Prince and Priests - Ezekiel 45

Ezekiel 45:17 "And it shall be the prince's part to give burnt offerings, and meat offerings, and drink offerings, in the feasts, and in the new moons, and in the sabbaths, in all solemnitles of the house of Israel: he shall prepare the sin offering, and the meat offering, and the burnt offering, and the peace offerings, to make reconciliation for the house of Israel."

Upon my first reading, I did not notice that it is now the prince that is preparing the offerings. We can go on down to verse 19 and the priests come in.

v19 "And the priest shall take of the blood of the sin offering, and put it upon the posts of the house, and upon the four corners of the settle of the altar, and upon the posts of the gate of the inner court."

My reference Bible takes me to I Peter 2:24 "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness; by whose stripes ye were healed."

When Jesus was being accused and Pilate reasoned with the priests the priests made a profound statement: Matthew 27:25 "Then answered all the people and said, His blood be on us, and on our children."

I know they meant that they would take the blame but the statement was prophetic in a way. Jesus blood is the way to eternal life and those who come to him are cleansed by the blood.

Jesus has become prince and priest to us.

When Jesus was condemned for sins he did not commit, he was being condemned for the sins we did commit. The priest, unknowingly, prepared a sin offering, a peace offering and those other offerings, when they beat and crucified Jesus. He was the lamb of God, offered for our sins. Can you see as they beat Him and his blood was sprinkled round about.

Chapter 45 tells us many details of how the land was to be divided with a portion set aside for the priest and the holy place. It also sets the measurement, just measurements, as well as the offerings.

One final note: v18 "Thus saith the Lord God; In the first month, in the first day of the month, thou shalt take a young bullock without blemish, and cleanse the sanctuary."

v21 "In the first month, in the fourteenth day of the month, ye shall have the passover, a feast of seven days; unleavened bread shall be eaten."

Luke 22:7-8 "Then came the day of unleavened bread, when the passover must be killed, And he sent Peter and John, saying, Go and prepare us the passover, that we may eat."

So, as we study through the Bible, the Old Old Story, can you see that the blood of the lamb on the door posts to save the first born, the sacrifices in the tabernacle and temple were all pointing to the cross of Calvary where redemption was purchased for mankind by the blood of the Lamb of God. There can be no other explanation.