Four Principles for Holy Living
Text Ezekiel 44 Time 08/02/09 Place Childs Hill Baptist Church
We've begun to look at the final chapters of Ezekiel. As we've said, these are difficult chapters simply to read and harder still to understand but this is God's Word and it is here to teach us, rebuke us, correct us and train us to be righteous. Romans 15:4 reminds us that everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope. This includes Ezekiel 40-48 and Ezekiel's vision of a new and future ideal Temple, a new Jerusalem and a new Promised Land. In 44:5 Ezekiel says 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. Give attention to the entrance of the temple and all the exits of the sanctuary. This is what we must do too – as hard as it may seem.
One of our difficulties with these chapters is that though they are speaking chiefly of the New Covenant or Testament era in which we now live, they are written entirely in language and forms appropriate to the Old Covenant period. It's a little like the difference between how a child might express himself and how an adult would. When I was a child we were asked to write an essay about ourselves in school and I remember writing “My ambition is to visit every castle or historic monument in Britain”. I'd been around a few castles and stately homes as a boy and I liked that so I expressed myself in that way. Today I'd express myself differently. “I'm very interested in history”, “I find castles and other old buildings fascinating”. In a similar way here in Chapter 44 Ezekiel writes about a Temple – its gate, the Levites, the priests, etc – but what he's actually talking about is holiness, the holiness of God's people. The Temple in Jerusalem has now gone but both as individual Christians and corporately as God's people, we are to be, as it were, a temple and a priesthood – a holy priesthood and temple. These verses then, if we see them through the right lenses, as we may put it, teach us about holiness as individuals and as a company of God's people. There are four main principles to take note of.
1. The closed door and Prince principle
One of our difficulties with these chapters is that though they are speaking chiefly of the New Covenant or Testament era in which we now live, they are written entirely in language and forms appropriate to the Old Covenant period. It's a little like the difference between how a child might express himself and how an adult would. When I was a child we were asked to write an essay about ourselves in school and I remember writing “My ambition is to visit every castle or historic monument in Britain”. I'd been around a few castles and stately homes as a boy and I liked that so I expressed myself in that way. Today I'd express myself differently. “I'm very interested in history”, “I find castles and other old buildings fascinating”. In a similar way here in Chapter 44 Ezekiel writes about a Temple – its gate, the Levites, the priests, etc – but what he's actually talking about is holiness, the holiness of God's people. The Temple in Jerusalem has now gone but both as individual Christians and corporately as God's people, we are to be, as it were, a temple and a priesthood – a holy priesthood and temple. These verses then, if we see them through the right lenses, as we may put it, teach us about holiness as individuals and as a company of God's people. There are four main principles to take note of.
1. The closed door and Prince principle
In Hue City, Vietnam, you can find the historic high-walled and dry-moated Royal Citadel. Access to the Imperial City within it is by means of four entrance gates. One of these, the Ngo Mon Gate, was used only for the King, it was exclusive to him. Such distinctions are made for kings. I think I've even heard of an entrance way being sealed up once a certain king had passed through it.
In the opening verse of Chapter 44, Ezekiel tell us that the angelic man leading him brought him back from the centre of the Temple to the outer gate of the sanctuary, the one facing east, and it was shut. We have talked about the altar then – the heart of the faith is Christ's cross. That's how we are saved. But we are going to think now about holiness – sanctification.
Ezeiel goes on (2) The LORD said to me, This gate is to remain shut. It must not be opened; no one may enter through it. It is to remain shut because the LORD, the God of Israel, has entered through it as described in the previous chapter. He also says (3) The prince himself is the only one who may sit inside the gateway to eat in the presence of the LORD. He is to enter by way of the portico of the gateway and go out the same way.
There are two pictures then. First, a closed gate – shut because God has come through it. Second, a prince eating in the gateway. People argue about who the prince is. In Chapter 45 it speaks of him making a sacrifice for himself, which makes some doubt that this could be Messiah. If we go back to Ezekiel 34:24 and 37:25, however, we read I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the LORD have spoken. ... They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children's children will live there for ever, and David my servant will be their prince for ever. Such verses suggest that this one is also pointing to Messiah. As for the closed door – the point is that God, who had once departed from his temple has now returned never to leave again. No-one can come in from the outside but the prince may sit inside the gateway to eat in the presence of the LORD. He comes and goes from within the Temple complex. In verse 4 we read how the man brought Ezekiel by way of the north gate to the front of the temple. Ezekiel says I looked and saw the glory of the LORD filling the temple of the LORD, and I fell facedown.
If we are believers, we are those who have known God gloriously coming into our lives and filling them. How wonderful when God comes in. It's similar when we think of the church. We can read in Acts 2 how at Pentecost the Holy Spirit came down with power on the people and they were all filled with the Spirit. Once we are believers the Lord Jesus, our Prince, rests with us and remains with us as he does in the church. It's because of these factors that we must have a closed door policy with regard to certain things. “God has come into my life” we say “Jesus Christ is here” so we have to be rather rigid and unco-operative at certain times - our doors are closed to other things. It's the same with churches. God has come in, we know his glory and his Christ is with us so our minds are closed to certain things. Do we have this attitude? Is there a closed door policy in your life?
2. The exclusion principle
In the opening verse of Chapter 44, Ezekiel tell us that the angelic man leading him brought him back from the centre of the Temple to the outer gate of the sanctuary, the one facing east, and it was shut. We have talked about the altar then – the heart of the faith is Christ's cross. That's how we are saved. But we are going to think now about holiness – sanctification.
Ezeiel goes on (2) The LORD said to me, This gate is to remain shut. It must not be opened; no one may enter through it. It is to remain shut because the LORD, the God of Israel, has entered through it as described in the previous chapter. He also says (3) The prince himself is the only one who may sit inside the gateway to eat in the presence of the LORD. He is to enter by way of the portico of the gateway and go out the same way.
There are two pictures then. First, a closed gate – shut because God has come through it. Second, a prince eating in the gateway. People argue about who the prince is. In Chapter 45 it speaks of him making a sacrifice for himself, which makes some doubt that this could be Messiah. If we go back to Ezekiel 34:24 and 37:25, however, we read I the LORD will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the LORD have spoken. ... They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children's children will live there for ever, and David my servant will be their prince for ever. Such verses suggest that this one is also pointing to Messiah. As for the closed door – the point is that God, who had once departed from his temple has now returned never to leave again. No-one can come in from the outside but the prince may sit inside the gateway to eat in the presence of the LORD. He comes and goes from within the Temple complex. In verse 4 we read how the man brought Ezekiel by way of the north gate to the front of the temple. Ezekiel says I looked and saw the glory of the LORD filling the temple of the LORD, and I fell facedown.
If we are believers, we are those who have known God gloriously coming into our lives and filling them. How wonderful when God comes in. It's similar when we think of the church. We can read in Acts 2 how at Pentecost the Holy Spirit came down with power on the people and they were all filled with the Spirit. Once we are believers the Lord Jesus, our Prince, rests with us and remains with us as he does in the church. It's because of these factors that we must have a closed door policy with regard to certain things. “God has come into my life” we say “Jesus Christ is here” so we have to be rather rigid and unco-operative at certain times - our doors are closed to other things. It's the same with churches. God has come in, we know his glory and his Christ is with us so our minds are closed to certain things. Do we have this attitude? Is there a closed door policy in your life?
2. The exclusion principle
Something similar comes out in verses 5-9. In verses 6-8 Ezekiel is told to remind the rebellious house of Israel of their wicked ways. Enough of your detestable practices, O house of Israel! God says. In particular he cites how, in addition to all their other detestable practices, they'd brought foreigners uncircumcised in heart and flesh into God's sanctuary, desecrating my temple while you offered me food, fat and blood, and you broke my covenant. Instead of carrying out your duty in regard to my holy things, you put others in charge of my sanctuary. This was why they'd been thrust into exile in Babylon. In future this was not to happen. God says (9) No foreigner uncircumcised in heart and flesh is to enter my sanctuary, not even the foreigners who live among the Israelites.
To our ears that may sound like simple racism but we must remember that God's intention was to form a nation for himself who would worship him and to whom would be born Messiah. The involvement of foreigners in Temple worship was not to be tolerated. That was how it was after the return from exile. You remember how careful Ezra and Nehemiah were about this, making people get rid of their foreign wives and so on.
We read these days about “no go areas”. Well, there were no go areas in the Temple in Jesus' day. In 1871 and again in 1935 notices were discovered that were originally placed in the outer court of the temple, the court of the Gentiles, and forbade foreigners (non-Jews) to go any further in. The one found in 1871, in Greek, reads “No foreigner may enter within the barrier and enclosure round the temple. Anyone who is caught doing so will have himself to blame for his death.”
Similarly today for churches and individual Christians there must be 'no go areas'. Exclusion is an important principle to maintain. That means that church membership can only be for Christians and if a church member lives in a way inconsistent with what they profess, then there must be discipline. They may even be put out of the church. It also means that as individuals we must practice what Jesus spoke of as "cutting off the right hand and gouging out the right eye". There must be a willingness to look at our lives and see what should not be there and then (however painful) to cut it out. With a cancer, surgeons will endeavour to cut it out of the body to save the body. Similarly, we must cut out all that is foreign to a life of worshipping God. Are we doing that?
3. The idolatry principle
To our ears that may sound like simple racism but we must remember that God's intention was to form a nation for himself who would worship him and to whom would be born Messiah. The involvement of foreigners in Temple worship was not to be tolerated. That was how it was after the return from exile. You remember how careful Ezra and Nehemiah were about this, making people get rid of their foreign wives and so on.
We read these days about “no go areas”. Well, there were no go areas in the Temple in Jesus' day. In 1871 and again in 1935 notices were discovered that were originally placed in the outer court of the temple, the court of the Gentiles, and forbade foreigners (non-Jews) to go any further in. The one found in 1871, in Greek, reads “No foreigner may enter within the barrier and enclosure round the temple. Anyone who is caught doing so will have himself to blame for his death.”
Similarly today for churches and individual Christians there must be 'no go areas'. Exclusion is an important principle to maintain. That means that church membership can only be for Christians and if a church member lives in a way inconsistent with what they profess, then there must be discipline. They may even be put out of the church. It also means that as individuals we must practice what Jesus spoke of as "cutting off the right hand and gouging out the right eye". There must be a willingness to look at our lives and see what should not be there and then (however painful) to cut it out. With a cancer, surgeons will endeavour to cut it out of the body to save the body. Similarly, we must cut out all that is foreign to a life of worshipping God. Are we doing that?
3. The idolatry principle
From verse 10 we read about the Levites and how they were no better than the people and went far from God. They (10) must bear the consequences of their sin. God will show mercy – (11) They may serve in my sanctuary, having charge of the gates of the temple and serving in it; they may slaughter the burnt offerings and sacrifices for the people and stand before the people and serve them. (14) They will be put in charge of the duties of the temple and all the work that is to be done in it. But (12, 13) because they served them in the presence of their idols and made the house of Israel fall into sin, therefore I have sworn with uplifted hand that they must bear the consequences of their sin, says God. They are not to come near to serve me as priests or come near any of my holy things or my most holy offerings; they must bear the shame of their detestable practices.
When the leaders of God's people lead them into sin they must be punished. Mercy is important but there must be punishment.
In particular, the sin of idolatry is condemned here. Many Levites and priests had been willing to co-operate with the idolatrous practices of the kings and the people. Indeed, they sometimes led the way. It is a reminder of the evil of idolatry of any sort. As a church and as individuals we must be resolved to reject idolatry of all sorts. God must be first in our lives and nothing must replace that. We must never attempt to worship God except in just the way that he desires from us. How easy to make an idol of a person or of one's family or of one's church. We dare not. “The dearest idol I have known whate'er that idol be, help me to tear it from Thy throne and worship only Thee.”
4. The priesthood principle
When the leaders of God's people lead them into sin they must be punished. Mercy is important but there must be punishment.
In particular, the sin of idolatry is condemned here. Many Levites and priests had been willing to co-operate with the idolatrous practices of the kings and the people. Indeed, they sometimes led the way. It is a reminder of the evil of idolatry of any sort. As a church and as individuals we must be resolved to reject idolatry of all sorts. God must be first in our lives and nothing must replace that. We must never attempt to worship God except in just the way that he desires from us. How easy to make an idol of a person or of one's family or of one's church. We dare not. “The dearest idol I have known whate'er that idol be, help me to tear it from Thy throne and worship only Thee.”
4. The priesthood principle
A contrast is made with these and (15) the priests, who are Levites and descendants of Zadok. These faithfully carried out the duties of my sanctuary says God when the Israelites went astray from me. Therefore, they are to come near to minister before me; they are to stand before me to offer sacrifices of fat and blood, says God. (16) They alone are to enter my sanctuary; they alone are to come near my table to minister before me and perform my service. Zadok (the word means righteous) was appointed by Solomon over scheming Abiathar when he came to power. This was the godly line and was marked not just by descent from Zadok but by faithfulness to God in Babylon and before. No doubt Ezekiel himself was of the Zadokite line.
Under the new covenant all believers are priests to God, indeed they are to be (we may say) Zadokite priests – righteous and holy priests to God. The very Old Testament regulations here apply to us who are New Testament Christians - not literally as the Mormons and others have tried to do but in a more spiritual way. We can list eight things.
Under the new covenant all believers are priests to God, indeed they are to be (we may say) Zadokite priests – righteous and holy priests to God. The very Old Testament regulations here apply to us who are New Testament Christians - not literally as the Mormons and others have tried to do but in a more spiritual way. We can list eight things.
As New Testament Zadokite priests, we must seek these things
1. Purity
1. Purity
Verses 17-19. When the priests entered the inner court of the Temple they were to wear linen clothes; they must not wear any woollen garment while ministering at the gates of the inner court or inside the temple. They are to wear linen turbans on their heads and linen undergarments around their waists. They must not wear anything that makes them perspire. On returning to the outer court they are to take off the clothes they have been ministering in and are to leave them in the sacred rooms, and put on other clothes, so as not to consecrate the people with their garments.
So think of our priest – he wears linen garments. These pure linen garments speak of purity. They are priestly garments and remind us of the white garments of the saints in Revelation (4:4; 19:8) and the linen ones that speak of good deeds. They have the power, as it were, to consecrate others.
Are we keeping ourselves pure? Are we making sure that nothing gets in to corrupt us, to sully us? Pure thoughts, pure attitudes. What care we need to take. 1 John 3:3 Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.
2. Balance
So think of our priest – he wears linen garments. These pure linen garments speak of purity. They are priestly garments and remind us of the white garments of the saints in Revelation (4:4; 19:8) and the linen ones that speak of good deeds. They have the power, as it were, to consecrate others.
Are we keeping ourselves pure? Are we making sure that nothing gets in to corrupt us, to sully us? Pure thoughts, pure attitudes. What care we need to take. 1 John 3:3 Everyone who has this hope in him purifies himself, just as he is pure.
2. Balance
Verse 20 They must not shave their heads or let their hair grow long, but they are to keep the hair of their heads trimmed.
The Devil will always seek to drive us to one extreme or another. We must avoid that danger.
3. Temperance
The Devil will always seek to drive us to one extreme or another. We must avoid that danger.
3. Temperance
Verses 21 and 22 No priest is to drink wine when he enters the inner court. They must not marry widows or divorced women; they may marry only virgins of Israelite descent or widows of priests.
Such verses speak of temperance, taking care not to abuse good gifts. Is this our attitude?
4. Discernment
Such verses speak of temperance, taking care not to abuse good gifts. Is this our attitude?
4. Discernment
Verse 23 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. Under the Old Covenant there were all sorts of rules about ceremonial holiness – what to eat, what to wear, how to cut your beard. We are released from those laws but holiness is still necessary. It was the priests job to teach the people these things. We also must teach one another discernment and learn it ourselves. In Hebrews 5:14 the writer talks about those who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil. We need to train ourselves in that way.
5. "Biblicity"
5. "Biblicity"
The priests were also judges. Verse 24a In any dispute, the priests are to serve as judges and decide it according to my ordinances. God's Word was to decide. That's how it must be for us. We can't go on custom or tradition. We must keep going back to the Word for our ideas of holiness.
6. Observance
6. Observance
Verse 24b They are to keep my laws and my decrees for all my appointed feasts, and they are to keep my Sabbaths holy. Again, we are no longer bound to keep the ancient feasts but we must keep the Lord's Day holy as best we can and be careful to observe all holiness.
7. Separation
7. Separation
Verses 25-27. Priests were not to go near a dead body except if it was a very close relative. Then he would have to be ritually cleansed but could not resume duties until a week after that. He would have to make an offering on his return. In verse 31 we read The priests must not eat anything, bird or animal, found dead or torn by wild animals. This life of separateness was spelled out in such ways then. We are not bound to follow such rules, even though we are priests, because Jesus has died and so fulfilled all such obligations. However, the duty to lead lives separate from the world remains. We are in the world but not of it. We are separated to God. We must not forget that.
8. Devotion
8. Devotion
Finally, in verses 28-30 God says I am to be the only inheritance the priests have. You are to give them no possession in Israel; I will be their possession. They will eat of the various offerings; and everything in Israel devoted to the LORD will belong to them. The best of all the firstfruits and of all your special gifts will belong to the priests. You are to give them the first portion of your ground meal so that a blessing may rest on your household. They were not to own land then like the other Israelites but God would provide for them. Sometimes, perhaps we become concerned that by taking up the cross and following Christ we are missing out but we are not. God is our portion, our possession, even. We have him and is we have him then all things are ours. He has devoted himself to us so let's devote ourselves to him.
Keep these words in mind as watchwords then - purity, balance, temperance, discernment, "biblicity", observance, separation, devotion. If we are believers we are priests and this is how we must conduct ourselves as servants to God through Christ. Remember the overarching principles too -a closed door, exclusion, idolatry and priesthood. Live holy lives for God's glory and be blessed.
Keep these words in mind as watchwords then - purity, balance, temperance, discernment, "biblicity", observance, separation, devotion. If we are believers we are priests and this is how we must conduct ourselves as servants to God through Christ. Remember the overarching principles too -a closed door, exclusion, idolatry and priesthood. Live holy lives for God's glory and be blessed.
