December 12: The Priests

Aaron is officially placed into the role of intercessor as Israel’s first High Priest, but his brother, Moses, is the one who is known for leading the people – making decisions on their behalf, and by stepping into the breach and pleading with God on Israel’s behalf when they sinned against him. The descendants of Levi, the priests, are the leaders who will carry on the intercessory ministry. They would serve in the temple, in the presence of the Lord, carrying out the sacrifices on the altar that God prescribed to deal with the people’s sin.

Deuteronomy 18:5 – “for the LORD your God has chosen them and their descendants out of all your tribes to stand and minister in the LORD’S name always.”

The laws here aren’t about how the priests should act, but how the rest of the nation should act towards them. The priests wouldn’t be given any land when the Israelites took control of Canaan because they weren’t meant to be farmers or shepherds; they were meant to serve God in the temple.

So, to make that possible, the rest of the Israelites are commanded to give the Levites a portion of the offerings they bring to God. Deuteronomy 18:3 – “This is the share due the priests from the people who sacrifice a bull or a sheep: the shoulder, the internal organs and the meat from the head.”

The people are called to be generous and sacrificial for the sake of the priests, because they serve a vital function at the heart of Israel’s life: they represent the people before God.

Jesus as priest isn’t foreign to us. Jesus as sacrifice isn’t either. He gave up the glory of heaven, stepping down and into the chasm between God’s holiness and our sinfulness to plead with God on our behalf.

Aaron is anointed


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