The word ‘Priest’ can bring many images to your mind but the one most intriging is, ‘Bridge-Builder.’ “This is the thing that you shall do unto them to hallow them, to minister unto Me in the priest’s office (kahan):” Ex. 29:1. The priests (kohen) not only conducted religious duties, but also examined people and things to make a medical diagnosis, policed the unruly and taught the word of God. The word ‘Pontifex’ is the Latin word for a member of the counsel of priests in Rome. ‘Pons’ is the word for bridge and ‘tifex’ or ‘facere’ means to fix or make. So, together it means to fix or make a bridge. So, in Latin the word for priest means, ‘Bridge-Builder.’ Which is a beautiful definition for the word, because as believer priests we have a ministry before God to the Bride of Christ, a gift which He gave to His Son. I Peter 2:5, “You also as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.” I Peter 2:9, “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a people of His own, that you should show forth the praises of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;” A ‘Holy Priesthood’ to offer up spiritual sacrifices, a ‘Royal Priesthood’ to the praises of Him, that’s us, born-again believers in Christ, bridge-builders. Building a cause-way from man to God, standing in the gap, making up the hedge but there are some things that need to be done first just like Moses had to do to Aaron and his sons to prepare them for their ministry, we too need some preparations to enter into the ‘Holy of Holies’ with God.

First they needed to be ‘Cleansed’ washed with water v.4, bathed or ‘Regenerated.’ Before you can enter into intercessory prayer or any part of the priestly work you must be born-again, (ano-then) born from above. Titus 3:5, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Spirit.” Lev. 8:6, “And Moses brought Aaron and his sons, and washed them with water.” Heb. 10:22. This washing needs to be distinguished from the daily cleansing in the ‘Laver’ Ex. 30:18-21. This washing typifies regeneration, Titus 3:5, the laver, daily cleansing, I John 1:9, both of the are in view in the upper-room in John 13:10 with Peter.

Second they needed to be ‘Clothed’ v.5 with the coat, the robe, the ephod, the girdle, and the breast plate, garments specially prepared by the Israelite’s for their priests to wear in their service for God for them. We too must put on ‘The Lord Jesus Christ’ when we go in to serve Him for His people, Rom. 13:14, “But put you on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh to fulfill its lusts.” When we put on Christ, there is no provision for the flesh! II Cor. 5:21 says, “For He has made Him, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him.” He took our hell that we might take His heaven! He went to the cross, not because it was fun, but because it had to be done! Then how can you make provision for the flesh, in light of the cross? Rev. 19:8 says,”And to her (the Church) was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and white; for the fine linen is the righteousnesses of saints.” Without Christ’s garments of righteousness you can not intercede on behalf of others. Lev. 8-9, “And he put upon him the coat, and girded him with the girdle, and clothed him with the robe, and put the ephod on him, and he girded him with the beautifully woven girdle of the ephod, and bound unto him therewith. And he put the breast plate upon him; also he put in the breastplate the Urim and the Thummim.”

Third they needed to be ‘Crowned’ v.6, “And thou shalt put the miter upon his head and put the holy crown upon the miter.” Ex. 28:36, “And thou shalt make a plate of pure gold, and engrave upon it like the engravings of a signet, “HOLINESS TO THE LORD.”The Bible speaks a lot about crowns, there is the ‘Crown of Righteousness,’ II Tim. 4:8, “Henceforth, there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day; and not to me only; but unto all them that love His appearing.” There is a ‘Crown of Life,’ James 1:12,”Blessed is the man that endureth temptation; for when he is tried he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord has promised to them that love Him.” There is the ‘Crown of Rejoicing,’ I Thess. 2:19, “For what is our hope, or joy, or crown of rejoicing? Are not even you in the presence of our Lord Jesus Christ at His coming?” There is the ‘Crown of Glory,’ I Peter 5:4, “And when the chief Sheppard shall appear, you shall receive a crown of glory that fades not away.” Then above all else the is the ‘Crown of Thorns,’ Matt. 27:29, “And when they had plaited a crown of thorns, they put it upon His head, and a reed in His right hand, and they bowed the knee before Him, and mocked Him saying, Hail, King of the Jews!” There are many other crowns too numerous to mention here, but a great study and we all look forward to the day when we can cast our crowns at His feet.

Fourth they needed to be ‘Consecrated’ v.9 set apart unto God for His Holy service. Lev. 8:12, “And he poured of the anointing oil upon Aaron’s head, and anointed him, to sanctify him.” I love Ps. 133:1-3, “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity! It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron’s beard, that went down to the skirts of his garments,” What a beautiful picture of this consecration, this anointing before God. However, in order to be used of God in His work we need this anointing of the Holy Spirit in our lives and ministries; I John 2:20 & 27, “But ye have an unction from the Holy One and ye know all things.” “But the anointing which you have received of Him abides in you, and you need not that any man teach you, but as the same anointing teaches you all things, and is truth and is no lie, and even as it has taught you, you shall abide in Him.” In order to function we need Holy Spirit unction! Power from on high, remember He, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us Rom. 8:26-27 as well as the Son of God Rom. 8:34; Heb. 7:25, 9:24. To be a member of God’s holy priesthood you need all four of these; you need to be cleansed – born from above; you need to be clothed in Christ’s righteous garments and make no provision for the flesh; you need to be crowned with His holiness as only He can do and you need to be anointed with unction from above, these are essential for the ministry of intercession, for building a bridge from man to God.

Until the Law was given, the head of each family was the family priest and offered the family sacrifices like Job and Abraham (Gen. 8:20; 26:25; 31:54; Job. 1:5). When the Law was proposed, the promise to perfect obedience was that Israel should be unto God a “kingdom of priests” Ex. 19:6. However, Israel violated the Law and God had to place the priestly office with Aaron’s family and appointed the tribe of Levi to minister to Israel, thereby constituting the typical priesthood, Ex. 28:1. In the ‘Church Age’ all Christians are unconditionally constituted a “kingdom of priests” I Peter 2:9; Rev. 1:6; a distinction which Israel failed to achieve by works. The priesthood of the Christian is therefore a birthright, just as every descendant of Aaron was born into the priesthood, Heb. 5:1. The chief privilege of a priest is access to God. Under the Law the High Priest only could enter “The Holy of Holies” once a year, Heb. 9:7; but when Christ died, the veil, a type of Christ’s human body, Heb. 10:20; was rent from top to bottom, so that now believer-priests, equally with Christ the High Priest have access to God in the Holiest of all by His blood, Heb. 10:19-22. The High Priest is corporeally there, Heb. 4:14-16; 9:24; 10:19-22. In the exercise of his office the New Testament believer-priest is a sacrificer who offers a four fold sacrifice: 1 – His own living body, Rom. 12:1, Phil. 2:17; II Tim. 4:6; Jam. 1:27; I Jn. 3:16: 2 – Praise to God, “the fruit of his lips giving thanks to His name” to be offered continually, Heb. 13:15; Ex. 25:22, “I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat.” 3 – His substance, Rom. 12:13; Gal. 6:6; 10; Tit. 3:14; Heb. 13:2, 16; 3 Jn. 5-8. 4 – His service, “to do good” Heb. 13:16. The New Testament believer-priest is also an intercessor, Col. 4:12 is a touching illustration of priestly service through prayer, “Epaphras, who is one of you, a servant of Christ, salutes you, always laboring fervently for you in prayers, that you may stand perfect and complete in all the will of God.” (C.I. Scofield) “…Between The Lines…”

“Preparation For Prayer” Exodus 29:1-9 9/13/12