Tag Archives: priesthood

Hebrews 1-8; A Better Way

I hope you have read, and considered, the Old Testament with its laws and regulations. Do you know the awesome responsibility Levitical priests carried? Have you looked at the intricate details they had to follow to first, make atonement for their own sins, then offer sacrifices for the sins of the people? The rules had to be followed down to crossing t’s, or God could not forgive sin.

Unless you’ve spent time looking at what God required for the sacrificial system, I’m not sure you can fully appreciate what Jesus did on the cross, or understand His role as our High Priest today. Jesus’ words from the cross, “It is finished,” take on a significant meaning in light of the Old Testament Law.

The writer of Hebrews celebrates our eternal High Priest, and the new covenant God made to us through Jesus. The truth, the anchor for the soul, our hope and assurance is this:

Therefore he (Jesus) is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. (7:25)

Jesus came, lived, died, and rose again 2000 years ago. But He didn’t complete the mission, then go home and put His feet up. He lives to intercede for us. Right now. Today. Jesus is working for you at this very moment.

What a blessing is ours to live this side of the cross, to know our Savior is alive, our High Priest is interceding for us. It is a better way.

Feb 8 – Seriously

Exodus 28-29

God is serious about His priests being holy, consecrated, pure, set apart. This is quite a ceremony described in the verses we read today. Every inch of their clothes had to be just so, every bit of a sacrificed animal had to be accounted for, the blood, the oil, the gemstones, the bread, every detail had to be followed exactly as God commanded.

I am convicted. As a Christian I have the privilege of being a member of God’s holy priesthood, my body a temple of God, set apart to represent Him. But I don’t always take my position in Christ as seriously as what I read today.

Maybe it’s true that we don’t tend to appreciate those things that come easily as much as we do that which involves effort, struggle, intention. My position in Christ was given to me through grace when I repented of my sins and asked Jesus to be my Savior. I don’t walk around with that heavy uniform Aaron wore. I am clothed with Jesus’ righteousness.

But I needed to read this portion of Scripture today to remind me that my salvation came at a very high price. What I read in such detail here is exactly what Jesus’ death on the cross fulfilled in my life.

I owe it to my Savior to be just as serious, as respectful, and worshipful as were Aaron and his sons when they were consecrated for service. I never want to take for granted that which cost Jesus His life.

Dearest Savior, I am humbled today as I read what steps Aaron, as Your priest, took in order to be consecrated for service, and what details were required for the sacrifices. You did that for me when I was still a sinner. Let me serve You today as You deserve. I want to be an effective priest in Your kingdom.

My Sacred Medallion

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The New Testament tells us that one of the things Jesus did when he went to the cross is make us a kingdom of priests (or kingdom and priests). He is absolutely our High Priest, but we who know him have the privileges and responsibilities much like Aaron and his sons had in the Old Testament.

I don’t claim to understand all of what that entails. There is so much symbolism in the account we read in Exodus 39. But one thing is clear to me, Aaron and his sons took a great deal of care in following every detail before they went before the Lord. Including what they wore.

As I read about the robe, the ephod, the breastplate, and the rest of the required clothing, I was convicted when I read about the sacred medallion Aaron wore on his turban. It was engraved with the words: HOLY UNTO THE LORD. It was placed in such a way no one could miss it.

I wonder if my spiritual sacred medallion is as visible to the people around me. Does my lifestyle scream that I worship God, that I make choices based on his Word, that I am a sinner saved by grace? Do people see Jesus in me, Holy Unto the Lord?

I pray that the days of my keeping my faith between God and myself are behind me. I pray that I will stand out in every circumstance of life as someone who wears Christ’s name honorably and proudly. I pray that the choices I make today will point others to the Savior.

I pray the same for you. May we be a kingdom of priests, set apart, faithful to God, HOLY UNTO THE LORD.