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“For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, and people should seek the law from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.” (Malachi 2:7 NKJV)
Under the Old Covenant, the foremost or primary ministry of the priests was to the LORD. This essentially involves tending daily the seven lamps in the holy place so that the lamps may burn continually, burning sweet incense every morning on the altar before the Ark of Testimony, and keeping the fire burning on the altar of bronze before the door of the Tabernacle (Exo. 27:20-21, 30:7-8, Lev. 6:12).
Likewise, under the New Covenant, the foremost ministry of the believers as priests is to the LORD. As priests to God, believers are expected to attend daily to God’s Word diligently and yield promptly and continuously to the leading and prompting of God’s Spirit (Col. 3:16, 1 Thess. 5:19, Gal. 5:25).
Believers are also expected to continually offer prayers, worship, praises, or thanksgiving to the LORD (Lk. 18:1, 21:36, 1 Tim. 2:8, 1 Thess. 5:17-18, Heb. 13:15). Moreover, the New Covenant priests are expected to offer, present, or yield their bodies to God as a living sacrifice (Rom. 12:1).
Besides ministering to God, the Old Covenant priests also ministered to people. Similarly, the ministry of the New Covenant priests is not restricted or limited to God; they also have a ministry or responsibility toward people.
What are the responsibilities of the New Covenant priests to the people?
Let us learn from the ministry of the Old Covenant priests to the people of Israel!
The Old Covenant priests ministered to the people of Israel in three significant ways. Examining these ways and, more importantly, the underlying truths or principles is wise.
First, the Old Covenant priests appeared before the LORD as the people’s representatives, not just for themselves.
The priests bore the names, needs, burdens, and requests of the people of Israel before the LORD. The priests were intercessors for the people, standing on their behalf before God.
God instructed Moses, “And you shall put the two stones on the shoulders of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. So Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD on his two shoulders as a memorial.” (Exo. 28:12 NKJV).
The priests of old were forbidden to appear before the LORD without bearing the burden of the people. It is a sin for the priests to fail or cease to intercede for the people and teach them the right way of God.
Samuel said to King Saul, “Moreover, as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way.” (1 Sam. 12:23 NKJV).
Similarly, as the New Covenant priests, believers today are expected to come before the LORD, not just for their sake, but for the sake of others, to intercede for them.
Paul admonishes the believers to discharge their responsibility as priests towards all men.
1 Timothy 2:1-2 – NKJV
1 Therefore I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men,
2 for kings and all who are in authority, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and reverence.
Second, the Old Covenant priests ministered to the people by offering both gifts and sacrifices for sins daily on their behalf.
The priests were commanded to “offer a bull every day as a sin offering for atonement…” (Exo. 29:36 NKJV).
The New Testament reveals that “every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins.” (Heb. 10:11 NKJV).
However, the New Covenant priests need not offer any daily offering or sacrifice for their sins or the sins of the people they are called to minister to. Why?
Because Jesus Christ, our great High Priest, “had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God” (Heb. 10:12 NKJV)!
The Scripture states, “For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” (Heb. 10:14 NKJV).
Although there is no need for any other offering for sin, believers today, as God’s priests, are still expected to present their “bodies as a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.” (Rom. 12:1 NKJV).
Paul admonishes, “And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.” (Rom. 6:13 NKJV).
Third, the Old Covenant priests were the custodians of the Law and were responsible for teaching the people the Law – God’s moral standards, the good, and the right way of God.
The Scripture records, “So Moses wrote this law and delivered it to the priests, the sons of Levi, who bore the ark of the covenant of the LORD, and to all the elders of Israel.” (Deut. 31:9 NKJV).
Therefore, the priests were expected to live according to the law of God as an example, a motivation, and encouragement to the people.
The Scripture states, “For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge, and people should seek the law from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the LORD of hosts.” (Mal. 2:7 NKJV).
But when the priests failed to keep and teach the law of God to the people of Israel, the people stumbled at the law and became unruly, provoking God’s wrath (Mal. 2:8-9).
The present appalling spiritual and moral condition of the Church is a clear indication of our failure as the New Covenant priests to wholly conform to the teachings and principles of Jesus Christ and a clear sign of our laxity in teaching and preaching, and proclaiming the whole counsel of God’s Word.
As one of the New Covenant priests, beloved, you have a huge responsibility towards this generation. The Lord Jesus Christ, your High Priest, is stirring you today to awake to your responsibility as God’s priest to people.
This generation needs a teaching priest like Ezra, who “had prepared his heart to seek the Law of the LORD, and to do it, and to teach statutes and ordinances in Israel.” (Ezra 7:10 NKJV).
This generation also needs a praying priest like Samuel, who said, “as for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the LORD in ceasing to pray for you; but I will teach you the good and the right way.” (1 Sam. 12:23 NKJV).
Friend, rise today in the might of the Holy Spirit to become one of God’s teaching and praying priests to this generation.
Prayer:
This New Year, I awake today to my calling, ministry, and responsibility as a teaching and praying priest of God to this perishing generation, in Jesus’ name. Amen.
OUR mandate is to preserve the faith of the Apostolic Generation.
Eniyekpemi Fidelis Oyinpreyebi.
AWH, Blogs.
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