Sun.’s Devo - The Holy Priesthood

Read: Ezekiel 12:1-14:11; Hebrews 7:1-17; Psalm 105:37:45; Proverbs 27:3
Ezekiel’s life was to be a sign to the people so God told him to pack his bags and walk out of his house like he was being led into exile. He was to do this morning and night. Then he was to dig a hole in the wall and crawl through it with his face covered so he could not see the land. This was to show how the prince of the people would leave. He would try to escape through a hole in the wall but be caught and be taken to a land that he would never see. That sounds very mystic but that was exactly what happened. The prince and his men tried to escape through a hole in the wall and were caught. The last thing the prince saw was his sons being killed, then his eyes were gouged out and he was led to Babylon.
God spoke against the false prophets who had promised peace and safety. They were like white-washed walls that tried to cover up the truth with lies. When these false prophets came to Ezekiel to hear his words, God told Ezekiel not to prophesy good to them because God would answer himself.
Hebrews introduces Melchizedek whose identity has been a question to many scholars. I believe he was God’s high priest in heaven who came to earth and met Abraham. Abraham discerned his importance and gave him a tenth of his spoils. Since Abraham carried the seed of Levi in him, his whole lineage paid tithe to God’s priest. Jesus would be a priest after the order of Melchizedek, not after the order of Aaron. Aaron was a man who lived and died; both Melchizedek and Jesus came from God and lived eternally. Aaron was a priest of the earth; the other a priest both of the earth and heaven.
We are called to be priests to God also. That means we pray for the mercy of other people and we hear what God says and tell the people. It also means that our lives are an offering to the Lord and we are fully his to do his work on the earth. First Peter says that we are a holy nation, a royal priesthood to offer up holy sacrifices to God for the people. Revelation says we are kings and priests of God. We are to rule and reign on the earth as God’s kings and priests.
Lord, may we serve you as your holy nation and royal priests that a dying world might know the truth.