We Are a Royal Priesthood

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.
– 1 Peter 2:9

Over the last two weeks we have discussed our role as the royal priesthood of Christ's covenant. Just as Jesus fulfilled and did away with the levitical sacrifices he also made the priesthood of Aaron and his descendants obsolete. He became the new High Priest, now and forever, in the order of Melchizedek. Because his lineage pre-dates Aaron it is greater than it ever was. Because he sacrificed his own blood and flesh he is the perfect priest. Because he will never die he can maintain this role for all eternity. (Read through Hebrews for a detailed examination of Christ's priesthood)

So if Christ is our High Priest and we, being born again through baptism, serve as his priests in this world, how do we go about fulfilling our role? As we have examined, we can take many of the lessons from the priests of the Old Testament and apply them to our lives. In fact, this is exactly what many New Testament writers do. In this way the "Priesthood of all believers" becomes not just an argument against separating clergy and laity, but becomes a paradigm through which we engage the world around us.

Priesthood becomes for us a framework in which to examine everything we do. Why do I give of my time and income? Not just because God has told me to, or because the church passes the plates, but because as a priest my role is to offer up sacrifices to God on behalf of myself and others. And our sacrifices go up to him as a pleasing aroma. In fact, like Christ, we can become both the priest and the sacrifice, offering up our very bodies in service to our God.

We arranged our discussion into groups or categories that bridge between the levitical priests and ourselves. Obviously this is a discussion that could fill volumes of books and is beyond our simple class and this blog, so my hope is that you will embrace the image of the priest and not only accept your role in God's kingdom but come to a full knowledge of it and relish it.

Here are the main categories we've discussed and just some of the passages that relate to them:

Chosen

- Peter, in our theme verse at the top, calls us a chosen people. This echoes God's choosing of the Israelites as well as Aaron and his descendents as the ordained prieshood.

- John 15:16 – You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit – fruit that will last.

- Ephesians 1:11 – In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will

- Colossians 3:12 – Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience

- Set apart – 2 Timothy 2:20-21 – we are like special articles set apart and made special for a certain task

- Different – Hebrews 11:13 - And they admitted that they were aliens and strangers on earth

Service

- Sacrifices – 1 Peter 2:5 – 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

- Romans 12:1 – offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God, this is your spiritual act of worship

- Philippians 4:18 – the financial gifts given by the church were a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God

- Blessing – We are the salt of the earth, just as the priests of old brought the literal presence of God with them everywhere we also should bring his presence into every situation and place that we go

Obedience

- John 14:15 – if you love me, you will obey what I command (Jesus makes the connection between love and obedience 3x in this chapter and John reiterates it in his first letter)

- Submission – James 4:7 – Submit yourselves then to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you

- John 13 – Jesus, in his last object lesson before the garden and cross, washes his disciples feet, telling them that servanthood is true leadership in the kingdom of God

- Deal with Sin – I John 1:8-10 – If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives

- As we discussed this last Sunday, any dealing with sin, whether in our own life or the lives of others must be truthful, merciful, and ultimately about redemption of the sinner back to God

Message

– we declare the praises of him who called us, Peter tells us

- Knowledge – like the priests of old we must be familiar with the word of God if we are to proclaim it to the world

- Romans 10:1-2 – Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge

- Instruction – I Peter 3:15 - But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect

Holiness – Be holy as I am holy

- A whole life given over to God – like a lump of clay in his hands

- I Peter 1:15-16 – But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: “Be holy, because I am holy”

Holiness is what envelops all of what it means to be a priest in God's kingdom. But as I said in class, the idea of being holy should not be equated with perfection. Even the levitical code expects that priests have sin that must be atoned for before they can offer up atonement for anyone else.

Holiness should be equated with Whole-ness. All that we are and all that we have lifted up to God in his service, so that no part of our life stands apart from his will or is kept back for ourselves. This includes our physical body, what we do, say, and think, our moral and ethics, our relationships with all people, the way that we handle sin...basically our mind, soul, heart, and strength.

Next week we will discuss the story of Nadab and Abihu and their decision not to take the holiness of God seriously. Read Leviticus 10 in preparation, and, as always, post any comments or questions you have here on the blog.

Stay holy,

Len

Priesthood in the Old Testament

Last Sunday (21st) we discussed the priests of the Old Testament and their diverse roles in the life of the Israelite community. As we mentioned, there is no one place to go to get a succinct philosophy of a priest's function. But we can say that if the Levitical Code was given to the people to ensure they could maintain a relationship with their God and he with them, then the priesthood served that purpose. Indeed their inescapable link to the sacrifices and law makes them the human representatives of the code.

We can think of them as the best example of what every child of Israel should have been. They were to know the law inside and out, be holy and obedient in all that they did, and daily live in service to others. They were to hold accountable not only the leaders of Israel but all it people. In their hands they literally held the key to holiness and atonement for the people as they offered the sacrifices and performed the rites of their office.

The simplest analogy we can use for the priesthood is that of a bridge linking God and his people. Because of this function they were set apart, chosen specifically by God to serve him and serve his people. On top of what has been already mentioned the priest was the presence of God among the people. That is why they wore incredibly ornate vestments and held themselves to higher standards of appearance.

Reading through the Old Testament we can see how the priests functioned under Moses and Joshua, the judges, the kings and even in exile. Their fundamental role never changed, but the way they carried out that role sometimes did, as they adjusted to what God and the people were doing. It is evident that when the priests held the standard of holiness and honor to God the people of Israel prospered. When they failed in their duties the people left God and suffered.

While the leadership of Israel did not fall only on their shoulders, the priesthood was called to task and judged by the prophets when they were poor shepherds for the flock. It is evident as well that being a priest did not keep one from fulfilling other roles as some were rulers (Melchizedek), prophets (Samuel & Ezekiel), social reformers (Jehoiada & Ezra) and even fighters (Phinehas). All were judges for the people making decisions with the guidance of God.

Here are just some of the passages depicting the actions and functions of the priests of the Old Testament:

• Exodus 28:30 - The High Priest held the Urim and Thummim, which were a means of seeking God's decision-making (1 Samuel 23 - David seeks God's decision through the ephod of the priest)
• Numbers 25:6-11 - Phinehas the priest kills an Israelite man for his sin and God proclaims that the priest was as jealous as he is about his honor
• Deuteronomy 20:1-2 - God wants the priests to address the armies right before war
• Joshua 14:1 - Eleazar the priest is involved in allotting the land to the people after they conquered Canaan
• 1 Samuel 2 - Eli's sons mistreat the people and abuse their rights as priests
• 1 Samuel 14:36-37 - Saul is cautioned by a priest to ask God for his wisdom in making a decision, but God refuses to answer
• 1 Samuel 21:9 - David receives Goliath's sword from a priest who had kept it behind the ephod (were priest's also curators of Israel's relics of faith?)
• 1 Kings 1:45 - Nathan the prophet, along with Zadok the priest, anoint Solomon as king
• 2 Kings 12:2 - Jehoiada the priest instructs the young king Joash throughout his reign bringing prosperity to the nation
• 2 Chronicles 15:3 - The people find them at a point without a priest to instruct on the law and, consequently without the presence of God
• 2 Chronicles 26 - Azariah the high priest, along with the other priests, stands up to King Uzziah and God afflicts him with leprosy
• Jeremiah 20 - Passhur the priest fights against Jeremiah, God's prophet, disputing his message and having him beaten
• Malachi 2:7 - The priest was supposed to be the messenger of God, bringing knowledge and instruction to the people

In just these few passages we see the power of God's chosen priests and just how vital was their role in his kingdom. Where do you look in the New Testament to find how we, as Christ's royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9), continue to fulfill the purpose of the priesthood? In what ways do we take up the mantle of the priest, as our Savior did (Hebrews 7)?

This will be our discussion next Sunday (28th).

Stay Holy,

Len

Sacrifices Under the New Covenant

We merely scratched the surface last Sunday with regards to sacrifices in the New Testament. There is no way we can cover all the ground in one class, but hopefully we opened up the horizon and showed how crucial an understanding of the old sacrificial system is to understanding the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and our own daily sacrifices.

The New Testament writers and the early church grounded much of their theology and practices in their foundation of the Law of Moses. When they spoke of the sacrifice Christ made they knew exactly what sacrifice meant to them as a people. We do not have that foundation unless we know and understand what was going on in the Levitical code and how the sacrifices functioned.

The bottom line is that the animal sacrifices (and others) were a way to forgive sins so that the people of Israel could continue a relationship with their God. Through his grace and mercy, God allowed the sacrifices to wash away trangressions and grant his people righteousness and holiness. Without this system they stood condemned in thier sin and God was not just in punishing sin.

Christ's death on the cross fulfilled the requirements of the old law by punishing sin and allowing all those who believe in him to be justified in the face of God. We can enter his presence because of the blood of Christ. And he was the perfect sacrifice that never has to be offered again.

Here are just some of the passges that speak of Jesus' sacrifice and what it accomplished:

• Romans 3:21-26; 8:1-4
• Hebrews 10
• I John 2:2, 4:10
• Anywhere the blood of Christ is mentioned
• Anywhere redemption, ransom, and deliverance are brought up

But the New Testament is also clear that even though Christ's death occured when the large majority of people who lived were not around (either having already died or having not yet been born) everyone who has lived or will live can participate in that death. His sacrifice reaches back in time and forgives those who had faith in God and those of us who live under the new covenant participate in his death and resurrection through our baptism.

Here are a couple of the passages that speak of our participation in Christ's sacrifice:

• Romans 6:1-7
• Ephesians 5:1-2
• Anywhere baptism and the Lord's Supper are discussed

On top of participating in the actual death of Jesus, we are also asked to offer up daily sacrifices to our God. We do this for the some of the same reasons the Israelites offered, our relationship with God and our thankfulness for what he has given us. We no longer slaughter animals, but we do give of what God has given us and we should keep the same priorities of giving sacrifices that cost us, that are perfect and unblemished, and that show our trust in his power to provide. God accepts these sacrifices because of our humble spirit and the love we have for him and others. Without that attitude our giving is hollow and meaningless to God.

• Acts 10:3-6
• Romans 12:1
• Philippians 4:18
• Hebrews 13:16

We must always remember that not only does Christ's death on the cross define who we are, but Christ taught that greatness in the kingdom is dependent upon our servant nature. The first will be last and the last first, and the greatest among us will be a servant to all. Service and sacrifice are what mark those who belong to the kingdom of God and those who live by the new covenant.

Next Sunday we will begin discussing the priesthood of Leviticus and their role in God's nation. Please be reading Leviticus 7:28-10:20 in preparation.

Stay Holy,

Len

The Old and the New - Sacrifices Today

We missed a week of class, but that does not mean we will skip over our topic. I will make up the week some where, some how. Last Sunday we were going to explore the connection between the old covenant (Law of Moses) and the new covenant (Law of Christ). Where are the points at which they meet and one flows from the other? Where are the points where they diverge and one goes a different way?

What about the new covenant is taken right out of the old? For instance, the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. How is it similar to the sacrifices of the old covenant? How is it different?

The week before I put a bunch of ideas up on the board and we came to the conclusion that the old law, especially the sacrificial code, was based on grace. God is the one who holds the power to forgive sins, not the blood of animals, therefore it is God's grace to forgive that makes the sacrifices mean anything. We all admit that grace is the foundation of the new covenant, but we often fail to see its importance in the old. Remember the God of heaven is the God of both covenants, why should we expect one to be based on deeds and the other on faith or grace?

So if we often downplay the role of grace in the old law, do we exaggerate its role in the new? In other words, do we downplay the role of obedience and submission?

These are the things I would like to discuss, now on the blog as well in class on Sunday. Leave a comment below and I will respond. Start listing those verses and passages in the New Testament that correspond to what we have been talking about in class with regards to sacrifices. Specifically think about Christ's sacrifice, our participation in his sacrifice, and our daily sacrifices.

I am looking forward to our discussion on Sunday.

Stay Holy,
Len

A Dangerous God

Have you ever thought about being with God as dangerous to your health? It seems to be what God himself is implying in Exodus. God says, "I might destroy you..." That's not exactly the quote we use to bring people into the church.

God had decided to send an angel with the people and not to go with them himself, because he was afraid they would not make it. He had already told Moses he wanted to wipe the Israelites out and start over with him. Why are the people in such danger?

Read Exodus 33:1-6

God wants nothing more than to lead his people to Canaan, but they might not survive the trip. Moses expresses the peoples' desire for God to go with them in 33:13-17, a beautiful passage. And God relents. But he does something else.

He gives them the Levitical code and the sacrifices. How does this help address the dilemma?

What do you think, do we still serve a dangerous God? That depends, right?

Stay holy,

Len

New Post: Where's the Power?

The question that I put out at the end of class last Sunday was a simple one: Where is the power of the sacrifices located?

To flesh that out a little more, where does the power to forgive come from? Does blood, especially animal blood, inherently contain the power to forgive sins and make atonement for guilt? Can blood, all by itself, restore the relationship between humans and God that is broken by our iniquity?

Or does the power lie somewhere else?

Read I Samuel 3:10-15

In speaking to young Samuel, God announces his judgment against the High Priest Eli for the sins of his sons and for his tolerating of their actions. Eli did not hold the office of priest holy and stop his sons from taking advantage of their position and incurring God's wrath.

But pay attention to verse 14 and what God promises about Eli's sacrifices.

What does this tell us about the power of the sacrifices to forgive? Where is the power? And what are the implications of that?

Stay Holy,
Len

Flesh and Bones

Last Sunday morning we had a great discussion about what God is trying to accomplish with the sacrificial system of Leviticus. We said, in the end, that he was attempting to get a message across to his people. Here are some of the pieces of that message that you thought were most important:

• Sin matters and cannot be easily erased, but atoning for it comes with a cost; that cost is a life.
• Obedience to the law is paramount and the sacrifices do not diminish that truth, in fact, they enhance it.
• Submission to the details of the sacrifices shows how submissive a person is to the will of God; it is not wise to think we have a better way.
• Death and Life are the stakes being laid out in this system. It is foolish not to take God's law and sacrifices seriously.
• Inclusivity is found throughout the system. In one sense because there are exceptions made so even the very poor can participate, but in another because no one is exempt from the sacrificial system and given a pass.

We will continue this discussion on the 24th, putting these themes and messages into some kind of semblance so we can get our hands around them. We will also open up the Old Testament and look at what other passages say about these sacrifices.

Let me offer an anology to help us understand the Levitical code and sacrificial system. Perhaps the Law is like a human skeleton. It is a crucial part of the body, providing framework and solidity. But unless that skeleton is fleshed out with sinew, muscle, organs, blood, and skin it is just a skeleton, devoid of life, rigid and useless. What the Israelites were asked to do was flesh out the Law through every day obedience. The kings, priests, judges, and prophets helped to add substance to the bones.

Does this analogy help put the Law in its proper perspective? Where is the analogy strong? Where does it fall short? Do you have another analogy or image to offer?

I'll offer up another post with the question I posed at the end of class later this week.

Stay Holy,
Len

Heading Home Holy

Yesterday morning I was so excited after our exercise in class. I was nervous about how it would go when I asked everyone to imagine themselves in the midst of the tabernacle as the sacrifices were being offered up. We don't flex our imagination muscles as adults very often, which is a shame.

I asked what you saw - blood, animals, fire, lines of people
I asked what you heard - murmured talking, crackling of flames, animal noises (possibly in fear)
I asked what you smelt - blood, barbecue, smoke, animal feces
I asked what you might feel - fur, blood, the warmth of the live animal
I asked what you felt emotionally - sorrow, relief, peace, anxiety

Together our imaginations painted this complex tableau of what these sacrifices looked, felt, and even smelt like. We didn't try to analyze the passages or unpack the theology, we simply placed ourselves in the midst of the bloody scene and looked around. I believe that to be an incredibly important step in understanding their meaning, one that most Christians never take.

Now let me ask you this question: What would you be thinking and feeling as you headed home after offering a sin or guilt offering to the Lord?

Let's say you knew of sin in your life and you went to offer an unblemished goat from your flock for your forgiveness. Now you are walking home, having placed your hand on that animal and watched as its lifeblood flowed out for your guilt. You are now forgiven, but how do you feel? What is going through your mind? What do you tell your family when you return home?

Please post your comments/replies or email me and I will post them: chapsdriskell@gmail.com

Stay Holy,
Len

Some Guidelines

I would like to offer a few guidelines for our continuing discussion on Leviticus. As Keith Cuttrell helped us begin to do last Sunday, some of these guidelines address our hang-ups or default modes of interpretation. These hang-ups will hamper our complete understanding of what we are reading (this is especially true of Old Testament texts) and keep us from realizing any truth that does not already fit into our view of the Mosaic Law.

1. We must begin by attempting to understand the Levitical Code as it was when it was handed down by God. In other words, we need to try and get in the mindset of the Hebrews at Mount Sinai when they first received the law and as they tried to carry it out in the following generations.

Obviously, the Hebrew nation interpreted and reinterpreted the law many times trying to live it out in their ever-changing milieu. Their history (as read in the Old Testament) is full of clues as to how they interpreted God's laws. It is also obvious that it is extremely difficult for each of us to think like an ancient Hebrew person. But that does not take us off the hook for trying to do so. Taking us to guideline number two...

2. We should not view the Levitical Code solely or even mostly through the lens of the New Testament. For example, by the time Jesus was born there was a strong movement among the Jews to bring more importance to observance of the law, something many saw lacking in the people. We read how Jesus was constantly dealing with the poisonous legalism of the Pharisees and others. So it would be easy to conclude that legalism was a problem for the Israelites.

A quick glance through the prophets of the Old Testament, however, shows us that legalism was not a problem throughout most of the history of the Hebrews. They actually had a difficult time following the most basic laws of the Ten Commandments, especially the whole you will have no other gods before me part. If we allow our New Testament understanding of the law to overshadow our studies we will have many of these kinds of misunderstandings.

3. It is important to recognize the tendency in many of our churches (churches of Christ) to lean towards a legalistic theology. Some of us grew up in a church where 'being right' trumped everything else and nowhere was this more prominently displayed than in worship. Conducting worship correctly was all that really mattered.

Because of this history, some of us have an aversion to studying law at all. We want grace and truth, not law. We wonder how God could have ever put so many, seemingly meticulous, laws on his people and then linked obedience to the law with righteousness and holiness. This can scare us, anger us, and even hurt us, depending on how legalistic our past churches have been.

Not all of you have this in your past and will not understand completely what I am talking about. That is great! I am glad you do not have the often painful memories that legalistic Christian leaders/teachers have given the rest of us.

For those of us with these memories...should the fact that someone in our past misused, or misunderstood, the word of God keep us from studying that word and exposing that misuse? Of course not. We should reexamine the law and expose the ways in which it has been abused so that we might have a fuller understanding of how God relates to his people, then and now.

4. The first three guidelines having been said, we should come to an understanding of what the Levitical Code means to us today as Christians. There is little point studying Leviticus if we do not answer some important questions about how we relate to it.

Does the old law matter at all to us?

Why do we still follow some laws, but not all?

What does it mean for us to be a priesthood today?

Why would God set up this code of living only to do away with so much of it through Christ?

How does Christ's sacrifice on the cross relate to the sacrifices of the old law?

These are just a few of the many questions that are important to us. Will we answer all of these in our three months of study? No. Actually, more than anything I am hoping to leave you with many more questions than you had when we began. That way hopefully you will continue your study and never stop learning.

In some of our classes I will force us to stay in the text of Leviticus and discuss only it. Once we have done that, then we can move on to what the New Testament says about our text and what it should mean to us today.

5. No question or comment is too pushy, controversial, or stupid. We are a community of love and our assumption is that everything we say is in a spirit of love. Therefore our classes are a safe place to question and comment as we see fit. Sometimes I will say things that are meant to be thought-provoking, though I may not even believe them, just to push us to a new place. I believe we learn more when we are exploring the unfamiliar than when we are merely re-hashing the familiar.

Sometimes I will do what I call 'pushing back' on your comments and questions, but it is only to force you to defend what you say or develop the thought more fully. It is never to argue or put anyone down.

These are the guidelines I feel are most important. I could write many more, but these are the basics and give us somewhere to start, and from which to possibly deviate.

What am I missing? What did I get wrong? What would you add or change?

This is supposed to be a forum for you to express your thoughts.



Stay Holy,

Len