PRIEST OR HIGH PRIEST, THE CHOICE IS YOURS

We discovered in Exodus 19 the eternal purpose of God was to make us a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. This was the reason for bringing Israel out of Egypt. For if Jesus (Joshua) had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.

Hebrews 4:8

In the above verse, your King James version uses the name “Jesus,” but it’s really Joshua, the Israeli commander. When Israel was brought out of Egypt and set free from captivity, it was promised a land flowing with milk and honey as an everlasting and eternal possession. The Lord was to drive the inhabitants out. God was with them, but they had to work and fight to secure the land. The Lord couldn’t drive all the inhabitants out the first year because the Israelites didn’t know how to till the soil. They were brickmakers and masons in Egypt. God said, “If I drive all the inhabitants out of the land it will indeed be desolate because you don’t know what to do with it. I must allow some of these people to stay in order for you to learn their trade.” This was to be a dwelling place. It was not the totality of God’s promise because the totality came with a rest that was only to be given by Jesus Christ. GOD PROMISED THEM A SABBATH. They could not fight for their own protection on the Sabbath. They couldn’t till the soil to grow something to eat or try to secure things for their own survival. THE SABBATH DIDN’T BELONG TO THEM. The Sabbath belonged to the Lord. On the Sabbath, everything was rendered unto the Lord, ceasing from all labors. Labors that secure your livelihood are to be offered up to God. The reason God’s people didn’t enter into God’s rest was because of unbelief. Let us labour therefore to enter into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief.

Hebrews 4:11

What didn’t they believe? It tells us in verse 2. But the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it. Why didn’t they receive it? Because, the gospel declared that in order for the land of Canaan (Israel) to become their eternal possession, for them to become a kingdom of priests and a holy nation unto God, which is the fulfilling of the covenant, they had to ENTER IN BY WAY OF JESUS CHRIST. Jesus preached, “If you are going to experience dominionship in the Messianic Kingdom, you must come in at the door, and I am the door.” However, because of unbelief they rejected the Christ. They did not discern their Messiah. Even though the literal kingdom is not yet, those to whom the Word was preached have died and forfeited their right to be a part of the millennial kingdom. They have given up their right to be a part of the priesthood. They gave up their right to SONSHIP. Again, he limiteth a certain day, saying in David, Today, after so long a time; as it is said, Today if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts.

Hebrews 4:7

God has set a time limit in your life. You only have a certain amount of time to receive this truth. You can’t reject this much longer because it could pass you by. You don’t know how long the cloud will rest here in your life. All we know is that for the moment, it is here. Therefore, it behooves us to demand of our souls, and to not only face our hindrances, but to deal with them this day. REFUSE TO GO ANOTHER DAY WITHOUT BEING CHANGED! This circumcision can only come out of heaven. You must allow that two-edged sword to cut away every opposition that is in you. There is only a certain amount of time. For when God made promise to Abraham, because he could not swear by no greater, he sware by himself, Saying, Surely blessing I will bless thee, and multiplying I will multiply thee.

Hebrews 6:13-14

Paul said it better when he talked to the church at Ephesus. He said God’s eternal purpose declares we shall be to the praise of His glory. God is going to do a work in His sons. HE CALLED IT THE EFFECTUAL WORKING OF HIS POWER. God will allow the Holy Ghost to perform an operation in our lives which will produce vessels of honor . . . SONS. We shall be the praise of every living creature and wear the divine nature. This is a glory God had always preserved unto Himself. The angels are not divine, they are spiritual. Divinity is an extension of the Godhead. Therefore, because of who we are, because we are an extension of God the Father, because we’re His beloved, because we’re His sons, all creation will call us blessed. ALL CREATION WILL PRAISE AND WORSHIP THE SONS OF GOD. They will give honor to the sons because the Father will demand it. The king always demands you respect the prince. For such cause, even the angels desired to look into salvation. The purpose of God was always to multiply the righteous seed for the establishing of the priesthood. The apostle Paul is about to describe the nature of this new priesthood. If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron?

Hebrews 7:11

The phrase after the order of Melchisedec, relates to eternity. There was no record of Melchisedec’s beginning and no record of his end. The order of the last priesthood is divine and spiritual in nature. Aaron founded the first priesthood. Nevertheless, because of who he was, because of his frailty as a human and because of his sin, he was not worthy to establish a true and living way. The best Aaron could deliver was a similitude or a shadow, performing those operations that were mere shadows and types of the spiritual reality. For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar.

Hebrews 7:12-13

Ordination (the law) stated every priest was supposed to come from the tribe of Levi. The Levites were earmarked and knew their destinies. They were attendants of the tabernacle. They knew their responsibilities. They were trained to offer sacrifices and oblations up before God for the people. But, the Lord said, “I’m doing a new thing now. My inheritance shall be in the Tribe of Judah, the protectors of the tabernacle.” We, too, were protectors of the church and our religion. We’ve always known about God, but we were always in the outer court. We protected the thought of religion and its rituals. We went to church every Sunday. Then, when we grew up, we went to church every holiday, such as Easter and New Years. For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest, Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.

Hebrews 7:14-16

It was never known that a priesthood would come out of Judah. Jesus’ priesthood wasn’t established by someone trying to keep the law. He was the law. HE WAS THE SPIRIT OF THE LAW, THE LIFE OF THE LAW. The new priesthood consists of sons who have an ENDLESS LIFE. A life which keeps flowing like a river. For he testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec. For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof. For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God.

Hebrews 7:17-19

The purpose of this new priesthood is to give us access to God. This priesthood is to unite man with God. It is the bridge between man and God. In Aaron’s time, the priests themselves offered the sacrifices. However, only the high priest was allowed to go into the holy of holies. But that has changed. And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest: (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:) By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death: But this man, because he continueth ever, hath made an uchangeable priesthood. Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.

Hebrews 7:20-25

Why does he choose to describe us as high priests? Because it was only the high priest who could go into the holy of holies. It was only the high priest who stood face to face with God. It was only the high priest who was considered holy enough to enter the presence of God. Paul said that this man Jesus established or consecrated for us a new and living way. He consecrated a way for us through the veil (flesh). His purpose was to rent the veil that separated man from God. That was the only way . . . through His flesh. We go into the holy of holies not just as priests, because priests stayed in the holy place and were the ones who offered up sacrifices. They would go to the table of shewbread and pray and try to reach God. They could offer up prayers to God and walk in the light of the candlestick, but they never could enter into the divine presence of God. The Law says that only the high priest can go in, but, Jesus was the fulfillment of the Law. What is the distinction now between Jesus and us? JESUS REMAINS THE HIGH PRIEST BECAUSE HE CONSECRATED THE WAY. The Word says, “That He forever liveth to make intercession as a high priest for us.” How is He making intercession sitting down? The Word says the Father told Him, “Sit down Son, your work is done.” He is sitting down waiting until His enemies be made His footstool, sitting down until the day of the Lord. But Paul said, “He’s forever making intercession for us.” Why? BECAUSE HIS SPIRITUAL BODY IS HERE ON PLANET EARTH. The man Jesus was a propitiation and His work is done. However, the spiritual Christ now liveth in the Church. THE CHURCH IS THE INTERCESSOR FOR THE WORLD. WE ARE HIGH PRIESTS BECAUSE WE ARE THE BODY OF CHRIST. The world won’t have access to God except by our intercession. Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people’s: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.

Hebrews 7:27

This scripture is referring to the Body of Christ. God is looking for us to make a one time sin offering, a one time sacrifice. We are to offer up our lives once and for all. Stop coming back daily to offer up your soul to God. Stop continuously having to repent. Stop continuously having to acquire a word washing or a blood cleansing. DO AS YOUR BROTHER JESUS DID. OFFER UP YOUR LIFE ONCE AND FOR ALL! He said in Hebrews 6, “Leave the principles of the doctrine and go on to perfection. Stop having people lay hands on you, stop repenting from dead works, stop being baptized over and over again.” Offer it up one time. If you ever really put your soul on the altar, the fire of God will come down from heaven and consume it. Once God consumes your soul, you cannot retrieve it. That hasn’t happened because we haven’t put our souls on the altar. Lay your soul on the altar. Say to the Lord, “I’m not picking it up. You must bring the fire down from heaven and burn it up. You must consume these desires. You have to consume my apprehensions . . . my anxieties.” You can settle for being a priest and stay in the outer court or you can settle for the holy place, just singing and dancing and calling it fellowship. Or you can be a high priest and go behind the veil, before the throne of grace to obtain mercy for the world. THE CHOICE IS YOURS . . . PRIEST OR HIGH PRIEST?