Notes
But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
1 Peter 2:9-10 (NIV)
This royal priesthood is all of us: the Church. Let’s look back at the Old Testament to see how his original readers would have understood to be priestly responsibilities.
1) Priests Set Things Up
So Moses, Aaron, and the leaders of Israel listed all the Levites by their clans and families. All the men between thirty and fifty years of age who were eligible for service in the Tabernacle and for its transportation numbered 8,580. When their names were recorded, as the Lord had commanded through Moses, each man was assigned his task and told what to carry. And so the registration was completed, just as the Lord had commanded Moses.
Numbers 4:46-49
The Tabernacle had a lot of details; the way it was moved, stored, put up, and taken down mattered to God. Every detail mattered because what they were doing was a representation of God, and it took a lot of people to make sure things were done properly.
And you are living stones that God is building into his spiritual temple. What’s more, you are his holy priests. Through the mediation of Jesus Christ, you offer spiritual sacrifices that please God.
1 Peter 2:5
Together, we are his house, built on the foundation of the apostles and the prophets. And the cornerstone is Christ Jesus himself. We are carefully joined together in him, becoming a holy temple for the Lord. Through him you Gentiles are also being made part of this dwelling where God lives by his Spirit.
Ephesians 2:20-22
And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.
Colossians 3:17
We are people who represent God to the world around us, and we commune with God on their behalf. We’re meant to work together to shine Christ’s light. Every detail of our hearts matter, and every detail about what we do and how we act matters, because it all matters to God. God spoke clearly about how it took many people to take care of each structure in the Tabernacle. Your assignment matters; how you step into it matters. We are called by God, for God, with a holy calling: to shine the light of Christ into people’s lives. If we really want to fulfill that calling, we need to understand that every detail matters.
2) Priests Seek God
Jesus told him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.”
John 14:6
Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name.
Psalm 100:4
Every structure in the Tabernacle represented something about Jesus. The Tabernacle was where God’s presence was - up there, down here. There was one entrance to the Tabernacle, and all people were welcome in the inner court. Jesus is the gate; He is the one way into the presence of God.
For God’s will was for us to be made holy by the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ, once for all time.
Hebrews 10:10
Jesus was the final sacrifice; no longer do we need to give blood offerings, because He paid it all for us. As priests made these sacrifices and repented of their sins, they could move further into the Tabernacle. Now, it is through Jesus that we repent and are given access to the presence of God.
And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Romans 12:1-2
In the Holy Place, there was an altar of incense, a menorah, and a table of shewbread. The candles had special oils so the fire would never go out or dim; Jesus is the light of the world, and the Holy Spirit in us continually fills us and keeps the fire of God burning in and through us. The priests would eat the bread and then replace it so the table was never empty; this bread represents Jesus who called Himself the bread of life. The incense would be refreshed through the day, and this represents the prayer of God’s people going up to Him.
Once a year, one priest would pass into the final curtain, to approach the Ark of the Covenant and the mercy seat of God. But when Jesus died on the cross, the fabric separating this room from the rest of the Tabernacle was torn from the top to the bottom. Now, we all can go into God’s presence at any time and from any place. Through Jesus, we have full access to our Creator.
3) Priests Shine
You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.
Matthew 5:14-16
Don’t you realize that all of you together are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God lives in you? God will destroy anyone who destroys this temple. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. Stop deceiving yourselves. If you think you are wise by this world’s standards, you need to become a fool to be truly wise.
1 Corinthians 3:16-18
The whole reason we do good things is to shine God’s light - His grace, mercy, provision, love - to others. God calls us not to just enter the Holy of Holies, but to let His light shine in our hearts, move out into the world, and let His light shine.
If you have trusted Jesus’ message, God has given you a spiritual gift. The gift belongs to God, and is given to you to use to work in the world around you. You are meant to partner with other believers, the Church, to be a city on a hill and change the world. We, created the way we are, can partner with one another and see what God can do.
Group Questions
- In what ways can we embrace our role as representatives of God in the world today?
- In the Old Testament, priests had specific roles and responsibilities. What are some of the roles and responsibilities we have as modern-day priests of God?
- How can we support each other in using our spiritual gifts to shine God’s light in our communities?
- How can we ensure that the details of our actions reflect God's character, just as the details of the Tabernacle reflected God’s holiness?
Prayer
Thank you for making us your chosen people and calling us to be your light in the world. Help us to seek your presence daily and use our gifts to reflect your love and truth.