Ezekiel 44:28Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The instructions for the priests continue, and it is significant to note that the text does not merely state, They shall keep the sabbaths holy, or, in line with Isaiah, Your new moons and sabbaths my soul hates (Isaiah 1:14), but specifically, My sabbaths. Therefore, it is declared in the Gospel, ‘The priests in the temple profane the sabbath, yet remain innocent’ (Matthew 12:5); not the sabbath of God, but the traditional sabbath of the Jews, which is rightly violated by the chosen, royal priestly lineage. Consequently, the holy sabbath must be understood in the context the apostle teaches, which remains for the people of God, as noted, If they enter into my rest (Psalms 94:11), referred to in Hebrew as the Sabbath.

The one who does not carry the burden of sin on the Sabbath and does not lament, ‘The burden weighs heavily upon me’ (Psalms 37:5), keeps the sabbath of God holy. Such a person refrains from gathering wood on the Sabbath and, grounded in Jesus Christ, does not build with combustible materials (1 Corinthians 3). They avoid kindling a fire that consumes worthless things and remains positioned in the sanctuary, as a living stone, as John writes in Revelation, I will make the one who overcomes a pillar in the temple of My God, and they will not exit that place (Revelation 3:12).

Regarding the subsequent statement: they shall not approach a corpse, lest they become unclean, the priest must avoid contact with a dead body, so that he who intercedes for the sins of others may approach the altar in purity. They defile themselves by renouncing their Creator through a dead father, and by turning away from the Church through a dead mother; similarly, a son and daughter signify respectively thoughts and actions, the latter articulated in Greek as τὰ νοητὰ καὶ αἰσθητα. If a brother and sister are perceived as spiritually dead by the same Spirit, the priest becomes defiled, but only if the sister remains a virgin and has not engaged in union with any husband.

This highlights the distinctive nature of virginity, which states that contact with any man compromises perfect purity. Whether this assertion stands justly we leave to the discernment of our readers. This also reflects the divine order of love; as it is written, ‘Begin to love me’ (Song of Solomon 2:4), first towards the Father of all, and subsequently to the earthly father and mother, son and daughter, with brother and sister receiving love only if they have not departed from the household and belong to no other.

Once the priest has undergone the purification rituals prescribed in the Mosaic law, seven days shall be allotted to him, representing either a complete cycle of repentance or symbolizing the culmination of creation; thus, after achieving the true fulfillment, he may access the inner sanctuary and minister there, offering atonement for the sins of the heart, so that he constantly recalls his defilement through his parental lineage and siblings. For in this world’s confines, we are led to actions by the flesh or the inherent corruption of nature. However, those who dedicate themselves to service in the sanctuary, entering the inner court and perpetually offering sacrifices to God, embody a true priest or a follower of Him of whom it is said, You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek (Psalms 109:4). They possess no inheritance save God, who functions as their inheritance, and do not hold property among the general populace of Israel, but receive the sacred portion, as the Lord proclaims, I am their inheritance and I am their possession. Upon gaining Him, they will declare, ‘I will cling to Him and not forsake Him,’ and rejoice with the prophet, ‘The Lord is my portion’ (Psalms 72:26).