YOU ARE CALLED TO BE A GOD PRAISING PRIEST
YOU ARE CALLED TO BE A GOD PRAISING PRIEST
‘Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.” —Exodus 19:5-6
For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. —Exodus 20:11
The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. —Psalm 23:1
Just keep this in mind— the whole world is the Lord’s. It is not ours. We do not own any of it as much as man may think He does. As a matter of fact, you don’t even own yourself! Our Lord God Almighty is not only the Owner of “the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them,” He also owns us— every person that has ever lived, is living or will live. The Owner has the right to do with His possessions as He wills. Keep that in mind as we are managers of His creation, including ourselves.
Our Lord set Israel apart to be “a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” They were to a nation of people that represent God to the world. They failed and Savior/King Jesus came. Now, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). And when our Lord saves a person or a people, they are now “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy” (I Peter 2:9-10).
Jesus said—
“I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me— just as the Father knows me and I know the Father—and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.” —John 10:14-18
Yes, Jesus is our shepherd and “It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture” (Psalm 10:3). Not only are we His people, His sheep, but we are also now “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” Just as Israel was chosen to be a royal priesthood, now those following Jesus are called to be that royal priesthood to “declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” How are you and I being faithful to that call? Dear Father, may we be faithful to Your call on our lives by the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Your Son Jesus. Yes. So may it be! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tl79EfhpveQ