Not too long ago I was reading Ezekiel 44. It impacted me. All of a sudden it was like a great light was shining on things that have troubled me about our modern Christian culture.  I think God is the Great Divider. Scripture bears that out. He divides between the clean and unclean, the holy and unholy, the sheep and the goats, wheat and tares. His Word is a two-edged sword dividing soul and spirit.

In Ezek 44, God divides and distinguishes between the sons of Zadok and the rest of the Levitical priesthood. When Israel went after their idols, the Levites allowed the uncircumcised of heart and flesh to enter into the sanctuary and then they ministered unto them before their idols. Because of that the Lord lifted up His hand against them and said that they would not enter the Holy of Holies to come near to Him. They would bear their shame.  He would still allow them to be keepers of the House, for all the service thereof. But they would not come near Him.

The sons of Zadok, on the other hand, were a different matter. He says, " 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: They shall enter into My sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto Me, and they shall keep My charge." v. 15,16

These priests were distinguished by the Lord from the other priests and given the unspeakable privilege of ministering to Him. The Lord says of them - "And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean."

Where are the sons of Zadok today? There is such dire need for priestly men and women to teach the body how to discern between holy and unholy, clean and unclean, spirit and flesh.

Unto that priesthood God gives Himself as a possession. That is mind boggling! The Lord Almighty says, "I am their inheritance: and ye shall give them no possession in Israel: I am their possession." Maybe that is how Abraham could be possessor of heaven and earth - because he possessed God Himself. Maybe God commits Himself to and allows Himself to be possessed by that kind of faith.

The Lord's sheep know His voice and follow Him. He cares that they are fed. When sheep are willing to lose themselves in order to gain Him, He commits Himself to that kind of abandonment. He shows up when and where they are gathered. And it doesn't matter if it is in a church or a gym, a living room or a street corner. His presence is the distinguishing factor.