The
priests of the Old Testament held a special and privileged position among their
contemporaries. They lived as those who were granted an exceptional depth of
access to God’s presence and God’s blessings. As such, they were held to a
higher standard as compared to the rest of those who lived in the nation. In
the New Covenant, while there may be distinction in roles and honor among
Christians, there is no distinction in the privileged access we have to knowing
God and experiencing his blessings. In fact, the entire band of
Christ-followers is designated “a holy priesthood” (1Pt.2:5). Every Christian
worldwide is held to the high standard of showing our respective nations that
we know God intimately and that we, by his grace, daily walk instep with the Creator
of heaven and earth. Understanding our high calling allows us to feel the
weight of responsibility that the Old Testament priests must have felt when the
prophets exhorted them to live to a higher standard than the rest of the
nation. Consider Malachi’s words, “And now this admonition is for you O
priests” (2:1). The concern throughout the book of Malachi in general, and
chapter two in particular, was that the priests lived as the benchmark for the
rest of the nation by “setting their hearts to honor God’s name” (2:2). It was
a daily decision for them as it is for us. It begins in the recesses of our
soul each morning. Will we resolve today to honor his name? Will we live for
Christ? Will we demonstrate that we know God and walk instep with his Spirit? Set
your heart today on honoring the God with whom you have been granted special
access through Christ.
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