A Call to the Sons of Zadok
A reflection on the true calling of priesthood, drawn from the example of Zadok and the invitation to minister faithfully at God’s altar.
In these days of increasing confusion and spiritual compromise, the Lord is calling forth a faithful priesthood—those who minister not for performance or popularity, but in obedience and reverence.
The Sons of Zadok
We are called to be priests and kings unto our God. But the true priest ministers only to God – faces the altar, not the people – and willingly and uncompromisingly obeys the Word of the Lord. The sons of Zadok were such priests.
The sons of Eli the High Priest on the other hand were carnal. They served only themselves and would arrange their affairs so they had favour with men rather than obey the voice of the Lord. They fronted as priests, they dressed as priests and in some ways they behaved like priests, but this is what Scripture has to say about them – Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD – 1 Sam 2:12
Which are you?
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……… And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean. (Ezekiel 44:15–16, 23)
LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart… (Psalm 15)
In Christ There is Always Hope
Acts 26:16–18 – “But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you. I will deliver you from the Jewish people, as well as from the Gentiles, to whom I now send you, to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in Me.”
Our collective calling is to be priests and kings unto our God. As I said at the start of this article, the true priest ministers only to God—he faces the altar, not the crowd—and willingly obeys the Word of the Lord, whether or not it earns favour with men. The ancient sons of Zadok were such priests. They stood firm when others compromised. They did not follow the people into apostasy. And for this, God made them a promise:
Ezekiel 44:15–16, 23 – But the priests the Levites, the sons of Zadok… they shall come near to me to minister unto me… they shall enter into my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table… And they shall teach my people the difference between the holy and profane, and cause them to discern between the unclean and the clean.
By contrast, the sons of Eli—though they dressed like priests—were corrupt. Scripture says of them:
1 Samuel 2:12 – Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.
Which are we? In every generation, this choice is before us.
The Character of the True Priest
Psalm 15 – LORD, who shall abide in thy tabernacle? who shall dwell in thy holy hill? He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaks the truth in his heart...
God is raising up a people in this hour who will walk uprightly, teach the difference between the holy and the profane, and minister faithfully at His table. This is the spirit of Zadok in our day.
Today, under the New Covenant, the believer himself is the temple of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19), and the altar is the heart upon which worship, obedience, and sacrifice must be laid. Yet this does not reduce worship to something private or disordered. Even in the New Testament, the Church is instructed that “everything should be done decently and in order” (1 Corinthians 14:40). Though the priesthood is now spiritual and every believer is called to draw near, the model of Zadok still applies—faithful ministers who do not shape worship for the crowd, but who keep the sanctuary of God reverent, holy, and full of light.
And Yet—There Is Always Hope
We are not left to wonder if we are worthy. Our calling is rooted not in our pedigree, but in Christ’s purpose and mercy.
Acts 26:16–18 – But rise and stand on your feet; for I have appeared to you for this purpose, to make you a minister and a witness… to open their eyes, in order to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins…
This is the invitation—to rise, to stand, and to serve. Not in name only, but in truth. The altar still burns, the table is still set, and the Lord still seeks those who will draw near.
Will you be counted among the sons of Zadok?
– John