Everett Muniz – Be Ye Holy – Class 3 – A Kingdom Of Priests – A Holy Nation

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This is the 2015 Ontario Winter
Bible School.

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Our speaker for this first
session is Brother Everett Muniz

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from the Paris from Paris Ave.
Ohio.

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His theme this week is Be Holy,
the High Calling of God in

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Christ Jesus.
This is his third class in the

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subject for this class is a
Kingdom of priests, a holy

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nation.
Our reading was taken from first

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beat it 2 verses one through 10.
Brother Everett.

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Thank you, brother Jason, and
good morning, brothers and

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sisters.
I should begin with just a very

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brief apology.
I have not quite been myself

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these last few days in the way
of small families.

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Sometimes illness strikes and
the kids get it and they get

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over it pretty directly and then
they pass it off to mom and dad

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and it hangs around.
So yesterday, as a result, I

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think we we glossed over a few
areas of emphasis that I had

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really intended to to dwell on a
little bit more than we did.

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And so I apologize for that.
But with God’s help, we’ll try

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to get back on track this
morning.

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Here’s what we intend to explore
together in this session, which

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we have titled The Kingdom of
Priests.

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We’re going to start by looking
at the theme of priesthood

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generally.
The Levitical priesthood may

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come to mind most readily, but
the theme of priesthood is so

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much bigger than that founded in
the line of Aaron.

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And then we’ll turn our
attention to some of the ways

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that the Levitical priesthood
reminded Israel of its national

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calling to be a Kingdom of
priests, and a few of the

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lessons that we can take away
from that.

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And then finally, we’ll look at
a few lessons that we can take

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away from the priestly
responsibilities of teaching and

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sacrifice.
And then, of course, as we have

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done, we’ll take a brief look at
what we’ll be looking at in our

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fourth session tomorrow.
So in our last session, we saw

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that God redeemed Israel from
bondage in Egypt to be a Kingdom

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of priests and a holy nation.
We saw that God wants to dwell

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among His chosen people, but to
do that he requires a holy

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place.
Ultimately and wonderfully.

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That holy place that God wants
to dwell in His habitation

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through the Spirit is us human
beings.

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But owing to the fact that we
are unholy by nature, God has to

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transform us, and that process
takes time.

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The Tabernacle was an important
part of the process that God put

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in place to transform the
natural descendants of Abraham

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and Isaac and Jacob into a holy
place where he could dwell.

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Exodus 29 tells us that the
Levitical priesthood was

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inextricably linked to this
purpose as well, as we see here

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in Exodus 29, verse 44, where
God says, and I will sanctify

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the Tabernacle of the
congregation and the altar.

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I will sanctify also both Aaron
and his sons to minister to me

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in the priest’s office, and I
will dwell among the children of

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Israel and be their God.
Here our Father describes the

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priesthood as a critical
component of those things

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necessary for him to dwell among
the children of Israel and be

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their God.
The Levitical priests were to be

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agents of Israel’s
transformation into a holy place

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where God could dwell, as we’ll
see, brothers and sisters and

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young people.
As he did with the Levitical

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priesthood and the tribe of Levi
generally, God wants to involve

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us in the work of creating a
holy place for him to dwell.

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It’s a wonderful insight into
the character of our God.

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He doesn’t need our help, but it
gives him pleasure to include

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his faithful children in the
work that he is doing.

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So before we look at a few
lessons about Our Calling to be

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agents of holiness from the
priesthood that God established

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with Aaron, we’ll take a moment
and look at the theme of

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priesthood generally.
Now the first use of the Hebrew

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word translated priest, as far
as I can tell, is in Genesis

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chapter 14 and verse 18.
And Melchizedek, king of Salem,

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brought forth bread and wine,
and he was the priest of the

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Most High God.
Now there are a few more uses of

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the word in Genesis, but they’re
in relation to Pagan priests of

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Egypt.
And then we find a few

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references to this word in
Exodus chapter 2 and 3, but

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they’re in reference to Moses’s
father-in-law.

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Interestingly, after Genesis 14
verse 18, the next use of the

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word in obvious relation to the
Most High God is Exodus 19

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verses 5 and 6, as part of God’s
intention for the nation of

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Israel.
In Exodus 19 verses 5 and 6, God

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says, If you will obey my voice
indeed, and keep my covenant,

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then you shall be a peculiar
treasure unto me above all

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people, for all the earth is
mine, and you shall be unto me a

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Kingdom of priests and a holy
nation.

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You know, it’s interesting,
there are 653 verses in the Old

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Testament where this word
occurs. 643 of them come after

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this passage.
It’s as if the theme of

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priesthood takes off after it’s
been expressed in connection

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with Israel’s national calling.
And because we already know that

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what an important role the
Levitical priesthood plays in

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God’s work to make Israel a holy
place where he can dwell, they

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naturally come to mind when we
read Exodus 19, verses 5 and 6.

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And there’s certainly an
association between the

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priesthood alluded to in Exodus
19 and Levitical priesthood.

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But we know that they are not
one and the same.

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The Levitical priesthood was
part of the law in Hebrews

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chapter 10 and verse one tells
us that the law was only a

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shadow of good things to come,
and so likewise the Levitical

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priesthood was only a shadow of
God’s priestly calling expressed

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here in Exodus 19.
Helpfully, the apostle Peter

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confirms this for us in first
Peter chapter 2.

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The theme of priesthood is
introduced in verse 6 when he

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says that believers are lively
stones being built up, a

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spiritual house and holy
priesthood.

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And just a few verses later, he
expands on this idea, using the

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language of Exodus 19, verses 5
and 6 to describe us as a chosen

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generation, a royal priesthood
and holy nation, a peculiar

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people.
And so by applying the language

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of Exodus 19 to you and to me,
Peter confirms that the

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priesthood that Israel was
called to was the outworking of

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a better covenant based upon
better promises than the one

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that God made with the people at
Sinai.

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It’s a marvelous example, isn’t
it, of the continuity of God’s

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purpose.
What a comfort to realize that

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there is an infinitely wise hand
involved in events both great

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and small, the events upon the
world stage and events in our

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lives to realize a truly
glorious purpose.

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The work that God has undertaken
isn’t haphazard.

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It’s meticulously planned and
executed with the greatest care

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and attention to detail.
Now in verses four to six of

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first Peter chapter 2, he he, he
does this beautiful thing that

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often happens in the Scriptures
where two metaphors that we may

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not normally think of as as
pulling together are pulled

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together.
And he he does so.

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He uses the metaphor of a
building in connection with the

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priesthood.
And in effect, Peter says that

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Jesus is the foundation of the
priestly order of which

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believers become a part.
He is the stone which the

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builders rejected, that has
become the chief of the corner.

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And upon him God is building a
holy temple, his habitation

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through the Spirit.
And this aligns beautifully,

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doesn’t it, with what we’ve
already seen about God’s

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intention to dwell among his
chosen people.

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The letter to the Hebrews has
much to say about Jesus role as

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head of this holy priesthood
touched on in first Peter

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chapter 2.
Whereas the law, the Tabernacle

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and the priestly order
associated with them were a

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shadow of good things to come,
Jesus is the High priest of

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those very good things.
The Tabernacle from which he

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ministers is a greater and more
perfect Tabernacle, not made

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with hands, that is to say, not
of this building as we have here

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in Hebrews Chapter 9 and verse
11.

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Hebrews chapters 5 to 7 take us
back to the first mention of

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priesthood in in Genesis chapter
14 and verse 18 when they tell

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us that Jesus is a high priest
after the order of Melchizedek

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as we have here in Hebrews
chapter 5.

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So also Christ glorified not
Himself to be made in high

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priest, but he that said unto
him, Thou art my Son today have

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I begotten thee as He hath also
in another place thou art a

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priest forever.
After the order of Melchizedek,

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this is the priesthood referred
to in Exodus 19, verses 5 and 6,

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and in First Peter chapter 2.
This is the priesthood of the

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Kingdom Age.
The immortalized Saints, God’s

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holy ones, shall be priests of
God and of Christ, and shall

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reign with Him 1000 years.
Our High Priest has redeemed us

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to God by His blood out of every
kindred and tongue and people

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and nation, and has made us unto
our God, kings and priests, that

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we should reign with Him in the
earth, a fact that has not yet

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been fully realized.
But in our pursuit of holiness

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we are journeying to this
reality.

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When we put First Corinthians
chapter 15 verses 25 to 28,

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together with Revelation chapter
20 verses 6 to 15, the 1st 2

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columns that you see on the
slide that’s currently

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displayed, we see that Jesus and
those that have a part in the

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first resurrection who will be
priests of God and of Christ,

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reigning 1000 years until all
enemies have been conquered, the

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last of which is death.
The great high priest and his

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priestly brethren will work
together to prepare the earth,

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the earth for a time when God
can be All in all.

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When, as it says in Revelation
chapter 21 verses one to four,

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the Tabernacle of God is with
men, and He will dwell with

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them, and they shall be his
people, and God himself shall be

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with them and be their God.
And this work is certainly

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foreshadowed in the role
appointed to the Levitical

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priesthood.
They were meant to be God’s

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agents of holiness in the nation
of Israel, to prepare the people

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to be a holy place where God
could dwell.

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So hopefully what we’ve seen is
that the theme of priesthood

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runs right through the Bible,
and it’s absolutely central to

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God’s overall purpose.
The priestly calling that Israel

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received in Exodus 19 has its
roots in the same priestly order

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of which Melchizedek was a
member and over which our Lord

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and Savior Jesus Christ is head.
Peter tells us that we, brothers

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and sisters and young people, we
have received this very same

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calling.
But here’s the thing.

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We have to live our lives today
in active preparation for our

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future membership in this holy
priesthood.

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Membership in the priesthood to
come will be for those who

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cooperate with God’s efforts to
prepare them for it now.

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While the priesthood that God
established back in Exodus with

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Aaron and his sons is only a
shadow of good things to come

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and not the very substance of
those things, it still has a

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great deal to teach us about the
greater priesthood to which we

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have been called.
The Levitical priesthood was a

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kind of model for Israel.
The nation couldn’t afford to

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lose sight of their priestly
calling.

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Though the people couldn’t do
the work of the priests and

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Levites, they were meant to
identify with their calling,

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with their service.
So God provides them with a

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number of reminders that the
whole nation had received a

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priestly calling.
Even as we have brothers and

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sisters, these principles hold
true today.

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We can’t afford to lose sight of
our priestly calling.

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Like Israel, we need to identify
with the work of priestly

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service.
The lessons that they needed to

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learn are no less relevant to
us.

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And so we’d like to spend a few
moments looking at a few of the

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ways that the Levitical
priesthood reminded Israel of

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their greater priestly calling.
Firstly, prior to the

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establishment of the Levitical
priesthood, the priest of the

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family would have been the first
born son.

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However, when God establishes
the Levites as priests and the

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remainder of the tribe to assist
them in their service, the men

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of the tribe of Levi are taken
in exchange for all the first

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born sons of the other tribes.
And then God gives the Levites

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to Aaron and his sons to do the
service of the children of

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Israel in the Tabernacle of the
congregation and to make an

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00:15:37,560 –> 00:15:39,440
atonement for the children of
Israel.

218
00:15:39,440 –> 00:15:44,960
As it says in Numbers chapter 8
and verse 19, this is one of the

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00:15:44,960 –> 00:15:49,240
ways that the nation was meant
to identify with the service of

220
00:15:49,240 –> 00:15:53,040
the priests and Levites.
Their representative status

221
00:15:53,040 –> 00:15:57,120
would have been driven home by
the man for man exchange.

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00:15:57,120 –> 00:15:59,960
That’s described there in
Numbers Chapter 3.

223
00:16:03,360 –> 00:16:07,520
This next slide shows the
similarity between the process

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00:16:07,520 –> 00:16:11,520
of consecration both of the
nation of Israel and of the

225
00:16:11,520 –> 00:16:14,680
priesthood particularly.
And there seems to be a very

226
00:16:14,680 –> 00:16:18,800
interesting similarity in the
progression that the nation went

227
00:16:18,800 –> 00:16:21,800
through and that the priesthood
itself went through.

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00:16:23,440 –> 00:16:26,120
The Brown Driver Briggs lexicon
says that the Hebrew word

229
00:16:26,120 –> 00:16:30,720
translated consecration in
Exodus 29 and Leviticus 8 and 9

230
00:16:30,920 –> 00:16:34,920
in reference to the priesthood
carries the idea of

231
00:16:35,240 –> 00:16:37,520
installation.
And I found that I found that

232
00:16:37,520 –> 00:16:42,120
helpful to think of Israel being
as it were installed as a

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00:16:42,120 –> 00:16:46,960
nation, as the priesthood was
being installed later on.

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00:16:48,840 –> 00:16:54,000
It’s the same word that’s used
in Exodus 25 and 35 in reference

235
00:16:54,040 –> 00:16:58,280
to the stones that were
installed upon the priests,

236
00:16:58,360 –> 00:17:04,480
ephod and the breastplate.
And there seems to be, as we’ve

237
00:17:04,480 –> 00:17:08,960
said, a close similarity between
this process that Israel went

238
00:17:08,960 –> 00:17:12,119
through nationally and that
Aaron and his sons went through

239
00:17:12,119 –> 00:17:18,800
individually washing, followed
by an application of the Spirit

240
00:17:18,800 –> 00:17:22,960
word, either in fact or type, as
in the case of the priests.

241
00:17:23,680 –> 00:17:27,920
The blood of the burnt and peace
offerings in the case of Israel

242
00:17:27,920 –> 00:17:30,960
sprinkled upon them and upon the
book of the covenant in the case

243
00:17:30,960 –> 00:17:34,200
of Aaron and his sons, touched
upon the right ear and the right

244
00:17:34,200 –> 00:17:38,280
thumb and the right big toe.
And then finally this process

245
00:17:38,280 –> 00:17:43,920
coming to its fruition, coming
to a crescendo, as it were, with

246
00:17:43,920 –> 00:17:48,080
the glory of the Lord appearing
and a devouring fire.

247
00:17:49,880 –> 00:17:55,320
One of the lessons that seems to
be embedded in this similarity

248
00:17:58,360 –> 00:18:01,680
is that God would only come into
the presence of his priestly

249
00:18:01,680 –> 00:18:05,960
people after they had been
sanctified by submitting

250
00:18:05,960 –> 00:18:09,280
themselves to the process that
He provided.

251
00:18:10,240 –> 00:18:12,880
And of course, the same
principle applies to us.

252
00:18:13,440 –> 00:18:16,600
We have to submit ourselves to
the process that God has

253
00:18:16,600 –> 00:18:21,640
provided for our preparation
before He will draw near and

254
00:18:21,640 –> 00:18:28,200
receive us.
It’s also interesting that God

255
00:18:28,200 –> 00:18:33,200
required the whole nation to be
witness to the process of the

256
00:18:33,200 –> 00:18:36,760
priests consecration.
In Leviticus chapter 8,

257
00:18:36,760 –> 00:18:39,920
beginning at verse 2, it says,
Take Aaron and his sons with

258
00:18:39,920 –> 00:18:42,960
him, and the garments, and the
anointing oil, and the Bullock

259
00:18:42,960 –> 00:18:46,840
for the sin offering, and two
Rams, and a basket of unleavened

260
00:18:46,840 –> 00:18:51,840
bread.
And after thou excuse me, and

261
00:18:51,840 –> 00:18:55,000
gather thou all the congregation
together unto the door of the

262
00:18:55,000 –> 00:19:00,480
Tabernacle of the congregation.
And Moses did as the Lord

263
00:19:00,480 –> 00:19:03,720
commanded him, and the assembly
was gathered together unto the

264
00:19:03,720 –> 00:19:06,200
door of the Tabernacle of the
congregation.

265
00:19:06,720 –> 00:19:10,280
And Moses said unto the
congregation, This is the thing

266
00:19:10,280 –> 00:19:12,560
which the Lord commanded to be
done.

267
00:19:13,120 –> 00:19:17,160
And so the the nation is brought
together to witness the process

268
00:19:17,440 –> 00:19:20,640
of the consecration of the
priests, and they’re told very

269
00:19:20,640 –> 00:19:24,160
explicitly, this process that
you are about to witness is a

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00:19:24,160 –> 00:19:27,480
process that God himself has
established.

271
00:19:29,160 –> 00:19:32,680
It seems likely that the people
were required to witness this

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00:19:32,680 –> 00:19:36,720
process in part to reinforce the
nation’s priestly calling.

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00:19:41,560 –> 00:19:44,960
Another way that Israelites
generally could more intimately

274
00:19:45,000 –> 00:19:49,200
identify with the nation’s
greater priestly calling was

275
00:19:49,200 –> 00:19:52,560
through the Nazarite vow.
There are at least three

276
00:19:52,560 –> 00:19:55,280
similarities between the
requirements of the Levitical

277
00:19:55,280 –> 00:19:59,120
priesthood and the requirements
of the Nazarite vow, and they’re

278
00:19:59,120 –> 00:20:03,000
shown here on the slide
Separation on the Head,

279
00:20:03,880 –> 00:20:09,080
Abstention from Wine and Strong
Drink, and Avoidance of

280
00:20:09,080 –> 00:20:13,720
Defilement from the Dead.
The word Nazarite is is

281
00:20:13,720 –> 00:20:15,480
interesting to me.
It’s essentially a

282
00:20:15,480 –> 00:20:18,960
transliteration of a Hebrew
word, which the theological word

283
00:20:18,960 –> 00:20:24,160
book of the Old Testament says
may be similar in context to the

284
00:20:24,160 –> 00:20:28,880
English word distinction, which
not only bears the connotation

285
00:20:28,880 –> 00:20:32,520
of difference, but also
eminence.

286
00:20:33,000 –> 00:20:38,240
So it isn’t simply that it’s
separate, but that it’s

287
00:20:38,640 –> 00:20:43,080
superior.
This concept is more nuanced

288
00:20:43,080 –> 00:20:47,400
than simply separation.
It’s separation to a superior

289
00:20:47,400 –> 00:20:51,200
status.
Even though the average non

290
00:20:51,200 –> 00:20:53,880
Levite was barred from
participation in Levitical

291
00:20:53,880 –> 00:20:59,120
priesthood, they could choose
for a time to take a path of

292
00:20:59,120 –> 00:21:03,640
distinction emulating the
lifestyle and dedication

293
00:21:03,840 –> 00:21:06,080
intended for the Levitical
priesthood.

294
00:21:07,440 –> 00:21:12,600
In fact, in at least two ways,
the Nazarite vow was superior to

295
00:21:12,920 –> 00:21:17,360
the Levitical priesthood.
Firstly, it was open both to men

296
00:21:17,360 –> 00:21:20,240
and women, whereas we know that
the Levitical priesthood was

297
00:21:20,240 –> 00:21:22,480
limited to the men of that
tribe.

298
00:21:24,640 –> 00:21:30,000
It was also chosen voluntarily
as an expression of love for God

299
00:21:30,680 –> 00:21:35,720
out of a desire to live in
holiness before Him, whereas the

300
00:21:35,720 –> 00:21:39,880
Levitical priests served as a
matter of hereditary duty.

301
00:21:48,100 –> 00:21:50,740
Another interesting point that
is at least worth noting in

302
00:21:50,740 –> 00:21:54,860
passing comes out of a closer
look at Numbers.

303
00:21:54,860 –> 00:21:59,060
Chapter 6.
There are 24 occurrences of this

304
00:21:59,300 –> 00:22:04,140
word that’s associated with
Nazarite, Nazar.

305
00:22:04,460 –> 00:22:11,280
Nazir and Nazar taken together
appear 24 times in Numbers

306
00:22:11,280 –> 00:22:15,240
chapter 6, and this is a number
that we find on a few different

307
00:22:15,240 –> 00:22:18,720
occasions associated with the
priesthood there in First

308
00:22:18,720 –> 00:22:22,840
Chronicles 24.
It’s a bit hidden in that it it

309
00:22:23,120 –> 00:22:26,120
it lists the number 16 and the
number 8, but it’s clear that

310
00:22:26,120 –> 00:22:29,200
they’re intended to be to be
grouped together and then in

311
00:22:29,200 –> 00:22:32,920
Numbers rather in First
Chronicles 25 and also in

312
00:22:32,920 –> 00:22:35,640
Revelation chapters 4:00 and
5:00.

313
00:22:49,760 –> 00:22:53,440
Another way that the priesthood
was representative of the nation

314
00:22:53,440 –> 00:22:56,760
as a whole was through the
office of the high priest.

315
00:22:58,400 –> 00:23:01,960
We already alluded to the stones
that were upon the ephod and

316
00:23:02,120 –> 00:23:05,240
upon the breastplate.
Upon those stones were written

317
00:23:05,240 –> 00:23:08,080
the names of the children of
Israel according to their birth.

318
00:23:08,080 –> 00:23:12,880
The stones, the Onyx stones upon
the ephod, and they were on the

319
00:23:12,880 –> 00:23:17,600
high priest shoulders for a
memorial, and he also bore the

320
00:23:17,600 –> 00:23:21,080
names of the children of Israel
according to the 12 tribes in

321
00:23:21,080 –> 00:23:28,000
the breastplate for a memorial.
He also wore a gold plate upon

322
00:23:28,120 –> 00:23:32,440
his turban on which was written
holiness to the Lord,

323
00:23:32,840 –> 00:23:36,720
symbolizing what God requires
from all those that would draw

324
00:23:36,720 –> 00:23:40,520
near to him.
A sanctification of mind who’s

325
00:23:40,560 –> 00:23:45,600
outworking is sanctification of
speech and action, and this

326
00:23:45,600 –> 00:23:49,040
sanctification of mind is one of
the defining features of the

327
00:23:49,040 –> 00:23:53,120
priesthood in the Kingdom Age
and seems to be symbolized in

328
00:23:53,360 –> 00:23:57,880
Revelation 14 and in Revelation
22 by having the Father’s name

329
00:23:58,360 –> 00:24:02,840
written in their foreheads,
which certainly calls to mind

330
00:24:02,840 –> 00:24:05,480
this golden plate worn by the
high priest.

331
00:24:06,600 –> 00:24:11,120
The thoughtful Israelite would
look on and see this aspect of

332
00:24:11,120 –> 00:24:14,760
representation as well.
He or she would look on the high

333
00:24:14,760 –> 00:24:19,480
priest and see their own
priestly calling to the pursuit

334
00:24:19,840 –> 00:24:23,640
of holiness.
The New Testament seems to

335
00:24:23,640 –> 00:24:27,600
emphasize the representative
aspect of the high priest by

336
00:24:27,600 –> 00:24:31,080
linking that office to none
other than our Lord and Savior

337
00:24:31,120 –> 00:24:35,840
Jesus the Christ through His
priesthood, though His

338
00:24:35,840 –> 00:24:39,840
priesthood is of the order of
Melchizedek rather than of

339
00:24:39,840 –> 00:24:42,240
Aaron.
As the office of the Levitical

340
00:24:42,240 –> 00:24:45,360
high priest represented what God
wanted from each and every

341
00:24:45,360 –> 00:24:50,240
Israelite, Jesus as a greater
high priest, represents what God

342
00:24:50,240 –> 00:24:54,240
wants from all those that he
calls to membership in His

343
00:24:54,240 –> 00:24:59,800
family.
So, brothers and sisters, if it

344
00:24:59,800 –> 00:25:04,000
was this important for Israel to
identify with their priestly

345
00:25:04,000 –> 00:25:08,560
calling, if God saw fit to
remind them time and again in

346
00:25:08,560 –> 00:25:13,040
various ways that they too were
meant to be a Kingdom of

347
00:25:13,040 –> 00:25:18,400
priests, it was not a service
that could be farmed out, so to

348
00:25:18,400 –> 00:25:22,080
speak, to the Levites, but
rather the Levites served as a

349
00:25:22,080 –> 00:25:25,880
model for the development of a
priestly character throughout

350
00:25:25,880 –> 00:25:28,720
the nation.
If this was true for them, can

351
00:25:28,720 –> 00:25:36,520
it be any less so for us?
Do we think of ourselves as

352
00:25:36,560 –> 00:25:43,480
priests in training?
Are we attentive to the teaching

353
00:25:43,480 –> 00:25:48,520
and example of our high priest,
the head of our order?

354
00:25:50,200 –> 00:25:52,920
Our journey on the way of
holiness is a journey, among

355
00:25:52,920 –> 00:25:58,200
other things, to priesthood.
That is the character of the

356
00:25:58,200 –> 00:26:03,880
work that God has in mind for
those who become holy as He is

357
00:26:03,880 –> 00:26:07,080
holy.
It will be our great privilege

358
00:26:07,080 –> 00:26:11,200
to work alongside our high
priest to transform the whole

359
00:26:11,200 –> 00:26:17,040
earth into a place, a holy
place, where God can dwell.

360
00:26:18,360 –> 00:26:21,760
So let’s look briefly at a few
lessons that we can take away

361
00:26:21,760 –> 00:26:24,840
from the responsibilities of the
priesthood.

362
00:26:26,840 –> 00:26:29,880
In his Blessing on the Tribe of
Levi at the end of Deuteronomy,

363
00:26:29,880 –> 00:26:34,600
Moses describes the work of the
Levitical priesthood this way.

364
00:26:34,920 –> 00:26:39,200
There are two things that he
mentions in Deuteronomy chapter

365
00:26:39,200 –> 00:26:42,760
33 and verse 10.
He says, They shall teach Jacob

366
00:26:42,760 –> 00:26:46,840
thy judgments and Israel thy
law, and they shall put incense

367
00:26:46,840 –> 00:26:50,240
before thee, and Holbert
sacrifice upon thine altar.

368
00:26:52,040 –> 00:26:55,480
Pardon me.
These two aspects of priestly

369
00:26:55,480 –> 00:26:59,960
responsibility provide a helpful
index into a few lessons that we

370
00:26:59,960 –> 00:27:03,880
can draw from the work and the
service of the Levitical

371
00:27:03,880 –> 00:27:08,080
priesthood.
Now, some of you may be teachers

372
00:27:08,080 –> 00:27:11,200
by profession, and you will know
this much better than I.

373
00:27:12,080 –> 00:27:16,520
To be an effective teacher, one
has to have a good grasp of the

374
00:27:16,520 –> 00:27:19,440
subject and be a competent
practitioner.

375
00:27:20,760 –> 00:27:24,200
And as we are confronted with or
as we confront the Law of Moses,

376
00:27:24,480 –> 00:27:28,760
all of the the minute detail
that is contained there, it’s

377
00:27:28,800 –> 00:27:31,200
easy to lose sight of its
overarching goal.

378
00:27:31,480 –> 00:27:36,840
It was a tool to affect holiness
among the chosen people of God.

379
00:27:37,560 –> 00:27:41,560
All of this instruction and
holiness hung on two precepts as

380
00:27:41,560 –> 00:27:44,680
described by the Lord in Matthew
chapter 22.

381
00:27:45,680 –> 00:27:49,520
Love God with one’s whole being,
and love our neighbor as

382
00:27:49,520 –> 00:27:53,760
ourselves.
This timeless essence of the law

383
00:27:53,760 –> 00:27:57,200
continues to be the foundation
of holiness today.

384
00:27:57,480 –> 00:28:01,080
Unless we’re well schooled in
what it means to love God with

385
00:28:01,080 –> 00:28:05,400
our whole being and our neighbor
as ourselves, we’ll be ill

386
00:28:05,400 –> 00:28:07,800
equipped for priesthood in the
age to come.

387
00:28:08,880 –> 00:28:10,360
And of course, we know, don’t
we?

388
00:28:10,640 –> 00:28:14,760
We know that the only place we
can gain this vital education is

389
00:28:14,760 –> 00:28:18,320
the Word of God.
But as Peter says in Second

390
00:28:18,320 –> 00:28:21,600
Peter chapter 1, it would be
negligent if we did not remind

391
00:28:21,600 –> 00:28:27,400
one another, even though we know
these things and be established

392
00:28:27,400 –> 00:28:31,760
in the present truth.
God’s Word is a lamp unto our

393
00:28:31,760 –> 00:28:35,360
feet and a light unto our path
to teach us how to distinguish

394
00:28:35,720 –> 00:28:39,960
between a step along the way
that leads to life and a step

395
00:28:40,040 –> 00:28:44,400
towards destruction.
Only God’s Word can make men and

396
00:28:44,400 –> 00:28:48,880
women wiser than our enemy and
keep our feet from the evil way.

397
00:28:50,040 –> 00:28:52,600
And This is why the psalmist
says that the Word of God was

398
00:28:52,600 –> 00:28:57,760
his meditation all the day.
This is why he had developed, as

399
00:28:57,760 –> 00:29:05,000
it were, a taste for truth.
Through Isaiah, God promises

400
00:29:05,160 –> 00:29:09,200
Israel teachers who would direct
them back to the way of holiness

401
00:29:09,200 –> 00:29:11,240
when they turn to the right hand
or to the left.

402
00:29:11,840 –> 00:29:16,000
And those with ears to hear can
benefit from this incredible

403
00:29:16,000 –> 00:29:19,920
blessing right now if we’re
attentive to God’s Word.

404
00:29:20,760 –> 00:29:24,000
Through consistent and prayerful
reading and meditation on His

405
00:29:24,000 –> 00:29:29,360
Word, God equips us to
distinguish between thoughts

406
00:29:29,360 –> 00:29:32,520
that are consistent with His
character and purpose and those

407
00:29:32,520 –> 00:29:35,960
that run counter to them.
Just as the law was a

408
00:29:35,960 –> 00:29:39,280
schoolmaster to bring the people
of Israel to Christ, the

409
00:29:39,280 –> 00:29:43,400
fullness of God’s Word is a
schoolmaster to keep our feet on

410
00:29:43,400 –> 00:29:47,440
the way of holiness, bringing us
at last among the redeemed to

411
00:29:47,440 –> 00:29:50,640
Zion with everlasting joy upon
our heads.

412
00:29:51,760 –> 00:29:54,920
In short, if we want to be
priestly teachers in the Kingdom

413
00:29:54,920 –> 00:29:59,080
age, then we have to be God’s
pupils today.

414
00:30:01,920 –> 00:30:04,760
Another important aspect of
effective teaching is putting

415
00:30:04,760 –> 00:30:07,760
what we teach into practice
ourselves.

416
00:30:08,040 –> 00:30:11,360
It turns out that this is
absolutely essential for those

417
00:30:11,520 –> 00:30:15,720
who want to be part of the
priestly of the priesthood.

418
00:30:15,720 –> 00:30:19,520
God is assembling.
The Levitical priests couldn’t

419
00:30:19,520 –> 00:30:24,040
just know and understand the
principles of holiness, they had

420
00:30:24,040 –> 00:30:28,000
to be experienced at applying
them in their own lives to have

421
00:30:28,080 –> 00:30:31,480
any hope of effectively helping
others to the same end.

422
00:30:32,760 –> 00:30:35,280
When the priests were not
personally committed to

423
00:30:35,280 –> 00:30:40,040
holiness, it had a particularly
destructive effect on Israel’s

424
00:30:40,040 –> 00:30:43,800
holiness generally.
For example, we’re told that the

425
00:30:43,800 –> 00:30:48,080
sin of Eli’s sons Hofnai and
Phineas was very great before

426
00:30:48,080 –> 00:30:50,440
the Lord.
Why?

427
00:30:51,520 –> 00:30:54,480
Because men abhorred the
offering of the Lord.

428
00:30:56,040 –> 00:30:59,480
Such is the impact of priests
who refuse to apply the

429
00:30:59,480 –> 00:31:02,360
principles of holiness in their
own lives.

430
00:31:03,720 –> 00:31:06,880
Leviticus chapter 10, verses 8
to 11, tells us that it was the

431
00:31:06,880 –> 00:31:10,040
priest responsibility to use
their understanding of God’s

432
00:31:10,040 –> 00:31:14,400
commandments and judgments to
distinguish between holy and

433
00:31:14,400 –> 00:31:17,320
unholy, and that they were
supposed to teach the children

434
00:31:17,320 –> 00:31:19,360
of Israel how to do that same
thing.

435
00:31:20,200 –> 00:31:22,720
It says beginning in Leviticus
chapter 10 and verse 8.

436
00:31:23,040 –> 00:31:25,960
And the Lord spake unto Aaron,
saying, Do not drink wine, nor

437
00:31:25,960 –> 00:31:28,520
strong drink thou, nor thy sons
with thee.

438
00:31:29,320 –> 00:31:32,560
We now go into the Tabernacle of
the congregation, lest ye die.

439
00:31:32,880 –> 00:31:36,360
It shall be a statute forever
throughout your generations, and

440
00:31:36,360 –> 00:31:40,160
that ye may put a difference
between holy and unholy, and

441
00:31:40,160 –> 00:31:43,800
between unclean and clean, and
that ye may teach the children

442
00:31:43,800 –> 00:31:48,280
of Israel all the statutes which
the Lord had spoken unto them by

443
00:31:48,280 –> 00:31:51,960
the hand of Moses.
Now the impetus for this

444
00:31:51,960 –> 00:31:56,040
instruction seems to be the
death of Aaron’s sons, Nadab and

445
00:31:56,040 –> 00:31:59,520
Abihu, for offering strange fire
before the Lord.

446
00:32:00,040 –> 00:32:05,320
They failed to put a difference
between holy and unholy, and

447
00:32:05,320 –> 00:32:08,760
they were consumed by the fire
of God’s judgement.

448
00:32:10,440 –> 00:32:13,240
Afterward, God sends word to
Aaron through Moses.

449
00:32:14,320 –> 00:32:17,760
I will be sanctified in them
that come nigh me, and before

450
00:32:17,760 –> 00:32:19,760
all the people, I will be
glorified.

451
00:32:21,160 –> 00:32:24,080
This is an incredibly important
point for those of us called to

452
00:32:24,080 –> 00:32:28,360
this priesthood.
It is not an introduction to

453
00:32:28,360 –> 00:32:31,520
some form of license or over
familiarity with our Heavenly

454
00:32:31,520 –> 00:32:34,120
Father.
Though God wants His people to

455
00:32:34,240 –> 00:32:38,600
draw near, it must be according
to the method that He has

456
00:32:38,600 –> 00:32:42,200
prescribed.
Many years later, God finds

457
00:32:42,200 –> 00:32:45,520
fault with the priests of
Ezekiel’s day for the same

458
00:32:45,520 –> 00:32:49,280
reason.
In Ezekiel 22 verse 26, we find

459
00:32:49,280 –> 00:32:52,600
that those priests profaned
God’s holy things.

460
00:32:52,600 –> 00:32:57,440
They put no difference between
the holy and profane.

461
00:32:58,000 –> 00:33:00,600
Neither have they showed
difference between the unclean

462
00:33:00,600 –> 00:33:05,760
and the clean.
On the other hand, some chapters

463
00:33:05,760 –> 00:33:09,800
later God reveals that this will
not be so for the priests of the

464
00:33:09,800 –> 00:33:13,960
Kingdom age, of whom God says,
they shall teach My people the

465
00:33:13,960 –> 00:33:17,640
difference between the holy and
profane and cause them to

466
00:33:17,640 –> 00:33:20,640
discern between the unclean and
the clean.

467
00:33:21,720 –> 00:33:25,800
This priestly discernment is the
product of a sanctified mind.

468
00:33:26,360 –> 00:33:29,160
And so if we hope to be among
the king priests of the future

469
00:33:29,160 –> 00:33:33,320
age, our minds have to be well
educated in holiness today.

470
00:33:33,840 –> 00:33:37,360
What’s more, we have to become
proficient at putting a

471
00:33:37,360 –> 00:33:40,440
difference between holy and
unholy.

472
00:33:40,920 –> 00:33:44,640
And that can only happen if
we’re actively engaged in doing

473
00:33:44,640 –> 00:33:47,160
it.
Certainly God wants us to

474
00:33:47,160 –> 00:33:51,400
understand his will and purpose.
He wants us to understand the

475
00:33:51,400 –> 00:33:55,880
truth that he has revealed.
But then he wants us to put that

476
00:33:55,880 –> 00:33:59,840
truth into action.
Knowledge and understanding of

477
00:33:59,840 –> 00:34:04,400
God’s truth is a essential
beginning, but it isn’t an end

478
00:34:04,400 –> 00:34:09,679
in itself.
We must continue on to do truth.

479
00:34:10,600 –> 00:34:13,679
The truth that teaches us to
distinguish between holy and

480
00:34:13,679 –> 00:34:18,199
unholy is not a thing to be kept
in a case, as it were, like a

481
00:34:18,199 –> 00:34:23,320
trophy, but rather to be an ever
present companion to guide and

482
00:34:23,320 –> 00:34:25,920
to encourage us along the way of
life.

483
00:34:28,719 –> 00:34:31,159
The writer to the Hebrews tells
us that the ability to

484
00:34:31,159 –> 00:34:36,000
distinguish good from evil is a
mark of spiritual maturity.

485
00:34:36,760 –> 00:34:40,239
Everyone that useth milk is
unskillful in the word of

486
00:34:40,239 –> 00:34:43,560
righteousness, for he is a babe.
But strong meat belongeth to

487
00:34:43,560 –> 00:34:47,760
them that are of full age, even
those who by reason of use have

488
00:34:47,760 –> 00:34:54,679
their senses exercised to
discern both good and evil.

489
00:34:54,679 –> 00:34:57,120
And the word discern here is
really a word that means to

490
00:34:57,160 –> 00:35:00,800
judge, to judge between good and
evil.

491
00:35:01,840 –> 00:35:05,240
And becoming proficient at
judging between good and evil

492
00:35:05,480 –> 00:35:13,320
requires exercise.
I find it very, very hard to

493
00:35:13,320 –> 00:35:18,640
exercise myself, find it
difficult to work up the the

494
00:35:18,880 –> 00:35:23,480
sense of necessity to get out
and and physically move my body.

495
00:35:23,880 –> 00:35:27,760
And there’s some part of me that
wants to just remain sedentary,

496
00:35:28,240 –> 00:35:30,920
you know, it requires a measure
of effort to get up and get

497
00:35:30,920 –> 00:35:33,360
going.
And yet, don’t we always, at

498
00:35:33,360 –> 00:35:34,840
least usually.
This has been the case for

499
00:35:34,840 –> 00:35:37,840
Sister Amanda myself.
We feel better when we’re done.

500
00:35:38,400 –> 00:35:40,360
We know that we feel better when
we’re done.

501
00:35:40,520 –> 00:35:44,800
And yet we still find it
difficult to put the time and

502
00:35:44,800 –> 00:35:49,880
the effort in to the process.
So too at times with the

503
00:35:49,880 –> 00:35:52,800
exercise we so desperately need
in the Word of God.

504
00:35:53,520 –> 00:35:57,880
This word exercise here implies
rigorous training.

505
00:35:59,120 –> 00:36:05,040
It comes from the same word that
the word gymnasium is taken

506
00:36:05,040 –> 00:36:08,080
from, which was the place that
Greek men would go to train.

507
00:36:08,800 –> 00:36:12,080
And like the physical athlete
who invest time and effort in

508
00:36:12,080 –> 00:36:17,640
difficult training, a regimen of
training in the interest of

509
00:36:17,640 –> 00:36:21,800
obtaining a prize, those who
wish to obtain the prize of the

510
00:36:21,800 –> 00:36:26,840
high calling of God in Jesus
Christ have to be willing to

511
00:36:26,880 –> 00:36:32,240
invest time and effort studying
and applying God’s Word.

512
00:36:32,920 –> 00:36:36,440
This kind of training requires
determination and endurance

513
00:36:36,920 –> 00:36:40,760
because even though much good
comes from it and it is

514
00:36:40,760 –> 00:36:46,160
incredibly rewarding, it is as
difficult and uncomfortable as

515
00:36:46,160 –> 00:36:54,280
it is necessary to our success.
In Romans chapter 12, verses 1

516
00:36:54,280 –> 00:36:57,560
and 2, Paul tells us that the
ability to distinguish between

517
00:36:57,560 –> 00:37:02,480
what is and is not the will of
God is the intended effect of

518
00:37:02,480 –> 00:37:05,800
the mental transformation that
God is affecting through His

519
00:37:05,800 –> 00:37:09,320
Word, the agent of our
sanctification.

520
00:37:09,920 –> 00:37:12,800
Be not conformed to this world,
but be transformed by the

521
00:37:12,800 –> 00:37:16,680
renewing of your mind that you
may prove what is that good and

522
00:37:16,680 –> 00:37:18,840
acceptable and perfect will of
God.

523
00:37:21,040 –> 00:37:24,200
Have you ever noticed and the
tendency that we have to

524
00:37:24,640 –> 00:37:29,240
practice putting a difference
between holy and unholy in other

525
00:37:29,240 –> 00:37:33,200
people?
This is something I’ve, I’ve

526
00:37:33,200 –> 00:37:36,600
certainly noticed in myself.
It is much.

527
00:37:36,760 –> 00:37:38,840
I feel I’m much better at it
with other people.

528
00:37:39,320 –> 00:37:42,440
Like I can see their faults.
They’re so glaring, right?

529
00:37:42,440 –> 00:37:44,960
We look at others, we, we see
the difference where they’ve

530
00:37:44,960 –> 00:37:46,840
gone astray in some fashion,
right?

531
00:37:47,040 –> 00:37:51,360
We can look at others and we can
we can imagine that we’re well

532
00:37:51,360 –> 00:37:55,120
equipped to make these
assessments in other people, and

533
00:37:55,120 –> 00:37:59,640
we can become preoccupied at
times with doing so because it’s

534
00:37:59,640 –> 00:38:04,680
much easier and it’s much less
uncomfortable to scrutinize

535
00:38:04,680 –> 00:38:07,800
someone else.
But this scrutiny is really

536
00:38:07,800 –> 00:38:11,320
something that we should be most
concerned with applying to

537
00:38:11,400 –> 00:38:16,440
ourselves.
Our own lives, not the lives of

538
00:38:16,440 –> 00:38:21,120
others, are the primary training
ground for this vital priestly

539
00:38:21,160 –> 00:38:26,880
characteristic.
Now there’s an interesting

540
00:38:26,880 –> 00:38:30,920
connection in purpose between
the priestly and the angelic

541
00:38:30,920 –> 00:38:34,560
roles in Malachi chapter 2,
verse 7.

542
00:38:34,560 –> 00:38:38,600
It describes the priest as the
messenger of the Lord of hosts,

543
00:38:38,600 –> 00:38:42,120
and the word used here for
messenger is the same word used

544
00:38:42,120 –> 00:38:45,040
throughout the Old Testament.
That’s translated Angel.

545
00:38:46,240 –> 00:38:48,600
And while it’s applied generally
to priests here, it’s also

546
00:38:48,600 –> 00:38:51,600
applied to the prophet Haggai.
And we know that this is a word

547
00:38:51,600 –> 00:38:55,160
whose breadth of usage
encompasses more than just

548
00:38:55,400 –> 00:38:57,760
divine representatives of our
heavenly Father.

549
00:38:58,560 –> 00:39:01,280
But how interesting that the
word should be applied to the

550
00:39:01,280 –> 00:39:04,240
priests.
As far as I could tell, all the

551
00:39:04,240 –> 00:39:08,760
other cases of malloc, which is
that word Angel followed by

552
00:39:08,760 –> 00:39:12,040
God’s memorial name as we have
it here in Malachi chapter 2 and

553
00:39:12,040 –> 00:39:16,240
verse 7, seem to be translated
Angel of the Lord.

554
00:39:17,960 –> 00:39:21,720
Hebrews chapter 1 and verse 14
tells us that angels are

555
00:39:22,120 –> 00:39:26,640
ministering spirits sent forth
to minister to the heirs of

556
00:39:26,640 –> 00:39:29,720
salvation.
And the same word that’s

557
00:39:29,720 –> 00:39:33,080
translated ministering in
Hebrews chapter one, verse 14,

558
00:39:33,080 –> 00:39:37,440
in reference to angels is
applied later on in Hebrews in

559
00:39:37,440 –> 00:39:41,600
chapter 8, verse 2 and in
chapter 10, verse 11 to the work

560
00:39:41,960 –> 00:39:45,160
of the priests.
The priests of God, like his

561
00:39:45,160 –> 00:39:49,360
angels, are meant to be
ministers to the heirs of

562
00:39:49,360 –> 00:39:50,960
salvation.
And what an apartment

563
00:39:51,160 –> 00:39:55,000
description of the purpose of
the Levitical priesthood, who

564
00:39:55,160 –> 00:40:00,320
ministered to the natural heirs
of the promises to Abraham and

565
00:40:00,360 –> 00:40:07,240
Isaac and Jacob.
Another connection between the

566
00:40:07,240 –> 00:40:10,440
priests and the angels is that
the immortalized Saints are

567
00:40:10,440 –> 00:40:13,360
described.
As both kings and priests in

568
00:40:13,360 –> 00:40:20,160
revelation, and as equal to the
angels by our Lord, how

569
00:40:20,240 –> 00:40:23,560
incredible it will be, brothers
and sisters and young people, to

570
00:40:23,640 –> 00:40:30,040
engage in priestly service as
the angels do now, in perfect

571
00:40:30,040 –> 00:40:33,640
harmony with our Heavenly Father
and without the impediment of

572
00:40:33,640 –> 00:40:43,560
our flesh.
Now, as we practice priestly

573
00:40:43,560 –> 00:40:46,560
teaching in our natural and
ecclesial families, it’s so

574
00:40:46,560 –> 00:40:51,960
important to remember that
salvation, not condemnation, is

575
00:40:51,960 –> 00:40:55,840
the goal of our ministry.
God sent not his Son into the

576
00:40:55,840 –> 00:40:59,280
world to condemn the world, but
that the world through him might

577
00:40:59,400 –> 00:41:04,160
be saved.
Men may and certainly do condemn

578
00:41:04,160 –> 00:41:07,760
themselves by refusing to
believe in Him or refusing to

579
00:41:07,760 –> 00:41:13,040
obey God’s commandments, but the
fact remains, the Son of Man

580
00:41:13,040 –> 00:41:17,000
came to seek and to save that
which was lost.

581
00:41:18,480 –> 00:41:21,600
If that’s the spirit of our High
Priest, then it ought to be our

582
00:41:21,600 –> 00:41:25,440
spirit as well.
As we promote the principle of

583
00:41:25,440 –> 00:41:29,840
holiness that allow the faithful
to enter into the holiest by a

584
00:41:29,840 –> 00:41:34,680
new and living way, we can’t
forget that God wants men and

585
00:41:34,680 –> 00:41:38,800
women to draw near to Him.
He wants to dwell with us and to

586
00:41:38,800 –> 00:41:42,040
be our Father.
And so the focus of the priest

587
00:41:42,040 –> 00:41:46,800
ministry is not keeping people
away from God, but rather

588
00:41:46,800 –> 00:41:51,840
teaching people how to recognize
and to address unholiness in

589
00:41:51,840 –> 00:41:55,160
themselves so that they can draw
near to Him.

590
00:41:56,840 –> 00:42:01,040
As God told Aaron, after the sin
of Nadab and Abihu, he must be

591
00:42:01,040 –> 00:42:03,600
sanctified in those that come
near him.

592
00:42:04,280 –> 00:42:09,760
We can never forget that God can
only be approached on His terms.

593
00:42:11,160 –> 00:42:15,080
But even when the Levitical
priest had to admonish or reject

594
00:42:16,800 –> 00:42:21,520
unholiness, he had an incredible
opportunity, did he not, to

595
00:42:21,520 –> 00:42:25,800
affirm God’s care and provide
counsel and encouragement about

596
00:42:25,800 –> 00:42:30,840
how things could be put right.
Another important aspect of our

597
00:42:30,840 –> 00:42:34,160
efforts to promote the will and
purpose of God is that God wants

598
00:42:34,160 –> 00:42:39,480
men and women to enter the way
of holiness willingly, and He

599
00:42:39,480 –> 00:42:44,080
wants them to continue on that
way willingly in anticipation of

600
00:42:44,080 –> 00:42:46,760
receiving the prize of our high
calling.

601
00:42:47,720 –> 00:42:52,080
Certainly He could forcibly
impose holiness upon humanity,

602
00:42:52,760 –> 00:42:55,200
but he has chosen not to do
that.

603
00:42:55,720 –> 00:42:58,320
It isn’t the kind of obedience
that God wants.

604
00:42:59,600 –> 00:43:03,640
The priest role was not to
forcibly impose legal observance

605
00:43:03,640 –> 00:43:07,440
throughout Israel, but rather to
teach and to provide unbiased

606
00:43:07,440 –> 00:43:10,760
and expert consultation in
matters of particular

607
00:43:10,760 –> 00:43:13,720
difficulty.
And it’s, it’s really beautiful

608
00:43:13,720 –> 00:43:16,480
to see when we look at an
example like Deuteronomy chapter

609
00:43:16,480 –> 00:43:23,120
17, that both the priest and the
people had a responsibility in

610
00:43:23,120 –> 00:43:25,480
this effort to learn the ways of
holiness.

611
00:43:25,480 –> 00:43:28,600
The priest to keep knowledge and
to faithfully dispense it

612
00:43:28,800 –> 00:43:34,080
without bias, and the people to
seek knowledge at the priest’s

613
00:43:34,080 –> 00:43:38,240
lips.
And only if there arise a matter

614
00:43:38,240 –> 00:43:40,920
too hard for thee in judgement
were they to bring it to the

615
00:43:40,920 –> 00:43:46,120
priests or the judge.
So the goal of the priest was

616
00:43:46,120 –> 00:43:51,040
that those that he was teaching
took ownership of these

617
00:43:51,040 –> 00:43:54,360
principles and learned to apply
them themselves.

618
00:43:54,560 –> 00:43:59,120
Not that they should always rely
upon the priests for all matters

619
00:43:59,120 –> 00:44:01,520
of judgement, but they should
learn independently,

620
00:44:01,520 –> 00:44:06,880
individually, to apply God’s
Word proficiently to His glory.

621
00:44:08,320 –> 00:44:11,160
And of course, we know that the
priests were required to apply

622
00:44:11,160 –> 00:44:14,160
their understanding of God’s
will to the execution of their

623
00:44:14,160 –> 00:44:18,080
ministry at the sanctuary, which
could look like forcible

624
00:44:18,080 –> 00:44:21,440
imposition of legal observance.
And in one sense it certainly

625
00:44:21,440 –> 00:44:24,000
was.
However, I think this was less a

626
00:44:24,000 –> 00:44:28,000
matter of the priest imposing
observance upon the people than

627
00:44:28,000 –> 00:44:33,520
it was a matter of the priest
practicing obedience themselves.

628
00:44:34,360 –> 00:44:38,560
The priest had responsibility
for preserving holiness, the

629
00:44:38,560 –> 00:44:41,800
holiness of the sanctuary.
In the execution of their

630
00:44:41,800 –> 00:44:46,160
office, God prescribed the
character of their service, and

631
00:44:46,160 –> 00:44:50,120
their conformance to that
prescription was a vital part of

632
00:44:50,120 –> 00:44:54,440
the way in which they taught the
people, in that case by example.

633
00:44:55,800 –> 00:44:58,400
So how do we see these
principles then reflected in the

634
00:44:58,400 –> 00:45:01,680
head of our priesthood?
What spirit characterized the

635
00:45:01,680 –> 00:45:05,080
ministry of the greatest
messenger that God has sent to

636
00:45:05,080 –> 00:45:07,840
mankind?
The anti typical High Priest

637
00:45:08,400 –> 00:45:12,160
Jesus of Nazareth in whom the
principle of holiness was so

638
00:45:12,160 –> 00:45:16,480
perfectly manifest.
What was the focus of his

639
00:45:16,480 –> 00:45:20,760
teaching?
Was his focus on excluding the

640
00:45:20,760 –> 00:45:23,920
unholy or forcibly compelling
holiness?

641
00:45:24,960 –> 00:45:28,840
Doesn’t seem to be.
Did he ignore the need for

642
00:45:28,840 –> 00:45:32,760
holiness or even slightly
diminish its importance?

643
00:45:33,800 –> 00:45:38,240
Certainly not.
He was the embodiment of

644
00:45:38,240 –> 00:45:41,720
holiness.
He had stern warnings for those

645
00:45:41,720 –> 00:45:45,080
whose responsibility it was to
understand and promote the

646
00:45:45,080 –> 00:45:49,240
principles of holiness, but who
instead sought their own profit.

647
00:45:50,040 –> 00:45:53,800
At the same time, he discerned
between those that were actively

648
00:45:53,800 –> 00:45:57,440
hostile or complacently
inattentive to the way of

649
00:45:57,440 –> 00:46:00,560
holiness and those who were
ignorant of it or strayed from

650
00:46:00,560 –> 00:46:03,600
it due to some spiritual or
physical weakness.

651
00:46:04,200 –> 00:46:08,680
And in the latter case, our
great High Priest affirmed God’s

652
00:46:08,800 –> 00:46:12,280
care and provided admonition
along with compassionate

653
00:46:12,320 –> 00:46:16,160
education and encouragement
about how holiness could be

654
00:46:16,160 –> 00:46:18,920
affected in order to draw near
to God.

655
00:46:20,000 –> 00:46:22,880
It seems to me that this spirit
is beautifully captured in

656
00:46:22,880 –> 00:46:26,560
Galatians chapter 6 in the 1st 2
verses where Paul says,

657
00:46:26,560 –> 00:46:30,480
Brethren, if a man be overtaken
in a fault, ye which are

658
00:46:30,480 –> 00:46:33,560
spiritual restore such an one in
the spirit of meekness,

659
00:46:33,880 –> 00:46:38,280
considering thyself, lest thou
also be tempted, bear ye one

660
00:46:38,280 –> 00:46:40,960
another’s burdens, and so
fulfill the law of Christ.

661
00:46:41,360 –> 00:46:45,480
For if a man think himself to be
something when he is nothing, he

662
00:46:45,480 –> 00:46:50,320
deceiveth himself.
There’s a a beautiful symmetry

663
00:46:50,320 –> 00:46:52,800
here to this idea of being
overtaken in a fault.

664
00:46:52,840 –> 00:46:55,480
In our our journey towards
holiness.

665
00:46:55,480 –> 00:46:58,720
There’s sort of an image that at
least comes to my mind of, of a

666
00:46:58,720 –> 00:47:03,680
person walking along away and
they’re being stalked by a

667
00:47:03,680 –> 00:47:06,720
ravenous beast.
They’re walking along that way

668
00:47:06,720 –> 00:47:10,640
and they are overtaken by that
ravenous animal which is

669
00:47:10,640 –> 00:47:15,800
stalking them.
And certainly we know that we

670
00:47:15,800 –> 00:47:19,720
are in this precise situation.
We are being stalked by our

671
00:47:19,720 –> 00:47:23,760
nature as we walk along the way
of holiness and and too often we

672
00:47:23,760 –> 00:47:27,240
are overtaken.
But the goal that’s expressed

673
00:47:27,240 –> 00:47:30,520
here in Galatians Chapter 6 is
restoration.

674
00:47:30,720 –> 00:47:35,200
Restore such a one, not
condemnation.

675
00:47:35,480 –> 00:47:39,480
And the requisite spirit is
meekness, not judgmental self

676
00:47:39,480 –> 00:47:42,560
righteousness.
And this spirit is so important

677
00:47:42,760 –> 00:47:45,240
to the priesthood that God is
preparing us for.

678
00:47:45,720 –> 00:47:52,440
In fact, Paul says that to do so
is to fulfill the law of Christ.

679
00:47:53,800 –> 00:47:55,840
Now there are certainly
occasions where the behaviour of

680
00:47:55,840 –> 00:48:00,200
others makes it necessary,
because we love them to witness

681
00:48:00,200 –> 00:48:03,640
to the difference between holy
and unholy and warn of the

682
00:48:03,640 –> 00:48:06,480
consequences of continuing in an
unholy way.

683
00:48:07,160 –> 00:48:10,240
But our primary focus should be
on applying these principles to

684
00:48:10,520 –> 00:48:13,560
ourselves.
If we would judge ourselves, we

685
00:48:13,560 –> 00:48:16,560
would not be judged.
And when we do have cause to

686
00:48:16,560 –> 00:48:20,520
witness to and to warn others in
God’s family, we have to do it

687
00:48:20,520 –> 00:48:24,800
with reverence and respect for
the fact that God gave his Son.

688
00:48:24,800 –> 00:48:30,320
He redeemed them too, not just
us.

689
00:48:30,920 –> 00:48:34,520
That God cares deeply for every
one of His children and He wants

690
00:48:35,160 –> 00:48:38,240
from each of us our willing
obedience.

691
00:48:38,880 –> 00:48:43,360
We too easily forget the value
that God places upon all of His

692
00:48:43,360 –> 00:48:48,320
children, even those who have
gone astray.

693
00:48:49,000 –> 00:48:51,640
He doesn’t abandoned them at the
first sign of infidelity.

694
00:48:51,960 –> 00:48:55,560
He works in love to seek and to
save that which is lost.

695
00:48:56,160 –> 00:49:02,520
Certainly He reproves us for our
sin while affirming His earnest

696
00:49:02,520 –> 00:49:06,440
desire to receive us if we will
only return to Him.

697
00:49:07,480 –> 00:49:10,200
Trying to force someone back
onto the way of holiness is

698
00:49:10,200 –> 00:49:13,840
counter to God’s desire.
He wants willing submission in

699
00:49:13,840 –> 00:49:17,840
love rather than compliance
compelled out of obligation,

700
00:49:18,120 –> 00:49:21,960
fear, or a misplaced sense of
exchange.

701
00:49:25,760 –> 00:49:28,920
So as we bring this session to a
close, we’ll just touch on a few

702
00:49:28,920 –> 00:49:33,160
lessons from the priestly
responsibility of sacrifice.

703
00:49:35,480 –> 00:49:38,480
Earlier we noted that the two
aspects of priestly

704
00:49:38,480 –> 00:49:42,640
responsibility Moses mentioned
in Deuteronomy 33 verse 10 are

705
00:49:42,640 –> 00:49:45,480
teaching and officiating over
the offerings prescribed by the

706
00:49:45,480 –> 00:49:48,560
law.
Passages like First Samuel 15

707
00:49:48,560 –> 00:49:53,640
verse 22 and Hosea 6 and verse 6
and Psalm 40 make it clear that

708
00:49:53,640 –> 00:49:57,840
these offerings were not an end
in themselves to Saul.

709
00:49:58,040 –> 00:50:02,680
In First Samuel 15 verse 22,
Samuel says to obey is better

710
00:50:02,680 –> 00:50:06,040
than sacrifice and to hearken
than the fat of Rams.

711
00:50:06,400 –> 00:50:10,120
And in Hosea chapter 6 and verse
6 we read for I desired mercy

712
00:50:10,280 –> 00:50:14,320
and not sacrifice and the
knowledge of God more than burnt

713
00:50:14,320 –> 00:50:18,640
offerings.
And Psalm 40, verses 6 to 10

714
00:50:19,040 –> 00:50:21,360
seems particularly helpful in
this regard.

715
00:50:23,440 –> 00:50:26,520
Sacrifice and offering Thou
didst not desire.

716
00:50:26,840 –> 00:50:30,440
My ears hast thou opened burnt
offering and sin offering Thou

717
00:50:30,440 –> 00:50:33,800
has not required.
Then said I, Lo, I come in the

718
00:50:33,800 –> 00:50:35,480
volume of the book.
It is written of me.

719
00:50:35,680 –> 00:50:39,520
I delight to do Thy will.
Oh my God, yeah, Thy law is

720
00:50:39,520 –> 00:50:42,520
within my heart.
I have preached righteousness in

721
00:50:42,520 –> 00:50:45,200
the great congregation.
Lo, I have not refrained my

722
00:50:45,200 –> 00:50:48,360
lips.
O Lord, Thou knowest I have not

723
00:50:48,360 –> 00:50:51,960
hid Thy righteousness within my
heart, I have declared Thy

724
00:50:51,960 –> 00:50:55,640
faithfulness and Thy salvation.
I have not concealed Thy loving

725
00:50:55,640 –> 00:50:59,000
kindness and Thy truth from the
great congregation.

726
00:51:00,800 –> 00:51:04,560
Commentators have pointed out
that the language of Psalm 40

727
00:51:04,560 –> 00:51:09,840
and verse 6 is suggestive of the
entire sacrificial system under

728
00:51:10,200 –> 00:51:13,240
rather the entire system of
altar offerings under the Law.

729
00:51:13,560 –> 00:51:16,920
And there are 6 basic altar
offerings, the sin offering, the

730
00:51:16,920 –> 00:51:19,480
trespass offering, the burnt
offering, the peace offering,

731
00:51:19,800 –> 00:51:21,360
the meal offering, and the drink
offering.

732
00:51:21,360 –> 00:51:24,880
But they they can be combined
due to the way in which the sin

733
00:51:24,880 –> 00:51:27,680
and the trespass offering are
closely associated.

734
00:51:28,000 –> 00:51:31,440
And the meal and the drink
offering are also closely

735
00:51:31,440 –> 00:51:35,520
associated.
And with these two groupings we

736
00:51:35,520 –> 00:51:39,120
end up with a list of four
rather than of six.

737
00:51:39,680 –> 00:51:42,760
And if it’s reasonable to
combine the offerings this way,

738
00:51:43,120 –> 00:51:46,520
then all four of them seem to be
mentioned in Psalm 40, verse 6.

739
00:51:47,120 –> 00:51:50,880
The words sacrifice and offering
at the beginning of the verse

740
00:51:50,880 –> 00:51:54,720
are closely associated with the
peace offering and the meal

741
00:51:54,720 –> 00:51:57,760
offering, respectively.
And then we have burnt offerings

742
00:51:57,760 –> 00:52:00,520
and sin offerings mentioned
explicitly as the verse

743
00:52:00,520 –> 00:52:04,160
continues on.
So this passage suggests that

744
00:52:04,160 –> 00:52:08,160
the true goal of the basic altar
offerings under the Law is the

745
00:52:08,160 –> 00:52:12,160
development of a character, a
character that delights to do

746
00:52:12,160 –> 00:52:15,480
the will of God, to preach
righteousness, and to declare

747
00:52:15,480 –> 00:52:20,120
God’s faithfulness, salvation,
loving kindness and truth

748
00:52:21,400 –> 00:52:23,400
forward.
Progress on the way of holiness

749
00:52:23,400 –> 00:52:27,480
depends upon the grace of God
and our ever present awareness

750
00:52:28,000 –> 00:52:30,200
of His sovereignty over our
lives.

751
00:52:30,960 –> 00:52:34,320
Sins against Him must be
confessed, forgiveness

752
00:52:34,320 –> 00:52:38,760
requested, and restitution made.
The 1st and best of our energy

753
00:52:39,080 –> 00:52:42,440
and strength must be dedicated
to His service.

754
00:52:43,480 –> 00:52:47,280
Joyful Thanksgiving should be
given regularly and sincerely,

755
00:52:48,080 –> 00:52:52,480
along with our desire expressed
to share in true and lasting

756
00:52:52,480 –> 00:52:56,640
fellowship with God.
All of this and more are bound

757
00:52:56,640 –> 00:53:00,440
up in the system of offerings
that were prescribed by the Law.

758
00:53:01,920 –> 00:53:05,080
In this way, the offerings were
an essential part of Israel’s

759
00:53:05,080 –> 00:53:08,560
journey on the way of holiness.
They were meant to develop a

760
00:53:08,560 –> 00:53:11,280
spirit that delights to do the
will of God, to preach

761
00:53:11,280 –> 00:53:15,720
righteousness, to declare God’s
faithfulness, salvation, loving

762
00:53:15,720 –> 00:53:19,000
kindness, and truth.
And though believers today are

763
00:53:19,000 –> 00:53:21,480
no longer required to make the
offerings that the law

764
00:53:21,480 –> 00:53:25,560
prescribed, the principles of
that system are still very much

765
00:53:25,560 –> 00:53:28,440
in force.
Paul describes the offering that

766
00:53:28,440 –> 00:53:31,720
God wants from believers today
this way in Romans 12.

767
00:53:32,360 –> 00:53:34,920
I beseech you, therefore,
brethren, by the mercies of God,

768
00:53:34,920 –> 00:53:41,560
that you present your bodies a
living sacrifice, holy,

769
00:53:42,600 –> 00:53:45,640
acceptable unto God, which is
your reasonable service.

770
00:53:46,880 –> 00:53:49,760
The offering that God wants from
you and me is a life lived

771
00:53:49,760 –> 00:53:53,160
willingly and joyfully in
holiness.

772
00:53:53,920 –> 00:53:56,680
If we want to be members of the
priesthood that will officiate

773
00:53:56,680 –> 00:54:00,120
over the offerings of the coming
age, then we have to learn to

774
00:54:00,120 –> 00:54:03,560
offer our own lives in holiness
today.

775
00:54:04,560 –> 00:54:08,720
And contrary to what we might
think, this isn’t accomplished

776
00:54:08,720 –> 00:54:13,960
in a few extraordinary acts of
self denial or self sacrifice

777
00:54:15,800 –> 00:54:22,680
through which we somehow managed
to sacrifice ourselves.

778
00:54:23,320 –> 00:54:27,360
It’s the accumulation of many
simple, seemingly unremarkable

779
00:54:27,360 –> 00:54:30,840
acts of faithful obedience
through which we cooperate with

780
00:54:30,840 –> 00:54:34,000
the work of transformation that
God has begun in each one of us.

781
00:54:34,680 –> 00:54:37,720
And if we focus on faithful
obedience in the day-to-day

782
00:54:37,720 –> 00:54:42,320
experiences of life, then we can
be sure that he which has begun

783
00:54:42,320 –> 00:54:46,560
a good work in US will perform
it until the day of Jesus

784
00:54:46,560 –> 00:54:50,080
Christ, when that work will be
completed once and for all.

785
00:54:50,920 –> 00:54:54,080
So as we bring this session to a
close, it’s worth considering

786
00:54:54,080 –> 00:54:59,000
again the apostle and high
priest of our profession, Christ

787
00:54:59,160 –> 00:55:02,920
Jesus, who is the greatest
example of being well schooled

788
00:55:02,960 –> 00:55:06,600
in the will of God, teaching it
faithfully without bias, and

789
00:55:06,760 –> 00:55:11,960
applying it in every aspect of
his own life to distinguish holy

790
00:55:12,240 –> 00:55:16,840
from unholy and to make in
himself a place for God to

791
00:55:16,840 –> 00:55:19,960
dwell.
He willingly offered his life to

792
00:55:19,960 –> 00:55:23,280
God in complete obedience, and
his pursuit of holiness has

793
00:55:23,280 –> 00:55:25,640
brought him to the right hand of
God.

794
00:55:25,640 –> 00:55:28,640
He is the first born among many
brethren.

795
00:55:29,880 –> 00:55:33,640
That’s us by God’s grace,
brothers and sisters and young

796
00:55:33,640 –> 00:55:39,120
people, which gives us assurance
that if we are conformed to his

797
00:55:39,120 –> 00:55:43,160
image today, we can be led by
grace through faith into

798
00:55:43,160 –> 00:55:46,640
everlasting life.
And so we have good reason to

799
00:55:46,640 –> 00:55:51,200
live our lives today in act of
cooperation with our Heavenly

800
00:55:51,200 –> 00:55:55,360
Father’s efforts to prepare us
for membership in this holy

801
00:55:55,360 –> 00:55:58,520
priesthood shortly to be
established by our Lord and the

802
00:55:58,560 –> 00:56:02,000
earth.
So tomorrow we are going to look

803
00:56:02,000 –> 00:56:05,960
at this idea of two ways.
We know, of course, that there

804
00:56:05,960 –> 00:56:08,680
is another way.
There is the way of holiness,

805
00:56:08,840 –> 00:56:10,920
the way of life, but there is a
way of death.

806
00:56:10,920 –> 00:56:14,040
And we’re going to look at those
two ways and the two masters

807
00:56:14,040 –> 00:56:16,760
that are associated with them.
We’re going to spend a little

808
00:56:16,760 –> 00:56:19,040
time looking at the war in our
members.

809
00:56:20,720 –> 00:56:23,680
We’re going to look at this
concept of the world and, and

810
00:56:23,680 –> 00:56:28,440
try to come to A, to a more
immediate sense or a sense of

811
00:56:28,440 –> 00:56:31,880
the immediate urgency that that
this idea has for our lives.

812
00:56:31,880 –> 00:56:36,000
It isn’t simply something that’s
out there apart from us, but

813
00:56:36,000 –> 00:56:39,240
that the world has an embassy
inside of every one of us.

814
00:56:39,240 –> 00:56:42,440
And then we’re going to look at
a couple of tactics that God has

815
00:56:42,440 –> 00:56:46,280
provided to resist our nature
and the world.

816
00:56:46,800 –> 00:56:49,240
And so with that, I will say
thank you and I will turn things

817
00:56:49,240 –> 00:56:50,440
back over to brother Jason.