FRAMEWORKS:
Ezekiel 46: The worshipping prince and
priests
[Preliminary
Comments: The present chapter continues to focus on the
ruler of the people [the prince] and he is seen to operate as
part of the sacrificial worshipping community, together with the
priests. Originally when the sacrificial system was established
under the Law of Moses, there was no king. Now Israel have become
used to having a ruler and so now he is elevated to play a part
in the ongoing worshipping part of their relationship with the
Lord. Guidance is given a) for that and, b) for him to care for
the land of the nation and c) for the kitchens for the priests
to carry out their duties. In respect of this last matter, the
fact that there is more than one kitchen area and this is where
the priests deal with sacrifices, there seems to be a whole change
of emphasis and feeling about the sacrificial system that has
more of a community feel about it.]
v.1-15
Regular worship to be led by ruler and priests alike
v.1
‘“This
is what the Sovereign Lord says: the gate of the inner court
facing east is to be shut on the six working days, but on the
Sabbath day and on the day of the New Moon it is to be opened.
v.2
The
prince is to enter from the outside through the portico of the
gateway and stand by the gatepost. The priests are to sacrifice
his burnt offering and his fellowship offerings. He is to bow
down in worship at the threshold of the gateway and then go out,
but the gate will not be shut until evening.
v.3
On
the Sabbaths and New Moons the people of the land are to worship
in the presence of the Lord at the entrance of that gateway.
v.4
The
burnt offering the prince brings to the Lord on the Sabbath day
is to be six male lambs and a ram, all without defect.
v.5
The
grain offering given with the ram is to be an ephah, and the grain
offering with the lambs is to be as much as he pleases, along
with a hin of olive oil for each ephah.
v.6
On
the day of the New Moon he is to offer a young bull, six lambs
and a ram, all without defect.
v.7
He
is to provide as a grain offering one ephah with the bull, one
ephah with the ram, and with the lambs as much as he wants to
give, along with a hin of oil for each ephah.
v.8
When
the prince enters, he is to go in through the portico of the gateway,
and he is to come out the same way.
v.9
‘“When
the people of the land come before the Lord at the appointed festivals,
whoever enters by the north gate to worship is to go out by the
south gate; and whoever enters by the south gate is to go out
by the north gate. No one is to return through the gate by which
they entered, but each is to go out by the opposite gate.
v.10
The
prince is to be among them, going in when they go in and going
out when they go out.
v.11
At
the feasts and the appointed festivals, the grain offering is
to be an ephah with a bull, an ephah with a ram, and with the
lambs as much as he pleases, along with a hin of oil for each
ephah.
v.12
‘“When
the prince provides a freewill offering to the Lord – whether
a burnt offering or fellowship offerings – the gate facing
east is to be opened for him. He shall offer his burnt offering
or his fellowship offerings as he does on the Sabbath day. Then
he shall go out, and after he has gone out, the gate will be shut.
v.13
“Every
day you are to provide a year-old lamb without defect for a burnt
offering to the Lord; morning by morning you shall provide it.
v.14
You
are also to provide with it morning by morning a grain offering,
consisting of a sixth of an ephah with a third of a hin of oil
to moisten the flour. The presenting of this grain offering to
the Lord is a lasting ordinance.
v.15
So
the lamb and the grain offering and the oil shall be provided
morning by morning for a regular burnt offering.
v.16-18
Rulers to ensure the land remains
v.16
‘“This
is what the Sovereign Lord says: if the prince makes a gift
from his inheritance to one of his sons, it will also belong to
his descendants; it is to be their property by inheritance.
v.17
If,
however, he makes a gift from his inheritance to one of his servants,
the servant may keep it until the year of freedom; then it will
revert to the prince. His inheritance belongs to his sons only;
it is theirs.
v.18
The
prince must not take any of the inheritance of the people, driving
them off their property. He is to give his sons their inheritance
out of his own property, so that not one of my people will be
separated from their property.”'
v.19-24
In the vision Ezekiel is shown the priests' kitchens
v.19
Then
the man brought me through the entrance at the side of the gate
to the sacred rooms facing north, which belonged to the priests,
and showed me a place at the western end.
v.20
He
said to me, ‘This is the place where the priests are to cook the
guilt offering and the sin offering and bake the grain offering,
to avoid bringing them into the outer court and consecrating the
people.'
v.21
He
then brought me to the outer court and led me round to its four
corners, and I saw in each corner another court.
v.22
In
the four corners of the outer court were enclosed courts, forty
cubits long and thirty cubits wide; each of the courts in the
four corners was the same size.
v.23
Around
the inside of each of the four courts was a ledge of stone, with
places for fire built all round under the ledge.
v.24
He
said to me, ‘These are the kitchens where those who minister at
the temple are to cook the sacrifices of the people.'
[Note: Observe
here that sacrifices are being ‘cooked' in kitchens, not on the
one altar. The whole business of offering sacrifices seems to take
on a more communal feeling.]
Continue
to Chapter 47