Exodus 27-29

January 26

Exodus 27-29

The priest was the representative of God to the people and the representative of the people to God. Whenever he went into the Holy Place, he carried the names of the sons of Israel over his heart on the breastplate. The priests were to be anointed and ordained by the people, set aside to serve as priests. But in order to come before the Lord the priests had to make sacrifices. They also made sacrifices on a daily basis for all the people. God promised them that if they obeyed Him and made the sacrifices, God would meet with them and speak to them and He would dwell with the Israelites.

Back in chapter 19 God said; "Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”" (Exodus 19:5-6, NIV) The entire nation of Israel would be a kingdom of priests; they would represent God to the nations and would represent the nations to God. But Israel did not do a good job at either of those jobs.

 

Jesus was the ultimate High Priest. He accurately represented humanity to God and God to humanity. He was the perfect High Priest. But after His death and resurrection Paul writes; "Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, NIV) Instead of dwelling in the Holy of Holies in the Tent of Meeting, God now dwells in us through the Holy Spirit. The sacrifice has been made, Jesus shed His blood. We have been ordained. Not just pastors, but we are all ordained as priests representing God to our world and interceding for our world before God.

Peter took the words from Exodus directed to the Israelites and directed those words to the Church.   "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. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy." (1 Peter 2:9-10, NIV)

May you be faithful in your role as priest today.