Loyalty To Our Priesthood and Covenant

Today’s Word Of Encouragement From Wayne:

“But the Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who kept charge of My sanctuary when the sons of Israel went astray from Me, shall come near to Me to minister to Me; and they shall stand before Me”

Ezekiel 44:15

There had been a falling away from God by the people and priesthood of Israel, with only the Levitical family of “the sons of Zadok” remaining faithful. These loyal-to-God sons of Zadok were rewarded by God for their faithfulness to Him by being made the most privileged of all priests, the priests of the inner court, blessed to “come near to Me to minister to Me.”

This is the exact same highest of blessings that all truly born again Christians are privileged with – to be God’s biblically declared present day new covenant priests, ministering to our Lord in the inner court, according to His declared purpose (1 Peter 2:5-9, Revelation 1:5-6, 5:9-10).

The people of Israel had developed the sinful habit of burying their kings right next to the temple of God, thus blurring the lines between God’s holiness and the people’s desires and worldliness. God had already spoken to Ezekiel saying, “This is the law of the house: it’s entire area on the top of the mountain all around shall be most holy. Behold, this is the law of the house” (Ezekiel 43:12).

In addition, the corrupt priests were in sinful duplicity with the worldly princes of the people and even uncircumcised important people from other cultures, taking bribes and gaining worldly influence, by allowing them to be in the sanctuary, making offerings and appearing to have the approval of God. This same sinful attitude towards the sanctuary of God not only exists today, but in fact is highly encouraged by some so-called Christian leaders. Mark these men for they are themselves tainted and corrupted and know nothing of the covenant or the priesthood.

Of this, the Lord said, “You shall say to the rebellious ones, to the house of Israel, ‘Thus says the Lord God, “Enough of all your abominations, O house of Israel, when you brought in foreigners, uncircumcised in heart and uncircumcised in flesh, to be in My sanctuary to profane it, even My house, when you offered My food, the fat and the blood; for they made My covenant void – this in addition to all your abominations. And you have not kept charge of My holy things yourselves, but you have set foreigners to keep charge of My sanctuary” (Ezekiel 44:6-8).

Do you see what happens when God’s people fail to attend to God’s Own holy desire for His people, and instead are influenced and swayed by worldly opinion, wealth, power, and privilege? Do you see what darkness God’s people descend into when they break the covenant and forsake the sanctuary and priesthood?

God’s sanctuary is for God’s people to be in, that they may specifically develop a holy sense of and respect for God’s presence, power, word, and purpose. Mixing up worldly leaders with God’s holy sanctuary and allowing unbelievers to be in the sanctuary for their own worldly purposes and proposals is all a hugely disrespectful ignorance of, and sin against, God.

On the other and far more blessed hand, all we need to be, as new covenant Christians, as true disciples of Jesus Christ, is all that God has made us to be – His Own blessed, faithful, and loyal present day “kingdom, priests to His God and Father” (Revelation 1:6), so that “you also, as living stones, are being built up as a spiritual house for a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God, through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5).

Every single day that we live as ministers to our Lord, practicing our priesthood and declaring the same to all Christians, we are being exactly what God has made us to be, and this is also what God has always desired- that He would have a faithful and dedicated people of His covenant and priesthood.

This is us. Let us so gratefully and humbly be all that God has made us to be, His Own “royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s Own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Peter 2:9).

Yes, proclaim His excellencies today, in His presence as His priest, and then proclaim these same excellencies to the world. Hallelujah!