February 6: We’re a Kingdom of Priests

By Bassey Ekong

When God told Moses, “Go and tell the Israelites, you will be for me a kingdom of priest and a holy nation” (Exodus 19: 6). He was reflecting His purpose for mankind from Adam to Abraham to Jacob, to the children of Israel and to the Church, the body of Jesus Christ. God’s plan is that we be His representatives “Priests” on earth. In God’s perspective, the priesthood is not for a special group of people, but for all who belong to Him.

God’s purposes are eternal and His original plan for mankind, which began with Adam, was passed on to succeeding generations. The first man was created as a priest – one who served as God’s intermediary for the earth. We know that God wanted Adam to spread His will and His nature throughout the earth, to administer His kingdom by filling the world with a single “nation” of spirit-led people.

Adam failed and the earth became populated with many nations who refused to know God. God created a nation – Israel to serve as priest before the other nations. All the people of this nation were to be priests as we saw in Exodus 19:6. Israel also failed to fulfill God’s calling, so God chose a small group from that nation, a tribe called the Levites, to serve as priests.

God instructed the Levites to mediate for the nation of Israel. This would enable Israel to fulfill its calling as God’s representative to other nations so that, ultimately, all nations would return to Him. That was the purpose of the Levitical priesthood: to restore the purpose of God to Israel so Israel could help restore God’s purpose for the world. Note: God wants to win the world through a priesthood of believers.

Let’s pray: Our father, thank you for desiring a priesthood for believers. I belong to you; teach me how to serve you as you desire. Please Lord; accept my prayer, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

Today’s reading: Exodus 39-40; Matthew 23:23-29

We're a Royal Priesthood and a Holy Nation.