THE DIFFERENCE!

THE DIFFERENCE!

Ezek 44:23

23 And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.

Priests were probably not very popular at social gatherings. They were apt to, at the most embarrassing moments, to point out some glaring sin that you thought was well hidden. This would be followed by an uncomfortable silence and a feeling of guilt. Only those priests who could be trusted to “yuk-it-up” with the other guests were invited.

Ezekiel records a laundry list of rules and regulations for the priesthood. They must wear linen and not wool, they must not wear any clothing that caused them to sweat, they could not drink wine and even their possible marriage partners were limited to either maidens or widows of other priests. These strange things certainly set the priests apart from the rest of the people but it is in verse twenty three that we learn their purpose. They were to teach the people THE DIFFERENCE between the holy and the profane, the good from the bad, and the best from the good.

Here are some rules of thumb regarding THE DIFFERENCE.

1. Does the thing tend toward health or harm?

If your activities keep you up at night, make you nervous and worn out you should give a long look to your pursuits. If your life is full of, as T. De Witt Talmage puts it, “moonlight adventures and hairbreadth escapes” then you need to be more selective in your activities. 

2. Do you spend beyond your means?

If your lifestyle makes you hide from your creditors or if drinking steals your children’s clothes you need to learn the difference between the holy and the profane. If gambling or speculating takes the roof from over your head, or if you spend all that you make and then borrow so that you may spend more, you are not wise.

3. Do you fill your life with amusements so that you may avoid God?

Does the thought of meeting God at church cause you to shudder? Do you avoid conversations that turn to religion? Do you avoid thoughts of death and eternity? If you fill your life with sound, movement, and color so as to avoid these things you are a fool because God can’t be avoided. It is appointed unto man once to die and then after that there is judgment (Hebrews 9:27). A wise man prepares for the inevitable instead of foolishly pretending it will never happen to him. 

4. Do you keep bad company that damages your character?

And the company you keep is determined by the activities in which you engage. Moreover, the activities in which you engage reveal the desires of your heart. If your friends are unbalanced and extreme, if they are immoral and unclean then abandon them! They will not support you or even sympathize with you in the difficult times.

All such things are areas into which we priests stick our unwelcome noses! It’s what we do! It’s who we are and it is for YOUR benefit.

Jer 3:15

15 And I will give you pastors according to mine heart, which shall feed you with knowledge and understanding.

Dear Lord, thank you for shepherds who help me discern the difference between the holy and the profane. AMEN