Commentary - Ezekiel 45:18-20

Bird's-eye view

In this portion of Ezekiel's vision, we are presented with a detailed liturgical calendar for the restored temple. This is not just about getting the dates right; it is about the fundamental problem of sin and God's gracious provision for it. The vision of the new temple and the renewed land is glorious, but it is a vision for a people who are still, in themselves, sinful. Therefore, the central reality of this new order must be a robust system of atonement. God is establishing a holy place in the midst of a people, and that place must be kept clean. This passage outlines the regular purification of the sanctuary itself, reminding us that sin's defilement is pervasive. It affects not just the individual sinner, but the very place where God condescends to dwell. The sacrifices described here are a potent reminder that access to God is always and only on His terms, and those terms are bloody.

The instructions are specific, dealing with the purification of the sanctuary at the beginning of the month. This is a picture of sanctification. Just as our weeks begin with the Lord's Day, a day of resetting our spiritual clocks, so also the sacred calendar here begins with a cleansing. This cleansing is not just for overt, high-handed rebellion, but for those who err or are simpleminded. It is a comprehensive grace that covers sins of ignorance and weakness. Ultimately, this entire system, with its bulls and blood and doorposts, is a magnificent shadow pointing to the substance, which is Christ. He is the unblemished offering, and His blood is what truly purifies not a physical temple, but the household of God, the Church.

Outline

Context In Ezekiel

These verses are situated within the final grand vision of Ezekiel, which runs from chapter 40 to 48. After the pronouncements of judgment on Israel and the surrounding nations, the book climaxes with a breathtakingly detailed vision of a new temple, a new priesthood, a new system of worship, and a renewed land with the river of life flowing from the sanctuary. This is a vision of eschatological hope. Specifically, chapter 45 has been dealing with the holy district, the allotment of land for the priests, the Levites, and the prince. The focus now shifts from the geography of holiness to the practice of holiness. Having established the sacred space, God now lays out the rules for maintaining its purity. This is crucial. A holy God cannot dwell in an unclean place. The detailed instructions for sacrifices and offerings are not tedious legalism; they are the gracious means by which a sinful people can continue to live in the presence of a holy God.

Clause-by-Clause Commentary

v. 18 ‘Thus says Lord Yahweh, “In the first month, on the first of the month, you shall take a bull from the herd without blemish and purify the sanctuary.

The Lord Yahweh speaks. This is not a suggestion from a committee on worship; it is a divine command. The authority is absolute. The timing is precise: the first month, on the first day. This is a new beginning, a reset. Just as the creation week had a first day, and the resurrection of our Lord established a new first day of the week, so this restored worship begins with a foundational act of purification on day one. A new year of worship must begin with a clean slate, or rather, a clean house. The instrument of this purification is a young bull, a creature of significant value, and it must be without blemish. This requirement runs like a golden thread through the entire sacrificial system. God is not honored with our leftovers or our cast-offs. The offering must be perfect because it points to the truly perfect offering that was to come, the Lord Jesus Christ, a lamb without spot or blemish (1 Pet. 1:19). The purpose of this sacrifice is explicit: to purify the sanctuary. The word here is related to the word for sin offering. It is a de-sinning of the holy place. The sins of the people, even their unintentional sins, create a kind of spiritual pollution that defiles the place of worship. Before the people can bring their regular offerings, the house itself must be cleansed.

v. 19 The priest shall take some of the blood from the sin offering and put it on the door posts of the house, on the four corners of the ledge of the altar, and on the posts of the gate of the inner court.

The action is liturgical and symbolic. The priest, as the mediator, handles the blood. Blood is the Bible's symbol for life, and because sin leads to death, shed blood is required for atonement. "Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins" (Heb. 9:22). The blood is not just shed; it is applied. It is put on the key points of contact and transition within the temple complex. First, the doorposts of the house itself. This is reminiscent of the Passover, where the blood on the doorposts marked out the people of God and protected them from the angel of death. Here, the blood marks the house of God as holy and protected from the defilement of sin. Second, it is applied to the four corners of the altar's ledge. The altar is the place of sacrifice, the point where heaven and earth meet. The four corners represent the totality of its reach, its comprehensive effectiveness. The blood purifies the very instrument of atonement. Third, the posts of the gate of the inner court. This is the entryway into the more sacred space, where the priests minister. The way in must be cleansed. Every point of access to God is guarded and sanctified by blood. This is a powerful picture of our salvation. We enter God's presence through the blood of Christ, which has been applied to the true temple, the church, and to the altar of His own sacrifice.

v. 20 And thus you shall do on the seventh day of the month for everyone who errs or is simpleminded; so you shall make atonement for the house.

The ritual is repeated on the seventh day. This establishes a regular pattern of cleansing at the beginning of the month. This is not a one-and-done event. The need for cleansing is constant because the people are constantly sinning. The scope of this atonement is particularly gracious. It is for "everyone who errs or is simpleminded." This covers sins of ignorance, sins committed through weakness or foolishness, the kind of sins that we often don't even recognize as sins until later. It is a provision for the common, garden-variety failings of God's people. This is not for the high-handed, defiant rebel who has set his face against God. But for the one who stumbles, who is weak, who is not wise in the ways of the world, God provides a remedy. This is a profound comfort. God's grace is not just for our spectacular flameouts; it covers our daily stumbles and foolishness. And notice the conclusion: "so you shall make atonement for the house." The individual sins of the erring and simpleminded have a corporate effect. They defile the house. Therefore, the atonement is for the house. This underscores the covenantal nature of God's people. We are in this together. My sin affects you, and your sin affects me. And Christ's atonement is not just for a collection of individuals; it is for His house, His bride, the Church. He shed His blood to purify a people for Himself, to make the entire dwelling place of God holy and without blemish.