What is the meaning of Ezekiel 44:23? They are to teach “They are to teach” (Ezekiel 44:23) points first to the priests whom God appoints as instructors. • Teaching is a God-given mandate, not an optional hobby. Malachi 2:7 affirms, “For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge… because he is the messenger of the LORD of Hosts.” • The task is public and continual. In 2 Chronicles 17:7-9 the Levites travel through Judah with the Book of the Law, modeling how God expects instruction to reach every household. • In the New Covenant, pastors and elders inherit this charge (Ephesians 4:11-12). They do not invent truth; they pass on what God has revealed. My people The phrase reminds us whom the teaching serves. • “My” stresses ownership; Israel—and now the church—belongs to the LORD (Exodus 19:5-6). • Divine possession carries privilege and responsibility (1 Peter 2:9). God’s people must mirror His character, not the culture’s drift. • The priest’s heart must beat with love for God’s flock (John 21:15-17). If teaching ever feels cold or academic, we’ve lost sight of the Shepherd’s tenderness. the difference Teaching centers on helping believers see contrasts, not shades of gray. • Hebrews 5:14 notes that mature believers “by constant use have trained their senses to distinguish good from evil.” • Romans 12:2 calls us to resist conformity to the age and “prove what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.” • Clear categories protect against moral fog. When the world blurs lines, God’s Word sharpens them. between the holy and the common “Holy” means set apart for God, while “common” (or profane) is ordinary. • Leviticus 10:10 first framed this distinction: priests must “distinguish between the holy and the common.” • Everyday life can be sanctified when offered to God (Colossians 3:17), yet certain people, times, and objects are uniquely dedicated to Him (Exodus 30:29). • 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 warns that treating God’s dwelling—His people—as common invites judgment. Reverence safeguards community holiness. and show them how to discern Knowledge must translate into practical judgment. • Psalm 119:66 prays, “Teach me good judgment and knowledge, for I believe Your commandments.” • Discernment grows through obedient practice; James 1:22-25 likens it to looking into a mirror and acting on what we see. • Mentorship and modeling matter. Paul tells Timothy, “Continue in what you have learned… knowing from whom you learned it” (2 Timothy 3:14). People grasp truth faster when they see it lived out. between the clean and the unclean Old-Testament purity laws symbolized moral and spiritual purity. • Leviticus 11–15 catalog “clean” versus “unclean,” underscoring God’s holiness and humanity’s need for separation from impurity. • Jesus declared all foods clean (Mark 7:19), and Acts 10:15 extended that lesson to people groups, yet the moral principle remains: impurity—sexual, idolatrous, or relational—must be avoided (2 Corinthians 6:17). • Revelation 21:27 looks ahead: “Nothing unclean will ever enter” the New Jerusalem. Present discernment prepares us for future glory. summary Ezekiel 44:23 calls God’s appointed leaders to deliberate teaching that: 1. Springs from divine authority. 2. Targets God’s own people. 3. Clarifies moral and spiritual contrasts. 4. Treats what is sacred with reverence. 5. Equips believers to apply wisdom daily. 6. Guards the community from impurity. When these elements converge, the church reflects the holiness of her Lord, shining a clear, uncompromised light in a confused world. |
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