Our Haftarah reading from Ezekiel chapter 44. We read about God giving instructions to the prophet Ezekiel regarding the Levitical priests, who were responsible for leading worship and performing sacrifices in the Temple. The passage describes the specific requirements for these priests, including the fact that only the sons of Zadok (a particular family of priests) were to minister to God because they had remained faithful when other Israelites had turned away. The priests were to wear linen garments when they entered the inner court of the Temple, and they were not to wear anything that would cause them to sweat. They were not to shave their heads or let their hair grow long, and they were not to drink wine while ministering.
Through Moses, it was commanded that the priests were only permitted to marry certain individuals, specifically virgins or widows who were the widows of priests. They were to teach the people the difference between the holy and the common, and they were to act as judges in disputes, following Yahweh’s laws and statutes.
The priests were also to eat certain offerings, including the grain offering, the sin offering, the guilt offering, and devoted things. They were entitled to the first of all the firstfruits of offerings and the first of the dough, which would bless the giver’s house. However, they were not to eat anything that had died on its own or was torn by wild animals.
The importance of the priests’ duties and roles is put forth in this chapter and their need to remain pure and faithful in their service to Yahweh. The “royal priesthood” 1 Peter 2:5-9 gives all true believers access to the God of Israel. This has been accomplished only through the Blood of Yeshua. It is this same blood that purifies Yeshua’s believers.