The tribe of Levi is the only tribe of Israel that is allowed to work in the Tabernacle or the Temple. Jacob had 12 sons, and Levi was the third oldest son (Genesis 35:23-26). Moses and Aaron came from the tribe of Levi, so when God called Moses to lead the Israelites from slavery in Egypt to the promised land, God appointed Moses as the leader of the Israelites and Aaron, his brother, as the high priest. God appointed the line of Aaron as the priestly line of Israel. Priests can only come from the sons of Aaron, and God appointed the rest of the sons of Levi to take care of the Tabernacle. The priests were the only ones who were allowed to conduct the ceremonies in the Tabernacle, including the animal sacrifices. Out of the priests, God appointed the High Priest. The High Priest was the head of the priests, and He was the only one who could enter the Holy of Holies once a year to sprinkle the blood of the animals in the mercy seat for the forgiveness of sin of the entire nation of Israel. The Levites were responsible for disassembling and assembling to transport the Tabernacle if God wanted to move. The rest of the tribes of Israel were not allowed to serve in the Tabernacle.
The High Priest's responsibility was to represent God to the people and to represent the people to God. Although we do not need a temple anymore to worship and connect with God, we have our Lord Jesus as our High Priest. Hebrews 4:14-16 says, " So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most." During the time of the Old Testament, people went through the High Priest to connect with God. However, when Jesus Christ came into this world and died for our sins, He became our High Priest, and we can have fellowship with God through Him.
The limitation of the earthly High Priests is that they are all susceptible to death, but our Lord Jesus, who is now our High Priest, lives forever and represents us to our Heavenly Father for eternity. As far as all the believers of our Lord Jesus, we become the holy priesthood of God, called to serve and worship Him with our lives. 1 Peter 2:9 says, "But you 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."
Questions for application: (Think through these questions carefully, meditate on them while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you.) What is the responsibility of a High Priest? Why is it important to know that Jesus is my High Priest? What did God call me to be when I became a believer in Jesus Christ?
Take a moment to write down all your worries today. Then, lift them up to God in prayer, surrendering them to His will and trusting in His guidance.
Prayer:
Dear Father in Heaven, thank you for providing me with a High Priest, Jesus Christ, who can help me in my time of need and help me with my weaknesses. Thank you, Jesus, for representing me before my Heavenly Father; as a result, I can come to my Father in Heaven with confidence to offer my praise and worship. In the name of Jesus, I pray. Amen.
Comments