Today's Scripture Reading (October 15, 2026): Ezekiel 45
I was reminiscing with
some friends about the 1971 Grey Cup (the Canadian Football version of the
Super Bowl). In 1971, two of my favorite football teams met for the
championship: the Toronto Argonauts and the Calgary Stampeders. Three years
earlier, I had moved with my parents from Toronto to Calgary. I was eight when
we moved, and I hadn't been interested in football until I arrived in Calgary.
By the 1971 season, I lived and breathed the Stampeders.
That year, the Toronto
Argonauts were led by rookie quarterback Joe Theismann. Theismann would later
become an NFL great with the Washington Redskins, now the Washington
Commanders. Toronto was favored to win, but rain made it a low-scoring affair.
However, when the final whistle blew, the underdogs from Calgary won the 59th
Grey Cup, 14-11. It was only the second time Calgary had won the Canadian
Football Championship and the first since 1948. I was eleven years old and in
sixth grade at the time.
What I really remember
about the 1971 Grey Cup is what happened after the game. Because Grey Cup
winners were uncommon in Calgary, saying the city's sports fans were excited
would have been an understatement. I remember the Mayor coming on TV and radio
with an exciting announcement. The city was going to welcome our Stampeders
home in style, and the Mayor wanted all the kids to gather at the downtown
arena, the Stampede Corral, on Monday afternoon to scream for their heroes. It
didn't take long for someone to question whether the Mayor had the authority to
cancel school, and the school board answered that he did not. Quickly, the
school board chairman replaced the Mayor's voice. Classes would not be canceled
so the kids could welcome their Stampeders home. Everyone was expected to be in
school.
Ezekiel says that the
landowners are to give an offering to the prince of Israel (Israel no longer
had a king). The prince was to use the money for various sin offerings at the
nation's religious festivals. But as I read this passage, the question that jumps
out is: why was the money given to the prince? Would it not have been better to
give the money directly to the priests who were responsible for making the
sacrifice? Surprisingly, I consulted some experts, and they were silent on the
reason, only confirming that the money was not to be given to the priests.
So, let me offer this as
my humble suggestion. If the religious feasts were to become a reality, they
would not happen simply because the religious structure decreed them. They
would also require political support. And perhaps the best way for that to happen
was to divide responsibility between the two forces in people's lives: the
political would collect the offering and prepare everything for the sacrifice.
In contrast, the priests would minister at the altar, properly offering the
sacrifice to God. The political and religious fronts would work in unity,
making the religious feast not just a possibility but a reality in the life of
the new nation. In this way, there would be no embarrassing conflicts between
the two forces of religious life in Judah.
Maybe that is the
reason, or maybe not, but back when I was eleven, it would have been nice to
have the two forces in my life, the School Board and the Mayor, on the same
page. Eventually, a compromise was reached. The schools would be open, but no
one would take attendance. With that knowledge firmly in hand, the
eleven-year-old me headed for the Corral to welcome the Calgary Stampeders
home.
Just one more note. The
Prince of Israel could also be called the Messiah of Israel. When Jesus
arrived, he became prophet, priest, and King. The New Testament places major
emphasis on only one of those roles: King. Jesus was the Prince of Israel and
heir to David's throne. Just as the landowners during the rebuilding of Judah
brought offerings to the Prince, we now bring our sacrifices to our King.
Tomorrow's
Scripture Reading: Ezekiel 46
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