Bishop Elijah Bankole
Priesthood is an office created by God to serve as an intermediary between the Holy God and sinful humanity. Therefore, not anyone can chose himself and the choice is not random.
[biblegateway passage=”Hebrews 4:3″ display=”Hebrews 4:3″]
God promised Abraham a son. Abraham waited in the hope of the promise until he and his wife had another alternate plan which gave birth to Ishmael. After all of these, God did not speak to Abraham until after 17 years. God then told Abraham to walk before him and be perfect, so Abraham repented thereafter.
By the time the children of Israel exited the land of Egypt, it was 600 years after God’s promise to Abraham. God does not promise what he will do. He promises what he has done. The promises of God, to Him are past and to us, it may be a future.
[biblegateway passage=”Proverbs 8″ display=”Proverbs 8″]
Amongst the council of heavens, Jesus offered to go and die for humanity. In fact, Jesus had loved us before we were even formed. He decided himself to leave His glory. Jesus even said that nobody took his life from him. He made his choice.
After Satan fell and he saw Adam’s dominion over all creation, He would not sit back and allow Adam remain in his original place.
One beautiful thing is that we are dealing with a God that never says we are late.
[biblegateway passage=”Genesis 3:15″ display=”Genesis 3:15″]
God was just reading from the script here, of what he has planned as the solution to man’s sin. What sins does is that it slows down the progress of men.
This Priesthood concept did not come up by circumstance, it has been planned for. God, out of his desire for continual fellowship with man, planned it. The Old Testament priesthood is just a shadow of a reality that would come later.
God gave the Israelites the tabernacles and how to worship in it. So, Christ came and was now presenting to them the real thing. Unfortunately, they were so used to the shadow that they could not recognize the real thing.
Old Testament
1. Genealogy matters here: not anyone could just become a priest. God first chose Abraham, He chose Israel, then He chose the Levi tribe.
[biblegateway passage=”Exodus 18:1″ display=”Exodus 18:1″]; [biblegateway passage=”Genesis 13:8″ display=”Genesis 13:8″]; [biblegateway passage=”Genesis 15:5″ display=”Genesis 15:5″]
Through Christ, we now share in His geneolgy and we are now authorized to become children of God. The coming of Christ, the grafting of gentiles were not after thoughts to God. It has been planned from the beginning, it was all just a matter of the fulness of time.
[biblegateway passage=”Jeremiah 29:26″ display=”Jeremiah 29:26″]
There are some people that claims to be priests and are not born of the Family, they are said to be mad.
2. The priest function in the tabernacle. [biblegateway passage=”Exodus 25:9,40″ display=”Exodus 25:9,40″];
The tabernacle was built according to the pattern in heaven showed unto Moses on mount Sinai.
3. The robe of the priest have six names written on both sides and this represents bearing the burden of men in the place of intercession.
4. Their services were meticulously laid down [biblegateway passage=”Exodus 30:1-29″ display=”Exodus 30:1-29″]
They cannot afford to miss it at all. They were not even allowed to have anything as possessions. So, any priesthood that you come to and think that through it, prosperity and fame is yours, such is a corrupted priest.
5. They must live a holy and separated life in clothing, diet, marriage etc. [biblegateway passage=”Exodus 28:40″ display=”Exodus 28:40″]
6. They had certain privileges that were not given to others. [biblegateway passage=”Exodus 30:30-33″ display=”Exodus 30:30-33″]
7. The high priest was appointed yearly entering once in a year for atonement
When we talk about the priesthood, we should remember that God depends solely on us. He is willing to help us be that he has called us to be.
If Christ would condemn us, his ministry has failed. His ministry was never to condemn us, rather, it is to save us. In view of this great love, who shall then separate us from the Love of God.