In the Old Testament, priests are the official ministers or worship leaders in the nation of Israel who represented the people before God and conducted various rituals to atone for their sins. This function was carried out by the father of a family - Job 1:4-5 - or the head of a tribe in the days before Moses and his brother Aaron. But with the appointment of Aaron and anointed by God as the first High Priest, the priesthood was formally established. Aaron's descendants were established as the priestly line in Israel. They carried out their important duties from generation to generation as a special class devoted to God's service.

The Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible often speaks of priests and Levites as if these two offices were practically the same. - 1Chr. 23:2; 24:6, 31 - They were closely related in that both priests and Levites sprang from a common ancestor. They traced their lineage back to Levi, head of one of the original twelve tribes of Israel. But these two offices were different, in that priests (a specific branch of Levites descended through Aaron) and Levites (all descendants of Levi in general) performed different duties.

Priests officiated at worship by offering various offerings on behalf of the nation and by leading the people to confess their sins. The Levites were assistants to the priests. They took care of the tabernacle and the Temple and performed other menial tasks such as providing music, serving as door-keepers and preparing sacrifices for offering by the priests. In their function of offering sacrifices at the altar, the priests acted as mediators between man and God, offering sacrifices so that sin might be forgiven. - Lev.4:20,26,31 - Each sacrifice was a demonstration that the penalty of sin is death. - Ezek. 18:4,20 - and that there can be no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of BLOOD. - Heb. 9:22 -

The first priest mentioned in the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible was Melchizedek, king of Salem and "the priest of God Most High". Abraham paid tithes to Melchizedek and was blessed. - Gen 14:18-20 - Next mentioned was Jethro, Moses' father-in-law and the priest of Midian who joined Moses, Aaron and the elders of Israel for a sacrificial meal. - Ex. 18:1,12 -

But true priesthood began many years before their time in the Garden of Eden. After Adam and Eve sinned against God, He made them tunics of skin and clothed them. Thus, the death of animals became a symbol of the removal of man's guilt. - Gen 3:21 - After this event, Abel offered a sacrifice that pleased God. - Gen. 4:4 - Still later Noah - 8:20 - Abraham - 12:7-8 - Isaac - 26:25 - Jacob - 35:1-7 - Job - Job 1:5 - all acted as priests, offering sacrifices to God. In fact, each family in Israel killed the PASSOVER lamb offering it as sacrifices to God. - Ex, 12:6; 34:25 - But when God established Israel as His Chosen People at Mount Sinai after their deliverance from slavery in Egypt - Ex. 6:7; 19:5-6 - He established a formal priesthood through Aaron and his descendants. As descendants of Levi, they were to represent the nation of Israel in service to God at the tabernacle and altar. - Num. 8:9-18 -

The priesthood was given to Aaron and his descendants 'as a gift for service' - Num. 18:7 - and as 'an everlasting priesthood throughout their generations'. Ex. 40:15 - No person with a physical defect or disqualifying disease could serve as a priest. - Lev. 21:16-21 - Aaron and his sons were consecrated for the priesthood in an elaborate seven day ceremony. - Ex. 29:30,35,37 - Their bodies were bathed to purify their souls from sin. Then they were clothed in their priestly garments and anointed with oil as sacrifices were made on their behalf. The entire dedication procedure was as an outward sign of their Sanctification in God's service. - Ex. 29:9 - The clothes which the priests wore also carried great significance. - Exodus chapter 39 - The priests had several responsibilities as mediators between the sinful people and the holy God. - Num. 18:1-7 -

As "messenger of the Lord" - Mal.2:7 - the priests also were to teach the Law to the people how to distinguish between holy and unholy and between unclean and clean. - Lev. 10:10 - Living in cities scattered throughout the nation of Israel, the priests were in a good position to fulfill this function. - Joshua chapter 21 - In addition, the priests served as judges, acting as a kind of supreme court for Israel. - Deut. 17:8-13 -

In the final book of the Old Testament, the prophet Malachi pointed to the neglect, corruption and false teaching of the priests. According to prophet Malachi this was the reason why the people began to neglect the offerings and festivals of the Temple. They lost their respect for the persons who held the office and finally the office itself. - Mal. 1:6; 2:7-9 - Thus, the Old Testament closes with the announcement that God in His judgment 'will suddenly come to His temple...like a refiner's fire' to purify the priests. - Mal.3:1-3 - God was determined to preserve His human priests until the appearance of His true Priest, Jesus Christ.

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Sunday, May 24, 2009

I have through years of reading, pondering, reflecting and contemplating, the 3 things that last; FAITH . HOPE . LOVE and I would like to made available my sharing from the many thinkers, authors, scholars and theologians whose ideas and thoughts I have borrowed. God be with them always. Amen!

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -