Faithful and Unfaithful Priests

Ezekiel 44:10-31

10 "And the Levites who went far from Me, when Israel went astray, who strayed away from Me after their idols, they shall bear their iniquity. 11 Yet they shall be ministers in My sanctuary, as gatekeepers of the house and ministers of the house; they shall slay the burnt offering and the sacrifice for the people, and they shall stand before them to minister to them. 12 Because they ministered to them before their idols and caused the house of Israel to fall into iniquity, therefore I have raised My hand in an oath against them," says the Lord GOD, "that they shall bear their iniquity. 13 And they shall not come near Me to minister to Me as priest, nor come near any of My holy things, nor into the Most Holy Place; but they shall bear their shame and their abominations which they have committed. 14 Nevertheless I will make them keep charge of the temple, for all its work, and for all that has to be done in it.

15 "But the priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok, who kept charge of My sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from Me, they shall come near Me to minister to Me; and they shall stand before Me to offer to Me the fat and the blood," says the Lord GOD. 16 "They shall enter My sanctuary, and they shall come near My table to minister to Me, and they shall keep My charge. 17 And it shall be, whenever they enter the gates of the inner court, that they shall put on linen garments; no wool shall come upon them while they minister within the gates of the inner court or within the house. 18 They shall have linen turbans on their heads and linen trousers on their bodies; they shall not clothe themselves with anything that causes sweat. 19 When they go out to the outer court, to the outer court to the people, they shall take off their garments in which they have ministered, leave them in the holy chambers, and put on other garments; and in their holy garments they shall not sanctify the people.

20 "They shall neither shave their heads nor let their hair grow long, but they shall keep their hair well trimmed. 21 No priest shall drink wine when he enters the inner court. 22 They shall not take as wife a widow or a divorced woman, but take virgins of the descendants of the house of Israel, or widows of priests.

23 "And they shall teach My people the difference between the holy and the unholy, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. 24 In controversy they shall stand as judges, and judge it according to My judgments. They shall keep My laws and My statutes in all My appointed meetings, and they shall hallow My Sabbaths.

25 "They shall not defile themselves by coming near a dead person. Only for father or mother, for son or daughter, for brother or unmarried sister may they defile themselves. 26 After he is cleansed, they shall count seven days for him. 27 And on the day that he goes to the sanctuary to minister in the sanctuary, he must offer his sin offering in the inner court," says the Lord GOD.

28 "It shall be, in regard to their inheritance, that I am their inheritance. You shall give them no possession in Israel, for I am their possession. 29 They shall eat the grain offering, the sin offering, and the trespass offering; every dedicated thing in Israel shall be theirs. 30 The best of all firstfruits of any kind, and every sacrifice of any kind from all your sacrifices, shall be the priest's; also you shall give to the priest the first of your ground meal, to cause a blessing to rest on your house. 31 The priests shall not eat anything, bird or beast, that died naturally or was torn by wild beasts.

The laws for those unfaithful priests who went astray and led the people with them to idolatry and immortality were punished but allowed to serve afterwards.  They were not serving as intercessors or to offer ministry of atonement anymore because of their sins of such magnitude, but they were forgiven and given humble tasks to learn to discern between clean and unclean, between holy and unholy.  The priests who did not go astray but kept teaching the people the difference between the holy and the unholy, and caused them to discern between the unclean and the clean, these were permitted to continue offering the sacrifices and ministering as they were originally tasked and called to do.  They kept His charge and so were able to continue to serve according to their calling in all the same ways.  The unfaithful ones, however had been forgiven but those responsibilities had been taken away and given to the ones who remained steadfast and did not engage in the sins of idolatry and immortality as these had done.  This is an example for the church today as well.  Those who are called and fall into gross sins of immorality and idolatry (which is covetousness as Colossians 3:5 explains) should not to be the ones trusted with ministering as shepherds but more as serving like deacons after restoration.  That is the pattern hinted at here in scripture that we must all consider when reconciling and restoring pastors and elders who fall into such sins and teach others to do likewise instead of teaching discernment of the holy and unholy and obedience to the faith instead of compromise and even justifying sin.  There is restoration and forgiveness for the fallen servant, but there is also the flock to consider.  Remember too that restoration to fellowship is not the same as restoration to the pastorate.  Leaders are to set the example and live up to it in or others will be led astray.  They can still serve the church in other ways.  May God then give us spiritual wisdom in these things according to His word for the sake of His name and honor and glory.  Amen.