INTRODUCTION
Every Christian is a spiritual priest. Revelation 1:5,6 "Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father." Revelation 5:9,10 "thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation; and hast made us unto our God kings and priests." The priests of Judaism and Roman Catholicism are redundant. Hebrews 10:11 "every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins."
1. THE CLEANSING OF THE PRIESTS
Blood was applied to each individual. Exodus 29:1,20 "this is the thing that thou shalt do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto me in the priest’s office...kill the ram, and take of his blood, and put it upon the tip of the right ear of Aaron, and upon the tip of the right ear of his sons, and upon the thumb of their right hand, and upon the great toe of their right foot."
Every Christian has been cleansed in the precious blood of Christ, making them a spiritual priest.
2. THE CLOTHING OF THE PRIESTS
Exodus 28:40 "for Aaron’s sons thou shalt make coats, and thou shalt make for them girdles, and bonnets shalt thou make for them, for glory and for beauty."
Every Christian has been clothed in a beautiful spiritual garment. Psalm 132:16 "I will also clothe her priests with salvation."
3. THE CLAIMING OF THE PRIESTS
Hebrews 4:14,16 "we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God...Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." Jesus has gone into heaven with His own blood. We who are spiritual priests can come to our Father through our great high priest and claim as much grace and mercy as we need.
Jesus, my great High Priest,
Offered His blood, and died;
My guilty conscience seeks
No sacrifice beside:
His powerful blood did once atone,
And now it pleads before the throne.
APPENDIX - It is interesting to note that 4289 priests returned from Babylon to Judah. The total number of Jews who returned was 42360. Exactly 10% of the people were priests - those who worked for the LORD. We are taught here that God has the right to a tenth of all that we possess. Tithing our money is scriptural. God should get at least 10% of our total income. We don’t pay our bills and then give Him a tenth of what is left. We give Him a tenth and then pay our bills! Malachi 3:10 "Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse..."
