“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” 1 Pet 2:9 (NIV)
God wants a nation of priests. It was His original plan as He said to Moses in Exodus 19:5-6, and was repeated by Peter in the New Testament (1 Pet 2:9-10). When Israel broke the covenant by worshipping the golden calf, Moses called for those who were for the Lord to come to Him (Ex 32:26). The tribe of Levi responded, so became God’s representatives to stand between His holiness and the sin of the people. Their first task was to deal with the idolaters by killing 3,000 of their brethren! That curse was reversed on the day of Pentecost, when 3,000 were saved and the law began to be written on hearts by the Holy Spirit.
Consecrated
Then you shall put them [holy garments] on Aaron your brother and on his sons with him; and you shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, so that they may serve Me as priests. Exodus 28:41
Priests did not choose their profession. They were chosen by God, clothed, anointed, ordained and consecrated to serve Him as priests. They were set apart for God with no other duties, and were given no land as an inheritance, only cities within the other tribes, as the Lord was their possession (Josh 13:33). They were provided with a portion of the tithes for their food.
When the priesthood became corrupt, so did the nation. The punishment for the fallen Levitical priesthood (Mal 2:5-7, Ezek 44:10-15) was not that they were stripped of their duties, but that they could no longer come near to God! They could minister to people only. Only the sons of Zadok were allowed to come close to God and minister in His presence. How awful to continue doing all the worldly duties of service, but without the presence or power of God!
It was the priests’ duty to teach God’s instructions to the people.
As God’s ecclesia, washed clean by His atoning blood, we are now the ones who are to take on this priestly role (1 Pet 2:2-10). Our ministry is to God first, then to the people (Num 16:9).
He appointed some of the Levites as ministers before the ark of the Lord, to celebrate and to thank and praise the Lord God of Israel. 1 Chron 16:4
Teach the Law
It was the priests’ duty to teach God’s instructions to the people. They were the spiritual keepers of the nation, responsible for the spiritual state of the nation, and were also the judges in disputes. Where there is no knowledge of God’s laws or the people choose to disobey His laws, the nation falls into the outworkings of the curses – judgement, with the resultant poverty, decline, lack of productivity, disasters and chaos (Dt 28:15-68). We see this happening today.
My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Since you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being My priest. Since you have forgotten the Law of your God, I also will forget your children. Hos 4:6
Bless the people
Then the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, ‘Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying, “In this way you shall bless the sons of Israel. You are to say to them: The Lord bless you, and keep you; The Lord cause His face to shine on you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His face to you, and give you peace.” So they shall invoke My name on the sons of Israel, and then I will bless them.’ Num 6:22-27
The priests were endowed with the authority to speak blessing over the people. A blessing is not just nice words; the priestly blessing was like spreading a prayer shawl over the people to gather them together under the wings of the Lord as a community. He is their shelter and refuge in the day of trouble and His own possession (Ps 135:4). The priestly blessing is placing the people into God’s good hands so that He can bless them, the result of which is peace. Shalom is far more than just the absence of war. It is completeness and rest, when all debts are paid, and includes prosperity, physical and emotional well-being. God wants to bless us and He also wants us to bless others.
Intercession
Priests were also to represent the people before God as intercessors. They stood between the sin of the people and a holy God. Our prayers ascend to heaven and heaven responds. The altar of incense in the earthly tabernacle was placed immediately before the ark of the covenant, separated by the veil, and the bowls of incense were burnt upon it, forming a smoke that filled the room. The earthly temple was a pattern of the heavenly one. In the heavenly tabernacle, our prayers form the incense that rises before the throne of God. Like the High Priest on earth came before the ark on the Day of Atonement, the elders now present the petitions of the earthly redeemed priesthood to Yeshua, our High Priest who brings them to the Father.
Another angel came and stood at the altar, holding a golden censer; and much incense was given to him, so that he might add it to the prayers of all the saints on the golden altar which was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense ascended from the angel’s hand with the prayers of the saints before God. Then the angel took the censer and filled it with the fire of the altar, and hurled it to the earth; and there were peals of thunder and sounds, and flashes of lightning and an earthquake. And the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound them. Rev 8:3-6
The role of the priests is strategic to the end-time battle. When our prayers align with heaven’s will and timing and the cups are full, they are poured out onto the earth as heavenly decrees. This is so powerful that we need to stop and absorb the immensity of it. What a privilege! We are to be participants with the angelic forces, not just onlookers. The angel responds to the incense, adds fire from the altar then throws it to the earth. Heaven is answering the prayers and the angels are waiting to respond! Our priestly prayers stir an angelic response and angels sound the trumpets. The sound of the shofar is a wake-up call of coming judgement on the earth and for us to prepare ourselves to meet our Bridegroom (Matt 25:1-13, 1 Cor 15:51-53).
For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.1 Thess 4:16-17
[This article is part of a series adapted from a forthcoming daily devotional on prayer ‘The Many Facets of Prayer’ by this author.]
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