This Ministers’ In-the-Word Seminar traces the believer’s identity as “a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people,” called out of darkness to proclaim God’s excellencies. Beginning from Israel’s calling at Sinai to be a “kingdom of priests,” the message walks through what a priest is and does, standing between God and man as a mediator through the appointed sacrifice, and shows that Christ, our anointed prophet, priest, and king, is now the one and only mediator between God and man.
From the Levitical priesthood and the tabernacle in the wilderness, the seminar traces how believers are now living stones built into a spiritual house, given the ministry of reconciliation as Christ’s ambassadors, and destined to reign as priests with Christ.
The second part turns to the consecration itself: the ordination of Aaron and his sons in Leviticus 8-9 – the sin offering, the burnt offering, the ram of ordination, and the wave offering – a costly, blood-marked process that set men apart wholly for God’s service, ending with fire falling from His presence in acceptance.
It then contrasts this with what followed: Nadab and Abihu’s unauthorized fire, and the sons of Eli who despised the offerings of the Lord, both judged because ‘by those who come near Me I will be treated as holy.’ Ministers are called to guard their own consecration and walk in holiness before the Lord (Deut. 10:12; 1 Pet. 1:13-16).