What connections exist between Ezekiel 43:24 and Levitical laws on offerings? Verse under consideration “You are to present them before the LORD, and the priests are to sprinkle salt on them and offer them up as a burnt offering to the LORD.” (Ezekiel 43:24) Shared foundations with Leviticus • Both Ezekiel 43 and Leviticus root sacrifice in God’s holiness and humanity’s need for atonement and fellowship. • Ezekiel’s vision does not replace the Mosaic pattern—it re-echoes and develops it for the anticipated future temple. Key Levitical touchpoints • Leviticus 1:3-9 – Burnt offering of a bull or ram, wholly consumed on the altar, “a pleasing aroma to the LORD.” • Leviticus 2:13 – “You are to season every grain offering with salt… with all your offerings you shall offer salt.” • Leviticus 4:35; 6:30 – Sin offerings with blood applied to the altar for purification. • Numbers 18:19 – “A covenant of salt forever” binding priesthood and people to God. Point-by-point parallels • Offerers present the animal “before the LORD” (Leviticus 1:3; Ezekiel 43:24). • Priests officiate, not offerers, underscoring mediation (Leviticus 1:5; Ezekiel 44:15). • Sprinkling or applying something sacred—blood in Leviticus, salt in Ezekiel—marks consecration. • The sacrifice is a burnt offering, entirely consumed, signaling total devotion (Leviticus 1:9; Ezekiel 43:24). • Sequence within larger rituals: both passages insert the burnt offering amid sin-cleansing rites (Leviticus 8; Ezekiel 43:18-27). Why the salt detail matters • Covenant reminder—salt was stable, preserving, and symbolized the enduring “covenant of salt” (Numbers 18:19). • Purity and preservation—salt kept corruption at bay, fitting the theme of a cleansed altar (Leviticus 2:13). • Liturgical continuity—Ezekiel’s priests keep the same seasoning requirement, showing the law’s ongoing authority even in a visionary future. Priestly continuity and distinction • Leviticus: all Aaronic priests qualify; Ezekiel: only “the sons of Zadok” serve (Ezekiel 44:15), stressing faithfulness. • Yet their tasks mirror Leviticus—slaughter, blood/salt application, altar tending—asserting uninterrupted priestly ministry. Theological threads tying the texts together • Holiness: both texts insist offerings be handled God’s way, not ours (Leviticus 10:1-3; Ezekiel 43:7-9). • Atonement and dedication: sin offerings cleanse, burnt offerings dedicate—identical movement in both books. • Covenant reaffirmation: salt highlights an unbroken bond; the whole ceremony in Ezekiel renews that bond for the coming age. Looking forward Ezekiel 43:24 draws a straight line back to Levitical ordinances while looking ahead to a restored temple. The same God, the same principles of sacrifice, and the same call to holiness endure—promising that His covenant purposes will stand firm, seasoned with salt, forever. |
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