Ezekiel chapter 45

vs 1

So we're talking about a very significant amount of land here.

vs 2

Okay. Somewhere to walk, I guess. Or perhaps a buffer.

vs 3

That's enormous. And also I can't really see how you could have that inside the total area, with the buffer space... perhaps I'm just imagining it wrong.

vs 4

Cool, so the priests actually have somewhere to build their houses. They get to live in the priestly district.

vs 5

Well, it is a huge area. So why not build multiple towns? In fact, it is almost absurdly large for a town back then, I would say.

vs 6

It sounds like there are these strips of land that all go next to each other.

vs 7

While this is all big and boxy, the idea of it seems to be similar to how things ended up with David. David controlled Jerusalem not as part of his tribe's inheritance - it was his own city. So the prince here is also being given land to himself.

vs 8

So the tribes get their land, and the prince gets land, and there is so much land to go around that everyone should be happy. Also, this seems to be talking about all the tribes, I'd think.

vs 9

After all, there will be no need, because God will give them so much land, why would they need other people's land? This does tell us of the greed of kings, it would seem - they would uproot other people to take the best land.

vs 10

That goes for everyone.

vs 11

Now, just assuming you use an accurate homer, everyone will be happy. Fairness in trade is a big deal for God. Lots of proverbs about it.

vs 12

I'm not sure why Ezekiel decides to count this way, instead of just saying 60. Also, the note seems to say that a mina is 50 shekels, so why did he make it 60? Confusing. That's generous on one viewing, but it's a ripoff in the other direction. There's always people on both sides of the equation, remember.

vs 13

Since the priests don't grow stuff, they need grain, and lots of it. It's the staple food for life, after all.

vs 14

Measurements of weight and volume seem to be as important as the measurements of the temple.

vs 15

That's a lot of sheep, no doubt, but it only taxes the rich, so it's well balanced.

vs 16

Wait, when did the prince figure into this? Perhaps he has been given part of a priestly function, since David sort of took on that function a bit, and also since there was no king really taken into account in the old law.

vs 17

So there you go. The prince definitely gets a priestly function.

vs 18

Ie kill and sprinkle blood everywhere, if I know my sacrificial talk.

vs 19

Spreading blood on doorposts is very passover-esque.

vs 20

This way, the temple becomes cleansed from the ignorance and general sin of the people. It is very, very interesting to note (not just in Ezekiel, but in the Law too) that ignorant or unintentional sin is separated out from intentional sin. Note that it is still sin - it still needs to be atoned for - but it is not as serious as intentional sin.

vs 21

Hah, Passover was close, I knew it.

vs 22

That's nice of him. Cheap for everyone else, too.

vs 23

Wait, is he to provide seven of each every day, or one each adding up to seven? Anyway, it's lots of sin offerings.

vs 24

It's called a feast for a reason, as I've said before. Of course, that's not enough to feed the whole nation, but those who turn up, at least the priests, will definitely get something.

vs 25

So the prince becomes a bankroller of the ceremonies. That's a good role for him. Legislating it might make it seem like it is less generous, but it gets done this way. And since there are question marks over how often it got done in Israel's history, this is a good thing I think.