Ezekiel 44:17

Ezekiel 44:17 says, And it shall come to pass, that when they enter in at the gates of the inner court, they shall be clothed with linen garments; and no wool shall come upon them, whiles they minister in the gates of the inner court, and within.  God said that when these priests were serving Him that they would be clothed in linen and not wool.  Matthew Henry said that they were not to wear wool because it could cause them to sweat.  It may have also been to set them apart from the rest of the people.  I do know that when we approach God today that it must be through the righteousness of Christ.  Nothing that we wear physically will make us more fit to serve God than anything else we might wear.   

Verse eighteen adds, They shall have linen bonnets upon their heads, and shall have linen breeches upon their loins; they shall not gird themselves with any thing that causeth sweat.  God here states that the priests were to wear linen basically from head to foot and were to wear nothing that would cause them to sweat.  When we gather in God’s name today, we should be as spiritually clean as we can be by confessing any sin that we are aware of and asking God’s forgiveness for it.  

Verse nineteen continues, And when they go forth into the utter court, even into the utter court to the people, they shall put off their garments wherein they ministered, and lay them in the holy chambers, and they shall put on other garments; and they shall not sanctify the people with their garments.  God also told Ezekiel that when the priests went into the outer chamber that they were to remove the linen garments and leave them in the chamber that was there for them and put their regular clothes back on.  This was to keep the people from thinking they could be sanctified by touching the garments.  We should never believe that we can be made righteous or spiritually clean simply by touching some item that is seen as being holy.  

Verse twenty states, Neither shall they shave their heads, nor suffer their locks to grow long; they shall only poll their heads.  God said the priests were not to shave their heads or allow their hair to grow long but wear to cut modestly.  Matthew Henry said that they weren’t to wear it long because they might be thought to be a Nazarite, which they weren’t.  I don’t beleive the length of the hair of preachers today has any significance to their calling, but it should not be worn in a way that they personally feel would dishonor God.  

Verse twenty-one adds, Neither shall any priest drink wine, when they enter into the inner court.  This does not say that they shouldn’t drink wine at all, but that they shouldn’t when they entered the inner court where they would be closer to the presence of God.   When a preacher is preaching today, he certainly shouldn’t have been drinking wine beforehand, nor should Christians who are there to hear him and worship God.  If a Christian does drink wine at other times, it should never be enough to make them drunk.  

Verse twenty-three continues, Neither shall they take for their wives a widow, nor her that is put away: but they shall take maidens of the seed of the house of Israel, or a widow that had a priest before.  God said priests were not to marry a widow or a divorced woman but were to marry a woman who had never been married.  The exception was the widow of a priest, and if she was an Israelite, the priest could marry her.  I don't believe that preachers today are forbidden to marry a widow, but if he does, she should be a Christian.  Of course, all believers should marry Christians according to God’s word.   

Verse twenty-three concludes, And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.  God said that priests were to teach the people the difference between the holy and profane and the clean and unclean.  Preachers today are to teach the people the difference between what is profane and what is holy and what is clean and unclean, not physically but spiritually based on God’s word. 

Ezekiel 44:10

Ezekiel 44:10 says, And the Levites that are gone away far from me, when Israel went astray, which went astray away from me after their idols; they shall even bear their iniquity.  God told Ezekiel that the priests that had gone far away from him when Israel went astray would bear their iniquity.  They were supposed to be serving God and representing Him to the people of Israel but had led them into rebellion against Him instead.  They were Levites in name only and not because they were living in accordance with their covenant relationship with God.  If we are a part of the priesthood of believers in name only one day we will bear our iniquity.  If we have led others astray, we will be held accountable for that as well.  

Verse eleven adds, Yet they shall be ministers in my sanctuary, having charge at the gates of the house, and ministering to the house: they shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister unto them.  God said that when the temple was restored and they had repented and returned to obeying Him that they would once again serve Him in the temple.  If we have strayed away from God as Christians and repent and follow His commandments once more, we will again be able to serve as He calls us to serve.  Matthew Henry says that even though they would be allowed to serve once more, it would be at the tables and not at the altar.  During the captivity and the days after the temple had been destroyed, the Levites had no more responsibility than any other Israelite.   After Jesus, Who referred to Himself as the temple, was killed, or destroyed, the Levites were no longer needed.  The only way they could be restored to a covenant relationship with God was by putting their faith in Jesus Christ just like any other person must do.  Being born a Levite didn’t make them better able to serve God than anyone else.  As followers of Christ, none of us is spiritually better than anyone else because of our birth or even our calling to serve.  

Verse twelve continues, Because they ministered unto them before their idols, and caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity; therefore have I lifted up mine hand against them, saith the Lord God, and they shall bear their iniquity.  God said that since these Levites had not lived in accordance with their covenant relationship with Him that they would bear their iniquity.  We have to assume that they had repented by now, but they were stripped of their calling to serve as priests.  

Verse fifteen states, And they shall not come near unto me, to do the office of a priest unto me, nor to come near to any of my holy things, in the most holy place: but they shall bear their shame, and their abominations which they have committed.  This states that even though they would be restored to service in the temple, it would be limited from what it had been before.  They were not to be near the holy things or the holy place of God.  I don’t believe that if God has called us to a position of service today and we sin that if we repent that we will never be able to serve in that position again, but we may limit our effectiveness.  

Verse sixteen adds, But I will make them keepers of the charge of the house, for all the service thereof, and for all that shall be done therein.  God said that instead of serving at the altar that they would serve more as porters.  Since as followers of Christ we are all a part of the priesthood of believers, if we sin, we are still a part of that priesthood or a saved person, but as long as we rebel against God’s word, we will be limited in what we can do for Him.  

Verse fifteen continues, But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord God:  God said certain of the priests would be allowed to come near Him again to offer the sacrifices.  These were priests who had not turned away from God and led the people astray and that not just what family they were from made them eligible.  If we have turned away from God, who our ancestors are will not make us fit to serve God.  It is only by having our sins forgiven by accepting Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord that does, and even then, we are no better spiritually than any other Christian.  

Verse sixteen concludes, They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge.   This group of priests would be allowed to come near to God and serve in His sanctuary.  If we are to effectively serve God today, we must confess our sins and come to Him in obedience to His commandments after we are again washed clean by the blood of Christ.