple.
1. Ezekiel 46:1, “‘This is what the sovereign Lord says:
The gate of the inner court that faces east will be closed
six working days, but on the Sabbath day it will be
opened and on the day of the new moon it will be opened.
(NET)
II. I looked and saw the glory of the Lord filling the temple of the Lord,
and I fell face down.
A. Ezekiel saw the glory of the Lord that filled the temple and was
totally overwhelmed. (See Smith.)
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Ezekiel 44:5, The Lord said to me: “Son of man, pay attention,
watch closely and listen carefully to everything I tell you concerning
all the statutes of the Lord’s house and all its laws. Pay attention to
the entrances to the temple with all the exits of the sanctuary.
(NET)
I. The Lord said to me, “Son of man, look carefully, listen closely and
give attention to everything I tell you concerning all the regulations
regarding the temple of the Lord.
A. These regulations designated the people who would have the
right to participate in the Temple services, what was to be done
and how. (See Smith.)
1. All, not just some, of these regulations were to be carefully
observed!
2. Ezekiel 43:11, When they are ashamed of all that they
have done, make known to them the design of the temple,
its pattern, its exits and entrances, and its whole design—
all its statutes, its entire design, and all its laws; write it
all down in their sight, so that they may observe its entire
design and all its statutes and do them. (NET)
B. Ezekiel was told to: look carefully, listen closely, and give
attention to everything the Lord told him.
1. We would do well to do likewise!
C. Those of us who would teach the gospel must look carefully,
listen closely, and give attention to everything the Lord has told us
in the Bible and be positive we speak only the truth and that in
love!
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II. Give attention to the entrance of the temple and all the exits of the
sanctuary.
A. Details in this section reveal Yahweh’s care, concern and
control over all aspects of the Temple including the entrances and
exits.
1. Ezekiel 40:1, In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the
beginning of the year, on the tenth day of the month, in
the fourteenth year after the city was struck down, on this
very day, the hand of the Lord was on me, and he
brought me there. (NET)
2. Ezekiel 43:11, When they are ashamed of all that they
have done, make known to them the design of the temple,
its pattern, its exits and entrances, and its whole design—
all its statutes, its entire design, and all its laws; write it
all down in their sight, so that they may observe its entire
design and all its statutes and do them. (NET)
Ezekiel 44:6, Say to the rebellious, to the house of Israel, ‘This is
what the sovereign Lord says: Enough of all your abominable
practices, O house of Israel! (NET)
I. Say to the rebellious house of Israel, “This is what the Sovereign Lord
says: . . .
A. Ezekiel was to deliver the exact word of the Lord to the
rebellious Israelites.
1. Preachers have always proclaimed the word of the Lord to
all manner of people.
a. Consider the kinds of people to whom Jesus
preached.
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II. Enough of your detestable practices, O house of Israel!
A. The Lord had had enough of Israel’s detestable practices!
1. We can be sure God has had more than enough of our
detestable practices also.
B. It is far beyond time for Israel to repent!
1. Ezekiel 8:5, He said to me, “Son of man, look up
toward the north.” So I looked up toward the north, and I
noticed to the north of the altar gate was this statue of
jealousy at the entrance. (NET)
2. It is far beyond time for us to repent!
Ezekiel 44:7, When you bring foreigners, those uncircumcised in
heart and in flesh, into my sanctuary, you desecrate it—even my
house—when you offer my food, the fat and the blood. You have
broken my covenant by all your abominable practices. (NET)
I. In addition to all your other detestable practices, you brought
foreigners uncircumcised in heart and flesh into my sanctuary, . . .
A. One of the detestable practices that had especially grieved the
Lord was the bringing of uncircumcised heathens into the
sanctuary (See Smith.) to perform religious duties!
B. This and other sinful departures from God’s laws would not be
tolerated. (See Fredenburg.)
1. Unqualified personnel nullified the worship and activity
associated with their temple leadership. (See Fredenburg.)
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a. Ezekiel 43:26, For seven days they will make
atonement for the altar and cleanse it, so they will
consecrate it. (NET)
b. 2 Kings 11:4-8, In the seventh year Jehoiada
summoned the officers of the units of hundreds of
the Carians and the royal bodyguard. He met with
them in the Lord’s temple. He made an agreement
with them and made them swear an oath of
allegiance in the Lord’s temple. Then he showed
them the king’s son. He ordered them, “This is what
you must do. One third of the unit that is on duty
during the Sabbath will guard the royal palace.
Another third of you will be stationed at the
Foundation Gate. Still another third of you will be
stationed at the gate behind the royal guard. You
will take turns guarding the palace. The two units
who are off duty on the Sabbath will guard the
Lord’s temple and protect the king. You must
surround the king. Each of you must hold his
weapon in his hand. Whoever approaches your
ranks must be killed. You must accompany the king
wherever he goes.” (NET)
c. Exodus 12:43-48, The Lord said to Moses and
Aaron, “This is the ordinance of the Passover. No
foreigner may share in eating it. But everyone’s
servant who is bought for money, after you have
circumcised him, may eat it. A foreigner and a hired
worker must not eat it. It must be eaten in one
house; you must not bring any of the meat outside
the house, and you must not break a bone of it. The
whole community of Israel must observe it. “When a
foreigner lives with you and wants to observe the
Passover to the Lord, all his males must be
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circumcised, and then he may approach and observe
it, and he will be like one who is born in the land—
but no uncircumcised person may eat of it. (NET)
d. Deuteronomy 23:3-8, An Ammonite or Moabite
may not enter the assembly of the Lord; to the tenth
generation none of their descendants shall ever do
so, for they did not meet you with food and water on
the way as you came from Egypt, and furthermore,
they hired Balaam son of Beor of Pethor in Aram
Naharaim to curse you. But the Lord your God
refused to listen to Balaam and changed the curse to
a blessing, for the Lord your God loves you. You
must not seek peace and prosperity for them
through all the ages to come. You must not hate an
Edomite, for he is your relative; you must not hate
an Egyptian, for you lived as a foreigner in his land.
Children of the third generation born to them may
enter the assembly of the Lord. (NET)
2. “The rulers for the new temple were more stringent than
for the old: no non-Israelite, not even those favorably
disposed to Israel and Yahweh, were to enter Yahweh’s
sanctuary,” Fredenburg wrote.
II. desecrating my temple while you offered me food, fat and blood, and
you broke my covenant.
A. Those Israelites had blatantly disobeyed the commands of the
Lord while hypocritically offering sacrifices to God.
1. 1 Kings 12:19, 31, So Israel has been in rebellion
against the Davidic dynasty to this very day. He built
temples on the high places and appointed as priests
people who were not Levites. (NET)
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2. 2 Chronicles 11:15, Jeroboam appointed his own
priests to serve at the worship centers and to lead in the
worship of the goat idols and calf idols he had made.
(NET)
3. 2 Kings 16:3-4, 10-15, He followed in the footsteps of
the kings of Israel. He passed his son through the fire, a
horrible sin practiced by the nations whom the Lord
drove out from before the Israelites. He offered sacrifices
and burned incense on the high places, on the hills, and
under every green tree. When King Ahaz went to meet
with King Tiglath-pileser of Assyria in Damascus, he saw
the altar there. King Ahaz sent to Uriah the priest a
drawing of the altar and a blueprint for its design. Uriah
the priest built an altar in conformity to the plans King
Ahaz had sent from Damascus. Uriah the priest finished
it before King Ahaz arrived back from Damascus. When
the king arrived back from Damascus and saw the altar,
he approached it and offered a sacrifice on it. He offered
his burnt sacrifice and his grain offering. He poured out
his libation and sprinkled the blood from his peace
offerings on the altar. He moved the bronze altar that
stood in the Lord’s presence from the front of the temple
(between the altar and the Lord’s temple) and put it on
the north side of the new altar. King Ahaz ordered Uriah
the priest, “On the large altar offer the morning burnt
sacrifice, the evening grain offering, the royal burnt
sacrifices and grain offering, the burnt sacrifice for all the
people of Israel, their grain offering, and their libations.
Sprinkle all the blood of the burnt sacrifice and other
sacrifices on it. The bronze altar will be for my personal
use.” (NET)
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4. 2 Chronicles 28:2-4, 23-25, He followed in the footsteps
of the kings of Israel; he also made images of the Baals.
He offered sacrifices in the Valley of Ben Hinnom and
passed his sons through the fire, a horrible sin practiced
by the nations whom the Lord drove out before the
Israelites. He offered sacrifices and burned incense on the
high places, on the hills, and under every green tree. He
offered sacrifices to the gods of Damascus whom he
thought had defeated him. He reasoned, “Since the gods
of the kings of Damascus helped them, I will sacrifice to
them so they will help me.” But they caused him and all
Israel to stumble. Ahaz gathered the items in God’s
temple and removed them. He shut the doors of the
Lord’s temple and erected altars on every street corner in
Jerusalem. In every city throughout Judah he set up high
places to offer sacrifices to other gods. He angered the
Lord God of his ancestors. (NET)
5. 2 Kings 21:2-7, 11, 15, He did evil in the sight of the
Lord and committed the same horrible sins practiced by
the nations whom the Lord drove out from before the
Israelites. He rebuilt the high places that his father
Hezekiah had destroyed; he set up altars for Baal and
made an Asherah pole just like King Ahab of Israel had
done. He bowed down to all the stars in the sky and
worshiped them. He built altars in the Lord’s temple,
about which the Lord had said, “Jerusalem will be my
home.” In the two courtyards of the Lord’s temple he
built altars for all the stars in the sky. He passed his son
through the fire and practiced divination and omen
reading. He set up a ritual pit to conjure up underworld
spirits, and appointed magicians to supervise it. He did a
great amount of evil in the sight of the Lord, provoking
him to anger. He put an idol of Asherah he had made in
the temple, about which the Lord had said to David and
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to his son Solomon, “This temple in Jerusalem, which I
have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, will be my
permanent home. “King Manasseh of Judah has
committed horrible sins. He has sinned more than the
Amorites before him and has encouraged Judah to sin by
worshiping his disgusting idols. because they have done
evil in my sight and have angered me from the time their
ancestors left Egypt right up to this very day!’” (NET)
6. 2 Chronicles 33:2-7, He did evil in the sight of the Lord
and committed the same horrible sins practiced by the
nations whom the Lord drove out ahead of the Israelites.
He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had
destroyed; he set up altars for the Baals and made
Asherah poles. He bowed down to all the stars in the sky
and worshiped them. He built altars in the Lord’s temple,
about which the Lord had said, “Jerusalem will be my
permanent home.” In the two courtyards of the Lord’s
temple he built altars for all the stars in the sky. He
passed his sons through the fire in the Valley of Ben
Hinnom and practiced divination, omen reading, and
sorcery. He set up a ritual pit to conjure up underworld
spirits and appointed magicians to supervise it. He did a
great amount of evil in the sight of the Lord and angered
him. He put an idolatrous image he had made in God’s
temple, about which God had said to David and to his son
Solomon, “This temple in Jerusalem, which I have chosen
out of all the tribes of Israel, will be my permanent home.
(NET)
7. Exodus 12:48-49, “When a foreigner lives with you and
wants to observe the Passover to the Lord, all his males
must be circumcised, and then he may approach and
observe it, and he will be like one who is born in the
land—but no uncircumcised person may eat of it. The
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same law will apply to the person who is native-born and
to the foreigner who lives among you.” (NET)
8. Leviticus 17: 8, 10, 12, “You are to say to them: ‘Any
man from the house of Israel or from the foreigners who
reside in their midst, who offers a burnt offering or a
sacrifice “‘Any man from the house of Israel or from the
foreigners who reside in their midst who eats any blood, I
will set my face against that person who eats the blood,
and I will cut him off from the midst of his people,
Therefore, I have said to the Israelites: No person among
you is to eat blood, and no resident foreigner who lives
among you is to eat blood. (NET)
9. Exodus 20:10, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the
Lord your God; on it you shall not do any work, you, or
your son, or your daughter, or your male servant, or your
female servant, or your cattle, or the resident foreigner
who is in your gates. (NET)
10. Leviticus 18:26, You yourselves must obey my statutes
and my regulations and must not do any of these
abominations, both the native citizen and the resident
foreigner in your midst, (NET)
11. Numbers 15:14, 29, If a resident foreigner is living
with you—or whoever is among you in future
generations—and prepares an offering made by fire as a
pleasing aroma to the Lord, he must do it the same way
you are to do it. You must have one law for the person
who sins unintentionally, both for the native-born among
the Israelites and for the resident foreigner who lives
among them. (NET)
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Ezekiel 44:8, You have not kept charge of my holy things, but you
have assigned foreigners to keep charge of my sanctuary for you.
(NET)
I. Instead of carrying out your duty in regard to my holy things, you put
others in charge of sanctuary.
A. Worse yet these uncircumcised heathens were used as assistants
of the priests!
Ezekiel 44:9, This is what the sovereign Lord says: No foreigner,
who is uncircumcised in heart and flesh among all the foreigners
who are among the people of Israel, will enter into my sanctuary.
(NET)
I. This is what the Sovereign Lord says: . . .
A. The Lord most certainly had something to say to the rebellious
Israelites.
II. No foreigner uncircumcised in heart and flesh is to enter my
sanctuary, not even the foreigners who live among the Israelites.
A. “The exclusion of foreigners” in this passage “differs from the
rule in Isaiah 56:1-8. (Hamilton)
1. Isaiah 56:1-8, This is what the Lord says, “Promote
justice! Do what is right! For I am ready to deliver you; I
am ready to vindicate you openly. The people who do this
will be blessed, the people who commit themselves to
obedience, who observe the Sabbath and do not defile it,
who refrain from doing anything that is wrong. No
foreigner who becomes a follower of the Lord should say,
‘The Lord will certainly exclude me from his people.’ The
eunuch should not say, ‘Look, I am like a dried-up tree.’”
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For this is what the Lord says: “For the eunuchs who
observe my Sabbaths and choose what pleases me and are
faithful to my covenant, I will set up within my temple
and my walls a monument that will be better than sons
and daughters. I will set up a permanent monument for
them that will remain. As for foreigners who become
followers of the Lord and serve him, who love the name of
the Lord and want to be his servants—all who observe
the Sabbath and do not defile it, and who are faithful to
my covenant—I will bring them to my holy mountain; I
will make them happy in the temple where people pray to
me. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted
on my altar, for my temple will be known as a temple
where all nations may pray.” The sovereign Lord says
this, the one who gathers the dispersed of Israel: “I will
still gather them up.” (NET)
B. In this new temple, all the Lord’s regulations were to be
carefully observed and the holiness of the temple preserved.
C. The Israelites had sinfully formulated their own rules pertaining
to the temple.
1. God makes it plain that this would no longer be tolerated,
that he alone would stipulate all regulations pertaining to the
temple.
2. My friends, this is also true of the church!
3. All male Israelites were to be circumcised physically on
the eighth day following birth, but those entering the temple
were required also to be circumcised in heart, truly devoted
to God and the doing of his will.
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4. Regrettably, many baptized believers in the church are not
“circumcised in heart,” do not live righteously and godly in
this present world.
Ezekiel 44:10, “‘But the Levites who went far from me, straying off
from me after their idols when Israel went astray, will be
responsible for their sin. (NET)
I. “The Levites who went far from me when Israel went astray and who
wandered from me after their idols must bear the consequences of their
sin.
A. “Ezekiel 44:10-16 explains the postexilic distinction between
priests and Levites, which does not seem to have been so hard and
fast in the preexilic era,” Hamilton wrote.
B. Levites were descendants of Levi, one of the sons of Jacob.
Levites served as assistants to the Priests in the worship system of
the nation of Israel. (Youngblood)
C. Clarke wrote that, "This refers to the schism of Jeroboam, who,
when he set up a new worship, got as many of the priests and
Levites to join him in his idolatry as he could.”
D. The Pulpit Commentary reads, “The Levites were Levi’s
descendants, who were chosen by Jehovah for service in the
tabernacle, to minister to the priests when these sacrificed in the
tabernacle, and in particular to keep the charge of the tabernacle,
i.e., of the house and all its vessels, as distinguished from the
charge of the sanctuary and the altar, which pertained to Aaron and
his sons alone as priests.
1. Numbers 3:6-13, “Bring the tribe of Levi near, and
present them before Aaron the priest, that they may serve
him. They are responsible for his needs and the needs of
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the whole community before the tent of meeting, by
attending to the service of the tabernacle. And they are
responsible for all the furnishings of the tent of meeting,
and for the needs of the Israelites, as they serve in the
tabernacle. You are to assign the Levites to Aaron and
his sons; they will be assigned exclusively to him out of all
the Israelites. So you are to appoint Aaron and his sons,
and they will be responsible for their priesthood, but the
unauthorized person who comes near must be put to
death.” Then the Lord spoke to Moses: “Look, I myself
have taken the Levites from among the Israelites instead
of every firstborn who opens the womb among the
Israelites. So the Levites belong to me, because all the
firstborn are mine. When I destroyed all the firstborn in
the land of Egypt, I set apart for myself all the firstborn
in Israel, both man and beast. They belong to me. I am
the Lord.” (NET)
2. Numbers 16:9, Does it seem too small a thing to you
that the God of Israel has separated you from the
community of Israel to bring you near to himself, to
perform the service of the tabernacle of the Lord, and to
stand before the community to minister to them? (NET)
3. Numbers 8:19, I have given the Levites as a gift to
Aaron and his sons from among the Israelites, to do the
work for the Israelites in the tent of meeting, and to make
atonement for the Israelites, so there will be no plague
among the Israelites when the Israelites come near the
sanctuary.” (NET)
4. Numbers 1:53, But the Levites must camp around the
tabernacle of the testimony, so that the Lord’s anger will
not fall on the Israelite community. The Levites are
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responsible for the care of the tabernacle of the
testimony.” (NET)
5. Numbers 18:2-6, 23, “Bring with you your brothers, the
tribe of Levi, the tribe of your father, so that they may
join with you and minister to you while you and your sons
with you are before the tent of the testimony. They must
be responsible to care for you and to care for the entire
tabernacle. However, they must not come near the
furnishings of the sanctuary and the altar, or both they
and you will die. They must join with you, and they will
be responsible for the care of the tent of meeting, for all
the service of the tent, but no unauthorized person may
approach you. You will be responsible for the care of the
sanctuary and the care of the altar, so that there will be
no more wrath on the Israelites. I myself have chosen
your brothers the Levites from among the Israelites. They
are given to you as a gift from the Lord, to perform the
duties of the tent of meeting. But the Levites must
perform the service of the tent of meeting, and they must
bear their iniquity. It will be a perpetual ordinance
throughout your generations that among the Israelites the
Levites have no inheritance. (NET)
6. Deuteronomy 10:8, At that time the Lord set apart the
tribe of Levi to carry the ark of the Lord’s covenant, to
stand before the Lord to serve him, and to formulate
blessings in his name, as they do to this very day. (NET)
7. Deuteronomy 18:1, 3, 6, The Levitical priests—indeed,
the entire tribe of Levi—will have no allotment or
inheritance with Israel; they may eat the burnt offerings
of the Lord and of his inheritance. This shall be the
priests’ fair allotment from the people who offer
sacrifices, whether bull or sheep—they must give to the
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priest the shoulder, the jowls, and the stomach. Suppose a
Levite comes by his own free will from one of your
villages, from any part of Israel where he is living, to the
place the Lord chooses (NET)
8. 2 Samuel 15:24, Zadok and all the Levites who were
with him were carrying the ark of the covenant of God.
When they positioned the ark of God, Abiathar offered
sacrifices until all the people had finished leaving the city.
(NET)
9. 1 Kings 8:4, The priests and Levites carried the ark of
the Lord, the tent of meeting, and all the holy items in the
tent. (NET)
10. Ezra 1:5, 62, Then the leaders of Judah and
Benjamin, along with the priests and the Levites—all
those whose mind God had stirred—got ready to go up in
order to build the temple of the Lord in Jerusalem. (No
verse #62..?) (NET)
11. Ezra 3:8, 10, In the second year after they had come to
the temple of God in Jerusalem, in the second month,
Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel and Jeshua the son of
Jozadak initiated the work, along with the rest of their
associates, the priests and the Levites, and all those who
were coming to Jerusalem from the exile. They appointed
the Levites who were at least twenty years old to take
charge of the work on the Lord’s temple. When the
builders established the Lord’s temple, the priests,
ceremonially attired and with their clarions, and the
Levites (the sons of Asaph) with their cymbals, stood to
praise the Lord according to the instructions left by King
David of Israel. (NET)
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12. Ezra 6:20, The priests and the Levites had purified
themselves, every last one, and they all were ceremonially
pure. They sacrificed the Passover lamb for all the exiles,
for their colleagues the priests, and for themselves.
(NET)
13. 1 Kings 11:4-8, When Solomon became old, his wives
shifted his allegiance to other gods; he was not
wholeheartedly devoted to the Lord his God, as his father
David had been. Solomon worshiped the Sidonian
goddess Astarte and the detestable Ammonite god
Milcom. Solomon did evil in the Lord’s sight; he did not
remain loyal to the Lord, like his father David had.
Furthermore, on the hill east of Jerusalem Solomon built
a high place for the detestable Moabite god Chemosh and
for the detestable Ammonite god Milcom. He built high
places for all his foreign wives so they could burn incense
and make sacrifices to their gods. (NET)
14. Jeremiah 26:7, 11, The priests, the prophets, and all
the people heard Jeremiah say these things in the Lord’s
temple. Then the priests and the prophets made their
charges before the officials and all the people. They said,
“This man should be condemned to die because he
prophesied against this city. You have heard him do so
with your own ears.” (NET)
15. 2 Kings 16:11-16, Uriah the priest built an altar in
conformity to the plans King Ahaz had sent from
Damascus. Uriah the priest finished it before King Ahaz
arrived back from Damascus. When the king arrived
back from Damascus and saw the altar, he approached it
and offered a sacrifice on it. He offered his burnt sacrifice
and his grain offering. He poured out his libation and
sprinkled the blood from his peace offerings on the altar.
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He moved the bronze altar that stood in the Lord’s
presence from the front of the temple (between the altar
and the Lord’s temple) and put it on the north side of the
new altar. King Ahaz ordered Uriah the priest, “On the
large altar offer the morning burnt sacrifice, the evening
grain offering, the royal burnt sacrifices and grain
offering, the burnt sacrifice for all the people of Israel,
their grain offering, and their libations. Sprinkle all the
blood of the burnt sacrifice and other sacrifices on it. The
bronze altar will be for my personal use.” So Uriah the
priest did exactly as King Ahaz ordered. (NET)
16. Zephaniah 1:4, “I will attack Judah and all who live
in Jerusalem. I will remove from this place every trace of
Baal worship, as well as the very memory of the pagan
priests. (NET)
Ezekiel 44:11, Yet they will be ministers in my sanctuary, having
oversight at the gates of the temple, and serving the temple. They
will slaughter the burnt offerings and the sacrifices for the people,
and they will stand before them to minister to them. (NET)
I. They may serve in my sanctuary, having charge of the gates of the
temple and serving in it; . . .
A. The degree of holiness increased from the outside of the Temple
compound to the outer court, to the inner court to the temple
building itself. (Fredenburg)
B. The Levites were, because of their former transgressions,
subject to increasing levels of clearance the closer they served to
the Temple and Yahweh’s personal presence. (See Fredenburg.)
1. Levites “are to serve in Yahweh’s outer sanctuary, have
charges of the gates, slaughter the burnt offerings and
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sacrifices for the people and stand before the people and
serve them,” Fredenburg wrote.
2. The sinful Levites, because of their transgressions, were
demoted and were restricted as to the duties they were
permitted to perform in and about the temple.
II. They may slaughter the burnt offerings and sacrifices for the people
and stand before the people and serve them.
A. Because of their previous sins, their functions were henceforth
limited to the performance of only menial tasks.
Ezekiel 44:12, Because they used to minister to them before their
idols, and became a sinful obstacle to the house of Israel,
consequently I have made a vow concerning them, declares the
sovereign Lord, that they will be responsible for their sin. (NET)
I. But because they served them (the people) in the presence of their
idols and made the house of Israel fall into sin, . . .
A. Previously certain Levites had sinned grievously in both
worshiping idols and leading Israel into sin.
II. therefore I have sworn with uplifted hand that they must bear the
consequences of their sin, declares the Sovereign Lord.
A. These wayward Levites had to bear the consequences of their
sins, bear their iniquity.
1. Exodus 28:38, 43, It will be on Aaron’s forehead, and
Aaron will bear the iniquity of the holy things, which the
Israelites are to sanctify by all their holy gifts; it will
always be on his forehead, for their acceptance before the
Lord. These must be on Aaron and his sons when they
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enter to the tent of meeting, or when they approach the
altar to minister in the Holy Place, so that they bear no
iniquity and die. It is to be a perpetual ordinance for him
and for his descendants after him. (NET)
2. Leviticus 5:1, “‘When a person sins in that he hears a
public curse against one who fails to testify and he is a
witness (he either saw or knew what had happened) and
he does not make it known, then he will bear his
punishment for iniquity. (NET)
3. Leviticus 10:17, “Why did you not eat the sin offering
in the sanctuary? For it is most holy and he gave it to you
to bear the iniquity of the congregation, to make
atonement on their behalf before the Lord. (NET)
4. Leviticus 20:19, You must not expose the nakedness of
your mother’s sister and your father’s sister, for such a
person has laid bare his own close relative. They must
bear their punishment for iniquity. (NET)
5. Numbers 5:31, Then the man will be free from iniquity,
but that woman will bear the consequences of her
iniquity.’” (NET)
6. Numbers 18:1, The Lord said to Aaron, “You and your
sons and your tribe with you must bear the iniquity of the
sanctuary, and you and your sons with you must bear the
iniquity of your priesthood. (NET)
7. Ezekiel 16:52, 54, So now, bear your disgrace, because
you have given your sisters reason to justify their
behavior. Because the sins you have committed were
more abominable than those of your sisters; they have
become more righteous than you. So now, be ashamed
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and bear the disgrace of making your sisters appear
righteous. so that you may bear your disgrace and be
ashamed of all you have done in consoling them. (NET)
8. Ezekiel 32:30, “All the leaders of the north are there,
along with all the Sidonians; despite their might they
have gone down in shameful terror with the dead. They
lie uncircumcised with those killed by the sword, and
bear their shame with those who descend to the Pit.
(NET)
9. Ezekiel 36:7, So this is what the sovereign Lord says: I
vow that the nations around you will endure insults as
well. (NET)
Ezekiel 44:13, They will not come near me to serve me as priest, nor
will they come near any of my holy things, the things which are most
sacred. They will bear the shame of the abominable deeds they have
committed. (NET)
I. They are not to come near to serve me as priests or come near any of
my holy things or my most holy offerings; . . .
A. All priests were Levites, but not all Levites were priests.
Priests, in addition to being descendants of Levi, were also
required to be sons of the Levite, Aaron, brother of Moses. (See
Hamilton.)
II. they must bear the shame of their detestable practices.
A. Whatsoever a man sows, that shall he also reap!
B. Shame is a rare quality in today’s world.
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1. People are “proud” of some of the most disgraceful
behaviors.
2. We live in a world that has been turned upside down!
Ezekiel 44:14, Yet I will appoint them to keep charge of the temple,
all of its service and all that will be done in it. (NET)
I. Yet I will put them in charge of the duties of the temple and all the
work that is to be done in it.
A. Those Levites who were repentant were given a second chance.
1. They were put in charge of the duties of the temple and all
the work that was to be done it.
B. Thanks be to God that he also extends to us second, third, . . .
chances!
Ezekiel 44:15, “‘But the Levitical priests, the descendants of Zadok
who kept the charge of my sanctuary when the people of Israel went
astray from me, will approach me to minister to me; they will stand
before me to offer me the fat and the blood, declares the sovereign
Lord. (NET)
I. “‘But the priests, who are Levites and descendants of Zadok and who
faithfully carried out the duties of my sanctuary when the Israelites went
astray from me, are to come near to minister before me; . . .
A. The High Priest at this time was of the family, descendants of
Zadok. The ancestors of Abiathar had been chief priests dating
back to Eli and the early days of Samuel. Both Abiathar and
Zadok served as priests in the days of David. Abiathar was
deposed due to his supporting the wrong candidate to succeed
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David as king. Thereafter Zadok and his descendants were priests
in Israel. (See Youngblood.)
B. Because the descendants of Zadok had been faithful during a
time of gross unfaithfulness, they were assigned the role of the
priesthood. (See Smith.)
C. “The Zadokites ascended to prominence among the descendants
of Aaron after the fall of Eli’s house. Zadok’s political support of
Solomon over Adonijah helped secure his clan’s place within
Solomon’s temple service,” Fredenburg wrote. Perhaps any
Zadokite could serve as high priest.
1. 1 Samuel 3:11-15, The Lord said to Samuel, “Look! I
am about to do something in Israel; when anyone hears
about it, both of his ears will tingle. On that day I will
carry out against Eli everything that I spoke about his
house—from start to finish! You should tell him that I am
about to judge his house forever because of the sin that he
knew about. For his sons were cursing God, and he did
not rebuke them. Therefore I swore an oath to the house
of Eli, ‘The sin of the house of Eli can never be forgiven
by sacrifice or by grain offering.’” So Samuel lay down
until morning. Then he opened the doors of the Lord’s
house. But Samuel was afraid to tell Eli about the vision.
(NET)
2. 2 Samuel 8:17, Zadok son of Ahitub and Ahimelech son
of Abiathar were priests; Seraiah was scribe; (NET)
3. 1 Kings 1:8, But Zadok the priest, Benaiah son of
Jehoiada, Nathan the prophet, Shimei, Rei, and David’s
elite warriors did not ally themselves with Adonijah.
(NET)
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D. All priests and assistants to the priests were of the tribe of Levi.
1. “The priesthood, at its institution, having been entrusted to
Aaron and his sons, on Aaron’s death the high priesthood
passed into the hands of Eleazar, his eldest (living) son, and
after Eleazar’s death into those of Phinehas, his eldest son”
(The Pulpit Comentary)
2. “In the last days of the judges, when the ark and tabernacle
stood at Shiloh, the high priesthood belonged to Eli, of the
line of Ithamar within which line it continued till the reign of
David, when it was held conjointly by Abiathar (called also
Ahimelech) of the line of Ithamar, and Zadok of the line of
Eleazar.” (The Pulpit Commentary)
3. “This arrangement, however, Solomon eventually
overturned, by deposing the former for espousing Adonijah’s
pretensions to the throne, and from that time forward till the
exile the high priesthood remained with Zadok and has sons.”
(The Pulpit Commentary)
4. In Ezekiel’s visionary temple, the descendants of Zadok
continued to serve as priests.
II. They are to stand before me to offer sacrifices of fat and blood,
declares the Sovereign Lord.
A. Faithfulness is divinely rewarded.
B. Notice that all the Zadokites were not priests nor permitted to
serve as priests, but only those who or whose ancestors had
remained faithful when the Israelites went astray would serve.
Ezekiel 44:16, They will enter my sanctuary, and approach my table
to minister to me; they will keep my charge. (NET)
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I. They alone are to enter my sanctuary; they alone are to come near my
table to minister before me and perform my service.
A. This reference to “my table” may refer to the table of
showbread and/or the altar of incense, Clarke wrote.
B. These particular priests were alone permitted to enter and serve
in the sanctuary.
Ezekiel 44:17, “‘When they enter the gates of the inner court, they
must wear linen garments; they must not have any wool on them
when they minister in the inner gates of the court and in the temple.
I. “‘When they enter the gates of the inner court, they are to wear linen
clothes; . . .
A. Smith noted, “Definite regulations were stipulated regarding
priests’ garments, hair style, sobriety and marital status.
1. Clean, white “linen garments” were emblematic of purity.
(See Smith.)
a. Revelation 19:8, 14, She was permitted to be
dressed in bright, clean, fine linen” (for the fine
linen is the righteous deeds of the saints). The
armies that are in heaven, dressed in white, clean,
fine linen, were following him on white horses.
(NET)
B. Emphasis was on purity and holiness in verses 17-31.
(Fredenburg)
1. Yahweh regulates seven areas of Zadokite priestly life in
this passage: clothing, hair, wine, marriage, public
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administration, corpse contact, and food maintenance.
(Fredenburg)
C. Scriptures related to priestly attire:
1. Exodus 28:40-43, “For Aaron’s sons you are to make
tunics, sashes, and headbands for glory and for beauty.
“You are to clothe them—your brother Aaron and his
sons with him—and anoint them and ordain them and set
them apart as holy, so that they may minister as my
priests. Make for them linen undergarments to cover
their naked bodies; they must cover from the waist to the
thighs. These must be on Aaron and his sons when they
enter to the tent of meeting, or when they approach the
altar to minister in the Holy Place, so that they bear no
iniquity and die. It is to be a perpetual ordinance for him
and for his descendants after him. (NET)
2. Exodus 39:27-29, They made tunics of fine linen—the
work of a weaver, for Aaron and for his sons—and the
turban of fine linen, the headbands of fine linen, and the
undergarments of fine twisted linen. The sash was of fine
twisted linen and blue, purple, and scarlet yarn, the work
of an embroiderer, just as the Lord had commanded
Moses. (NET)
3. Leviticus 6:10, Then the priest must put on his linen
robe and must put linen leggings over his bare flesh, and
he must take up the fatty ashes of the burnt offering that
the fire consumed on the altar, and he must place them
beside the altar. (NET)
4. Leviticus 13:47-48, “When a garment has a diseased
infection in it, whether a wool or linen garment, 48 or in
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the warp or woof of the linen or the wool, or in leather or
anything made of leather, (NET)
5. Deuteronomy 22:11, You must not wear clothing made
with wool and linen meshed together. (NET)
6. Jeremiah 13:1, The Lord said to me, “Go and buy some
linen shorts and put them on. Do not put them in water.”
(NET)
II. they must not wear any woolen garment while ministering at the gates
of the inner court or inside the temple.
A. Woolen garments were forbidden because they would promote
perspiration which would cause ceremonial uncleanness, impurity.
(Fredenburg)
B. Clarke added that woolen garments were more likely than linen
to contract dirt and breed insects. Also, linen was a vegetable
product while wool was an animal product.
Ezekiel 44:18, Linen turbans will be on their heads and linen
undergarments will be around their waists; they must not bind
themselves with anything that causes sweat. (NET)
I. They are to wear linen turbans (tiara) on their head and linen
undergarments around their waists.
A. Exodus 28:40, “For Aaron’s sons you are to make tunics,
sashes, and headbands for glory and for beauty. (NET)
B. Exodus 29:9, and wrap the sashes around Aaron and his
sons and put headbands on them, and so the ministry of
priesthood will belong to them by a perpetual ordinance. Thus
you are to consecrate Aaron and his sons. (NET)
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C. Exodus 39:28, and the turban of fine linen, the headbands of
fine linen, and the undergarments of fine twisted linen. (NET)
D. Isaiah 61:10, I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; I will be
overjoyed because of my God. For he clothes me in garments of
deliverance; he puts on me a robe symbolizing vindication. I
look like a bridegroom when he wears a turban as a priest
would; I look like a bride when she puts on her jewelry. (NET)
E. Ezekiel 24:17, 23, Groan in silence for the dead, but do not
perform mourning rites. Bind on your turban and put your
sandals on your feet. Do not cover your lip and do not eat food
brought by others.” Your turbans will be on your heads and
your sandals on your feet; you will not mourn or weep, but you
will rot for your iniquities and groan among yourselves. (NET)
II. They must not wear anything that makes them perspire.
A. Smith explained that perspiration would make the priest
ceremonially unclean.
Ezekiel 44:19, When they go out to the outer court to the people,
they must remove the garments they were ministering in, and place
them in the holy chambers; they must put on other garments so that
they will not transmit holiness to the people with their garments.
(NET)
I. When they go out into the outer court where the people are, they are to
take off the clothes they have been ministering in and are to leave them
in the sacred rooms, and . . .
A. The Putpit Commentary reads, “When the priests retired from
the inner court, and before they passed in to the outer court to
mingle with the people, they were enjoined to lay aside their
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official robes, depositing them in the holy chambers already
described, and to put on their ordinary clothes.
1. Ezekiel 42:1-14, Then he led me out to the outer court,
toward the north, and brought me to the chamber which
was opposite the courtyard and opposite the building on
the north. Its length was 175 feet on the north side, and its
width 87½ feet. Opposite the 35 feet that belonged to the
inner court, and opposite the pavement which belonged to
the outer court, gallery faced gallery in the three stories.
In front of the chambers was a walkway on the inner side,
17½ feet wide at a distance of 1¾ feet, and their entrances
were on the north. Now the upper chambers were
narrower, because the galleries took more space from
them than from the lower and middle chambers of the
building. For they were in three stories and had no pillars
like the pillars of the courts; therefore the upper
chambers were set back from the ground more than the
lower and upper ones. As for the outer wall by the side of
the chambers, toward the outer court facing the
chambers, it was 87½ feet long. For the chambers on the
outer court were 87½ feet long, while those facing the
temple were 175 feet long. Below these chambers was a
passage on the east side as one enters from the outer
court. At the beginning of the wall of the court toward the
south, facing the courtyard and the building, were
chambers with a passage in front of them. They looked
like the chambers on the north. Of the same length and
width, and all their exits according to their arrangements
and entrances were the chambers which were toward the
south. There was an opening at the head of the passage,
the passage in front of the corresponding wall toward the
east when one enters. Then he said to me, “The north
chambers and the south chambers which face the
courtyard are holy chambers where the priests who
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approach the Lord will eat the most holy offerings. There
they will place the most holy offerings—the grain
offering, the sin offering, and the guilt offering, because
the place is holy. When the priests enter, then they will
not go out from the sanctuary to the outer court without
taking off their garments in which they minister, for these
are holy; they will put on other garments, then they will
go near the places where the people are.” (NET)
2. Leviticus 6:11, Then he must take off his clothes and
put on other clothes, and he must bring the fatty ashes
outside the camp to a ceremonially clean place, (NET)
II. put on other clothes, so that they do not consecrate the people by
means of their garments.
A. These priestly garments could transmit a temporary state of
holiness to the people outside the temple which would render them
unfit to perform their ordinary duties of daily life, Smith advised.
1. Ezekiel 46:20, He said to me, “This is the place where
the priests will boil the guilt offering and the sin offering,
and where they will bake the grain offering, so that they
do not bring them out to the outer court to transmit
holiness to the people.” (NET)
2. If the people touched the priestly garments, this would
impart to them a ritualistic holiness, sanctity which would
disqualify them for a time to attend to the common duties of
life. (The Pulpit Commentary)
a. Leviticus 6:18, 27, Every male among the sons of
Aaron may eat it. It is a perpetual allotted portion
throughout your generations from the gifts of the
Lord. Anyone who touches these gifts must be
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holy.’” Anyone who touches its meat must be holy,
and whoever spatters some of its blood on a
garment, you must wash whatever he spatters it on
in a holy place. (NET)
b. Exodus 29:37, For seven days you are to make
atonement for the altar and set it apart as holy.
Then the altar will be most holy. Anything that
touches the altar will be holy. (NET)
c. Exodus 30:29, So you are to sanctify them, and
they will be most holy; anything that touches them
will be holy. (NET)
Ezekiel 44:20, “‘They must not shave their heads nor let their hair
grow long; they must only trim their heads. (NET)
I. “‘They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long, but they
are to keep the hair of their heads trimmed.
A. Leviticus 21:1-5, The Lord said to Moses: “Say to the
priests, the sons of Aaron—say to them, ‘For a dead person no
priest is to defile himself among his people, except for his close
relative who is near to him: his mother, his father, his son, his
daughter, his brother, and his virgin sister who is near to him,
who has no husband; he may defile himself for her. He must
not defile himself as a husband among his people so as to
profane himself. Priests must not have a bald spot shaved on
their head, they must not shave the corner of their beard, and
they must not cut slashes in their body. (NET)
B. “A shaved head was a sign of mourning among non-Israelites,”
Fredenburg wrote, “and was also associated with ancestor
worship.”
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1. Ezekiel 27:31, they will tear out their hair because of
you and put on sackcloth, and they will weep bitterly over
you with intense mourning. (NET)
2. Leviticus 10:6, Then Moses said to Aaron and to
Eleazar and Ithamar his other two sons, “Do not dishevel
the hair of your heads and do not tear your garments, so
that you do not die and so that wrath does not come on
the whole congregation. Your brothers, all the house of
Israel, are to mourn the burning which the Lord has
caused, (NET)
3. “Shaved hair was also used by Babylonian priests for
divining messages from their gods.” (Fredenburg)
a. Ezekiel 5:1-4, “As for you, son of man, take a
sharp sword and use it as a barber’s razor. Shave
off some of the hair from your head and your beard.
Then take scales and divide up the hair you cut off.
Burn a third of it in the fire inside the city when the
days of your siege are completed. Take a third and
slash it with a sword all around the city. Scatter a
third to the wind, and I will unleash a sword behind
them. But take a few strands of hair from those and
tie them in the ends of your garment. Again, take
more of them and throw them into the fire, and
burn them up. From there a fire will spread to all
the house of Israel. (NET)
4. The Zodokite priests were to keep the hair of their head
trimmed (Fredenburg), but not shaved. (Clarke)
C. In contrasts with these priestly regulations, heathen priests of
Egypt’s Iris shaved their heads close to the skin. (See Clarke.)
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D. Priests were to avoid extremes in how they wore their hair.
1. Both shaving the head and wearing the hair long were
forbidden.
a. Leviticus 21:5, Priests must not have a bald spot
shaved on their head, they must not shave the corner
of their beard, and they must not cut slashes in their
body. (NET)
b. Leviticus 10:6, Then Moses said to Aaron and to
Eleazar and Ithamar his other two sons, “Do not
dishevel the hair of your heads and do not tear your
garments, so that you do not die and so that wrath
does not come on the whole congregation. Your
brothers, all the house of Israel, are to mourn the
burning which the Lord has caused, (NET)
c. Leviticus 21:10, “‘The high priest—who is greater
than his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil is
poured, who has been ordained to wear the priestly
garments—must neither dishevel the hair of his
head nor tear his garments. (NET)
Ezekiel 44:21, No priest may drink wine when he enters the inner
court. (NET)
I. No priest is to drink wine when he enters the inner court.
A. Performances of priestly duties and respect for Yahweh
demanded sobriety. (Fredenburg)
1. Leviticus 10:1-11, Then Aaron’s sons, Nadab and
Abihu, each took his fire pan and put fire in it, set incense
on it, and presented strange fire before the Lord, which
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he had not commanded them to do. So fire went out from
the presence of the Lord and consumed them so that they
died before the Lord. Moses then said to Aaron, “This is
what the Lord spoke: ‘Among the ones close to me I will
show myself holy, and in the presence of all the people I
will be honored.’” So Aaron kept silent. Moses then called
to Mishael and Elzaphan, the sons of Uzziel, Aaron’s
uncle, and said to them, “Come near, carry your brothers
away from the front of the sanctuary to a place outside
the camp.” So they came near and carried them away in
their tunics to a place outside the camp just as Moses had
spoken. Then Moses said to Aaron and to Eleazar and
Ithamar his other two sons, “Do not dishevel the hair of
your heads and do not tear your garments, so that you do
not die and so that wrath does not come on the whole
congregation. Your brothers, all the house of Israel, are
to mourn the burning which the Lord has caused, but you
must not go out from the entrance of the Meeting Tent
lest you die, for the Lord’s anointing oil is on you.” So
they acted according to the word of Moses. Then the Lord
spoke to Aaron, “Do not drink wine or strong drink, you
and your sons with you, when you enter into the Meeting
Tent, so that you do not die, which is a perpetual statute
throughout your generations, as well as to distinguish
between the holy and the common, and between the
unclean and the clean, and to teach the Israelites all the
statutes that the Lord has spoken to them through
Moses.” (NET)
B. Priests were not forbidden to abstain from wine when not on
duty.
Ezekiel 44:22, They must not marry a widow or a divorcee, but they
may marry a virgin from the house of Israel or a widow who is a
priest’s widow. (NET)
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I. They must not marry widows or divorced women; they may marry
only virgins of Israelite descent or widows of priests.
A. Here the Zadokite priests were able to marry Israelite virgins of
any tribe, not just those of the tribe of Levi as had been the case
originally.
1. Leviticus 21:7, 13-15, They must not take a wife defiled
by prostitution, nor are they to take a wife divorced from
her husband, for the priest is holy to his God. He must
take a wife who is a virgin. 14 He must not marry a
widow, a divorced woman, or one profaned by
prostitution; he may only take a virgin from his people as
a wife. 15 He must not profane his children among his
people, for I am the Lord who sanctifies him.’” (NET)
B. However, they were not permitted to marry widows except
those who were widows of priests.
1. Originally priests could marry widows, except for the high
priests who was even then forbidden to marry widows.
C. Priests were forbidden to marry divorced women.
Ezekiel 44:23, Moreover, they will teach my people the difference
between the holy and the common, and show them how to
distinguish between the ceremonially unclean and the clean. (NET)
I. they are to teach my people the difference between the holy and the
common and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the
clean.
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A. Priests were to educate the people as to how to distinguish
between the clean and the unclean, the holy and the common. (See
Smith and Fredenburg.)
1. Deuteronomy 33:10, They will teach Jacob your
ordinances and Israel your law; they will offer incense as
a pleasant odor, and a whole offering on your altar.
(NET)
2. Leviticus 10:10, as well as to distinguish between the
holy and the common, and between the unclean and the
clean, (NET)
3. Deuteronomy 24:8, Be careful during an outbreak of
leprosy to follow precisely all that the Levitical priests
instruct you; as I have commanded them, so you should
do. (NET)
4. Malachi 2:7-9, For the lips of a priest should preserve
knowledge of sacred things, and people should seek
instruction from him because he is the messenger of the
Lord who rules over all. You, however, have turned from
the way. You have caused many to violate the law; you
have corrupted the covenant with Levi,” says the Lord
who rules over all. “Therefore, I have caused you to be
ignored and belittled before all people to the extent to
which you are not following after me and are showing
partiality in your instruction.” (NET)
Ezekiel 44:24, “‘In a controversy they will act as judges; they will
judge according to my ordinances. They will keep my laws and my
statutes regarding all my appointed festivals and will observe my
Sabbaths.
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I. “‘In any dispute, the priests are to serve as judges and decide it
according to my ordinances.
A. The priests were to serve as judicial officers. (See smith.)
1. The priests knew the law of Moses and were ideal people
to adjudicate legal cases, to serve as judges.
a. Deuteronomy 17:8-13, If a matter is too difficult
for you to judge—bloodshed, legal claim, or
assault—matters of controversy in your villages—
you must leave there and go up to the place the Lord
your God chooses. You will go to the Levitical
priests and the judge in office in those days and seek
a solution; they will render a verdict. You must then
do as they have determined at that place the Lord
chooses. Be careful to do just as you are taught. You
must do what you are instructed, and the verdict
they pronounce to you, without fail. Do not deviate
right or left from what they tell you. The person who
pays no attention to the priest currently serving the
Lord your God there, or to the verdict—that person
must die, so that you may purge evil from Israel.
Then all the people will hear and be afraid, and not
be so presumptuous again. (NET)
b. Deuteronomy 19:15-21, A single witness may not
testify against another person for any trespass or sin
that he commits. A matter may be legally
established only on the testimony of two or three
witnesses. If a false witness testifies against another
person and accuses him of a crime, then both parties
to the controversy must stand before the Lord, that
is, before the priests and judges who will be in office
in those days. The judges will thoroughly investigate
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the matter, and if the witness should prove to be
false and to have given false testimony against the
accused, you must do to him what he had intended
to do to the accused. In this way you will purge evil
from among you. The rest of the people will hear
and become afraid to keep doing such evil among
you. You must not show pity; the principle will be a
life for a life, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a
hand for a hand, and a foot for a foot. (NET)
c. Deuteronomy 21:1-9, If a homicide victim should
be found lying in a field in the land the Lord your
God is giving you, and no one knows who killed him,
your elders and judges must go out and measure
how far it is to the cities in the vicinity of the corpse.
Then the elders of the city nearest to the corpse must
take from the herd a heifer that has not been
worked—that has never pulled with the yoke—and
bring the heifer down to a wadi with flowing water,
to a valley that is neither plowed nor sown. There at
the wadi they are to break the heifer’s neck. Then
the Levitical priests will approach (for the Lord
your God has chosen them to serve him and to
pronounce blessings in his name, and to decide every
judicial verdict) and all the elders of that city
nearest the corpse must wash their hands over the
heifer whose neck was broken in the valley. Then
they must proclaim, “Our hands have not spilled
this blood, nor have we witnessed the crime. Do not
blame your people Israel whom you redeemed, O
Lord, and do not hold them accountable for the
bloodshed of an innocent person.” Then atonement
will be made for the bloodshed. In this manner you
will purge out the guilt of innocent blood from
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among you, for you must do what is right before the
Lord. (NET)
d. Numbers 5:14-31, and if jealous feelings come
over him and he becomes suspicious of his wife,
when she is defiled; or if jealous feelings come over
him and he becomes suspicious of his wife, when she
is not defiled—then the man must bring his wife to
the priest, and he must bring the offering required
for her, one tenth of an ephah of barley meal; he
must not pour olive oil on it or put frankincense on
it, because it is a grain offering of suspicion, a grain
offering for remembering, for bringing iniquity to
remembrance. “‘Then the priest will bring her near
and have her stand before the Lord. The priest will
then take holy water in a pottery jar, and take some
of the dust that is on the floor of the tabernacle, and
put it into the water. Then the priest will have the
woman stand before the Lord, uncover the woman’s
head, and put the grain offering for remembering in
her hands, which is the grain offering of suspicion.
The priest will hold in his hand the bitter water that
brings a curse. Then the priest will put the woman
under oath and say to her, “If no other man has had
sexual relations with you, and if you have not gone
astray and become defiled while under your
husband’s authority, may you be free from this
bitter water that brings a curse. But if you have
gone astray while under your husband’s authority,
and if you have defiled yourself and some man other
than your husband has had sexual relations with
you….” Then the priest will put the woman under
the oath of the curse and will say to her, “The Lord
make you an attested curse among your people, if
the Lord makes your thigh fall away and your
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abdomen swell; and this water that causes the curse
will go into your stomach, and make your abdomen
swell and your thigh rot.” Then the woman must
say, “Amen, amen.” “‘Then the priest will write
these curses on a scroll and then scrape them off into
the bitter water. He will make the woman drink the
bitter water that brings a curse, and the water that
brings a curse will enter her to produce bitterness.
The priest will take the grain offering of suspicion
from the woman’s hand, wave the grain offering
before the Lord, and bring it to the altar. Then the
priest will take a handful of the grain offering as its
memorial portion, burn it on the altar, and
afterward make the woman drink the water. When
he has made her drink the water, then, if she has
defiled herself and behaved unfaithfully toward her
husband, the water that brings a curse will enter her
to produce bitterness—her abdomen will swell, her
thigh will fall away, and the woman will become a
curse among her people. But if the woman has not
defiled herself, and is clean, then she will be free of
ill effects and will be able to bear children. “‘This is
the law for cases of jealousy, when a wife, while
under her husband’s authority, goes astray and
defiles herself, or when jealous feelings come over a
man and he becomes suspicious of his wife; then he
must have the woman stand before the Lord, and
the priest will carry out all this law upon her. Then
the man will be free from iniquity, but that woman
will bear the consequences of her iniquity.’” (NET)
e. Hosea 4:6, You have destroyed my people by
failing to acknowledge me! Because you refuse to
acknowledge me, I will reject you as my priests.
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Because you reject the law of your God, I will reject
your descendants. (NET)
f. Micah 3:11, Her leaders take bribes when they
decide legal cases, her priests proclaim rulings for
profit, and her prophets read omens for pay. Yet
they claim to trust the Lord and say, “The Lord is
among us. Disaster will not overtake us!” (NET)
g. Isaiah 28:7, Even these men stagger because of
wine, they stumble around because of beer— priests
and prophets stagger because of beer, they are
confused because of wine, they stumble around
because of beer; they stagger while seeing prophetic
visions, they totter while making legal decisions.
(NET)
h. Jeremiah 18:18, Then some people said, “Come
on! Let us consider how to deal with Jeremiah!
There will still be priests to instruct us, wise men to
give us advice, and prophets to declare God’s word.
Come on! Let’s bring charges against him and get
rid of him! Then we will not need to pay attention to
anything he says.” (NET)
i. 2 Chronicles 17:17-19, From Benjamin, Eliada, a
skilled warrior, led 200,000 men who were equipped
with bows and shields, and Jehozabad led 180,000
trained warriors. These were the ones who served
the king, besides those whom the king placed in the
fortified cities throughout Judah. (NET)
j. 2 Chronicles 19:5-11, He appointed judges
throughout the land and in each of the fortified
cities of Judah. He told the judges, “Be careful what
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you do, for you are not judging for men, but for the
Lord, who will be with you when you make judicial
decisions. Respect the Lord and make careful
decisions, for the Lord our God disapproves of
injustice, partiality, and bribery.” In Jerusalem
Jehoshaphat appointed some Levites, priests, and
Israelite family leaders to judge on behalf of the
Lord and to settle disputes among the residents of
Jerusalem. He commanded them: “Carry out your
duties with respect for the Lord, with honesty, and
with pure motives. Whenever your countrymen who
live in the cities bring a case before you (whether it
involves a violent crime or other matters related to
the law, commandments, rules, and regulations),
warn them that they must not sin against the Lord.
If you fail to do so, God will be angry with you and
your colleagues, but if you obey, you will be free of
guilt. You will report to Amariah the chief priest in
all matters pertaining to the Lord’s law, and to
Zebadiah son of Ishmael, the leader of the family of
Judah, in all matters pertaining to the king. The
Levites will serve as officials before you. Confidently
carry out your duties! May the Lord be with those
who do well!” (NET)
II. They are to keep my laws and my decrees for all my appointed feasts,
and they are to keep my Sabbath holy.
A. Priests were to officiate, regulate all feasts and Sabbaths in
keeping with God’s decrees. (See Smith.)
B. The priests were to be sure all feasts, Sabbaths and Holy Days
were observed in keeping with the laws of the Lord. (See
Fredenburg.)
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1. Previous priests had overlooked Sabbath violations. (See
Fredenburg.)
a. Ezekiel 22:26, Her priests abuse my law and have
desecrated my holy things. They do not distinguish
between the holy and the profane, or recognize any
distinction between the unclean and the clean. They
ignore my Sabbaths and I am profaned in their
midst. (NET)
2. Fredenburg observed that God was the authority behind all
that was to be done.
a. The Lord spoke of my ordinances, my laws, my
decrees, my appointed feasts, my sabbaths.
b. What was done was to be in strict keeping with the
will of the Lord!
c. This is certainly true today in regard to the church.
C. Keeping all the laws of God relating to feast days and Sabbath
days was absolutely essential, required!
1. Exodus 20:8-11, “Remember the Sabbath day to set it
apart as holy. For six days you may labor and do all your
work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your
God; on it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or
your daughter, or your male servant, or your female
servant, or your cattle, or the resident foreigner who is in
your gates. For in six days the Lord made the heavens
and the earth and the sea and all that is in them, and he
rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the
Sabbath day and set it apart as holy. (NET)
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2. Exodus 31:13-17, “Tell the Israelites, ‘Surely you must
keep my Sabbaths, for it is a sign between me and you
throughout your generations, that you may know that I
am the Lord who sanctifies you. So you must keep the
Sabbath, for it is holy for you. Everyone who defiles it
must surely be put to death; indeed, if anyone does any
work on it, then that person will be cut off from among
his people. Six days work may be done, but on the seventh
day is a Sabbath of complete rest, holy to the Lord;
anyone who does work on the Sabbath day must surely be
put to death. The Israelites must keep the Sabbath by
observing the Sabbath throughout their generations as a
perpetual covenant. It is a sign between me and the
Israelites forever; for in six days the Lord made the
heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day he rested
and was refreshed.’” (NET)
3. Leviticus 23:3, “‘Six days work may be done, but on
the seventh day there must be a Sabbath of complete rest,
a holy assembly. You must not do any work; it is a
Sabbath to the Lord in all the places where you live.
(NET)
4. Leviticus 24:8, Each Sabbath day Aaron must arrange
it before the LORD continually; this portion is from the
Israelites as a perpetual covenant. (NET)
5. Numbers 28:9, “‘On the Sabbath day, you must offer
two unblemished lambs a year old, and two-tenths of an
ephah of finely ground flour as a grain offering, mixed
with olive oil, along with its drink offering. (NET)
6. Ezekiel 20:12, 13, 20, 21, I also gave them my Sabbaths
as a reminder of our relationship, so that they would
know that I, the Lord, sanctify them. But the house of
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Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness; they did not
follow my statutes and they rejected my regulations (the
one who obeys them will live by them), and they utterly
desecrated my Sabbaths. So I decided to pour out my
rage on them in the wilderness and destroy them. Treat
my Sabbaths as holy and they will be a reminder of our
relationship, and then you will know that I am the Lord
your God.” “‘But the children rebelled against me, did
not follow my statutes, did not observe my regulations by
carrying them out (the one who obeys them will live by
them), and desecrated my Sabbaths. I decided to pour out
my rage on them and fully vent my anger against them in
the wilderness. (NET)
7. Ezekiel 22:8, You have despised my holy things and
desecrated my Sabbaths! (NET)
Ezekiel 44:25, “‘They must not come near a dead person or they will
be defiled; however, for father, mother, son, daughter, brother or
sister, they may defile themselves. (NET)
I. “‘A priest must not defile himself by going near a dead person; . . .
A. Priests were required to maintain purity, cleanliness, holiness
and to avoid all things which could contaminate them. (See
Fredenburg.)
1. Leviticus 21:1-4, The Lord said to Moses: “Say to the
priests, the sons of Aaron—say to them, ‘For a dead
person no priest is to defile himself among his people,
except for his close relative who is near to him: his
mother, his father, his son, his daughter, his brother, and
his virgin sister who is near to him, who has no husband;
he may defile himself for her. He must not defile himself
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as a husband among his people so as to profane himself.
(NET)
2. Leviticus 24:18-19, One who beats an animal to death
must make restitution for it, life for life. If a man inflicts
an injury on his fellow citizen, just as he has done it must
be done to him— (NET)
3. Numbers 19:1-22, The Lord spoke to Moses and
Aaron: “This is the ordinance of the law which the Lord
has commanded: ‘Instruct the Israelites to bring you a
red heifer without blemish, which has no defect and has
never carried a yoke. You must give it to Eleazar the
priest so that he can take it outside the camp, and it must
be slaughtered before him. Eleazar the priest is to take
some of its blood with his finger, and sprinkle some of the
blood seven times directly in front of the tent of meeting.
Then the heifer must be burned in his sight—its skin, its
flesh, its blood, and its offal is to be burned. And the
priest must take cedar wood, hyssop, and scarlet wool
and throw them into the midst of the fire where the heifer
is burning. Then the priest must wash his clothes and
bathe himself in water, and afterward he may come into
the camp, but the priest will be ceremonially unclean
until evening. The one who burns it must wash his clothes
in water and bathe himself in water. He will be
ceremonially unclean until evening. “‘Then a man who is
ceremonially clean must gather up the ashes of the red
heifer and put them in a ceremonially clean place outside
the camp. They must be kept for the community of the
Israelites for use in the water of purification—it is a
purification for sin. The one who gathers the ashes of the
heifer must wash his clothes and be ceremonially unclean
until evening. This will be a permanent ordinance both
for the Israelites and the resident foreigner who lives
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among them. “‘Whoever touches the corpse of any person
will be ceremonially unclean seven days. He must purify
himself with water on the third day and on the seventh
day, and so will be clean. But if he does not purify himself
on the third day and the seventh day, then he will not be
clean. Anyone who touches the corpse of any dead person
and does not purify himself defiles the tabernacle of the
Lord. And that person must be cut off from Israel,
because the water of purification was not sprinkled on
him. He will be unclean; his uncleanness remains on him.
“‘This is the law: When a man dies in a tent, anyone who
comes into the tent and all who are in the tent will be
ceremonially unclean seven days. And every open
container that has no covering fastened on it is unclean.
And whoever touches the body of someone killed with a
sword in the open fields, or the body of someone who died
of natural causes, or a human bone, or a grave, will be
unclean seven days. “‘For a ceremonially unclean person
you must take some of the ashes of the heifer burnt for
purification from sin and pour fresh running water over
them in a vessel. Then a ceremonially clean person must
take hyssop, dip it in the water, and sprinkle it on the
tent, on all its furnishings, and on the people who were
there, or on the one who touched a bone, or one killed, or
one who died, or a grave. And the clean person must
sprinkle the unclean on the third day and on the seventh
day; and on the seventh day he must purify him, and then
he must wash his clothes, and bathe in water, and he will
be clean in the evening. But the man who is unclean and
does not purify himself, that person must be cut off from
among the community, because he has polluted the
sanctuary of the Lord; the water of purification was not
sprinkled on him, so he is unclean. “‘So this will be a
perpetual ordinance for them: The one who sprinkles the
water of purification must wash his clothes, and the one
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who touches the water of purification will be unclean
until evening. And whatever the unclean person touches
will be unclean, and the person who touches it will be
unclean until evening.’” (NET)
Ezekiel 44:25b, however, for father, mother, son, daughter, brother
or sister, they may defile themselves. (NET)
II. however, if the dead person was his father or mother, son or daughter,
brother or unmarried sister, then he may defile himself.
A. Does this mean a priest could not defile himself for his
deceased wife? (See Fredenburg.)
1. The Pulpit Commentary suggested that touching a
deceased wife would be included in “his kin that is near unto
him.” and . . .
a. Leviticus 21:1-4, The Lord said to Moses: “Say to
the priests, the sons of Aaron—say to them, ‘For a
dead person no priest is to defile himself among his
people, except for his close relative who is near to
him: his mother, his father, his son, his daughter, his
brother, and his virgin sister who is near to him,
who has no husband; he may defile himself for her.
He must not defile himself as a husband among his
people so as to profane himself. (NET)
2. that defilement could not be avoided in the case of a wife
and was therefore tacitly allowed.
a. Ezekiel 24:15-18, The word of Lord came to me:
“Son of man, realize that I am about to take the
delight of your eyes away from you with a jolt, but
you must not mourn or weep or shed tears. Groan in
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silence for the dead, but do not perform mourning
rites. Bind on your turban and put your sandals on
your feet. Do not cover your lip and do not eat food
brought by others.” So I spoke to the people in the
morning, and my wife died in the evening. In the
morning I acted just as I was commanded. (NET)
Ezekiel 44:26, After a priest has become ceremonially clean, they
must count off a period of seven days for him. (NET)
I. After he is cleansed, he must wait seven days.
A. The ceremonial cleansing process took seven days and, before
resuming his priestly duties in the inner court he is to offer a
purification (sin) offering for himself first. (Fredenburg)
Ezekiel 44:27, On the day he enters the sanctuary, into the inner
court to serve in the sanctuary, he must offer his sin offering,
declares the sovereign Lord. (NET)
I. On the day he goes into the inner court of the sanctuary to minister in
the sanctuary, he is to offer a sin offering for himself, declares the
Sovereign Lord.
A. Even the priests were required to offer a sin offering for himself
because he was human and subject to all the sins of any other
person and that, before performing the duties of a priest, he had to
purify himself.
B. The sin offering was to absolve the priests’ defilement produced
by contacting a dead body.
Ezekiel 44:28, “‘This will be their inheritance: I am their
inheritance, and you must give them no property in Israel; I am
their property.
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I. “‘I am to be the only inheritance the priests have.
A. Priests were to have no territorial possession, but were to rely
solely on Yahweh for their support. (Fredenburg)
1. Numbers 18:20, The Lord spoke to Aaron, “You will
have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any
portion of property among them—I am your portion and
your inheritance among the Israelites. (NET)
2. Deuteronomy 10:9, Therefore Levi has no allotment or
inheritance among his brothers; the Lord is his
inheritance just as the Lord your God told him. (NET)
3. Deuteronomy 18:1-2, The Levitical priests—indeed, the
entire tribe of Levi—will have no allotment or inheritance
with Israel; they may eat the burnt offerings of the Lord
and of his inheritance. They will have no inheritance in
the midst of their fellow Israelites; the Lord alone is their
inheritance, just as he had told them. (NET)
4. Ezekiel 45:4, It will be a holy portion of the land; it will
be for the priests, the ministers of the sanctuary who
approach the Lord to minister to him. It will be a place
for their houses and a holy place for the sanctuary.
(NET)
II. You are to give them no possession in Israel: I will be their
possession.
A. This refers to a land possession as was given to the Levites.
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Ezekiel 44:29, They may eat the grain offering, the sin offering, and
the guilt offering, and every devoted thing in Israel will be theirs.
(NET)
I. They will eat the grain offerings, the sin offerings and the guilt
offerings; and everything in Israel devoted to the Lord will belong to
them.
A. This most certainly would support the priests well.
1. Numbers 15:20-21, You must offer up a cake of the
first of your finely ground flour as a raised offering; as
you offer the raised offering of the threshing floor, so you
must offer it up. You must give to the Lord some of the
first of your finely ground flour as a raised offering in
your future generations. (NET)
2. Numbers 18:8-20, The Lord spoke to Aaron, “See, I
have given you the responsibility for my raised offerings;
I have given all the holy things of the Israelites to you as
your priestly portion and to your sons as a perpetual
ordinance. Of all the most holy offerings reserved from
the fire this will be yours: Every offering of theirs,
whether from every grain offering or from every
purification offering or from every reparation offering
which they bring to me, will be most holy for you and for
your sons. You are to eat it as a most holy offering; every
male may eat it. It will be holy to you. “And this is yours:
the raised offering of their gift, along with all the wave
offerings of the Israelites. I have given them to you and to
your sons and daughters with you as a perpetual
ordinance. Everyone who is ceremonially clean in your
household may eat of it. “All the best of the olive oil and
all the best of the wine and of the wheat, the first fruits of
these things that they give to the Lord, I have given to
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you. And whatever first ripe fruit in their land they bring
to the Lord will be yours; everyone who is ceremonially
clean in your household may eat of it. “Everything
devoted in Israel will be yours. The firstborn of every
womb which they present to the Lord, whether human or
animal, will be yours. Nevertheless, the firstborn sons you
must redeem, and the firstborn males of unclean animals
you must redeem. And those that must be redeemed you
are to redeem when they are a month old, according to
your estimation, for five shekels of silver according to the
sanctuary shekel (which is twenty gerahs). But you must
not redeem the firstborn of a cow or a sheep or a goat;
they are holy. You must splash their blood on the altar
and burn their fat for an offering made by fire for a
pleasing aroma to the Lord. And their meat will be yours,
just as the breast and the right hip of the raised offering
is yours. All the raised offerings of the holy things that the
Israelites offer to the Lord, I have given to you, and to
your sons and daughters with you, as a perpetual
ordinance. It is a covenant of salt forever before the Lord
for you and for your descendants with you.” The Lord
spoke to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their
land, nor will you have any portion of property among
them—I am your portion and your inheritance among the
Israelites. (NET)
Ezekiel 44:30, The first of all the first fruits and all contributions of
any kind will be for the priests; you will also give to the priest the
first portion of your dough, so that a blessing may rest on your
house. (NET)
I. The best of all the firstfruits and of all your special gifts will belong to
the priests.
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A. Leviticus 2:1-16, “‘When a person presents a grain offering
to the Lord, his offering must consist of choice wheat flour, and
he must pour olive oil on it and put frankincense on it. Then he
must bring it to the sons of Aaron, the priests, and the priest
must scoop out from there a handful of its choice wheat flour
and some of its olive oil in addition to all of its frankincense,
and the priest must offer its memorial portion up in smoke on
the altar—it is a gift of a soothing aroma to the Lord. The
remainder of the grain offering belongs to Aaron and to his
sons—it is most holy from the gifts of the Lord. “‘When you
present an offering of grain baked in an oven, it must be made
of choice wheat flour baked into unleavened loaves mixed with
olive oil or unleavened wafers smeared with olive oil. If your
offering is a grain offering made on the griddle, it must be
choice wheat flour mixed with olive oil, unleavened. Crumble it
in pieces and pour olive oil on it—it is a grain offering. If your
offering is a grain offering made in a pan, it must be made of
choice wheat flour deep fried in olive oil. “‘You must bring the
grain offering that must be made from these to the Lord.
Present it to the priest, and he will bring it to the altar. Then
the priest must take up from the grain offering its memorial
portion and offer it up in smoke on the altar—it is a gift of a
soothing aroma to the Lord. The remainder of the grain
offering belongs to Aaron and to his sons—it is most holy from
the gifts of the Lord. “‘No grain offering which you present to
the Lord can be made with yeast, for you must not offer up in
smoke any yeast or honey as a gift to the Lord. You can
present them to the Lord as an offering of first fruit, but they
must not go up to the altar for a soothing aroma. Moreover,
you must season every one of your grain offerings with salt;
you must not allow the salt of the covenant of your God to be
missing from your grain offering—on every one of your grain
offerings you must present salt. “‘If you present a grain
offering of first ripe grain to the Lord, you must present your
grain offering of first ripe grain as soft kernels roasted in
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fire—crushed bits of fresh grain. And you must put olive oil on
it and set frankincense on it—it is a grain offering. 16 Then the
priest must offer its memorial portion up in smoke—some of
its crushed bits, some of its olive oil, in addition to all of its
frankincense—it is a gift to the Lord. (NET)
B. Leviticus 6:16, Aaron and his sons are to eat what is left
over from it. It must be eaten unleavened in a holy place; they
are to eat it in the courtyard of the Meeting Tent. (NET)
C. Numbers 28:12-13, with three-tenths of an ephah of finely
ground flour mixed with olive oil as a grain offering for each
bull, and two-tenths of an ephah of finely ground flour mixed
with olive oil as a grain offering for the ram, 13 and one-tenth
of an ephah of finely ground flour mixed with olive oil as a
grain offering for each lamb, as a burnt offering for a pleasing
aroma, an offering made by fire to the Lord. (NET)
D. Leviticus 6:25-29, “Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is the law
of the sin offering. In the place where the burnt offering is
slaughtered the sin offering must be slaughtered before the
Lord. It is most holy. The priest who offers it for sin is to eat it.
It must be eaten in a holy place, in the court of the Meeting
Tent. Anyone who touches its meat must be holy, and whoever
spatters some of its blood on a garment, you must wash
whatever he spatters it on in a holy place. Any clay vessel it is
boiled in must be broken, and if it was boiled in a bronze
vessel, then that vessel must be rubbed out and rinsed in water.
Any male among the priests may eat it. It is most holy. (NET)
E. Leviticus 7:6, Any male among the priests may eat it. It
must be eaten in a holy place. It is most holy. (NET)
F. Numbers 18:9-10, Of all the most holy offerings reserved
from the fire this will be yours: Every offering of theirs,
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whether from every grain offering or from every purification
offering or from every reparation offering which they bring to
me, will be most holy for you and for your sons. You are to eat
it as a most holy offering; every male may eat it. It will be holy
to you. (NET)
G. Leviticus 7:28-38, Then the Lord spoke to Moses: “Tell the
Israelites, ‘The one who presents his peace offering sacrifice to
the Lord must bring his offering to the Lord from his peace
offering sacrifice. With his own hands he must bring the
Lord’s gifts. He must bring the fat with the breast to wave the
breast as a wave offering before the Lord, and the priest must
offer the fat up in smoke on the altar, but the breast will belong
to Aaron and his sons. The right thigh you must give as a
contribution offering to the priest from your peace offering
sacrifices. The one from Aaron’s sons who presents the blood
of the peace offering and fat will have the right thigh as his
share, for the breast of the wave offering and the thigh of the
contribution offering I have taken from the Israelites out of
their peace offering sacrifices and have given them to Aaron
the priest and to his sons from the people of Israel as a
perpetual allotted portion.’” This is the allotment of Aaron and
the allotment of his sons from the Lord’s gifts on the day
Moses presented them to serve as priests to the Lord. This is
what the Lord commanded to give to them from the Israelites
on the day Moses anointed them—a perpetual allotted portion
throughout their generations. This is the law for the burnt
offering, the grain offering, the sin offering, the guilt offering,
the ordination offering, and the peace offering sacrifice, which
the Lord commanded Moses on Mount Sinai on the day he
commanded the Israelites to present their offerings to the Lord
in the wilderness of Sinai. (NET)
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H. Leviticus 27:21, When it reverts in the jubilee, the field will
be holy to the Lord like a permanently dedicated field; it will
become the priest’s property. (NET)
I. Numbers 18:14, “Everything devoted in Israel will be yours.
(NET)
II. You are to give them the first portion of your ground meal so that a
blessing may rest on your household.
A. Deuteronomy 18:3, This shall be the priests’ fair allotment
from the people who offer sacrifices, whether bull or sheep—
they must give to the priest the shoulder, the jowls, and the
stomach. (NET)
B. Giving here is said to bless both the giver and the recipients of
the gifts.
C. Related scriptures:
1. Exodus 23:19, The first of the firstfruits of your soil
you must bring to the house of the Lord your God. “You
must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk. (NET)
2. Exodus 34:26, “The first of the firstfruits of your soil
you must bring to the house of the Lord your God. You
must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.” (NET)
3. Numbers 18:13, And whatever first ripe fruit in their
land they bring to the Lord will be yours; everyone who is
ceremonially clean in your household may eat of it.
(NET)
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4. Deuteronomy 18:4, You must give them the best of
your grain, new wine, and olive oil, as well as the best of
your wool when you shear your flocks. (NET)
5. Numbers 15:19, and you eat some of the food of the
land, you must offer up a raised offering to the Lord.
(NET)
6. Numbers 18:19, All the raised offerings of the holy
things that the Israelites offer to the Lord, I have given to
you, and to your sons and daughters with you, as a
perpetual ordinance. It is a covenant of salt forever
before the Lord for you and for your descendants with
you.” (NET)
Ezekiel 44:31, The priests will not eat any bird or animal that has
died a natural death or was torn to pieces by a wild animal. (NET)
I. The priests must not eat anything, bird or animal, found dead or torn
by wild animals.
A. Leviticus 22:8, He must not eat an animal that has died of
natural causes or an animal torn by beasts and thus become
unclean by it. I am the Lord. (NET)
B. Numbers 6:22-27, The Lord spoke to Moses: “Tell Aaron
and his sons, ‘This is the way you are to bless the Israelites. Say
to them: “The Lord bless you and protect you; The Lord make
his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord
lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace.”’ So they
will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”
(NET)
C. Leviticus 17:15, “‘Any person who eats an animal that has
died of natural causes or an animal torn by beasts, whether a
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native citizen or a foreigner, must wash his clothes, bathe in
water, and be unclean until evening; then he becomes clean.
(NET)
D. Leviticus 22:8, He must not eat an animal that has died of
natural causes or an animal torn by beasts and thus become
unclean by it. I am the Lord. (NET)
E. Deuteronomy 14:21, You may not eat any corpse, though
you may give it to the resident foreigner who is living in your
villages and he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner. You
are a people holy to the Lord your God. Do not boil a young
goat in its mother’s milk. (NET)
Conclusion:
I. Temple purity was the responsibility of all Israel, not just the
responsibility of the priests. (Fredenburg)
A. This is certainly also true of Christians and the church.
1. It is the responsibility of all Christians, not just elders,
deacons and ministers, to keep the church pure in life and
teaching!
B. God tells us as he did the ancient rebellious house of Israel,
“Enough of your detestable practices.”
1. Evil doers will bear the shame and the consequences of
their sins.
II. The duties and responsibilities of priests were specified in great
detail.
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A. Linen clothes were to be worn when performing their sacred
duties.
B. Their heads were not to be shaved. Their hair was not to grow
long, but was to be kept trimmed.
C. They were to drink no wine while on duty. They were not to eat
anything found dead or torn by wild animals.
D. Whom they were to marry and not marry was specifically
specified.
E. They were to teach the people the will of God.
F. They were to serve as judges when disputes arise, decisions to
be made in keeping with God’s ordinances.
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Questions
on
Ezekiel 44:1-31
1. How would you have liked to serve as a priest in ancient Israel? What
do you regard as advantages and disadvantages of this position? ______
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
2. In Ezekiel 44, what is specifically said about the high priest? _______
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
3. How did Coffman outline Ezekiel 44? _________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
4. Why was the outer gate of the sanctuary facing east left permanently
shut? _____________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
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__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
5. Identify the “prince” mentioned in verse 3. What was he alone
permitted to do? ____________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
6. What was Ezekiel’s response to seeing the glory of the Lord? ______
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
7. When in your life have you been overwhelmed with the glory of God?
What was your response on those occasions? _____________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
8. God told Ezekiel, “_____________ of _____________, ___________
_____________, _____________ _____________ and _____________
____________ to _____________ I tell you concerning _____________
the ___________ regarding the ____________ of the _____________.”
9. In view of question 8, if God were speaking to Christians, what would
he say? ___________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
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__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
10. Verse 5 reveals ____________’s ____________, ____________ and
___________ over ____________ ____________ of the ____________.
11. Preachers have always proclaimed the word of the Lord to all
manner of people. List the kinds of people to whom Jesus preached. __
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
12. ______________ had had ______________ of ______________’s
_____________ ____________! We can be sure ____________ has had
___________ than ____________ of our ____________ ____________
also. It is for ____________ ____________ for ____________ and for
____________ to ____________.
13. Of what detestable practices had Israel been guilty? _____________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
14. Of what detestable practices is our society guilty? ______________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
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15. Those ______________ had ______________ ______________ the
__________ of the ____________ while ____________ ____________
______________ to ______________.
16. Instead of ______________ out their ______________ in regard to
God’s ____________ ____________, they put others in ____________
of ______________’s ______________.
17. Who were the “others” who were put in charge of the sanctuary? Be
specific. ___________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
18. No ________________ ______________ in ______________ and
_________________ is to enter my ______________, not even the
_________________ who live among the ______________.
19. What does it mean to be uncircumcised in heart? Cite people Jesus
encountered who could be described as “uncircumcised in heart.” _____
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
20. The Israelites had sinfully formulated their own rules pertaining to
the temple. How do some church members sinfully formulate their own
rules pertaining to the church? _________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
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__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
21. Who were the Levites and what were their religious responsibilities?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
22. Who were the priests and what were their religious responsibilities?
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
23. The ____________ ____________, because of their ____________,
were ____________ and were ____________ as to the ______________
they were ______________ to ______________ ______________ and
______________ the ______________.
24. Because of their ____________ ____________, their ____________
were henceforth ______________ to the ______________ of only
______________ ______________.
25. Because they ________________ the ______________ in the
____________ of their ______________ and made the ______________
of ______________ ______________ into ______________, therefore I
have ______________ with ______________ ______________ that
they must ____________ the _____________ of their ______________,
declares the ______________.
26. Explain the statement: “All priests were Levites, but not all Levites
were priests.” ______________________________________________
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__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
27. The sinful Israelites ____________ ____________ the ___________
of their ___________ ____________. ____________ is a ___________
______________ in today’s ______________.
28. Some people in today’s world are “proud” of some of the most
disgraceful behaviors. What are some of these “disgraceful behaviors?”
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
29. Identify Aaron, Abiathar and Zadok. Narrate their biographies.
How did they relate to each other and to the priesthood? ____________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
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__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
30. For what was the “table” mentioned in verse 16 used? ___________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
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__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
31. Who alone could enter the Lord’s sanctuary? Identify “sanctuary”._
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
32. Where and why were the priests to wear linen clothes? ___________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
33. Why were the priests forbidden to wear woolen clothes while on
duty in the sanctuary? ________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
34. When the priests completed their duties on a given day, where were
they to change clothes? Why was it so important that priestly garments
not be worn among the people in the outer court? __________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
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35. How were priests to wear their hair? Why was this hair style
required? __________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
36. When and where could priests drink wine? When and where could
priests not drink wine? _______________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
37. Whom could priests marry? Whom could priests not marry? What
was the rationale for these stipulations? _________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
38. What are the differences between the holy and the common? How
could a person distinguish between the unclean and the clean? ________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
39. _______________ were to serve as ______________ to adjudicate
______________ according to God’s ______________.
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40. The ____________ were to be sure all ___________, ____________
and ______________ ______________ were observed in keeping with
the ______________ of the ______________.
41. __________ were required to maintain ___________, ___________,
______________ and to ______________ ______________ things
which could ____________ them such as ____________ ____________
a ______________ ______________.
42. For what dead persons were priests permitted to defile themselves?
Were priests permitted to defile themselves for a decreased wife? _____
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
43. What would a defiled priest be required to do to cleanse himself of
his uncleanness? ____________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
44. What was the priests’ inheritance? Why were they not given a land
possession? ________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
45. What resulted from the Israelites’ giving the first portion of their
ground meal to the priests? ____________________________________
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__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
46. How does giving bless both the giver and the recipient of the gift? _
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
47. ____________ were forbidden to _____________ ______________,
___________ or ____________, found ____________ or ____________
by ______________ ______________.
48. ______________ ______________ was the ______________ of all
______________, not just the ______________ of the ______________.
___________ ____________ is the ____________ of all ____________,
not just the ______________ of the ______________, ______________
and ______________.
49. ____________’s ____________ and ___________ for ___________
are ______________ and must be ______________ ______________.
50. ____________ ____________ will ___________ the ____________
and the ______________ of their sins.