In Ezekiel 44-48, we read about regulations concerning the administration of the new community. Position of the different classes of people in relation to the new sanctuary, Ezekiel 44:1-14.
The rules of the sanctuary. A river flows from the Temple. The boundaries and division of the land. Again, we have a continued picture of restored Jewish religious activities. Circumcision, the Zadokite priesthood, the division of the land for the priests and instructions for the sacrifices which the priests were to carry out.
The man who is guiding Ezekiel, Ezekiel 40:3, now takes him to the outer gate of the sanctuary, Ezekiel 40:6-16, but notice it is shut, Ezekiel 44:1. It was shut, and was to remain shut because the Lord would never again leave His holy place among His people, Ezekiel 44:2 / Ezekiel 37:24-28. The reason the gate is shut is that the Lord entered the temple through the gate, Ezekiel 44:2 / Ezekiel 43:1-3.
In their former state of idolatry, their sun worship was reflected in their opening of the door in order to allow the rays of the rising sun to enter the temple. But in their restoration, this door is never to be opened.
The prince, or king, whose identity is unknown but appears to be a representative of the nation, would eat alone in the sanctified gateway, Ezekiel 44:3 / Ezekiel 34:24 / Ezekiel 37:25 / Ezekiel 46:2 / Ezekiel 46:8-10. He is to enter by way of the portico of the gateway and go out the same way, Ezekiel 44:3.
The man now takes Ezekiel to the front of the temple, and when he looked, he saw the glory of God filling the temple, and he fell facedown, Ezekiel 44:4.
McConville, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The new reference to the glory of God simply makes clear that it is the return of God to the temple that serves as a basis for the regulations to follow.’
Ezekiel is told to look, listen and give attention to everything he is about to be told concerning all the regulations and instructions regarding the temple and give special attention to the entrance to the temple and all the exits of the sanctuary, Ezekiel 44:5 / Ezekiel 40:4.
Ezekiel is told to speak to his rebellious people and tell them God says that He has had enough of their detestable practices, Ezekiel 44:6. Though non-Israelites previously administered at the temple, this would be changed, for God did not want anyone who was uncircumcised in heart to appear before Him on behalf of the people, Ezekiel 44:7.
They brought uncircumcised foreigners into the sanctuary, and they had misused the food brought as sacrifices to Him, Ezekiel 44:7. Foreigners had introduced idolatrous worship into Israel, beginning with Solomon and his many foreign wives.
And thus, in their future, God would not allow this to happen again. Instead of carrying out their duties themselves, they put others in charge of my sanctuary, Ezekiel 44:8.
Wright, in his commentary, says the following.
‘It is clear from Ezekiel 44:5-8 that in the last days of Solomon’s Temple the priests had allowed anyone, even uncovenanted pagans, to act as priests and temple servants. Either they had been lazy or busy with their own affairs and had hired others to do their work, or they had taken bribes from pagans who wanted to serve in the Temple, perhaps for the offerings that they were able to take home and resell.’
Since the temple had previously been defiled by idolatrous worship and idols, the Lord gives instructions as to who is permitted to enter the temple, Numbers 3:10.
From this time, no uncircumcised person was to administer at the temple, Ezekiel 44:9. In this way, He sought to guard Israel against the influence of idolatrous people.
The Levites went far from God because of their idolatry, and so, they will bear their iniquity; in this case, the consequences of the sins of the fathers were passed on to the children, Ezekiel 44:10.
Because the Levites’ fathers did not assume their spiritual leadership in order to direct the people according to the law of God, they were banned from doing again that which was assigned to them under the law. Thus, the menial work that was previously assigned to foreigners before the temple was given to the Levites.
Because the Levitical priests succumbed to idolatry, they are here assigned to be the gatekeepers, butchers, and servants at the table, Ezekiel 44:11. Since they had failed in their duties to keep the people from idolatry, Ezekiel 44:12, they must bear the consequences of their sin.
Poole, in his commentary, says the following.
‘Sworn against them, that they shall suffer for this their iniquity. This lifting up the hand is the form of an oath, Exodus 6:8 / Deuteronomy 32:40 / Ezekiel 20:5.’
They were stripped of the duties that were given to them under the law, Ezekiel 44:13, because they must bear the shame of their detestable practices, Ezekiel 44:13, and given responsibility of serving as temple guards, which did not entail spiritual leadership, Ezekiel 44:14.
When the return of the exiles eventually came after the Babylonian captivity, among the forty thousand exiles who returned, there were more than four thousand priests.
However, among this number, there were only seventy-four Levites who wanted to leave their comfortable homes in Babylon in order to perform menial tasks at the temple worship, Ezra 2 / Psalm 84:10. Because there were so few Levites after the return, it was necessary that the Nethinim be called to perform the new duties of the Levites, Ezra 8:15-20.
The Levite priests who were descendants of Zadok would have special privileges since Zadok and his sons had served the Lord faithfully in the past, Ezekiel 44:15 / Ezekiel 40:46 / 1 Samuel 2:35 / 2 Samuel 8:17 / 2 Samuel 15:24-25 / 1 Kings 2:26-35 / 1 Chronicles 6:7-8 / 1 Chronicles 15:11 / 1 Chronicles 16:39.
They could minister before God and offer sacrifices of fat and blood, Ezekiel 44:15. They are the only ones who could enter God’s sanctuary, come near to God’s table, that is, the altar, Ezekiel 40:46, or the table in the holy place, Ezekiel 41:22, to minister and serve Him as guards, Ezekiel 44:16.
When the priests enter the gates of the inner court, they are to wear linen clothes but not permitted to wear any woollen garment while ministering at the gates of the inner court or inside the temple, Ezekiel 44:17. This included linen turbans and undergarments, Ezekiel 44:18. They weren’t permitted to wear anything which would cause them to sweat, Ezekiel 44:18.
Alexander, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The linen not only depicted purity by its whiteness, but its coolness kept the priests from perspiring and thereby becoming unclean.’
Linen was considered cleaner than wool, and thus, the sanctification of the people throughout the land was to be symbolised by the best clothing that could be made by man. The symbolism of the garments was to manifest the ceremonial cleanliness of the people, Exodus 28:42 / Leviticus 16:4 / Revelation 19:8.
Notice that before the priests went into the outer court, they would have to change their clothes first, Ezekiel 44:19 / Ezekiel 42:1-14. The reason for this was to prevent anything which was holy from becoming unclean, Ezekiel 44:19 / Exodus 29:37 / Exodus 30:29 / Leviticus 6:11 / Leviticus 6:27 / Haggai 2:12.
The prohibition of shaving their heads, or not allowing their hair to grow long, Ezekiel 44:20 / Leviticus 10:6 / Leviticus 21:5-6 / Leviticus 21:10, was probably a restriction that again was in view of former idol worship. They are not permitted to drink wine when they enter the inner court, Ezekiel 44:21 / Leviticus 10:9 / Proverbs 31:4-5.
They aren’t permitted to marry widows or divorced women, only virgins of Israelite descent or widows of priests, Ezekiel 44:22. Before these marrying restrictions were only for the high priest, Leviticus 21:7 / Leviticus 21:14.
They are to teach God’s people the difference between the holy and the common and show them how to distinguish between the unclean and the clean, Ezekiel 44:23 / Ezekiel 22:26 / Leviticus 10:10-11 / Leviticus 11:47.
We must understand that the changes that are given in this context were given in response to the people’s former behaviour in reference to former idolatrous practices.
In order to change the thinking of the people, God wanted to prohibit every behavioural characteristic that was associated with idolatrous worship, 1 Corinthians 8.
The priest was to be a teacher among the people, Ezekiel 44:24 / Deuteronomy 33:10 / 1 Peter 1:13-16. He was a judge in disputed matters concerning the law, Ezekiel 44:24 / Deuteronomy 17:9 / Deuteronomy 19:17 / Deuteronomy 21:5 / Deuteronomy 19:17.
Taylor, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The priests were by their lives to be examples of separateness; their ritual holiness was intended to promote ethical holiness among the people they were called to serve.’
The priest was to keep the ceremonial laws in order to manifest the people’s obedience to the moral laws of God, Ezekiel 44:24. When the people kept the sabbaths, they were indicating their obedience to all the laws of God, Ezekiel 44:24.
There was no cleansing power in the ceremonial laws, nor in keeping the sabbaths. But their obedience to the laws manifested their willingness to submit themselves to God. The priests were not to have any contact with a dead corpse, unless it was a close relative, Ezekiel 44:25 / Leviticus 21:1-3.
Poole, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The Jews tell us that he who comes within four cubits of the dead is defiled; and the law, though it determine not at what distance such are defiled, it doth determine that they are unclean till evening by touch or coming near the carcass of any but man, and the defilement by coming near a dead man lasted seven days.’
After being defiled by going close to a dead relative, and after cleansing himself, the priest is to wait seven days, Ezekiel 44:26 / Numbers 19:11-19. When the priest resumes his duties, he is to offer a sin offering for himself, Ezekiel 44:27.
God Himself would be the priest’s inheritance, hence why they wouldn’t receive any land. God Himself will be their possession, Ezekiel 44:28 / Deuteronomy 10:9. They would be given land to live in, but not as an inheritance, Ezekiel 45:4 / Ezekiel 48:10-11.
The priests were to be full-time in their service to the people. In order for them to do this, they were to be given the offerings of grain and animals, and everything that was dedicated to the Lord, Leviticus 27:21 / Leviticus 27:28 / Numbers 18:14 / Deuteronomy 25:4 / 1 Corinthians 9:9-12 / 1 Timothy 5:18.
They were to be given the first fruits of the land, and all contributions that were necessary in order that they and their families could give themselves totally to the administration of the temple service and teaching of the people, Exodus 22:30 / Malachi 3:8-12 / 2 Corinthians 9:10-11.
However, they weren’t permitted to eat any bird or animal which was found dead or had been torn apart by wild animals, Ezekiel 44:31 / Leviticus 22:8 / Deuteronomy 14:21.