What does the priest thing have to do with me? - Pastors, the Priesthood, and Going "All In." - Part 2

In my last post, part 1 of this topic, I illustrated parallels between today's pastors/leaders and the Old Testament "Levitical" priests (so named because the select few came from the tribe of Levi.) There are, however, important differences as well:

Priests went between the people and God. Pastors do not mediate in that way. As shepherds, they feed and lead. But, since the moment Jesus died we can ALL go directly to God.

Priests vs the Priesthood

The duties of the Levitical priests included teaching the Law, tending to the Tabernacle and Temple, and passing God's words and blessings onto the people.

The priests were the mediators between God and the people. The other Israelites, you know, the typical run of the mill non-priest types, generally did not communicate with God directly.

Inside of both the Tabernacle, and later the Temple which held the Ark, was a small sanctuary called the Holy of Holies. This is where the presence of God was and if you weren't the high priest going in at the right time then impending doom was promised. The room was divided from the rest of the Temple by a thick curtain - the veil- that wasn't supposed to be touched even by the priests.

Blood sacrifices for the people's sins were offered in the Holy of Holies by the high priest as atonement (payment). Jesus' death served as the last and greatest blood sacrifice.

At his crucifixion, not only did Christ atone ('pay') for ALL of our sins once and for all allowing us to enter the afterlife with the Lord, but he made direct communication with God possible for us in this life on earth. Upon his death the Temple's veil was torn.

(An aside: Sin is a charged word that makes most, including me, rear back a little - or a lot. Sinning is simply living apart from what God wants us to do. I don't make the rules that's just how it is. And, guess what? We ALL do it. So, don't look down on someone else for being a "sinner." And you, my fellow "sinner" (ooo I still don't like that word lol), don't let it keep you out of church when you feel God tugging on you to go. Whether you are in a church or a bar you have the same percentage of sinners around you.)

Where was I?

The Veil! The veil was torn:

When Christ died the Bible says the 'veil was torn' that separated God from the people. A literal, physical tearing apart of the barrier between the presence of God and the people of the land.

Matt 27:51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split.

              

The rip in the veil signifies that we can go straight to God to talk to and hear from him directly.

With that pesky curtain out of the way we can all be priests now!

How and why?

As believers, the Holy Spirit is within us - given to us when Jesus ascended to Heaven. Our comforter and guide (John 16:13-15.) Therefore we became 'the' temple. We can deal with God directly - we can hear and talk to Him. That's because the High Priest, our mediator, is Jesus. The Father no longer sees our sins because Jesus, the reigning High Priest, offered his life as a sacrifice and erased the board. He intercedes for us to the Father as did the Levitical priests. We, along with Christ, ARE the priesthood.

1 Peter 2:9-10  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. ¹⁰ 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.

Now, our sacrifices are not of blood but how we live our lives. 

Up Next:

Part 3 - Livin' like a Priest / Dip in the river anyone? Anyone? Bueller?