“Neither shall any priest drink wine, when they enter into the inner court” (Ezek. 44:21). Here we are told that the priests who minister directly to the Lord in the inner court were not permitted to drink wine. Wine signifies worldly, physical pleasure and joy. Those who serve the Lord in a direct way should have nothing to do with the “wine” of worldly pleasures.
Verse 22 says, “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.” This signifies that in our contact and relationships with others, we need to be pure and uncomplicated. However, if we contact others in a way that is not pure, we will be defiled with an impure element.
Verse 23 continues, “They shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.” A priest must be able to teach God’s people what is holy and what is profane and what is clean and what is unclean. One who draws near to God as a priest must be able to discern these things and also be able to teach others to discern.
Verse 24a says, “In controversy they shall stand in judgment; and they shall judge it according to my judgments.” When there was a controversy, the parties involved would appear before the priest. The priest would then render a judgment, not according to his own opinion but according to God’s judgments. If, as those who fear God and approach Him, we are asked to settle a controversy, we need to ask God what He would say about this matter and then we should judge according to God’s will. This means that in helping to solve difficult matters, we need to stand before the Lord with a fearing heart. Then we need to touch the Lord’s feeling and judge accordingly.
“They shall keep my laws and my statutes in all mine assemblies” (v. 24b). All the feasts, or “assemblies,” are related to the gracious story of God’s salvation. Thus, if we would serve God as priests, we need to remember the gracious story of God’s salvation, including His crucifixion, resurrection, and ascension and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit.
“And they shall hallow my sabbaths” (v. 24c). The Sabbath indicates that God has done everything; therefore, God rests. To keep, or hallow, the Sabbath means that we accept all that God has done and take rest in all that God has accomplished. Instead of trying to do something in addition to what God has done, we should simply enjoy what God has done and take what He has accomplished as our satisfaction and rest. This means that we depend not on what we do but on what God has done.
A priest who would serve the Lord directly in His presence cannot be defiled with any dead person (v. 25). This means that we should not contact those who are spiritually dead. We should not touch any “carcasses.” Spiritually speaking, many Christians are dead, even to the point of stinking. If you contact them and listen to them, they will cause you to become dead, partially if not wholly. Having nothing positive to say, they will speak only negative things to you, perhaps criticizing the elders, the co-workers, or various saints. Contact with such dead persons can cause us to become dead and negative. Thus, when we realize that we are in the presence of this kind of person, we should avoid contact with him. Otherwise, we will be defiled by his death.
To be defiled by death is more serious than to be defiled by something sinful. If we are defiled by something sinful, we can confess, receive the application of the blood of Christ, and immediately be cleansed (1 John 1:9, 7). However, if we are defiled by death, it will take a period of time before we can be cleansed and purified from this defilement (cf. Num. 19:11).
Some of us have had this kind of experience. After spending even a short time with a believer who was spiritually dead and negative, we found that we could not pray or function in the meetings for a period of time, perhaps several days. This should warn us about spending time with dead persons. Stay away from them! Do not think that you can help them. Instead, their death will spread to you. Those who are spiritually dead may be very alive with respect to worldly things or negative things, but with respect to the church they are dead. As far as the church life is concerned they are dead. If we want to serve the Lord in a direct way, we must stay away from dead persons and thereby keep ourselves from the defilement of death.