Theme:
Constancy
Business Application:
Reliability reaps benefits
Who he was:
Zadok was a priest, loyal to David. He may have also been one of the king’s fighting men in his youth. He was left in charge of the tabernacle at Gibeon to offer sacrifices, when David settled into his palace. He and his sons played an integral part in undermining Absalom’s coup. Zadok and Nathan the prophet announced the new King Solomon against the threat of Adonijah who wanted to be successor instead.
Hundreds of years later, the prophet Ezekiel called out the sons of Zadok as the only Levites who could draw near to the Lord to minister before him (Ezekiel 40:46) when the temple area was restored. Later, the Lord explains that they guarded the sanctuary when the Israelites went astray (Ezekiel 44:15). It seems that the legacy of loyal, unwavering service carried on through many generations.
Why his story matters:
Zadok appears to be a minor character but he set in motion strong values that lived on long after him.
What we can learn from him:
Zadok teaches us the value God places on trustworthiness and integrity. Whether staying behind to serve in the temple, away from the limelight, or continuing to minister when his peers fell away, Zadok was faithful and the Lord noticed. Dependable and unwavering, he left a long legacy
Where we see his archetype today:
We see the legacy of Zadok in people who maintain their integrity and serve God regardless of the distractions around them.
How we can learn more about him:
You can find the story of Zadok in 2 Samuel 8:17, 2 Samuel 15-20, 2 Kings 15:32-34 and several other places in these books and 1 Chronicles.