NEW WINE/OLD WINESKINS. HOW THE COVENANTS INTERSECT. PART III: PRIEST

No one can argue that the priesthood is an integral part of the Old Testament story. The ancient narrative would be unrecognizable if the priesthood were removed from its pages. Melchizedek, Aaron, Samuel, Zadok, Jeremiah, Ezra, Zacharias and John the Baptist were all of the priestly caste. One entire book of the Old Testament, Leviticus, is named for the priestly tribe, the Levites. So what exactly do the priests do? Why is the priesthood important? And how is the Old Covenant Priesthood fulfilled in the New?

The seminal concept of priesthood begins way back in the garden of Eden. Adam is placed as the head of the creative order and his function is to represent God to the creation (he, remember, is made in God’s image) and to represent the creation to God (the naming of the animals). His priestly function is described in Genesis 2:15; “God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend it and keep it.” The Hebrew words “tend” (Heb = abad) and “keep” (Heb = shamar) are the exact same words used to describe the Aaronic priestly functions noted in Numbers 3:7. There we read, “And they shall attend (shamar) to all his needs and the needs of the whole congregation before the tabernacle of meeting to do the work (abad) of the tabernacle.” The use of these words shows that Adam bore a priestly mission as the head of our race. Adam’s priestly function in Eden had nothing to do with reconciling man and God because of sin. There was no sin the garden. His function was to act as a bridge between God and the created. Only man can qualify as priest in this sense because only man reflects the qualities of both. He is made a little lower than the angels, but is also crowned with glory and honor (Hebrews 2:7). The priesthood, however, did suffer a blow because Adam sinned in the garden. He was expelled from that sacred “temple” never to return. Another priest, a perfect priest, must be found to lead the race back to paradise.

Adam’s failure did negate the priestly function altogether. The true religion and its attendant need for priests was passed down to Noah through Adam and Abel and Seth and remained in some form in the patriarchal world. This is proven by the existence of such figures as Melchizedek, who in Genesis 14:18-20 is called a “priest of the Most High God.” Job may too have assumed the role of priest with his family (Job 1:5). Later on we see Abraham assuming a priestly role (Gen 20:14-17), as did Isaac (Gen 26:25), and Jacob (Genesis 28:18-22). It is safe to conclude that some vestige of the priesthood has been with humanity from the beginning. But it wasn’t until the Jews officially became a nation at the giving of the Mosaic Law that the priesthood came to full flower. As the law was given, a divinely selected group of men was chosen by God to be mediators of that Law Covenant. No one could be priest unless he was of the family of Aaron. One can not overemphasize the importance of that priesthood to the Old Covenant. The Mosaic Covenant rested on the Aaronic priesthood and was only in effect so long as the Aaronic priesthood remained viable (Hebrews 7:11-12).

But the Old Covenant priesthood would only last as long as the Old Covenant itself. And the Bible clearly teaches it was doomed from the start (Hebrews 7:18-19). Because it is administrated by imperfect beings, it is easily subject to corruption as with Eli’s sons who defiled that sacred office (1 Sam 2:12-17). Later on things even got worse in the days of Nehemiah (13:29), and Jeremiah (32:32) and Ezekiel (22:26). This steady decline of the priesthood reveals its intrinsic imperfections. A newer, holier and eternal priesthood is needed. It is then that Jesus of Nazareth steps on the scene of history and institutes a New Covenant with a new priesthood. The same oil that anointed the head of Aaron in the Old Covenant (Ps 133:2) will now symbolically rest on the sacred head of the New Covenant High Priest, even Messiah Himself (Ps 45:7). Jesus’ perfect life makes Him the long anticipated High Priest. But the Messiah becoming the New Covenant High Priest presents a major logistical problem. The scriptures clearly teach that the King-Messiah will come from the the stock of Jesse (Isaiah 11:1-2), that is, from the tribe of Judah (see Gen 49:10). Priests however are always chosen from the family of Aaron from the tribe of Levi. How then is the prophecy of Zechariah to be fulfilled that speaks of a “priest on His throne” (Zech 6:13)? The book of Hebrews labors to answer that question. Psalm 110 clearly states that the Messianic priesthood will come from the line of Melchizedek and not Aaron. Changing the priestly order now opens the door for Jesus to be a High priest after the order of Melchizedek and also a king in the Davidic line (Hebrews 5:9-10; Luke 1:32).

This priesthood of the Messiah is unlike any other priesthood. Whereas the priests of the Old Covenant must continue to offer up sacrifices for themselves and others because they were imperfect and impotent, the priesthood of Christ is grounded in one climactic, infinite, and perfect sacrifice; one of infinite value (Hebrews 10:11-14). The biblical type of priesthood is therefore fulfilled in the work of Jesus Christ who as High Priest of the New Covenant offers up Himself in the Holy Place of God’s presence to make intercession for His people. Not only is Jesus the Mediator who makes offering for His people, but He guides and protects them as the Aaronic priests did of old (John 17:12). Furthermore He is the one who intercedes for His people, teaches them the New Covenant Law of love, just as the Aaronic priests taught the Law to that ancient people (Nehemiah 8:1-12; John 13:34). And unlike the Old Testament saints who often endured the death of the reigning High Priest, New Covenant saints need never worry about the death of their Messianic High Priest for He is eternal, death having no hold over Him (Hebrews 7:24, Romans 6:9). Even when the saints reside in the New Jerusalem the Lamb will forever be their High Priest, ever living to make intercession for all His people.

The important concept of priest, like all other Old Covenant types, is not only fulfilled in Jesus Christ, but it overflows to His people. Those who are vitally connected to the Messiah become priests to the world, that is, they represent God to mankind, protect the holy things of God, and lead them to the one sacrifice that can save them from their sins. John says that the ascended High Priest has anointed his followers to be “a kingdom, priests to His God and Father.” Peter chimes in by staying that believers are a “holy priesthood” and a “royal priesthood” (1 Peter 2:5,9). The mediatorial office of Jesus Christ, remains forever. His intercession for His people never stops. In like manner Christians shall be priests of God to those upon the earth so long as the church age continues. The function that Adam performed in the garden on behalf of creation is fulfilled in the saints of God today who have the grand commission of turning the hearts of men to the true and everlasting High Priest of heaven, the One who will most gladly save them from their sins.