PRIESTHOOD
By ADESOJI FASANYA
One word that is fast becoming a catchphrase among believers is “priesthood”. We throw it into conversation here and there, we find it very catchy to use but the question I ask is this; do we truly know what priesthood means and the demands thereof?
While there is so much to say on the topic, I’ll write to explain to us what Priesthood means. Let’s start by examining an event in the Old Testament canon.
Korah of Kohathites had led a rebellion against Moses and Aaron with his kinsmen. Well, maybe because God had called them to such high regard since they were one of the four main divisions of the Levites who seemingly had more honor because of their responsibility. For some reason, they felt being a Levite of regard is equal to being a priest. They started to rebel against Moses and Aaron. In the words of Moses to Korah, “Are you not satisfied that God of Israel drew you close as a Levi? Would you seek the priesthood also?” (Numbers 16).
After God brought judgment on the rebellious people, He thought it necessary and important to show everyone where the Priesthood lies or who the Priest is. In Numbers 17, we read that God asks that every house represented should drop their rods with their names written on them and keep them before Him. He will then choose one rod that will sprout or bud. In the budding, God was choosing His priest, thereby answering the questions of rebellion and establishing the priesthood He chose. It is important to note that it was God who chose, priesthood is, therefore, an act of God’s mercy and graciousness, not on merit or works.
Furthermore, a rod is a cutout branch of a tree. Often time, the bark will be removed and dried such that one would scarcely identify the tree from which it was cut. These rods spent a night before God in the tent of the meeting and the ordination that chose Aaron spoke, his rod budded. Then it was clear that it was the rod of an almond tree. This goes to show that priesthood rests on people, howbeit imperfect, but have learned to stay and enjoy the presence of God, they enjoy intimacy with God. It doesn’t rest on those who are strangers to the secret place and I dare say, not on those who see God as a tool but who see Him as a lover. Since it is given to the wife to become like the husband in all things but it’s not given to the child to be like the father in all things, priesthood therefore, rests on believers who understands the bridal workings of the Christian faith and not just the sonship workings of the Christian faith.
Fast forward to Jeremiah 1. God visited Jeremiah and consecrated him to the prophetic office, after rebuking him for his myopic view relating to his age, God showed him a vision. Jeremiah saw the rod of an almond tree. Then God said to him, “I’ll hasten my word to perform it” (Jeremiah 1:11–12).
What could this possibly mean? God is bringing the Jewish knowledge of priesthood back to Jeremiah. Then He goes to tell him that He is going to make His word come too fast speedily.
Is God telling Jeremiah that there is more to the Priesthood than the one revealed in Aaron?
Exactly. God is saying the priesthood is ahead, not behind. We discovered from Paul in Hebrews that Christ is our High Priest. No wonder, Christ is the Word of God (Hebrews 4:14)
Christ is the full expression of priesthood and those of us who have faith in Him have been given such a privilege to exercise this priesthood over our sphere of influence by inviting us into fellowship with the Father (John 17:21).
In Conclusion, Priesthood is a gift to the believer that is received by faith but the workings of it are expressed through intimacy with the High Priest.
Shalom.
