A Priestly People

Intro:

Open your Bibles to Exodus Chapter 28 this is our text for this morning!

1) - Grow in our knowledge of God. (As you expand your view of God so does your faith)

A picture of what we are doing this morning.... (Setting up the dominoes, sprinting to the end to see the conclusion) From Priesthood-Jesus

What do I mean by this...

1. The Bible is one story full of interconnected truths/themes/, that all point to Jesus. (priesthood, tabernacle, law)

2. What is that interconnected narrative....

The story of the Bible is about humanity's cycle of self-destruction and the Messiah who will restore the covenant partnership between God and humans.

- The Bible Project

3. Apart from the work of Christ our relationship with God is broken…

Transition:

The Question at hand is not can God restore this relationship… but what Vehicle/system does he use to restore communion with his people?

A Holy God, and a broken people.... This leads up to our sermon this morning this morning.

Today we will talk about Priesthood:

Big Idea: A priest is a mediator between a holy God, and his covenant people.

Pray

Recap: The story of deliverance to dwelling with God.

Isreal is enslaved to Egypt for 400+ years

God leads them out into the Desert.

Moses is active receiving the Law from God at the Top of Mt Sinai that he will give to his people .

In this God is establishing laws and systems to “point to his Glory” & Reinforce his covenant relationship to his people.

Last week we looked at the Tabernacle and this week we are looking at Priesthood.

Picture Temple Courts Diagram (with dot of priest)

Which brings us to ur text this morning Exodus chapter 28...

Exodus 28:1-3

Exodus 28:1–3 ESV

“Then bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, to serve me as priests—Aaron and Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. You shall speak to all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him for my priesthood.

We see two things…

The Priestly Role V1

The Priestly Attire V4

1. The Priestly Role V1

The Priest is a role within the sacrificial system to atone for the sins.

Define: A priest is a mediator between a holy God, and his covenant people.

Where is Priesthood in the Bible (Picture on Screen):

A. High Priest (OT Aaron) (Priestly Kings in OT) (Jesus NT “Hebrews”)

B. OT Levitical Priest

C. Mediators who function as Priest but never have the title.

D. Nation of Priest Exodus 19 , NT ( (Kingdom of Priest 1 Peter 2:9, Rev 1:6)

Role Priest Fulfill (OT Priest, Jesus, The Church):

Serve in Gods Presence. (Exodus 28:1 Draw Near)

Guard Gods house.

Numbers 3:38 ESV

Those who were to camp before the tabernacle on the east, before the tent of meeting toward the sunrise, were Moses and Aaron and his sons, guarding the sanctuary itself, to protect the people of Israel. And any outsider who came near was to be put to death.

3. Offer sacrifices. (For their Sins, and the sins of others)

First seven chapters of Leviticus describe the kinds of sacrifices a priest offers before God. (Burnt offerings, Grain offering, Peace offering, Sin Offering, Guilt Offering)

4. Teach the Covenants to Gods people.

Leviticus 10:10–11 ESV

You are to distinguish between the holy and the common, and between the unclean and the clean, and you are to teach the people of Israel all the statutes that the Lord has spoken to them by Moses.”

5. Intercede for the People.

Transition:

Again God is establishing a system of mediation between him and his covenant people. and the role of the priest was essential, but it didn't stop with the role the attire itself had a purpose

2. The Priestly attire V.4

We are only going to read verse four but the details described in the next two chapters are incredible, and I would encourage you on your own time this week read them. and marvel at how intentional God is in setting up the priesthood. verse four reads...

Exodus 28:4 ESV

These are the garments that they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash. They shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons to serve me as priests.

Priestly Garments (Show Picture and scripture)

The Garments V4:

1. a breastpiece V 16

2. an ephod V 6

3. a robe V 31

4. a coat of checker work v 31

5. a turban v 39

6. and a sash v 29

Purpose of these Garments (This shall be a statute forever) :

Holy and Beauty V 2

Coverings (They are sinful, if they do not wear these Garments they die)

Remembrance (Exodus 28:29)

Exodus 28:29 ESV

So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment on his heart, when he goes into the Holy Place, to bring them to regular remembrance before the Lord.

4. Bear their guilt (Bore our Shame) Exodus 28:38

Exodus 28:38 ESV

It shall be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall bear any guilt from the holy things that the people of Israel consecrate as their holy gifts. It shall regularly be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord.

Let’s Knock the dominoes over.... :

First… God establishes a role of Priest.

Second… He consecrates a line to fill said role...

Three… he then provides instruction for how to carry out the role.... and this practice is done until the birth of Christ....

1500 years this is how Sin was atoned for....

Recap Roles and purpose of Garments.

Bringing sacrifices to the alter…

The Gospel

Luke 1 opens with a priest in the temple waiting for the Messiah...

John 1:14–16 ESV

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ”) For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

Jesus is the Great High Priest

Hebrews 7:26–28 ESV

For it was indeed fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. He has no need, like those high priests, to offer sacrifices daily, first for his own sins and then for those of the people, since he did this once for all when he offered up himself. For the law appoints men in their weakness as high priests, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.

Hebrews 4:14 ESV

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.

Salvation is revealed by God as a prophet, achieved by him as a priest, and applied by him as a king. - John Flavel (Puritan Theologian)

So what is your Response....

RECOGNIZE: We need a mediator between God & In Christ we have that mediator.

are you passively accepting that Jesus is mediating for your sin… This should change our disposition… (Kingdom of Priest)

Reorient: and man we have barely even talked about our role as a kingdom of Priest....

Revelation 5:9–10 ESV

And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation, and you have made them a kingdom and priests to our God, and they shall reign on the earth.”

In my prep this week..... (I came across a passage that I was familiar with but it took on new meaning for me)

Define Communion. (Common + Union) (intimate sharing)

Communion with God.

1 Corinthians 10:1–3 ESV

For I do not want you to be unaware, brothers, that our fathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea, and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and all ate the same spiritual food,

1 Corinthians 10:16–18 ESV

The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread. Consider the people of Israel: are not those who eat the sacrifices participants in the altar?

1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV

So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.

God has been up to something since the very beginning.

Capture this… A Holy omnipotent God established the Priesthood to restore communion with him....

So I want to ask that we stand.... and I am going to lead us through Prayer as we take the communion elements....

Redeemer you are Loved you are sent!