Priestly Responsibility

Priestly Responsibility

“The priests are to perform my service in such a way that they do not become guilty and die for treating it with contempt. I am the Lord, who makes them holy.” Leviticus 22:9

You may read the verse above and ask, “What has that got to do with me?” The answer is, “Everything.” It has everything to do with you if you are a follower of Christ.

The Holy Spirit inspired Moses to write these words to emphasize God’s holiness and preeminence. The Apostle Paul referred to God as the one “who alone is immortal and who lives in unapproachable light.” (1 Timothy 6:16) We are not to treat Him with irreverence. This is what Moses was emphasizing to the priests. They were assigned to represent God to the people, and God told Moses they were “to treat with respect the sacred offerings the Israelites consecrate to me, so they will not profane my holy name. I am the Lord.” (Leviticus 22:2) They were to take their priestly responsibilities seriously.

We are too. As Christ followers Revelation 5:10 tells us we are “to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God.” Collectively believers are “are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9)

Through the shed blood of Jesus God has reconciled us to Himself and “he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.” (2 Corinthians 5:19-20) We need to take this ambassadorship for Christ seriously, not treating with contempt the responsibilities our Lord has given us to represent him. So, you see, this seemingly obscure verse from Leviticus applies to us today, as God’s kingdom of priests. He has called us to be His representatives to the unsaved world around us. Take your priestly responsibilities seriously.