Ezekiel 45:17

The Prince To Be Responsible To Ensure that the Offerings Are Offered.

“And it shall be the prince's part to give the whole burnt offerings, and the meal offerings, and the libations (drink or oil offerings), in the feasts and in the new moons and in the sabbaths, in all the appointed feasts of the house of Israel. He will prepare the sin offering, and the meal offering, and the whole burnt offering, and the peace offerings, to make atonement for the house of Israel.”

The prince's sacred duty is to ensure that the full basic sacrificial requirements for the people are carried out throughout the year at Israel's wide-ranging feasts, including the new moons and sabbaths. This was probably ever seen as the Davidic kings' duty, even though many of them did not fulfil it satisfactorily. This was why they were seen as priests after the order of Melchizedek (Psalms 110:4). This title had arisen because Jerusalem was the city of David and they had therefore inherited the royal priesthood of the city, named after its early priest king Melchizedek (Genesis 14:18). But as only the Levitical priests could actually offer these sacrifices and present them before Yahweh under the covenant, the duty of the prince/king was seemingly to ensure their provision, allocation and preparation ready for the sacrificial act. This is now dealt with in more detail.