Sunday, February 3, 2019   Day 34

Exodus 28-30            THE PRIEST AND HIS OFFICE

A Priest is an appointed person who has been officially conferred or granted the right to perform holy orders. The responsibilities of a priest are great. It will require a right (authority) to the office before this could be done, otherwise death is the risk.

Exodus 28:35 “And it shall be upon Aaron to minister: and his sound shall be heard when he goeth in unto the holy place before the LORD, and when he cometh out, that he die not.”

The right to:

1. The holy place
2. The holy things
3. The holy responsibilities

Holiness is God’s attribute and cannot be compromised. Because of the fall off man, sin and iniquity have been the wall between man and God’s presence. In Exodus 19:22, before the receiving of the Ten Commandment, the priests were requested to sanctify themselves before they could come before the Lord. As at that time, they operated without an office. All they did was to sanctify them; no ordination or consecration. For these to take place, God had to give Moses divine order to follow; an office had to be created. The symbol of authority is the garments and the inscription. That inscription acts as the identification card chip to access the holy of holies.

Exodus 28:36 “And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and grave upon it, like the engravings of a signet, HOLINESS TO THE LORD.”

An office is a position given to a person to carry out a service with authority.

The responsibilities of a priest as given to Aaron are as follows:

1. To minister before the Lord, Exodus 28:1
2. To occupy and function in the capacity of errand boy to the prophets
3. To bear the names of the various groups of the congregation for a memorial, Exodus 28: 12.
4. To bear the judgment of the congregation upon his heart, a burden to pray for, Exodus 28:30.
5. To bear the iniquity of the holy things which are hallowed in their gifts. In other words, receive all the different offerings and make sacrifices of them; burnt offering, sin offering, etc.

Their garment is to be made by God had filled with His Spirit also so that they could bear the authority of heaven.

Exodus 28:2 “And thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory and for beauty.”

That heavenly authority is the glory of their calling. That is what secures them. Without that, any function in that capacity could result in dangerous venture. It becomes the mark on them to warn the rage from the dark kingdom.

One may have the zeal to minister before the Lord, the glory makes the difference between the zealous and the consecrated. The garments are referred to as holy garments. The holiness makes it to be a spiritual garment. Some have these spiritual holy garments on them even though they have not been ordained by man. Heaven still backs their services up in their humility.

Regarding priesthood, a priest can be,

1. Called by man
2. Call himself
3. Called by the congregation.
4. Called by Satan.

They can send priests out for assignments; the glory of the Lord makes the difference between the one having the heavenly approval and others.

Numbers 17:8 “And it came to pass, that on the morrow Moses went into the tabernacle of witness; and, behold, the rod of Aaron for the house of Levi was budded, and brought forth buds, and bloomed blossoms, and yielded almonds.”

May the mark of the Blood of Jesus Christ be upon us for favor and protection in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen

Supo Abayode

MFM, Delaware, USA