Chapter 15
THE PRIESTHOOD
Before we begin our study let us pray,
Dear Heavenly Father,
We come before You in the Name of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Holy Father, we ask that You would please bless our study of the priesthood. Please open our eyes, our ears and our hearts so we can see that the Old Testament priesthood was a foreshadowing that pointed to Jesus Christ and the New Testament priesthood, who are the born again believers in His church. For Your Holy Name’s sake we ask.
Amen
INTRODUCTION
Let us recall that in Chapter 14 titled; “The Tabernacle/Temple” we discovered that the New Testament church is not a building made of wood, brick and mortar. No! It is a spiritual building composed of you and I, the born again believers. It is a holy habitation of God the Holy Spirit. The church that our Lord Jesus Christ came to build is the fulfillment of what the Old Testament Temple, its furnishings and the people who served it were pointing to. The church is that group of people He bought and paid for with His own body and blood. It is that body of people who have been set apart and anointed to be a royal priesthood through the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus Christ. To refresh our memory let us prayerfully consider,
1 Peter 2:4-5
"[4] As you come to him, the living Stone--rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him-- [5] you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ."
To help us understand the roles and functions of the New Testament priesthood we will,
1. Review the ordination of Aaron and his sons into the priesthood and see that this ceremony was also a foreshadowing pointing to the ordination of Jesus Christ and to those who have faith and trust in Him.
2. Review the primary role and task of the Old Testament High Priest, who was Aaron, and see that this activity was also a foreshadowing pointing to our High Priest Jesus Christ.
3. Briefly review the New Covenant we now have with our High Priest Jesus Christ.
4. Discover that the Burnt Offering offered by Aaron’s sons was a foreshadowing of the New Testament priestly function for the born again believers to offer themselves as a living sacrifice to God.
5. See that the Levites task to care for and maintain the Old Testament Tabernacle was a foreshadowing to teach the true members of the New Tabernacle, which is the Body of Christ, are to serve our High Priest by caring for and strengthening the members of His church.
With the above introduction in mind we begin by reviewing,
THE ORDINATION OF AARON AND HIS MALE DESCENDENTS
The Bible teaches us that God chose Aaron and his male descendants to be His priests. In the Old Testament we find that these priests were the only people who were appointed and allowed to offer sacrifices, offerings or enter inside the Tabernacle (see Numbers 3:10).
With the above background let us first read about,
THE ANOINTING OR CONSECRATION OF AARON
A description of Aaron’s consecration can be found in,
Exodus 29:4-7
[4] “And Aaron and his sons you shall bring to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, and you shall wash them with water. [5] Then you shall take the garments, put the tunic on Aaron, and the robe of the ephod, the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the intricately woven band of the ephod. [6] You shall put the turban on his head, and put the holy crown on the turban. [7] And you shall take the anointing oil, pour it on his head, and anoint him.
Let us notice the following verses,
4 … This ceremonial washing was a type of baptism into a new life. In this case it was a baptism of ordination into the priesthood.
7 … It is noted that in addition to other types of use for oil, in the Old Testament oil was also symbolic of the Holy Spirit’s anointing.
We also find that in like manner,
AARON’S SONS WERE ANOINTED OR CONSECRATED
To see this we will read from,
Exodus 40:14-16
""[14] Bring his sons and dress them in tunics. [15] Anoint them just as you anointed their father, so they may serve me as priests. Their anointing will be to a priesthood that will continue for all generations to come." [16] Moses did everything just as the LORD commanded him."
Let us notice the following verse,
15 … God also commanded Moses to anoint and set apart Aaron's sons as priests. Also notice that this call for Aaron and his sons to the priesthood was to extend throughout their generations. In other words, it was God's desire that Aaron and all his male descendents to be priests unto Him.
Within the above ceremony there are two great foreshadowings. The first foreshadowing was that Aaron’s consecration pointed to,
JESUS’ CONSECRATION AS PRIEST OF GOD MOST HIGH
To see this, let us go to the time when, in the Jordan River, John the Baptist baptized Jesus Christ. To read about this significant event we go to,
Matthew 3:13-17
"[13] Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. [14] But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" [15] Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented. [16] As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. [17] And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.""
Let us notice the following verses,
13 … Jesus came to John for baptism. Why? Clearly, Jesus did not need to be baptized for repentance. As it turns out this was to be a baptism into His priesthood, which is His position or function as mediator between God and man (see 1 Timothy 2:5). Later in this study we will discover that Jesus is now our High Priest.
15 …Jesus told John that to fulfill the requirements of the law, that is fulfill all righteousness (obedience to the Father), it was proper for Him to be baptized. In addition, it is noted that Jesus’ human lineage was not in the line of Aaron; but, in the human lineage of Judah (see Matthew 1:1-16). To assume the position of High Priest for the new priesthood Jesus went to John the Baptist, who was a priest, to be baptized. Thus, we have the vivid illustration for the changing of the priesthood.
16 … Jesus is baptized in water and then the Holy Spirit comes upon Him, which was the anointing and or consecration.
17 … God the Father gives His approval by saying, “This is My Son, whom I love, with Him I am well pleased.”
The second foreshadowing was that the sons of Aaron’s consecration pointed to the,
BORN AGAIN BELIEVER’S CONSECREATION INTO THE PRIESTHOOD
In other words, as it was with Aaron’s sons, so it was and is with us. To see this we first must realize that the true born again believers in Jesus Christ are sons of God. To see this let us read the following Scriptures,
Galatians 3:26
[26] For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus.
And
Galatians 4:6
[6] And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into your hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”
Secondly, after we became believers in Jesus Christ our water baptism into a new life in Him was also our consecration into the New Testament priesthood. To see this let us read from,
1 Peter 2:9-10
[9] But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; [10] who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.
With the above anointing or consecrations in mind let us move on to a review of the primary role or activity/task for,
AARON THE HIGH PRIEST
Under the direction of God, once a year, the High Priest, Aaron (or after Aaron one of his offspring), was to enter the Holiest of Holies (sometimes called the Most Holy Place) of the Temple. The High Priest did this to intercede for the entire nation by making atonement for the priests, the people and the Temple itself. To see this, let begin by reading from,
Leviticus 16:2-4
"[2] The LORD said to Moses: "Tell your brother Aaron not to come whenever he chooses into the Most Holy Place behind the curtain in front of the atonement cover on the ark, or else he will die, because I appear in the cloud over the atonement cover. [3] "This is how Aaron is to enter the sanctuary area: with a young bull for a sin offering and a ram for a burnt offering. [4] He is to put on the sacred linen tunic, with linen undergarments next to his body; he is to tie the linen sash around him and put on the linen turban. These are sacred garments; so he must bathe himself with water before he puts them on.
For this study let us notice the following verses,
2 … God's Presence was over the Atonement Cover. This is why the room in which it was placed was called the Most Holy Place or Holiest of Holies.
3 … Aaron also had to give a sin offering for himself, that is for the sins he committed.
From here on, that is verses 5-28, the Bible describes the various sacrifices that Aaron, the High Priest, was to make. Instead of reading them now, let us skip to:
Leviticus 16:29-34
""[29] This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: On the tenth day of the seventh month you must deny yourselves and not do any work--whether native-born or an alien living among you-- [30] because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the LORD, you will be clean from all your sins. [31] It is a sabbath of rest, and you must deny yourselves; it is a lasting ordinance. [32] The priest who is anointed and ordained to succeed his father as high priest is to make atonement. He is to put on the sacred linen garments [33] and make atonement for the Most Holy Place, for the Tent of Meeting and the altar, and for the priests and all the people of the community. [34] "This is to be a lasting ordinance for you: Atonement is to be made once a year for all the sins of the Israelites." And it was done, as the LORD commanded Moses."
Let us notice the following verses:
29(a) … Once every year on the 10th day of Tishri, which corresponds to our September/October timeframe, was to be set aside for the observance of this feast. Thus, the atonement to be made during this feast was different and to be done in addition to all the times when the sin offering was to be sacrificed to atone for known sins (Leviticus 4:13-31).
29(b) … In other words they were to humble themselves and not work on the Day of Atonement.
30 … This is the day they were made clean before the Lord from all their sins, that is known and unknown.
32 … The above instructions were not only for Aaron but for all the High Priests that were to succeed him.
33 … The High Priest was to make atonement for all the Israelites.
34 … This ceremony or ritual was to be done once a year. As we read in verse 29 it was called the Day of Atonement. For a more in depth study of the Day of Atonement please see chapter7.
The Old Testament position and function of the High Priest was also a foreshadowing to teach us about the priestly function of,
JESUS CHRIST, OUR HIGH PRIEST
As we read the New Testament we find that, our High Priest does not enter an earthly temple once a year to offer sacrifices for us. Instead, because of His death and resurrection, He always resides in the true Temple in Heaven. He is there appearing before God the Father for us. This truth is recorded in,
Hebrews 9:24-28
"[24] For Christ did not enter a man-made sanctuary that was only a copy of the true one; he entered heaven itself, now to appear for us in God's presence. [25] Nor did he enter heaven to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood that is not his own. [26] Then Christ would have had to suffer many times since the creation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself. [27] Just as man is destined to die once, and after that to face judgment, [28] so Christ was sacrificed once to take away the sins of many people; and he will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him."
Let us now expand upon these Scriptures a bit by reading the following:
Hebrews 8:1-6
"[1] The point of what we are saying is this: We do have such a high priest, who sat down at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, [2] and who serves in the sanctuary, the true tabernacle set up by the Lord, not by man. [3] Every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices, and so it was necessary for this one also to have something to offer. [4] If he were on earth, he would not be a priest, for there are already men who offer the gifts prescribed by the law. [5] They serve at a sanctuary that is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: "See to it that you make everything according to the pattern shown you on the mountain." [6] But the ministry Jesus has received is as superior to theirs as the covenant of which he is mediator is superior to the old one, and it is founded on better promises."
Let us notice the following verses,
1 … Jesus, our High Priest, is now sitting at the Throne of Majesty in Heaven. As we read in Hebrews 9:24 above, He is there appearing in God the Father’s Presence for us.
2 … Jesus is now in the true tabernacle set up by God, not by man.
4 … As we read earlier, the reason Jesus Christ would not be a priest if He were upon this earth is because He came from the tribe of Judah. Remember, in Exodus, we saw that God called the priests that were to serve in the earthly Tabernacle from the descendents of Aaron. The significance of this is that because through Jesus Christ a new covenant was ushered into the world. Thus, there had to be a change of the priesthood. Putting it another way, since the priesthood changed there was also a change of law.
5 … The Old Testament priests served a copy of what is in Heaven. In other words, as we saw in Chapter 14, Moses was given an earthly pattern for the Tabernacle of Majesty in Heaven. This is why Moses was careful to insure that the tabernacle built here on earth followed the pattern God gave Him.
6 … In Jesus Christ, the born again believer has a better covenant. We have much better promises from God than what was given in the Old Testament.
This raises the questions of, “What is this better covenant? What are these better promises?” To answer these questions let us now read about,
THE NEW COVENANT
Our study of the new covenant begins by reading the following Scriptures from the book of Hebrews.
Hebrews 8:7-13
"[8] For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. [8] But God found fault with the people and said : "The time is coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. [9] It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they did not remain faithful to my covenant, and I turned away from them, declares the Lord. [10] This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time, declares the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. [11] No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest. [12] For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." [13] By calling this covenant "new," he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and aging will soon disappear."
Let us notice the following verses,
8-10 … Because of the weakness of our flesh, which is our inability to comply with God's commands and laws, the new covenant is not one that is external. Namely, it is not one that is inscribed on stone or written on paper and parchment. Instead, the new covenant is written in our hearts and placed within our minds. In other words, God's laws and commands are now an integral part of our nature. This is what happens to us when we are born again, that is through the Holy Spirit living inside us, God’s laws and commands are written in our hearts and minds. When this occurs then God is our God and we are His people.
11 … All of God’s people, who are those that are born again believers, will know Him. Why? Because God the Holy Spirit will live and dwell inside them.
12 … In addition, God said He will forgive our wickedness and no longer remember our sins. Since this is the case for the born again believer in Jesus Christ, there is no longer any need for a sacrifice for sin. To see this, let us read from,
Hebrews 10:18
"[18] And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin."
Let us now return to our discussion of Hebrews, chapter 8 and take notice of what the verse 13 has to say,
13 … As a result, He has made the old covenant obsolete.
Consequently, in the new covenant that God made with us, there is no longer a need for someone to offer sacrifices or offerings on our behalf. Jesus Christ did it for us once and for all. This is exactly what Jesus said He came to do. This is recorded in the following excerpt from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount.
Matthew 5:17
[17] “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
Thus, to receive His Mercy and Grace in time of need, each member of His church, that is the body of Christ, can confidently approach the true Heavenly Throne of God. To see this prayerfully read the following,
Hebrews 4:14-16
"[14] Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. [15] For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin. [16] Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."
Seeing that in the new covenant Jesus Christ is our High Priest, who once for all fulfilled the Old Testament Ceremonial Law, the question arises as to: “What was the role or activity of Aaron’s sons pointing to?” The answer to this question is that
THE NEW TESTAMENT PRIESTS ARE TO OFFER THEMSELVES AS LIVING SACEIFICES TO GOD
As we read the Old Testament we find that one of the priestly duties was to daily offer the whole burnt offerings. This requirement is recorded in,
Exodus 29:38-42
""[38] This is what you are to offer on the altar regularly each day: two lambs a year old. [39] Offer one in the morning and the other at twilight. [40] With the first lamb offer a tenth of an ephah of fine flour mixed with a quarter of a hin of oil from pressed olives, and a quarter of a hin of wine as a drink offering. [41] Sacrifice the other lamb at twilight with the same grain offering and its drink offering as in the morning--a pleasing aroma, an offering made to the LORD by fire. [42] "For the generations to come this burnt offering is to be made regularly at the entrance to the Tent of Meeting before the LORD. There I will meet you and speak to you;"
In reflecting upon the above, two points come to mind: (1) As we saw in chapter 12, the whole burnt offering was to symbolize Israel's total dedication to God and (2) This offering was a sweet aroma to God. In other words it was pleasing to Him.
This daily offering of the priests was a foreshadowing to illustrate to us that we, members of the church, are to daily offer our bodies as a living sacrifice holy and pleasing to Him. To see this, let us read from,
Romans 12:1
"[1] Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God--this is your spiritual act of worship."
In other words, each morning and evening we are to totally dedicate ourselves to God as instruments of righteousness.
Romans 6:13
"[13] Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness."
As we reflect upon the above and recall that it was only the priests who were permitted to offer sacrifices unto God, we can begin to understand why the Holy Spirit describes the born again believers as a royal priesthood, to see this let us read from,
1 Peter 2:9
"[9] But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light."
This now brings us to,
THE LEVITES
These people were from the tribe of Levi, but were not descendants of Aaron. The Levites were chosen by God to help Aaron, the High Priest, with the care and maintenance of the Temple. To see this, let us read what God said to Moses relative to the tribe of Levi,
Numbers 3:6-8
""[6] Bring the tribe of Levi and present them to Aaron the priest to assist him. [7] They are to perform duties for him and for the whole community at the Tent of Meeting by doing the work of the tabernacle. [8] They are to take care of all the furnishings of the Tent of Meeting, fulfilling the obligations of the Israelites by doing the work of the tabernacle.
As the Levites were to serve Aaron, the High Priest, by taking care of the Old Testament Tabernacle, we, the born again believers, are to serve our High Priest, Jesus Christ, by caring for or ministering to the New Tabernacle, that is His church. Since the New Tabernacle is composed of all the born again believers in Jesus Christ, Jesus’ desire is for us
TO CARE FOR AND STRENGTHEN THE MEMBERS OF HIS CHURCH
To accomplish this task,
WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN SPIRITUAL GIFTS
To see that all of us are called to serve the body of Christ, let us read from,
1 Corinthians 12:4-11
"[4] There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit. [5] There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. [6] There are different kinds of working, but the same God works all of them in all men. [7] Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. [8] To one there is given through the Spirit the message of wisdom, to another the message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, [9] to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, [10] to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. [11] All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he gives them to each one, just as he determines."
Let us notice the following verses,
4-6 … Within the body of Christ there are different ministries, activities and gifts. However, all are from God.
7 … Each born again believer has been given a gift from the Holy Spirit. Also notice that the purpose of these gifts is for the common good. In other words they are given to minister to one another. Consequently,
EVERY MEMBER HAS AN IMPORTANT PART TO PLAY
To help us better understand this, the Holy Spirit gave us the analogy for the functioning of the body of Christ to the human body. To see this, let us begin by reading from,
1 Corinthians 12:12-14
"[12] The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. [13] For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body--whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free--and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. [14] Now the body is not made up of one part but of many."
Let us notice the following verses,
12 … As the human body is composed of many members or parts, so it is with the body of Christ (the church).
13-14 … All born again believers have been baptized by the Holy Spirit into the body of Christ. Also note that, all true born again believers are filled with the Holy Spirit.
With the analogy of the human body in mind, it follows that as each member or part of the human body has an important function or role to play, so too with each member of the body of Christ. To see this, we begin by reading what the Holy Spirit says,
To Those Who Feel They Have Nothing to Contribute
These are those who may not feel worthy to perform a function or exercise the spiritual gift they were given. These members may also feel that their role or gift is not very important and wish they had a more visible position within the body. The instruction for these members is given in,
1 Corinthians 12:15-20
"[15] If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. [16] And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I do not belong to the body," it would not for that reason cease to be part of the body. [17] If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? [18] But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. [19] If they were all one part, where would the body be? [20] As it is, there are many parts, but one body."
Let us now read what the Holy Spirit says,
To Those Who Feel They Have No Need of Others
These are those who may have highly visible gifts and functions. As a consequence they may not appreciate the importance of the less glamorous, humanly speaking of course, positions within the church. The instruction for these members is given in,
1 Corinthians 12:21-27
"[21] The eye cannot say to the hand, "I don't need you!" And the head cannot say to the feet, "I don't need you!" [22] On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, [23] and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor. And the parts that are unpresentable are treated with special modesty, [24] while our presentable parts need no special treatment. But God has combined the members of the body and has given greater honor to the parts that lacked it, [25] so that there should be no division in the body, but that its parts should have equal concern for each other. [26] If one part suffers, every part suffers with it; if one part is honored, every part rejoices with it. [27] Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it."
SUMMARY
What is the message? Well, it is pretty much summarized for us in,
Romans 12:3-8
"[3] For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you. [4] Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, [5] so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. [6] We have different gifts, according to the grace given us. If a man's gift is prophesying, let him use it in proportion to his faith. [7] If it is serving, let him serve; if it is teaching, let him teach; [8] if it is encouraging, let him encourage; if it is contributing to the needs of others, let him give generously; if it is leadership, let him govern diligently; if it is showing mercy, let him do it cheerfully."
CLOSING
With this in mind, let us now close with the following psalm of praise,
Psalm 100
[1] Make a joyful shout to the Lord, all you lands!
[2]Serve the Lord with gladness;
Come before His presence with singing.
[3] Know that the Lord, He is God;
It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;
We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.
[4] Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,
And into His courts with praise.
Be thankful to Him, and bless His name.
[5] For the Lord is good;
His mercy is everlasting,
And His truth endures to all generations.
AMEN and AMEN