The Priesthood of the Sanctuary

LESSON 2

THE PRIESTHOOD OF THE SANCTUARY

You are welcome to another edition of Insights from God's Word, a Bible study programme that is committed to sharing God's Word by allowing the Bible to speak for itself.

In this edition, we continue with our series on His Way is in the Sanctuary. The topic for this study is: The Priesthood of the Sanctuary. When God led the Israelites through the wilderness, He commanded Moses to build Him a sanctuary so He will dwell among them (see Exodus 25:8). This sanctuary was to follow a pattern that the Lord showed Moses on the mountain (see Exodus 25:9, 40). The Lord gave specific instructions in regard to the priests who would minister in the sanctuary. In this study, I want us to consider the selection, work and adornment of the priests who were to serve in the sanctuary.

1) THE SELECTION OF THE PRIESTHOOD

When Israel apostatised by worshipping the golden calf in the wilderness, the tribe of Levi responded to the solemn appeal of Moses, and took their stand for the Lord. They then executed the divine judgement in destroying their unrepentant brethren (see Exodus 32:26-28). It is possible that it was because of this action that the Lord chose them above the other tribes of Israel to serve Him in relation to the tabernacle (see Numbers 3).

Two groups of people from the tribe of Levi ministered in relation to the tabernacle. They are generally referred to as the Levites and the Priests. It is important to note that the Priests were also Levites, but in addition, were descendants of Aaron, the brother of Moses. Thus, we can say that all Priests were Levites, but not all Levites were Priests. Even though the Levites had a part to play in relation to the tabernacle during the Exodus (such as keeping the instruments of the tabernacle, setting up and taking down the tabernacle, and preparing it for transport), the special duties of priesthood in the sanctuary were reserved for Aaron and his sons (see Numbers 1:47-54; Numbers 3; Numbers 18).

2) THE WORK OF THE PRIESTHOOD

The work of the priests was directly related to the services of the sanctuary. The high priest was the main priest of the tabernacle. He could work in all parts of the sanctuary including the Most Holy Place. The other priests played a subsidiary role to the high priest. The work of the other priests ended at the first apartment of the tabernacle.

The priests worked at the Holy Place and court of the tabernacle daily. For instance, every morning and evening, the high priest tended the Golden Lampstand at the Holy Place by trimming its wicks and renewing the oil. The Lampstand was the only source of light at the Holy Place, and had to be always lit to ensure the smooth daily ministration of the priesthood at this sacred apartment (see Exodus 27:20-21; Leviticus 24:1-4). The high priest also burned sweet incense on the Golden Altar of Incense at the Holy Place every morning and evening. This was to ensure that the sweet fragrance of the incense filled the Divine Presence and other parts of the sanctuary at all times (see Exodus 30:7-8). The priesthood also renewed the 12 loaves of bread on the table of showbread at the Holy Place every Sabbath morning. They burned the frankincense which was placed on the bread as a memorial to the Lord, and ate the bread (see Exodus 25:30).

Besides their usual work at the Holy Place, the priests also worked daily at the court on various kinds of offerings (see Leviticus 1-5). For instance, when a person brought a sin offering, the priests would collect the blood as the transgressor killed the animal. The priests would then use some of the blood to atone for the sins of the transgressor (see Leviticus 4; Leviticus 6:24-30). If the transgressor was a common person or ruler, the priest who ministered on his behalf was commanded to eat the sin offering after some of its parts have been burnt at the altar. In this way, the priests bore the iniquity of the people in their own bodies (see Leviticus 6:26; Leviticus 10:17; Leviticus 4:1-21). The high priest also interceded daily for the entire nation by offering the regular morning and evening sacrifices unto the Lord (see Exodus 29:38-43; Numbers 28:1-8). Besides the various daily services, the priests also officiated in special yearly services such as the Day of Atonement and other feast days (Leviticus 16; Leviticus 23).

It is important to note that the priests also had the sacred duty of pronouncing blessings on the children of Israel (see Numbers 6:22-27). In all these functions, the priests served as mediators between God and His people. And as mediators, the priests served in the high office of approaching God on behalf of mankind. Through their work of intercession, they reconciled fallen man to his Maker.

Because of their sacred work, the priests were to model an exemplary lifestyle for the people to follow in all the ways of Jehovah. For instance, the Lord commanded the priests through the prophet Moses the following: "10:9 Do not drink wine nor strong drink, thou, nor thy sons with thee, when ye go into the tabernacle of the congregation, lest ye die: it shall be a statute for ever throughout your generations:

10:10 And that ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between unclean and clean;

10:11 And that ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the LORD hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses."

(Leviticus 10:9-11) Friends, the sacred duties of the priesthood in the wilderness was a calling. They did not possess any inheritance, and had to depend on the various offerings that the people brought into the sanctuary to cater for their basic necessities. The focus of their work was to serve God and their fellow men (see Deuteronomy 18:1-5; Numbers 18:21-24).

3) THE GARMENTS OF THE PRIESTHOOD

The Lord commanded Moses to design special garments for the priests to distinguish them from the rest of the people. The garments of the priests were consecrated to Jehovah, and designed for glory and for beauty (see Exodus 28:2; 40). There were marked differences between the garments of the ordinary priests and that of the high priest. The ordinary priests wore only one garment which was made of a hat, belt, pant (trouser) and a tunic (see Exodus 28:39-43; Exodus 39:27-29).

The high priest on the other hand wore two different kinds of garments. The first of these garments was the "golden garments" which he wore all year round. This garment consisted of an ephod, a breastplate, a robe, a tunic, a turban, a belt, a crown, and a pant (see Exodus 28:4, 36, 42). The second garment of the high priest was the "white garments" which he wore to minister on the Day of Atonement. This garment consisted of a tunic, a pant (trouser), a turban and a belt (see Leviticus 16:4).The high priest's "white garments" was made from white flax, and hence their designation "the white garments".

The garments of the priesthood had great significance in relation to their sacred work on behalf of the people. We can summarise the following information from Scripture in relation to the significance of the priestly garments:

i) The high priest wore an EPHOD which was made to carry 2 onyx stones on its shoulders. Six of the names of the tribes of Israel were inscribed on one stone and the other six names on the other stone, in order of their birth. As the high priest stood before the Lord in the tabernacle with the 2 onyx stones in his ephod, he represented the whole congregation of Israel. The ephod was made of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen, artistically worked (see Exodus 28:6-14, Exodus 39:2-7).

ii) The high priest wore a colourful BREASTPLATE with 12 stones. Just as the 2 stones in the ephod, the 12 stones in the breastplate also signified the fact that the high priest stood as a representative for all the 12 tribes of Israel in the sanctuary. There were pockets in the breastplate where the high priest placed the Urim and Thummim. The Urim and Thummim were lots that the high priest utilised to seek the will of God. The breastplate was also made of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet thread, and fine woven linen (see Exodus 28:15-30; Exodus 39:8-21).

iii) The high priest wore the ROBE OF THE EPHOD which was woven of blue threads and had no sleeves. The artisans made upon the hem of the robe pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet, and of fine woven linen. They also made bells of pure gold, and put the bells between the pomegranates on the hem of the robe all around. The bells alerted the Divine Presence of the high priest's approach so he does not perish as he ministered in the sanctuary (see Exodus 28:31-35; Exodus 39:22-26).

iv) The high priest wore a sacred CROWN OF GOLD, engraved with the words: "Holy to the Lord" (see Exodus 28:36-38; Exodus 39:30-31). This inscription depicted the sacred work that the priesthood were called to undertake.

v) All the priests wore TUNICS which were made of linen, and worn under the outer garments (see Exodus 39:27)

vi) All the priests wore PANTS (trousers) that was supposed to fully cover their nakedness when they came to minister before the Lord. This item in their garments was very significant because if they appeared before the Lord not well covered, they were to be struck dead (see Exodus 28:42-43).

vii) All the items that constituted the uniform of the priests (such as the hat, sash, pant, tunic, turban, robe, ephod, breastplate and crown) were designed to convey sacred glory and beauty. They were purposely designed for the service of God in the sanctuary, and thus sanctified or separated the office of the priesthood from the rest of the congregation (see Exodus 28:1-3, 40; Exodus 39:1).

viii) More so, the major colours in the garments of the priesthood (which were also found in other areas of the sanctuary), were all symbolic in relation to the solemn work of atonement that was performed by the priests. For instance, the fine woven linen (white) was a symbol of Christ's purity or righteousness (see Revelation 7:14; Revelation 19:7-8); the gold was a symbol of Divine riches (see Job 22:23-26; Revelation 3:17-18); the blue was a symbol of obedience to the commandments of God (see Numbers 15:38-41); the purple was a symbol of Divine royalty (see Judges 8:26; Mark 15:16-20); and the scarlet was a symbol of the precious blood of Christ that was shed to atone for the sins of mankind (see Hebrews 9:11-15). Besides their important symbolism, these colours also added to the glory and beauty of the priestly garments, and set their sacred office apart from other works or labour.

4) CHRIST: THE ANTITYPICAL HIGH PRIEST

In the selection, work and garments of the priesthood, the ministry of Christ for the fallen race of Adam was typified. Even as the priests were specially selected, so was Christ specially selected to be the propitiator for mankind even before the foundation of the world (see 1 Peter 1:18-21; Revelation 13:8). Even as the officiating priest was commanded to eat the sin offering, and thus bear the iniquity of the sinner in his body (review Leviticus 6:26; Leviticus 10:17), so did Christ "bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness" (see 1 Peter 2:24). The intercessory work of the priests was a shadow of the High Priestly work that Christ would do later on in the heavenly sanctuary (see Hebrews 5:1-10; Hebrews 4:14-16; Hebrews 8:1-6). The fine woven linen (white) which served as the foundation fabric for the priestly garments typified the glorious robe of Christ's righteousness that will cover the redeemed when they minister as priests of God and of Christ, and reign with Him for a thousand years in heaven (see Revelation 7:14; Revelation 19:7-8; Revelation 20:6).

In the work of the priesthood, the mediatorial ministry of Christ to bring mankind back to the loving arms of God is clearly typified. Beloved, it is important to note that after the death of Christ on the cross, the work of the human priests came to an end (see Matthew 27:50-51). Mankind is now directed to look above, where Christ, the Original High Priest, intercedes for the fallen race of Adam (see Colossians 3:1). Stay tuned for more on the high priestly ministry of Christ as we delve into the beautiful subjects of the sanctuary.

Exhortation: Beloved, even as the priests of the sanctuary were called to model an exemplary lifestyle for the people of Israel, so does Christ expect all believers to do the same for the peoples of the world. Through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the apostle Peter wrote the following: "But ye are a chosen generation, A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light" (1 Peter 2:9; Capital Emphasis Added).

In our next study, we will consider the topic: The Services of the Sanctuary. The Bible study references for this study are Exodus 27:20-21, Exodus 25:30, Exodus 30:7-8, Exodus 29:38-42; Leviticus 1-5, Leviticus 16 and Leviticus 23:26-32. Please do well to go through these passages before the next study is released.

Stay blessed and keep shining for King Jesus.

Maranatha!

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