And the king put Benaiah the son of Jehoiada in his room over the host: and Zadok the priest did the king put in the room of Abiathar.

1 Kings 2:35 KJV

In this chapter we are seeing a top down change in leadership . Solomon replaces David as King. Now in turn Solomon thrusts out Abiathar the descendent of Eli. 

God had promised and spoken through Samuel the Prophet that Eli and his line had been brought to an end. However we see that it took a few generations to complete the thrusting out. 

Abiathar did not die because he had carried the Ark of the Covenant .

God indicates He is overseeing in Christ the greatest change of leadership ever in the history of the Church. 

Abiathar has been at the altar too long!

When we consider the line of Eli we must go back to 1 Samuel to see that he did not respond to a prophetic word from a young child. Eli’s sons had grown to treat God’s things with contempt. God spoke to Eli to correct them but he himself benefitted from their contempt of the sacrifices.  Poor people offered what they could yet Eli and his sons robbed God of the best. 

God is patient and takes time to deal with this. 

Eli became blind and deaf indicative not just a physical disability but a spiritual disability brought on by personal stubborness.

Eli and his sons died in one day and his grandson Ichabod was born in a day when glory was taken away. The Ark was seized in battle and Israel went back to their cities in defeat. 

When our priesthood fails to heed the prophets God sends God begins to remove them radically from life. 

Ichabod not only lost family but his own mother. His name means “glory less” . A culmination of where the house of Eli had come to. 

Many of our families are in danger of becoming like the house of Eli as we let our children become contemptuous as we let practices take place in the local Church.  In turn father’s become stubborn, blind and deaf to the Lord. He will not forever strive with us. We must stand in the right place with God not allowing modernisms corrupt our devotion. 

Solomon put into action the prophetic word by thrusting out Abiathar. The day has come to thrust out Abiathar. He represents a house that goes through the motions of Church. 

Solomon brought in Zadok who would oversee a priesthood who would oversee the new temple dedication and minister in the glory.

God is bringing in “Zadok” for a new temple of glory is being built in the earth. The Lord must thrust out the old and bring in a new priesthood. 

The new Zadok priesthood would server with devotion and purity to the Lord. They knew the personal commitment to holiness and purity. 

We need to seek out this new priesthood model that God can come down to dwell in the midst of our priestly ministry.

Let our prayer be Let God bring out His Zadok.