Pam Padgett ... teacher
In visions from God Ezekiel was taken to the land of Israel and shown many things he was to tell to the house of Israel ...
Ezekiel 40:2 In the visions of God brought he me into the
land of Israel, and set me upon a very high mountain, by which was as
the frame of a city on the south. 3 And he brought me thither, and,
behold, there was a man, whose appearance was like the appearance of
brass, with a line of flax in his hand, and a measuring reed; and he
stood in the gate. 4 And the man said unto me, Son of man, behold with
thine eyes, and hear with thine ears, and set thine heart upon all that I
shall shew thee; for to the intent that I might shew them unto thee art
thou brought hither: declare all that thou seest to the house of
Israel.
The house of Israel was described as being rebellious, having polluted the sanctuary of the Lord and not obeyed what they had been told to do ...
Ezekiel 44:6 And thou shalt say to the rebellious, even to the
house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord God; O ye house of Israel, let it
suffice you of all your abominations, 7 In that ye have brought into my
sanctuary strangers, uncircumcised in heart, and uncircumcised in flesh,
to be in my sanctuary, to pollute it, even my house, when ye offer my
bread, the fat and the blood, and they have broken my covenant because
of all your abominations. 8 And ye have not kept the charge of mine holy
things: but ye have set keepers of my charge in my sanctuary for
yourselves.
However, the sons of Zadok had not gone astray. When others went
astray, the sons of Zadok did not. Since they kept the charge of the
sanctuary, they would be allowed to minister before God in the sanctuary ...
Ezekiel 44:15 But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me,
they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand
before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith the Lord God: 16
They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my
table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge.
When Ezekiel was shown how the land was to be divided up, it was again pointed out that the sons of Zadok did not go astray but had kept the charge of the Lord ...
Ezekiel 48:10 And for them, even for the priests, shall be this
holy oblation; toward the north five and twenty thousand in
length, and toward the west ten thousand in breadth, and toward
the east ten thousand in breadth, and toward the south five and
twenty thousand in length: and the sanctuary of the Lord shall be
in the midst thereof. 11 It shall be for the priests that are
sanctified of the sons of Zadok; which have kept my charge,
which went not astray when the children of Israel went astray,
as the Levites went astray.
In the midst of those who rebelled against the Lord, the sons of Zadok continued faithfully doing what God had charged them to do.
When reading about the sons of Zadok, I was reminded that Jesus said those who continue in HIS word are HIS disciples ....
John 8:31 Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If
ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; 32 And ye
shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
And I was also reminded of the church in Philadelphia who kept the word of God. What wonderful rewards await those who continue to hold fast, overcoming, led by the Spirit of God, those things that would pull away from keeping the word of God ....
Revelation 3:7 And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia
write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he
that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth;
and shutteth, and no man openeth; 8 I know thy works: behold, I
have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou
hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied
my name. 9 Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan,
which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will
make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I
have loved thee. 10 Because thou hast kept the word of my
patience, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which
shall come upon all the world, to try them that dwell upon the
earth. 11 Behold, I come quickly: hold that fast which thou hast,
that no man take thy crown. 12 Him that overcometh will I make a
pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I
will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city
of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven
from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. 13 He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto
the churches.