Dear Family,
Today is Monday, May 10, 2021. This is Day 2 of Week 7 in our Counting toward Pentecost. It is our 44th day of Counting.
Ancient Israel accepted their invitation to be in covenant with God. One of the aspects of the covenant promise from God was to make of them a kingdom of priests. Yet, they were unable to keep the covenant. God, however, did set up a priesthood in the tribe of Levi. He took the entire tribe of Levi to serve Him instead of the firstborn of every family.
When they agreed to keep God’s covenant, did ancient Israel truly realize what being a kingdom of priests would mean for their day-to-day life? Probably not!
However, God has not abandoned the idea of having a kingdom of priests. God expresses a very similar desire for those He calls today. So, we ask; do we truly realize what being a kingdom of priests means to our day-to-day life?
The Old Testament lists many duties and responsibilities of priests. The duties revolved around the system of worship God instituted. Dealing with sacrifices is one of the first things that come to mind when we think of a priesthood. Yet, there were other things God expected of priests. We find some special duties in Malachi.
Malachi 2:7 For the priest’s lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth: for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.
Today many people seem to expect these particular priestly responsibilities (keeping knowledge, teaching the law, and being a messenger of the Lord) to be duties of the ministry. And, that is most certainly a justified comparison. However, God, in the New Testament, refers to ALL of us as being a “chosen generation.”
1 Peter 2:9 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;
It is clear from the passage of Scripture in 1 Peter that everyone God has called out of darkness into marvellous light is intended to “shew forth the praises.”
May God bless us to take this particular assigned task to heart and put these words (shew forth the praises) at the top of every “to do” list we make.
Ben Faulkner, Pastor
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