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“The Christian: A Priest At God’s Altar – Part 1”
The Christian: A Priest At God’s Altar – Part 1
Wade Webster
As we have noted in previous lessons, there are many pictures of God’s people given in the Bible. These pictures help us to understand who God wants us to be and what God wants us to do. In past lessons, we examined the images of a farmer and a soldier. In this lesson, we are examining the image of a priest.
Christians are called priests several times in the Bible. Peter described Christians as a holy and royal priesthood and a royal priesthood. He wrote, “You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ…But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light” (1 Pet. 2:5, 9). In similar fashion, John described us as kings and priests. He wrote, “To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen” (Rev. 1:6). Three words stand out when we think of priests - honor, holiness, and hopefulness.
Honor
It is a great honor to be a priest at God’s altar. Peter wrote, “You also, as living stones, are being built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 2:5). We get to be stones and servants in a spiritual house. We get to offer up spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God. We get to proclaim the praises of the One who called us out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Pet. 2:9). It is a great honor to be God’s priest and to offer worship to Him. Peter spoke of Christians as chosen, royal, holy, and special (1 Peter. 2:9). Think of the selection of the Old Testament priest. In the book of Numbers, we read, “Therefore you and your sons with you shall attend to your priesthood for everything at the altar and behind the veil; and you shall serve. I give your priesthood to you as a gift for service, but the outsider who comes near shall be put to death” (Num. 18:7). In like manner, in the book of Deuteronomy, we read, “Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come near, for the LORD your God has chosen them to minister to Him and to bless in the name of the LORD; by their word every controversy and every assault shall be settled” (Deut. 21:5; cf. Joel 1:13-14). It was a great honor for the priests to be chosen to minister to God and to His people. The prophet Joel wrote, “Gird yourselves and lament, you priests; Wail, you who minister before the altar; Come, lie all night in sackcloth, You who minister to my God; For the grain offering and the drink offering Are withheld from the house of your God. Consecrate a fast, Call a sacred assembly; Gather the elders And all the inhabitants of the land Into the house of the LORD your God, And cry out to the LORD.” (Joel 1:13-14). Again, he wrote, “Let the priests, who minister to the LORD, Weep between the porch and the altar; Let them say, “Spare Your people, O LORD, And do not give Your heritage to reproach, That the nations should rule over them. Why should they say among the peoples, ‘Where is their God?’” (Joel 2:17).
We should count it a great honor to be numbered among the priests today. We should count it a great honor to stand at the altar and to offer sacrifices to God.
