A Proper Priesthood
Advent Week 2: Malachi 2 is a specific callout to priests mishandling their ministry and a reminder of the priesthood we now have in Jesus.
If we make it through December (cue Alan Jackson song here) without a glimmer of honor for God’s name and reigning presence with us as Emmanuel, it will have all been in vain. God emphasizes the expectation and importance of honor in this second chapter of Malachi.
“‘If you do not listen, and if you do not take it to heart to give honor to My name,’ says the Lord of hosts, ‘then I will send the curse upon you…’”
The Role of the Priest: Then and Now
In the Old Testament times, the priests were called from the tribe of Levi to serve as the mediators between God and His people. Malachi set the tone for how priests were called to establish an honest ministry to glorify God and bring people to know Him.
To Protestants, priests play a fairly unfamiliar role, but this callout from Malachi is important when we consider how we ought to engage in the Church today. In the days of Malachi, the Lord was calling the Israelites’ attention to the expectations of the priests.
“My covenant with him was one of life and peace, and I gave them to him as an object of reverence; so he revered Me and stood in awe of My name.
True instruction was in his mouth and unrighteousness was not found on his lips; he walked with Me in peace and uprightness, and he turned many back from iniquity.
For the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge, and men should seek instruction from his mouth; for he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.”
Malachi 2:5-7 (NASB 1995)
The role of the priest is to:
Revere the Lord
Stand in Awe of God
Teach Truth and Righteousness
Walk with the Lord in Uprightness
Preserve Knowledge
Be the Messenger of the Lord
Okay, okay. But why should we care about the role of the priests, especially if we attend a church where that word seems as ancient as the Ark of the Covenant itself?
Priests were the only ones who could enter the temple, and only the High Priest could enter the Holy of Holies (where the Ark of the Covenant resided) once a year. This severely limited God’s people from interacting with Him because there needed to be an understanding and separation of His holiness.
Jesus’ birth changed everything. His death and resurrection set in motion a transfer of priesthood that truly is “good news of great joy.”
“This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.” —Hebrews 7:22
The Proper Priest
When Jesus came to earth as the promised Messiah, the role of High Priest after the order of Melchizedek was transferred to Him permanently. When Jesus gave up His spirit at Calvary, the veil was torn in the Holy of Holies1, meaning all who believed in God now had access to the presence of the Lord on their own.
Jesus became the High Priest so all who know Him and have a relationship with Him are welcomed into the arms of the Father and invited into relationship with God.
The Lord Jesus proves to be the ideal priest and messenger of God who is God himself. Never partial, Jesus confronted the wealthy and influential (Matt 16:1–4; 19:16–22), while being gentle and gracious to the repentant, the poor, and the outcasts (Luke 7:36–50). He always walked in fear, awe, and reverence of his Father, giving true instruction, bringing life and peace and leading many to repentance.2
God not only came down to walk with humanity and relate to us, but He sacrificed on our behalf so the divide between God’s holiness and humanity could be lessened. As High Priest, Jesus sets the example of how to commune, revere, and honor God. This became a calling for all believers, not just standards for the priests.
Not only is there no longer a need for earthly priests to carry our sins to the cross or ask for forgiveness on our behalf, but we have all become carriers of the saving grace of the gospel for all to know and experience the love of Emmanuel.
Good News of Great Joy: Priesthood of All Believers
The angel proclaimed about the forthcoming birth of Jesus, “behold, I bring you good news of great joy that is to be for all the people…” What the calling of the priests in Malachi reminds us of today is the life lived of our Savior, born that day in the town of David, and the resulting transfer of the royal priesthood for all believers.
The good news today, friend, is that you are endowed with the Holy Spirit, called to carry the gospel to the ends of the earth3, teach true instruction from the Word of God, revere the Lord and honor His name, walk with the Lord in uprightness, and be a messenger of the light and love of Jesus to all those you encounter.
The good news today is that you are a part of the royal priesthood, and the High Priest, whom you put your trust in, has invited you into the call of being a messenger of the gospel.
“Every Christian mediates the good news of grace in Christ to those around us by our words and actions and should not show partiality (Jas 2:1–14).”4
Christ has come to qualify the disqualified to “teach his life-giving commandments to ourselves, our families, our communities, and the nations until [God] returns in glory.”5
We serve a God who came down to earth in all humility to walk with us in all compassion and unite the divide between His people and Him in all power and grace.
This advent, I pray you remember the power that now resides in you because of all Christ has done, and lean into the calling on your life to live in step with the High Priest to revere the Lord, teach truth, walk in righteousness, and bring the good news…
“for all the people.”
Malachi Commentary, The Gospel Coalition
The Great Commission: Matthew 28:16-20
Malachi Commentary, The Gospel Coalition
Malachi Commentary, The Gospel Coalition
Stephanie, this from my Pastor:
Thank you sharing that link, Joy. That was well done! I really liked your reply to her as well.
Advent and Christmas blessings in the name of our coming Savior and Great High Priest, Jesus Christ,
Pastor Luke
God's great good morning, Stephanie! I read, was blessed and impressed. Read to Warren who said, Wow, that was very good! Who wrote that?" I told him and he exclaimed "Wow, wow, that is very impressive!" It put me in mind of the thrill I shared with one of our young elders while driving to a DC March for Life rally years ago; he had never realized the significance of "the veil in the temple was rent in twain" until we talked as we drove that day. It was as if the Spirit of the Lord enveloped us and took us into that very holiest place in the presence of Almighty God as he understood. We rejoiced and were carried along our otherwise arduous 13 &1/2 hour drive. I am filled with ecstasy as I recall. It is so awesome to share the things of God with one another. Thank you.