The biblical concept of priesthood, contrasting the Old Testament Aaronic priesthood with the New Testament priesthood of all believers. Initially, God promised Israel a kingdom of priests if they obeyed, but their disobedience led to a select family serving as intermediaries. In contrast, through Christ, all born-again believers are made a holy and royal priesthood, granting direct access to God's presence and the privilege of offering spiritual sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving. This New Testament reality means every believer can approach God individually and collectively, distinct from the specialized ministry gifts for preaching and teaching.
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I'd ask you to follow along carefully tonight as we seek to point out to you this very important subject. Now, I think we're all aware of the fact that in every religion there is a priestly caste of men who occupy a special position. often they are recognized by some distinctive clothes that they may wear. And they possess privileges that is not granted to, what shall I say, the rank and file of the followers of that religion.
Now, we want to see tonight just exactly what the Bible teaches regarding this tremendous suit of priesthood. And we are back at Mount Sinai. That's going to be our beginning point, because one of the many important events that transpired at Sinai was God established his service there. Now his service consisted of workers and worshippers. The workers were the tribe of Levi. And we could spend, I believe, a very profitable evening, considering the service of the Levites.
They were the ones to whom alone was given the privilege and honor of serving in connection with the tabernacle. But to the family of Aaron was given the position of worshipers. That is, they alone were the priests in Israel. Israel. Now, up until the time of the Exodus, I think the Bible would teach us that the head of the family acted as a priest. You remember how Abraham offered sacrifice. You remember how Job offered sacrifices for his family.
So you find that the head of the family occupied that honored position of being a priest for the family. And apparently, until we come to the establishment of the Aaronic priesthood at Mount Sinai, apparently Moses acted for the nation of Israel in that capacity. But now I want us to read in Exodus chapter 19, and we'll just begin our reading at verse 3. went up unto God, and the Lord called unto him out of the mountain, saying, Thus shalt thou say to the house of Jacob, and tell the children of Israel, ye have seen what I did unto the Egyptians, and how I bear you on eagle's wings, and brought you unto myself.
Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people, all the earth is mine. And ye shall be unto me, notice this, ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests and an holy nation. These are the words which I shall speak unto the children of Israel. Now because we have a lot to cover, I'll not linger on any one of these. But you notice immediately, God promises to the nation of Israel at Mount Sinai that if they would obey his voice and keep his covenant, they would be a nation, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
That is, all the members of the nation would have been priests if they had obeyed the voice of God. But you know this story well enough to know that before Moses got down from the mountain. You remember they had disobeyed. Although they said, All that the Lord has said, We will do. Yet they had broken the first two commandments by the time Moses came down with the tables in his hand, those tables of stone on which the law was engraved. So they had failed. God had promised, now you'll be a kingdom of priests, If you obey, they said, we'll obey, and they immediately disobey.
Now what's God going to do? Turn to chapter 28. Keep that in mind then that they have lost this wonderful opportunity. Now I might say this before we leave that initial thought. Isaiah chapter 61 and verse 6 tells us that in the millennium, after the nation of Israel has been regenerated, they will have this promise fulfilled to them. It says he shall be called the priest of the Lord, so that in that day the whole nation will be preached unto God.
But what does God do? Well, we'll read from verse 1 of chapter 28. and take thou unto the Aaron thy brother and his sons with him from among the children of Israel that he may minister unto me in the priest's office. Even Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, Eliezer, and Ephamar, Aaron's sons. And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron, thy brother, for glory, and for beauty. We'll not read any more there. But you see immediately The nation has lost the opportunity of all being priests.
All right, says God, you take Aaron and his son, and they'll be priests on your behalf. It might be wise, first, possibly to look at a verse over in the book of Numbers. Just to emphasize this, Numbers chapter 3. Verse 10, pardon me, I'll just say pardon me once, will that do for the time, because I would quite like to have to clear my throat a number of times, so he won't waste time. So kindly pardon me.
Verse 10, thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest's office, and notice, and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to dance. Now, the 38th verse of the same chapters is practically the same. Have you got the picture? I want you to, because it's basic for all we're going to study. God says to, first of all, to the nation, if you'll obey me, I'll make you all priests. They say we will, and immediately disobey. So they lose us. God says now, I'm going to have Aaron and his son. That family will be the priestly family.
And no one else dare intrude into that. Now, if we were to study the Aaronic priesthood, we would find a number of things that I'm just going to give you in outline form because it would take too long to go into them. But these things characterize the priesthood in Israel from this time on. They had, as we've seen already, a septic position. They were set apart from the rest of the nation. Now, that was carried out in various ways. We can't stop to look at it. They had a definite service.
They alone could offer the sacrifices unto God on behalf of the whole nation. They had a distinctive dress. If we'd read on down to that interesting chapter there chapter 28, we'd find that there were certain garments made for the high priest and for the priest, and no one else was allowed to wear them. And you could tell a priest when you saw him by the garment he was wearing. They had peculiar privileges granted to them that were granted to none others of the children of Israel.
There were certain foods, particularly from the offerings, set apart for them, and they had particular responsibilities to carry out. And not only that, there was a special, what we might call a special holiness, required of could go in and minister as a priest. They had to wash their hands every time at the labor. I say, no, all of these could very helpfully be developed, but we must pass on. This is just the foundation for what I want to get to.
But I hope you've got it now. This family is sent apart and they and they alone are going to be the priests in Israel. They alone can approach to God. Now, maybe I should stop and say, that doesn't mean that an individual Israelite couldn't pray to God, if only to read the Psalms. There you have David and others worshiping, but you see that was on an individual basis. So far as the corporate worship of the nation was concerned, the collective worship, let's call it, so far as that was concerned, no one but a member of the family of Aaron could engage in that.
Now a king tried it by the name of Isaiah, and that king was immediately smitten with leprosy. One of the, or two of the Levites tried it, and in fact there were three, but I think just two of them were Levites, and they were swallowed up, and they went alive down into the pit. One of the what's called strange fire, fire that hadn't come from God, strange fire, and they were smitten immediately by God and died.
And so I think you can see that in Israel there was a distinct priestly class. In fact, it speaks of our Lord Jesus in the book of Hebrews that priest. You see, because he came not of the tribe of Levi, he came of the tribe of Judah. So far as Israel was concerned, even our Lord Jesus Christ as a man couldn't be a priest. Now that doesn't mean, of course, that he's not our great high priest in heaven. That's outside the realm of Judaism altogether.
We're talking about the Hebrews, the Jewish religion, Israel, the nation of Israel. Now I hope you've got it, because let me ask you this, in those denominations that we generally call the liturgical ones, because their service is centered around a liturgy, the Roman Catholic, the Eastern Orthodox, the Episcopalian, and a large extent the Lutherans. Now you will find in each one of those a class of priests.
You know that, I scarce need to remind you. There is a class of priests. Now compare those with Israel. Israel had a separate class that was priests, so has Christendom. You could tell those priests by their clothes. So has Christendom. You can tell them, in those denominations, by the clothes they wear. And they, and they alone, are permitted to officiate. They alone are permitted to baptize. They alone are permitted to conduct the worship of the congregation, so-called.
They alone are permitted to what is called a minister of the Lord's Supper. When I used to be crossing the border from Canada and they'd ask me who I was, I'd say I'd minister the gospel. Are you an ordained minister? Yes, sir. I didn't tell them that mine was the mighty ordination of the pierced hands. They said, are you qualified to administer the sacraments? Yes, sir. I didn't tell them I had baptized hundreds of people had been saved, or that hundreds of times I had walked to the table and broken the bread or taken the cup and started it around amongst the Lord's people.
It meant one thing to them, that was none of my business, meant another thing to me, that was none of their business. What I was concerned about was I carrying out the Word of God. Now, you see, what I'm trying to do is to show you that Christians them, has patterned their priests, not after the New Testament, which we'll get to in a minute, but after Judaism. It's just a sort of Christianized Judaism, which is a very poor expression. But I think you can see, without me following it any further, I think you can see not so much a comparison there as a similarity, but we the priestly class in Christendom and the priestly family in Israel.
Now, what does the Bible teach about the priests in the church? We've talked about the priests in the false religions and have spent very little time on that. We've talked about the priestly family in Israel. We have spoken a little about the priesthood in Christendom. Now, what about the priests in the church, the true church, the New Testament church? Well, you turn with me, please, now, and we'll get right down to what the Scripture teaches on this very important matter. Turn, please, to First Peter. Peter's first epistle, Chapter 2, now just glance back, please, at verse 23 of the first first chapter, and you'll see who he's talking about.
Verse 23 says, being born again. He's writing about born again believers. You see that immediately. All right, look at verse 5 now of chapter 2. He also as lively or living stone. It's sad to say, while we're all living, we're not all lively in the things of the Lord. But ye also as living stones are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Verse 9.
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, and holy nation, a peculiar people. You see, what Israel couldn't obtain through the law. because they disobeyed. We have received through grace. That doesn't mean we've taken the place of the nation of Israel. But it does mean that we have been given that great privilege, all of God's people, all who are born again. We are, according to verse 5, a holy priesthood, according to verse 9, a royal priesthood.
We are all that. There's no such a thing. Hear me carefully. There is no such a thing in the New Testament as a special class of priests. I don't care what any denomination teaches. I don't care what any theologians ask. The Bible teaches very distinctly in the church every born-again believer is a holy priest. to God. Now let's just look at one other verse, just to sort of emphasize that in Revelation chapter 1. We'll take two verses.
We'll take one in chapter 1, and then we'll go to chapter 5. Revelation chapter 1, verse 5. And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth, unto him that loved us, washed us from our sins in his own blood, and have made us kings and priests unto God and his Father. And it's really, it's much more correctly, I think, although it doesn't change the meaning of it, it's a kingdom of priests. Just exactly what Peter said and what God promised to Israel, but they lost it. Now we have been made a kingdom of a priest.
Chapter 5, those lovely verses that we're all familiar with. Chapter 5, verse 9. And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book and to open the seals thereof, for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred and tongue and people and nation. And has made us unto our God, and again you have the same or a kingdom of priests, and we shall reign on the earth. So you see, friends, while in Israel there was a certain family that alone possessed the priesthood, because we belong to Christ, we are all priests unto God.
Now that is what we call correctly the priesthood. of all believers. Now, it's because of that we have that great truth in Hebrews chapter 10 that we often think of, verse 19 says, Hebrews 10, verse 19, having therefore brethren boldness. Now, that's a good word, boldness there. Sometimes boldness has a wrong connotation. But this is liberty. It's liberty, the thought of liberty. And we have that liberty to enter into the holiest, to say even the priests in Israel, you know, could only go into the holy place.
They couldn't go into the holiest. Only the high priest went there once a year. But see with us, because we are a holy priesthood and the veil has been rent and we've a great high priest over the house of God, we now have liberty, a holy boldness, to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus. Now that's our privilege, brothers and sisters. That's a wonderful thing. Not only have our sins been forgiven and the path blotted out, but the way into God's immediate presence has been open to every child of God.
If you had gotten converted since you came into this meeting, just suppose you'd gotten saved, since you sat down on that pew tonight, you would have the privilege of going into the holiest of all. I have been saved almost 50 years. I have the privilege of going in, but no more than you. I have been preaching for almost 50 years. That doesn't enter into this at all. I have no more access to God than you have because we're all believers. That's the priesthood of all believers. Now that is one of the distinctives that we teach and practice here in this assembly.
Now the priests, let's follow a little bit further. The priests in Israel, I said they alone had the privilege and honor of offering a sacrifice. Now you and I as priests, we have to have something to offer. What do we offer? Well, seeing you're in Hebrews, just turn to the 13th chapter, and we'll see right there. Hebrews chapter 13, and we'll just take verse 15 for sake of time. By him, therefore, that's the Lord Jesus, of course, by him, therefore, let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually.
We don't offer a bullock, a lamb, God we don't need to the one sacrifice took care of all that we offer the sacrifice of praise continually even the fruit of our lips that's a lovely expression you remember Cain was rejected because he brought the fruit of the ground because the ground had been cursed you and I bring the fruit of our lips to God because we have been redeemed and this body now belongs to God. And so we bring the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.
And so you can see that our sacrifice is the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving and worship. Now we'll go back to that verse that we're looking at in First Peter chapter 2. First Peter chapter 2 verse 5, ye also as living sowns are built up a spiritual house and holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices. You see, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ. Because you see, our praises.
Our thanksgiving, our sacrifice, is presented to God by our Lord Jesus Christ. We stumble around when we're giving thanks, when we're praising God as none of us does it the way we'd like to. But I don't believe that any of our prayers or any of our praises reach God just the way they left our legs. No, they went through our great high priest. he adds to them all the value of his person and his work, and thus God is glorified.
Now that's New Testament priesthood, and remember, let me emphasize again, this is the privilege of every born-again believer that if you can pray, for yourself. You can praise for yourself. You can worship for yourself. Now, that doesn't mean we don't want others to pray with us or for us, but thank God we don't have to stand without in fear while somebody else goes in and prays for us. No, no. At any time, any one of us that's born again can go into the presence of God, and in the name of the Lord Jesus, our prayers and our praises.
Now think of the honor of that. Think of the privilege of that. should be enough to make us pray and to make us praise God. But now I just want to say this before I close. There are. Now I think you know me well enough to know that I do not stand up on this or any other platform and attack any other denomination or any Christians in the denomination. You have never heard me do that. If I make reference to them, it is only to indicate what is the truth of God. Now I have referred to those liturgical denominations as we speak of them, who in their liturgy and in using that liturgy, they have a priestly class, but there are some denominational churches that reject that idea.
The Baptists don't have a priestly class. They believe in the priesthood of all believers. Well, then, what is the difference? What is the difference, then, between this local church and such a local church? This. And follow me carefully. They acknowledge the priesthood of all believers individually, but not collectible. That is, there's no room. Now, we have been in a service, the first part of tonight's meeting, in which there was room for the priesthood of all believers.
Any brother in this group tonight could have risen and prayed. You see, the meeting was open. Sunday morning at the Lord's Supper in our worship meeting, no one's in charge. Any brother that is there, remembering the Lord, can bring as a priest his worship to God. You see, so that we not only recognize it individually, but we make room for it collectively. There is room and no one's in charge of our prayer meeting.
No one stands up here and says, will you pray or will you pray, will you pray? There is room for the priesthood of all believers in prayer and in worship. You say, well, can anybody get up and preach then? Now, wait a minute. You've gotten on an entirely different subject. And we must all become DDs, not doctors of divinity, because we believe in a divinity that doesn't get sick and doesn't need any doctors. But distinguisher's of differences. And there are a lot of differences in the Bible need to be distinguished.
And one of the great things that need to be distinguished, the difference between worship and ministry. Now, worship is by priest. Ministry is by gift. That's no such a thing as a gift of prayer. All can pray. That's no such a thing as a gift of worship. all can worship there's no such a thing as a gift of praise all can praise there's no such a thing as a gift of thanksgiving all can give thanks but there is a gift for evangelism for pastoring and for teaching and those who are gifted of God are the ones who should do that work now I was reared and a group of Christians who are godly, sincere believers but they made them a state of mingling worship and service and they thought because everybody's a priest everybody should be a preacher and it was pitiful and because everyone could get up and pray they thought everybody should get up and preach and what we suffered
through on Sunday nights it's a wonder we survive everybody, every brother, young and old, had to take his turn. And some of them could no more talk from the platform than they could fly around through the chapel with their wings. And yet they had to get up. Now, these were sincere, godly Christians, but they just hadn't studied their Bible. And just as the Bible does not teach us any man ministry, as no more than teaches every man minister or one man minister who are to minister the word of God those who have been gifted by the Lord to do it I have emphasized the fact here that all are priests but when you come to gifts you read in Ephesians 4 he gave some evangelists some pastors Some teachers, not all of them by any means, and you go to 1 Corinthians chapter 12, and you find that to one is
given the word of knowledge, to another the word of wisdom. And there are different gifts that are distributed, and while God may give something to everyone to do, God never intended that all should preach. Those who are fitted by him are the ones who should be preaching and teaching, but what we're talking about tonight is that wonderful presence as priests, the priests that have all believers, not only individually able to go into the presence of God, but isn't it a grand thing that God has enabled us to gather in such a way that when we come together, Any of the sons of Aaron, to use the expression, can worship, can pray, can pray.
Let's keep it like that, brethren, and we're on New Testament ground. Priesthood of all believers, functioning collectively in the assembly when we meet for prayers and for worship. head of the church functioning when we meet together for the preaching and teaching of the Word of God. And I believe when we do that, the work continues to go forward to the glory of God. Shall we pray?