Fellow Priests of God

Leviticus 7-8

If you have been following along with the reading through Leviticus so far, things are getting pretty intense, as we learn descriptions about the specific ways that animals are butchered, what to do with their blood, and their fat being burned up; hopefully you’ve had a strong stomach for this section. Although most of us have probably breezed through this section in order to move forward from the apparent horror scene that has been painted, there is a relevant message for us in the midst of it all, and it deals with the priests. All of chapter eight is dedicated to preparing the priests for their work of service in the Tabernacle, getting them ready to minister to God and on behalf of God’s people.

If you have ever had a job or career before, you understand that there is a period of preparation that you must go through. When I worked at Burger King in college, we had one week of video training modules that we had to complete before we even touched a food preparation station. If even Burger King requires this period of preparation for the job, how much more for those who are going to act as priests and mediators for God and God’s people? Relating this back to today, how much more do those who are leading God’s people in churches need to spend time in preparation? Just as Aaron and his sons had to spend time in ritual planning and preparation, so too must Christians who are serving in various ways in individual churches.

1 Peter 2:9 states that Christians are “a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and a people for God’s own possession.” This is a passage that sparked the Protestant Reformation in the 1500’s, as the late Martin Luther began teaching that all Christians are entrusted with God’s Holy Spirit, God’s message for humanity, and God’s grace, not just the officials of the church. If we are called “priests” now, that means that we have work to do in preparing ourselves for service to God also. We are not called to just accept God’s forgiveness and sit around; we are called to use the gift of God’s Spirit to bring about real change in other people’s lives (see 1 Corinthians 12).

Fellow Christian, the challenge for us today is three-fold. We must first understand what Jesus has done for us in his death and resurrection, truly having faith in his work. Secondly, we need to figure out how God has blessed us to serve others with His Spirit; you must have a solid grasp of what gifts God has given you. Finally, we need to do the necessary preparation work to be fully useful to our God, by getting trained in the ways God has called us. Whether you are pastoring a church, singing worship music on Sundays, evangelizing in the streets, serving food in the homeless shelter, or any other form of service to God, we all must prepare ourselves for that service. Fellow priests of God, let us prepare ourselves today and thank God for the opportunity.

-Talon Paul

Links to today’s Bible reading – Leviticus 7-8 and Psalm 12-14