There is a priority in the dynamic of ministry to God and service to His people. I always felt as though service to His people was the best way to draw close to God, since we are encouraged to minister to the least of these and, in doing so, minister to Christ. Further study has prompted me to expand the idea that there may be, in fact, a separation between the ministry to man and ministry to God.

In Ezekiel 44 we're told that there are a good number of Levitical priests who have ticked God off. They defiled the sanctuary or to quote, "And ye have not kept the charge of mine holy things: but ye have set keepers of my charge in my sanctuary for yourselves." So they did this that and the other and it made God angry. He begins to set out some punitive measures and in verse 11 he seems to relent somewhat and tells them that they can still be priests and minister to the people. Seems odd, since we place such a high priority on doing just that. When people fall or fail or, as in this case, desecrate the sanctuary, the first thing to go is their ministry for certainly God wouldn't want a habitual heathen to fill the ranks of those in authority in the church. Yet here is God Himself telling these detestable fellows that they get to keep their job. Here, I believe, is how many in ministry can live lives that fill the nostrils of God with the stench of rotten works and how foolish darkened hearts can still retain some semblance of anointing.

If they don't lose their anointing to minister to God's people, where then is the punishment? Verse 13 tells it plainly. "...they shall not come near unto me, to do the office of a priest unto me, nor to come near to any of my holy things, in the most holy [place]: but they shall bear their shame, and their abominations which they have committed."
Now look at that. There is obviously a difference in the anointing to minister to man and the ability to draw close to God. We erroneously believe that one can't exist without the other but I believe Scripture is plain in saying that God can use anyone to touch the life of another and even fulfill the anointed calling of a priest (or pastor). Yet the price to pay for squandering that anointing is that they are hindered from ministering to God or even drawing close to Him.

Look at the next verse. "But I will make them keepers of the charge of the house, for all the service thereof, and for all that shall be done therein." Now try this on for size. You can sit under anointed preaching and teaching delivered by a minister whose words and insight touch you deeply but whose life has been lived at a distance from the heart of the Father. Pastors, there's a difference between your anointing to minister to your people and your anointing to draw into a deeper walk with God. In this day I fear that many have placed more emphasis on their status in the eyes of their congregation while neglecting their own walk.

In the next verses God says to the sons of Zadok, "They shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table, to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge." He then proceeds to give them some interesting uniform requirements. That they don't wear anything that causes sweat and that whatever they wear that they change it before they go out to mingle with the people so that, "they shall not sanctify the people with their garments." Old Testament only? Not so, for pre crucifixion there was a woman who was healed by touching the garment of Jesus and post crucifixion there were those who were healed by touching clothes that were handled by Paul (Acts 19:11-12). Keep in mind that it's not the cloth that does the healing but an apparent combined effort of the faith of the wearer and the faith of the one in need. Moving on...

Other things required of the sons of Zadok were some basic grooming, to stay off the wine in the sanctuary, to skip marrying widows unless she had been a widow of another priest, to teach the people about what's holy and what's not, to do some judging, to keep the Sabbath (all of them), and to avoid handling the dead (unless it's an immediate family member). Ok you could read this on your own. Why point it out? There are so many points that could be made here. I want to stick with one. How are you in your proximity to the presence of God? Under grace, we all have the ability to minister to God as well as to His people. Yet under grace we have taken it so lightly, and it's not a small thing. Some people avoid praise and worship because it 'doesn't minister to them'. I would contend that this is a selfish and arrogant stance. Praise and worship is for God. The preaching of the Word is for you. Both together are how we grow. Now if you worship on your own before you come together to hear the Word, fine, but you're missing out on the assembled collective worship of God together. Let's say you've got a bunch of friends and it's your birthday. You could get a visit from each one in turn but how much more effective is the group of friends who get together to throw you a surprise party? What if you weren't on the planning committee? You still go because it's not about you. It's about them. Don't avoid worship just because you weren't on the planning committee. It's not about you anyway. Come together and worship God because He's worthy of it. Why is He worthy? Is your heart still beating? Then He's really worthy.