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Awesome Hands - part 103 Discussion

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Awesome Hands – part 103

“Hallowed priests”

August 3, 2016

Today we start a study which will start to show us how the Lord has established His church, and the membership within that church, for His glory and the kingdom of God.

Mal 3:6  For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.

As we know from scripture, the Lord does not change, and if we adhere to this scriptural truth, then we will be able to see that any time the Lord gives us examples of how He establishes His church, we can take that example, and it can be spiritually applied throughout all of the bible. This study will show several examples of that.

Last study we read through the garments that the priests had to wear in order to approach the Lord properly; so who are the priests that will be wearing the various garments.

The tribe of Levi

Anyone serving the temple in any capacity was from the tribe of Levi. The verses we are going to read today are going to show us who the priests were as they were first being established, but we need to realize that “the Levites” who served the tabernacle but couldn’t touch the holy things of the temple, are from the same tribe as the priests.

Gen 46:11  And the sons of Levi; Gershon, Kohath, and Merari.

Exo 6:18  And the sons of Kohath; Amram, and Izhar, and Hebron, and Uzziel: and the years of the life of Kohath were an hundred thirty and three years.

Exo 6:20  And Amram took him Jochebed his father's sister to wife; and she bare him Aaron and Moses: and the years of the life of Amram were an hundred and thirty and seven years.

Who then are Aaron and his sons, and why were they chosen as priests?

Exo 28:43  And they shall be upon Aaron, and upon his sons, when they come in unto the tabernacle of the congregation, or when they come near unto the altar to minister in the holy place; that they bear not iniquity, and die: it shall be a statute for ever unto him and his seed after him.

Exo 29:1  And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto me in the priest's office: Take one young bullock, and two rams without blemish,

So, the Lord is going to establish Aaron and his sons as priests for the purpose of MINISTERING to God and His people by hallowing them for the job.

We are about to read the mechanics of this hallowing process, but what does it mean to be hallowed?

H6942

qâdash
kaw-dash'
A primitive root; to be (causatively make, pronounce or observe as) clean (ceremonially or morally): - appoint, bid, consecrate, dedicate, defile, hallow, (be, keep) holy (-er, place), keep, prepare, proclaim, purify, sanctify (-ied one, self), X wholly.
Total KJV occurrences: 171

H6942
qâdash
BDB Definition:
1) to consecrate, sanctify, prepare, dedicate, be hallowed, be holy, be sanctified, be separate
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to be set apart, be consecrated
1a2) to be hallowed
1a3) consecrated, tabooed
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to show oneself sacred or majestic
1b2) to be honoured, be treated as sacred
1b3) to be holy
1c) (Piel)
1c1) to set apart as sacred, consecrate, dedicate
1c2) to observe as holy, keep sacred
1c3) to honour as sacred, hallow
1c4) to consecrate
1d) (Pual)
1d1) to be consecrated
1d2) consecrated, dedicated
1e) (Hiphil)
1e1) to set apart, devote, consecrate
1e2) to regard or treat as sacred or hallow
1e3) to consecrate
1f) (Hithpael)
1f1) to keep oneself apart or separate
1f2) to cause Himself to be hallowed (of God)
1f3) to be observed as holy
1f4) to consecrate oneself
Part of Speech: verb
A Related Word by BDB/Strong’s Number: a primitive root
Same Word by TWOT Number: 1990

Now that we know that hallowing the priests is to set them apart and separate them we can ask ourselves if this is REALLY what the Lord does with His priests or is it simply that mankind desires to set up kings over themselves and this is just one man trying to control another?

Exo 29:1  And this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto me in the priest's office: Take one young bullock, and two rams without blemish,
Exo 29:2  And unleavened bread, and cakes unleavened tempered with oil, and wafers unleavened anointed with oil: of wheaten flour shalt thou make them.
Exo 29:3  And thou shalt put them into one basket, and bring them in the basket, with the bullock and the two rams.
Exo 29:4  And Aaron and his sons thou shalt bring unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and shalt wash them with water.

The priests are washed with water first just like anyone who is being dragged to service of the Lord is.

Then, they are going to perform some tasks that train them on how they will minister to the Lord in His tabernacle moving forward.

Exo 29:5  And thou shalt take the garments, and put upon Aaron the coat, and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastplate, and gird him with the curious girdle of the ephod:
Exo 29:6  And thou shalt put the mitre upon his head, and put the holy crown upon the mitre.
Exo 29:7  Then shalt thou take the anointing oil, and pour it upon his head, and anoint him.
Exo 29:8  And thou shalt bring his sons, and put coats upon them.
Exo 29:9  And thou shalt gird them with girdles, Aaron and his sons, and put the bonnets on them: and the priest's office shall be theirs for a perpetual statute: and thou shalt consecrate Aaron and his sons.
Exo 29:10  And thou shalt cause a bullock to be brought before the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands upon the head of the bullock.
Exo 29:11  And thou shalt kill the bullock before the LORD, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

The priests are washed with water first just like anyone who is being dragged to service of the Lord is.

As you can see, I have emphasized several verses. First, we notice that Aaron and his sons were washed at the door of the tabernacle, and then we see that Aaron is anointed with oil.

After they are consecrated they put their hands on the head of the bullock and kill the bullock. This is a procedural process that the Lord uses to show the congregation that the Lord has chosen and set aside some from the tribe of Levi to minister to Him in His tabernacle.

How is it the priests, who have been taken from out of the tribe of Levi, minister to the Lord? What is their purpose in ministry? We are not left to wonder.

Num 18:1  And the LORD said unto Aaron, Thou and thy sons and thy father's house with thee shall bear the iniquity of the sanctuary: and thou and thy sons with thee shall bear the iniquity of your priesthood.
Num 18:2  And thy brethren also of the tribe of Levi, the tribe of thy father, bring thou with thee, that they may be joined unto thee, and minister unto thee: but thou and thy sons with thee shall minister before the tabernacle of witness.
Num 18:3  And they shall keep thy charge, and the charge of all the tabernacle: only they shall not come nigh the vessels of the sanctuary and the altar, that neither they, nor ye also, die.
Num 18:4  And they shall be joined unto thee, and keep the charge of the tabernacle of the congregation, for all the service of the tabernacle: and a stranger shall not come nigh unto you.
Num 18:5  And ye shall keep the charge of the sanctuary, and the charge of the altar: that there be NO WRATH ANY MORE upon the children of Israel.
Num 18:6  And I, behold, I have taken your brethren the Levites from among the children of Israel: to you they are given as a gift for the LORD, to do the service of the tabernacle of the congregation.
Num 18:7  Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest's office for every thing of the altar, and within the vail; and ye shall serve: I have given your priest's office unto you as a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death.
Num 18:8  And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Behold, I also have given thee the charge of mine heave offerings of all the hallowed things of the children of Israel; unto thee have I given them by reason of the anointing, and to thy sons, by an ordinance for ever.

Now there are a couple very prominent points that I want to point out that will help us understand our service to the Lord collectively as a body and as a member in particular of the body.

This can very well offend some and no doubt will offend those who want to find fault with anyone who “boldly” claims, according to them, to be part of the chosen elect of God.

The priests of God were and are anointed so that they can be set aside and consecrated to SERVE the Lord, and by SERVING the Lord they are used so that NO MORE WRATH comes upon the children of Israel. That is the whole point of the priesthood and those who are given charge over the tabernacle.

If this is indeed the function of the priests, how does that apply to all of us today in a practical sense? After all, we are NOT making physical sacrifices any longer today.

Rev 1:4  John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven Spirits which are before his throne;
Rev 1:5  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, and washed us from our sins in his own blood,
Rev 1:6  And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

Rev 5:9  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;
Rev 5:10  And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.
Rev 5:11  And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;

So, since we are all made kings and priests, how does being “anointed as a priest” work in a multi-membered body of Christ in our functions as a priest in ministry to God?

1Co 12:24  For our comely parts have no need: but God hath tempered the body together, having given more abundant honour to that part which lacked:
1Co 12:25  That there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.
1Co 12:26  And whether one member suffer, all the members suffer with it; or one member be honoured, all the members rejoice with it.
1Co 12:27  Now ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular.
1Co 12:28  And God hath set some in the church, first apostles, secondarily prophets, thirdly teachers, after that miracles, then gifts of healings, helps, governments, diversities of tongues.
1Co 12:29  Are all apostles? are all prophets? are all teachers? are all workers of miracles?
1Co 12:30  Have all the gifts of healing? do all speak with tongues? do all interpret?

The application of being a priest in the new testament is easy to understand when we look at the sum of the word that says we are given every gift in measure now and in down payment form.

In other words, we are ALL sons of God NOW but we are also sons of MEN now. We are all sons of God now, but we are all still male and female now.

1Jn 3:1  Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not.
1Jn 3:2  Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is.
1Jn 3:3  And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

So, being a son of God NOW does not mean we do not have to deal with being sons of God now WHILE DEALING with being a son of MAN now. What do I mean by saying that? What am I getting at, and how does this apply to priests serving the temple?

You’ll often hear, and the teachers have many times over the years, that we are told we no longer have need that a MAN teach us without, of course, any accounting to the sum of the Word on this topic.

Here is the often quoted verse:

1Jn 2:26  These things have I written unto you concerning them that seduce you.
1Jn 2:27  But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.

1Co 2:9  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.
1Co 2:10  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.
1Co 2:11  For what man knoweth the things of a man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
1Co 2:12  Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.
1Co 2:13  Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.
1Co 2:14  But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.

Paul goes on to say that he could not SPEAK SPIRITUALLY to the Corinthians, but what does that even mean?

1Co 3:1  And I, brethren, could not SPEAK unto you as unto spiritual, but as unto carnal, even as unto babes in Christ.
1Co 3:2  I have fed you with milk, and not with MEAT: for hitherto ye were not able to bear it, neither yet now are ye able.

Joh 6:63  It is the spirit that quickeneth; the flesh profiteth nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life.

Joh 14:10  Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works.

If Jesus Christ is judged by the same measure that “no man need teach you” then Jesus Christ would not be qualified to TEACH ANY of us! He said more times that He was the son of man than He said that He was Son of God. He came in the FLESH TEACHING what the WORDS of SPIRIT were, and that is EXACTLY what overseers of the flock do today.

If you read 1 Corinthians 12 above, God set some in the church in different functions with different gifts and that includes those that today fill the role of being chosen, anointed and given to “bear the iniquity of the sanctuary” being in service to “bear the iniquity of the priesthood”.

What is the iniquity of the priesthood?

Remember those spiritual WORDS we are to speak?

Act 26:24  And as he thus spake for himself, Festus said with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning doth make thee mad.
Act 26:25  But he said, I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words of truth and soberness.

1Co 14:19  Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.

Teaching, being overseers, speaking the Truth about Life and the Way and pronouncing the commandments of God are all roles which are fulfilled by those given to fill the spiritual function of being a priest in the temple AND ministering to the people of God.

Yes, I said MINISTERING to the people.

Act 5:25  Then came one and told them, saying, Behold, the men whom ye put in prison are STANDING IN THE TEMPLE, and TEACHING THE PEOPLE.

1Co 3:16  Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you?
1Co 3:17  If any man defile the temple of God, him shall God destroy; for the temple of God is holy, which temple ye are.

1Co 9:13  Do ye not know that they which MINISTER ABOUT THE HOLY THINGS live of the things of the temple? and they which wait at the altar are partakers with the altar?
1Co 9:14  Even so hath the Lord ordained that they which preach the gospel should live of the gospel.

And here is what the priests of God, who have been ORDAINED by the Lord, speak and preach about the temple among other things:

2Co 6:16  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
2Co 6:17  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you,
2Co 6:18  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.

Having said all that, one of the main arguments about not having a man teach is that men are not the head or the ruler over others in the body of Christ, and I say AMEN to that! However, I also know that God uses the FOOLISHNESS OF PREACHING to spread His Word and to confound those who are “wise in their own hearts”.

1Co 1:21  For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

Being saved is a continuous process just like preaching and teaching is.

“Spiritual priests” in this role are given to train up other kings and priests who will all be joined together in the fullness that is to come later after resurrection.

We are NOT rulers over anyone and certainly have no dominion of anyone’s faith. Here is what we do preach:

Heb 13:12  Wherefore Jesus also, that he might sanctify the people with his own blood, suffered without the gate.
Heb 13:13  Let us go forth therefore unto him without the camp, bearing his reproach.
Heb 13:14  For here have we no continuing city, but we seek one to come.
Heb 13:15  By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name.
Heb 13:16  But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.
Heb 13:17  Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they that must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you.

Verse 17 is a horrible translation of the words 'rule' and 'obey', and those words better understood to “esteem or be persuaded by those who you respect and are leaders”.

This same concept can be found in Acts 20:

Act 20:27  For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.
Act 20:28  Take heed therefore unto yourselves, and to all the flock, over the which the Holy Ghost hath made you overseers, to feed the church of God, which he hath purchased with his own blood.
Act 20:29  For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock.
Act 20:30  Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.

Spiritual priests feed the church and declare, with the Words of God, the counsel of God to the FLOCK  of God, because they are overseers.

The iniquity of the priesthood falls on us all, to learn and be raised up as kings and priests. However, it is God, via the Holy Spirit, who anoints those in whom He would have serve the TEMPLE, the body of Christ, by being overseers NOW in this present age.

We no longer know no man after the flesh, and just as Christ was a son of man and the Son of God, we must recognize that the Lord still has us all living in temporary tabernacles that we must endure with the guidance and counsel of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus Christ is the Head and anyone following Him will always be pointing to Him in all things.