Churchwork
01-31-2006, 04:24 AM
Nowadays there is to be found a strange phenomenon among the children of God. It is as though there is but one class of people serving God. Yet the word of God makes clear that all who belong to God serve Him. When the children of Israel were in Egypt as slaves, they had no freedom. God delivered them out of Egypt and brought them through the Red Sea that they might serve Him in the wilderness (Ex. 3.18). As many as were under the blood of the passover lamb were those who were delivered and went out to the wilderness. As many of the people as were saved from the angel of death, just so, they were the ones who were called out by God to serve Him. In addition, as the children of Israel went out of Egypt they brought out with them gold and silver (12.35-36). Hence, as many as were redeemed were the very ones who were to serve God in the area of wealth and who were also to serve in the future tabernacle. In other words, service was not to be performed by just a few. Both in the Old Testament and in the New, we find that there was never the intention to make any distinction between people who serve and people who do not serve. No, it was always God’s intent that all of His redeemed ones would serve Him. Only in fallen Israel and in fallen Christianity does there exist such a distinction.
God said clearly to the Israelites, "Ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation" (Ex. 19.6). Priests are those who wait upon God and follow after Him. No other class of people may approach Him as do the priests. Their vocation is to do nothing but serve God. And the children of Israel were to be nothing but a nation of priests. And hence, by definition, each and every one in the nation was to be a priest.
The priests ate, and lived, and slaughtered the sacrifices—all in the service of God. Their entire vocation was centered exclusively on serving Him. They might indeed do some other things, but these would be their avocations. They were to be there not as teachers, physicians, or other professionals—but as priests. Exodus 19 tells us that God meant to have all the Israelites, regardless whether young or old, male or female, to be priests.
God said clearly to the Israelites, "Ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation" (Ex. 19.6). Priests are those who wait upon God and follow after Him. No other class of people may approach Him as do the priests. Their vocation is to do nothing but serve God. And the children of Israel were to be nothing but a nation of priests. And hence, by definition, each and every one in the nation was to be a priest.
The priests ate, and lived, and slaughtered the sacrifices—all in the service of God. Their entire vocation was centered exclusively on serving Him. They might indeed do some other things, but these would be their avocations. They were to be there not as teachers, physicians, or other professionals—but as priests. Exodus 19 tells us that God meant to have all the Israelites, regardless whether young or old, male or female, to be priests.