How does Ezekiel 22:26 connect with Leviticus 10:10 on holiness? Setting the Scene: Two Voices, One Theme Ezekiel speaks from exile; Leviticus speaks at Sinai. Both focus on God’s unchanging call to holiness and the priests’ duty to protect that holiness. “Her priests do violence to My law and profane My holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common; they teach that there is no difference between the clean and the unclean; and they shut their eyes to the keeping of My Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them.” “You must distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean.” Leviticus 10:10: The Original Mandate • Delivered after Nadab and Abihu’s death (Leviticus 10:1-3), underscoring the seriousness of approaching God improperly. • Four commands flow together: – Distinguish holy from common. – Distinguish clean from unclean. – Teach Israel all God’s statutes (v. 11). – Guard God’s glory by obedience (v. 3). • Holiness hinges on separation for God’s exclusive use (Leviticus 20:26; Exodus 19:5-6). Ezekiel 22:26: The Tragic Failure • Same categories appear—holy/common, clean/unclean, Sabbaths—showing Ezekiel measures the priests by the Levitical yardstick. • Instead of guarding, they “do violence” to the law: – Blurring distinctions. – Withholding true instruction (cf. Malachi 2:7-8). – Treating Sabbaths lightly, erasing visible signs of covenant loyalty (Exodus 31:13). • Result: “I am profaned among them,” the exact opposite of Leviticus 10:3’s “I will be honored.” Connecting the Dots: Holiness Requires Discernment • Leviticus 10:10 lays down a principle; Ezekiel 22:26 exposes its neglect. • The same Hebrew verb for “distinguish” (הבדיל) bridges both passages, stressing deliberate, thoughtful separation. • Holiness is not abstract; it is expressed by concrete choices: – What is permissible to touch, eat, offer. – When and how to worship. – What to teach God’s people. • When those charged with discernment abdicate, the entire community drifts into profanation (Ezekiel 22:23-31). Implications for Today: Living Out the Distinction • God’s character has not changed (Leviticus 11:44; 1 Peter 1:15-16). • While ceremonial categories are fulfilled in Christ (Hebrews 9:11-14), the underlying call to separation from sin remains (2 Corinthians 6:17-7:1). • Believers are now a “royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:9); the Levitical charge applies vocationally to all Christians: – Guard doctrinal purity (2 Timothy 1:13-14). – Maintain moral purity (Ephesians 5:3-11). – Keep worship centered on God’s glory, not personal preference (John 4:23-24). • Sabbath principles of dedicated time and trust still witness to God’s lordship (Hebrews 4:9-11). Key Takeaways • Leviticus 10:10 is the benchmark; Ezekiel 22:26 is the audit report. • Holiness demands making—and maintaining—clear distinctions. • Failing to uphold those distinctions profanes God’s name and harms the covenant community. • In Christ, believers are empowered to fulfill the priestly calling: discerning good from evil (Hebrews 5:14) and displaying God’s holiness before a watching world. |
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