Sam Taylor - Class 6: Exhort - The Reward for Faithfulness in the Kingdom Age

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   At this time, it is the duty and good pleasure of our brother Sam Taylor from the Paris Ave Ecclesia to stand to deliver the word of exhortation. The exhortation is entitled, The Reward for Faithfulness in the Kingdom Age. Brother Sam. Well, again, I thank you and good morning, my brothers and sisters and the Lord Jesus Christ, my dear young people, my dear friends, and the truth.

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   Over the course of this weekend, we examined the life of Zadok the priest from simple beginnings, not as a priest, but as a young man, celebrating with his brothers and sisters, with all Israel, to make David king. And we gather here this morning, brothers and sisters, even as they identified with David for three days, we identify with our Lord Jesus Christ by partaking of the bread and the wine, symbolic of his broken body and his poured out blood.

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   The verse we considered this weekend, if you'll turn with me there, is 1 Samuel chapter 2, in verse 35. This was the passage where God made the promise of a faithful priest to stand as a beacon, proclaiming God's holiness and standing in stark contrast to the wickedness of the house of Eli. In 1 Samuel chapter 2, verse 35, where we read, And I will raise me up a faithful priest that shall do according to that which is in mine heart and in my mind, and he shall walk, and I will build him a sure house, and he shall walk before mine anointed forever.

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   And I raised a question to the young people on Friday evening. Who is this faithful priest? Because with many prophecies, there is a short-term fulfillment, as God calls it, short-term, and then a longer-term fulfillment, pointing forward either to the Lord Jesus Christ or towards the kingdom age. And I offer the caveat that this faithful priest, it says in the verse that he shall walk before mine anointed forever.

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   Before my Messiah forever. And it seems to indicate that this priest was not necessarily just the Messiah himself. Who then could this faithful priest be?

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   And my suggestion to you this morning, as we considered in our reading in Ezekiel 44, is that the true fulfillment, the complete fulfillment of this prophecy, was not just one man, was not just the Messiah. Because we are told in Hebrews 2 that he is a merciful and faithful high priest. But that this fulfillment would be the immortalized saints that will reign with Christ, as we are told in Revelation chapter 5, that we shall reign with kings, we shall reign with him as kings and priests unto our God forever.

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   And not after the typical order of the Levites, but after the order of Melchizedek, and that name Melchizedek being king of righteousness, king of Zadok. And in Ezekiel chapter 44, we read that these priests, this priesthood would be called the sons of Zadok.

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   And if you would, turn with me over to Ezekiel chapter 44. Because I will openly admit that there are, there are a variety of interpretations as to who the sons of Zadok truly are. And while there is this variety of interpretations, I want to approach it from a figurative perspective that aligns the ecclesia of God, the brothers and sisters of Lord Jesus Christ, from all eras who prove to be faithful.

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   All eras, all time periods, being considered this royal priesthood, as the Apostle Peter calls it in 1 Peter chapter 2. And as we consider in 1 Samuel chapter 2 verse 35, in Young's little translation, that this faithful priest would be called a steadfast priest, and that God would build him a steadfast house.

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    And it's this concept of steadfastness which encourages us to be steadfast for this age to come. Because we must hold fast to the confession of our faith, for he, without wavering, for he is faithful, who has promised. For if we show God our faithfulness, then he will show us his faithfulness, not in a temporary priesthood, with temporary rewards, but an eternal priesthood.

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    And it brings to mind the words of the Apostle Paul, doesn't it, from 1 Corinthians chapter 15, where he tells us, Christian, ever faithful be, thou shalt gain the victory. The victory has already been secured in Jesus Christ, through his faithful life, and in his resurrection, to life eternal. But what does the Apostle Paul encourage us?

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    How does he encourage us? He says, Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain. So if we are steadfast in the work of the Lord, if we are steadfast priests, then God will grant us a steadfast house.

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    And that is the steadfast house, the steadfast sons of Zadok, which we read about in Ezekiel chapter 44, from verses 15 and 16. Now, Brother Sully, in his book on the Third Temple, he mentions that verses 15 and 16 could possibly be a parenthetical phrase to stand in contrast to the Levites who were not faithful.

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    And that contrast serves as very appropriate, doesn't it? Because when we looked at the sons of Eli, my suggestion at the very beginning of our CYC was that this faithful priest would stand in contrast to the wickedness of the sons of Eli. Even as the Lord Jesus Christ and his triumph on the cross, his triumph in living a faithful and completely obedient life stood in contrast to the fall of Adam in the Garden of Eden.

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    God establishes and illuminates his hope through a series of contrasts. And in this verse here, verse 15, But the priests, the Levites, the sons of Zadok, the sons of righteousness, that kept the charge of my sanctuary when the children of Israel went astray from me, they shall come near to me to minister unto me, and they shall stand before me to offer unto me the fat and the blood, saith Adonai Yahweh.

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    They shall enter my sanctuary, and they shall come near to my table to minister unto me, and they shall keep my charge. These priests are called the sons of Zadok, or sons of righteousness. And this name, Zadok, it appears all throughout the history of God's priesthood, doesn't it? The first priest of God most high in Genesis 14, what is his name?

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    Melchizedek, king of righteousness. And then, of course, this weekend we considered the example of Zadok, the priest under King David and King Solomon. Who was the last priest in the first temple that Solomon built? But Jehozadok. Yahweh is righteous, or the righteousness of Yahweh. And then the first priest back in the Holy Land after the 70 years in exile was Joshua, the son of Jehozadok.

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    And then, of course, we have the priesthood of the Lord Jesus Christ even ministering and acting as a high priest for us in heaven at the right hand of God now after the order of Melchizedek. And these sons of Zadok in a future age, they come from all eras because we see that they kept the charge in the past tense.

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    And they shall come near to him in the future tense. They are granted, they will be granted, and we hope that if we remain faithful that we will be granted the reward of a priesthood for the same reason Zadok was granted the priesthood, which was faithfulness in the face of idolatry, whether it be bowing in front of graven idols or whether it be bowing before our own egos and our own pride.

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    Now, we're familiar with idol worship. The children of Israel certainly had a problem with idol worship. And what does it look like today? Well, while keeping your finger in Ezekiel chapter 44, I want you to turn with me briefly over to Colossians 3. Colossians 3.

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    And it's here in Colossians 3 where Paul, again, illustrates the contrast between being in Christ and being in the flesh. When in verse 1, when he says, if ye then be risen with Christ, and we looked on Saturday how we are risen when our thinking is elevated through baptism by putting our flesh to death.

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    And that is how God can raise each and every one of us up as faithful priests. When we put our flesh to death and we elevate our thinking into the heavenlies as it says in Ephesians 2. If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

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    Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye also appear with him in glory. Mortify, therefore, your members which are upon the earth fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry.

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    And we see here that covetousness which is idolatry. Covetousness is the pursuit of gain for self, of accumulating personal possessions. And that was the flaw of the house of Eli because they sought the fat for themselves. That which was God's, they sought for their own selves. And they lost the priesthood by their pursuit of ungodly gain.

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    Even in our Sunday school, we considered Abiathar pursuing ungodly gain by aligning himself with Adonijah who exalted himself supremely in the stead of God. And we might not bow before a graven image, but by living a life driven by personal gain, and we make an idol out of our own flesh and of our own minds.

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    But if we are faithful, if we keep the charge of God's sanctuary, if we stand before him today, then we will stand before him in the age to come. And we looked on Friday, we looked at Deuteronomy chapter 10 verse 8, which you don't need to turn there, but it's the role of the Levites, which is to stand before Yahweh to minister unto him forever.

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    Contrasted with Eli, the priest who sat. And as we looked at the life of Zadok as a man of action, as a man who stood to minister, we consider that the saints serving in this priest, the saints that would be priests, serving in his temple, will stand before Yahweh to minister eternally. These will be the ones who fulfilled the charge.

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    And if you'll turn with me over to Zechariah chapter 3, we'll consider that charge that God gave to the vision that Zechariah had of Joshua, the priest, who pre-configured the greater Joshua, the priest, who would have his filthy rags of the flesh changed into clean linen, even as he succeeded against the temptation of the flesh and was clothed with eternal righteousness.

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    In Zechariah chapter 3, in verse 7, here's what we read. Here's what we read. Thus says Yahweh of armies, if thou wilt walk in my ways, and if thou wilt keep my charge, the same charge of Ezekiel 44, then thou shalt also judge my house, and I will give thee places to walk among these that stand by.

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    And we looked at these, that this standing by was the angels, the angels who stand eternally attendant unto God Almighty, ready to live and move and act at his word.

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    And we remember that by standing ready to move at God's word today, we will be granted the privilege of standing eternally before God to move at his word forever in the kingdom age. For we remember when the Lord Jesus Christ told us that we will be made equal unto the angels, that we will not die anymore.

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    we will stand eternally unto him for all live unto him. And we hope, brothers and sisters, that in our lives and our walks today that we will live unto God, to stand before God ready to move at his word and to not trust in our own inclinations and our own heart.

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    But it's standing before Yahweh. There will be two facets of offering before God, standing before him to minister. And in verse 16, we read that, didn't we? They would offer the fat and offer the blood. But what does this mean for us in our walk today? Well, we have to first look at the offering the fat in the sense of the law.

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    So take a look with me over in Leviticus chapter 3, if you would. It's here in Leviticus chapter 3 where we go through some details of the peace offering, this offering which denoted fellowship with God.

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    But we could offer a maimed sacrifice, crippled in its walk, even as we find ourselves stumbling in our walk, don't we? In Leviticus 3,

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    as a matter of fact, I'll read from verse 15 to 17, or 14 to 17. And he shall offer thereof his offering, even offering made by fire unto Yahweh, the fat that covereth the inwards, and all the fat that is upon the inwards. So when we talk about this fat, it's not the excess fat, but the protective layer of fat which covers the vital organs.

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    And we see that read in verse 15 of Leviticus chapter 3, and the two kidneys and the fat that is upon them, which is by the flanks, and the call above the liver with the kidneys, it shall he take away, and the priest shall burn them upon the altar. It is the food of the offering made by the fire for a sweet savor.

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    All the fat is Yahweh's. The fat represents our innermost parts, the best parts of our hearts and minds, the parts that we would want to save for ourselves when we're done with work and a busy day, that quiet time that we want to save for ourselves, usually, as it tends to be when we go home.

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    That's the part that God wants for himself. He wants us to offer up the best of our hearts and minds to him. And the true goal of our living sacrifice, brothers and sisters, is to offer God the best of ourselves, but not just to offer the best of ourselves, but to make every part of ourselves the best parts of him to offer.

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    And this shows up really quite well. If you take a look over real quick in Psalm 20, rather, because here in Psalm 20, we see this cry from David, remember all thy offerings and accept thy burnt sacrifice. Now, you might see this in your margin here, but that word sacrifice is the Hebrew word dashain, is to make fat.

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    our plea to God is that the sacrifices that we offer him. In Romans chapter one, we're told to give him a living sacrifice. That because through the Lord Jesus Christ, who died and rose again, that we can be living sacrifices offering ourselves to him and not having to die for it. But we continue to offer the best of ourselves and our plea to God is that he would make them fat, make the entire sacrifice as if it were the best parts of our hearts and minds.

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    And that's the plea that we have to God, that he would accept our dedication towards him as the best parts of our hearts and minds. And so in offering the best parts of ourselves to God, brothers and sisters, today, we will then be able to offer the fat unto God in the kingdom age.

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    But we have to offer him the best of ourselves, not ordain God his worth, our Sunday mornings, possibly our Wednesday nights, our Friday nights. We have to offer the best of him every day. Because what did we read back in Hebrews? In contrast to the burnt offering was the fulfillment of that. I have come to do thy will, O God.

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    For doing God's will in our hearts and our minds is to offer ourselves as a dedicated offering to him, wholly consumed on the altar, which is the Lord Jesus Christ. And what of the blood?

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    Well, back in Leviticus 3 that we would have read in the last verse that all the fat and the blood belongs to Yahweh. In Leviticus 17 in verse 11 and in verse 14, we read what the law was concerning blood. we'll read verse 11 and we'll read verse 14 of Leviticus 17. for the life of the flesh is in the blood and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls.

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    For it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul. And then going down to verse 14. for it is the life of all flesh. The blood of it is for the life thereof. Therefore I said unto the children of Israel ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh. For the life of all flesh is the blood thereof.

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    Whosoever eateth it shall be cut off. And we have to ask ourselves if our life is in the blood who are we giving ! lives to because you might remember on Mount Carmel what did the prophets of Baal do? They cut themselves and their blood gushed forth. They dedicated their lives to a God who was not alive would not see would not hear would not answer and if we pour out our blood and pour out our lives towards those things that can do no good for us then we're wasting our lives and we're pouring out our blood and giving it to something else other than to God and we might remember that the Lord Jesus Christ shed his blood and in fact in Matthew chapter 20 we're told that even as a son of man came not to be ministered to but to minister and to give his life as a ransom for many and how did he give his life brothers and sisters well he broke his body on the cross and he shed his blood nobody can say in this room that they've resisted sin to the point of shedding blood but the Lord Jesus Christ did and that's who he gave !

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    his blood to that's who he poured ! out his life to ! And brothers and sisters just as with standing before Yahweh the same goes with offering the fat a symbol of the best inner parts of the offering and the blood symbolic of our lives unless we offer the best parts of our lives to God today unless we pour out our blood figuratively by pouring out our lives to God in dedication today we will not be privileged with offering the fat and the blood before Yahweh in that temple to come we will not be privileged with standing before him to minister unless we do so today and brothers and sisters as we prepare for our emblems this morning let us consider the true faithful priest the Lord Jesus Christ in all that he did he offered every facet of his life and resisted sin to the point of shedding blood and no other man can claim to be a true burnt offering to God as the Lord Jesus Christ can allowing himself to be wholly dedicated unto God and no one else can claim that their entire sacrifice was made of the parts God prized the most and to conclude our studies on Zadok the priest on living faithfully before God we must ask ourselves how much do we want to be there serving as sons of Zadok along with Zadok ministering before the prince in the temple to come in the kingdom age to come and to close brothers and sisters I close with the words of a hymn which will be our concluding !

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    hymn 405 we know the end we know the way and some with life he will endow shall we be with him in that day we make the answer now