Called to be Priests

This morning I am reflecting on some passages from Nehemiah.  When I first turned there, and started reading, I was thinking, "Lord this is a strange set of passages for me to read."  Most of the chapter I am reading is a list of the families that came back to Jerusalem to rebuild and inhabit the land once again, following their 70+ years in Babylonian captivity.

The verses that stood out to me were - Nehemiah 7:61,63-65 NIV:

[61] "The following came up from the towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon and Immer, but they could not show that their families were descended from Israel: "

[63] "And from among the priests: the descendants of Hobaiah, Hakkoz and Barzillai (a man who had married a daughter of Barzillai the Gileadite and was called by that name). [64] These searched for their family records, but they could not find them and so were excluded from the priesthood as unclean. [65] The governor, therefore, ordered them not to eat any of the most sacred food until there should be a priest ministering with the Urim and Thummim."

When I finished reading, and even had identified the verses to reflect on, I was still wondering why the Lord had led me here this morning,  so I asked him the meaning, or applicability of this word to my life today. 

His response surprised me, He said, "I want to focus on the fact that you are a priest!"

The thing we see in these verses is the criticalness of detailed family records, for it was from them that the Jews were able to ascertain who they were, in relation to everyone else.  Their family grouping determined what they did and where they lived.  We see a list three individuals who said they were priests, but had no record of their ancestors sufficient to meet the requirements, and were thus excluded from the role of priest.  This role included provision of food.  So we see here an Old Testament reality, namely that one's bloodline determined where one lived and what one did.  We could say that blood-lines established a blood-right.

We, however, no longer live under the Old Testament rules, regulations or law.  We have been set free from them by Christ Jesus (Eph 5:1).  In this new dispensation, living under the Gospel of Grace, we are now, each able to claim the blood-right of Jesus.  We are, each of us, called to embrace our roles as  priests, and our identities as sons and daughters. 

Here are a couple of verses that describe our identities and roles - 1 Peter 2:9-10 NIV:

[9] "But you are 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. [10] 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."

- and -

Romans 8:14-17 NIV:

[14] "For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. [15] The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” [16] The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. [17] Now if we are children, then we are heirs---heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory."

- and -

Colossians 3:3 NIV:

[3] "For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God."


I could on and on sharing verse after verse, but the reality is that we are, each of us, invited into an identity as a son or daughter of God, direct relationship to Him.  Jesus' blood, poured out for us, established a new covenant. In this new covenant, it is faith that establishes us, through the Gospel of Grace, as His son or daughter.  As we join ourselves to His family, God calls us His heirs, for we are now adopted into His family.  We have been adopted and now function in the same role as Jesus, that of a royal priest, that is true for each of us that has accepted salvation.

So why is this important today?  Well, as I was reflecting on this, I realized that for many of us, we have never actually functioned in the role of a royal priest for our own lives.  I have nothing against pastors and church leaders, and I count many as personal friends, but the truth is that many of us have handed our identities and roles to them to cultivate and grow up.  We have chosen the easy path, because that is the only one we knew, of allowing someone else to hear from God for us,  allowing someone else to be the one who offers praises and worship.  Due to this present "Shelter in place"  situation, we are all being given the opportunity to step into our true identity as sons and daughters of The King, to be priests for our own lives!

Oh, that the church would become fully alive, recognizing who we are in Him, pressing into all that He has for us!  We are priests, we have the blood-line and are meant to receive the blood-rights of our family, the family of God, who is our father, and of Jesus Christ, the first-born of a new family. We don't have to prove anything for the Spirit in us testifies to our identity!

My encouragement today is to look to my own life, and decide to be the priest of my life.  I love the impartation and encouragement that happens through my pastors, but at the end of the day, I am responsible to hear, to worship and praise God for myself.  I am the one who must set my heart on following Jesus, and I am the one who must choose daily to follow Him, who loves me most.

May the peace of Christ be yours,

Sam