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RETURN TO SYLLABUS
NUMBERS 18
LESSON #21
NEW TESTAMENT GUIDELINES FOR A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD
v MEMORY VERSE: REV 1:6
v THE GREAT MERCY OF GOD!
Ø WE HAVE SEEN HOW THE PEOPLE REBELLED AGAINSTGOD CONTINUALLY. THEY COMPLAINED ABOUT THE LEADERSHIP OF MOSES AND AARON. GOD CONFIRMEDHIS CHOICE OF MOSES. THEN HE CONFIRMED HIS CHOICE OF AARON. WE HAVE SEEN HUNDREDS OFPEOPLE DESTROYED BY GOD THROUGH FIRE, PLAGUE, AND SWALLOWED BY THE EARTH. THESE EVENTSREAFFIRM OUR BELIEF IN A JUST GOD WHO PUNISHES SIN.
§ HOWEVER, THROUGH ALL THEPUNISHMENT FOR THEIR SIN OF MURMURING, THERE IS STILL GODS MERCY.
· GOD DID NOT COMPLETELY FORSAKETHEM.
· GOD CONTINUED DAILY TO PROVIDEFOR THEM (MANNA).
· GOD CONTINUED TO USE THE LEVITES.
¨ YOU WOULD THINK GOD WOULD HAVE GIVEN UP ONAARON AND THE LEVITES. THIS IS THE AMAZING THING. HE DID NOT.
Ø AARON REBELLED AGAINST GOD WHEN HE PERMITTEDTHE MAKING OF THE GOLDEN CALF.
Ø AARON REBELLED WITH MIRIAM AGAINST MOSES INNUM 12.
Ø KORAH REBELLED WITH 250 PEOPLE MOSTLY FROMTHE TRIBE OF LEVI AGAINST MOSES AND AARON IN NUM 16.
§ GOD DID NOT ABANDON THETRIBE OF LEVI. AARON WAS STILL CONFIRMED AS THE HIGH PRIEST (NUM 15), AND THE LEVITES WERESTILL GODS CHOICE TO TAKE CARE OF THE TABERNACLE. NUMBERS 18 CONFIRMS GODSCHOICE OF THE LEVITES AS PRIESTS.
v READ NUM 18:1-3 THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE PRIESTHOOD
Ø GOD TELLS AARON AND THE LEVITES ABOUT THESERIOUSNESS OF THEIR ROLE AS PRIESTS AND LEADERS. THEY STAND IN A UNIQUE POSITIONSPIRITUALLY.
§ THEY BEAR THEINIQUITY OF THE SANCTUARY AND THE INIQUITY OF THE PRIESTHOOD.
· THESE PRIESTS STAND BETWEEN GODAND THE PEOPLE; BETWEEN GOD AND THE SIN OF THE PEOPLE. IF THEY DO NOT TAKE SERIOUSLY THEIRPOSITION, THE PEOPLE DO NOT LEARN ABOUT SIN, AND THE SIN OF THE PEOPLE IS NOT COVERED BYTHE BLOOD SACRIFICE OF ANIMALS.
Ø READ 1PET 2:9
§ THE NEW TESTAMENT TELLS USTHAT BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST ARE THE NEW TESTAMENT PRIESTS. IF WE ARE TO LEARN SOMETHINGFROM THE OLD TESTAMENT PRIESTHOOD, THEN WE MUST CONSIDER WHAT GOD SAYS TO THE LEVITES.
· NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVERS MUST TAKETHEIR POSITION SERIOUSLY. WE CARRY THE MESSAGE OF RECONCILIATION. (2CHR 29:23-24)
¨ READ 2COR 5:18-20
Ø WHAT IS THE MESSAGE OF RECONCILIATION?
§ SIN IS FORGIVEN THROUGH THESHED BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST.
Ø JUST LIKE THE OLD TESTAMENT PRIESTS STOODBETWEEN GOD AND THE PEOPLE, WE STAND BETWEEN GOD AND THE UNBELIEVERS.
§ WE PRAY FOR UNBELIEVERS.
§ WE PREACH THE GOOD NEWS TOTHEM.
§ WE SHOW THEM HOW THEY CANCOME TO GOD THROUGH JESUS CHRIST.
§ WE DEMONSTRATERIGHTEOUSNESS BY OUR LIVES.
v READ NUM 18:19-26 GODS PROVISION FOR PRIESTS
Ø GOD PROMISED SPECIFIC BLESSINGS FOR THEPRIESTS:
§ THE HEAVE OFFERING
· PART OF THE OFFERINGS COLLECTEDFOR SACRIFICE TO GOD WAS LIFTED UP BEFORE GOD. THIS PART WAS CALLED A HEAVEOFFERING.
¨ GOD SAYS THIS OFFERING WAS NOT BURNED ON THEALTAR OF BURNT OFFERING. INSTEAD IT WAS GIVEN TO THE PRIESTS FOR THEIR OWN USE.
Ø IN OTHER WORDS, THEY COULD EAT IT. THROUGHTHIS OFFERING, THE PRIESTHOOD WAS PROVIDED WITH FOOD ONCE THE MANNA STOPPED. GODESTABLISHED THIS SYSTEM SO THAT THOSE WHO WORKED FOR THE LORD WOULD HAVE SUPPORT FROM THEPEOPLE.
· THE USE OF SALT:
¨ SALT WAS A NECESSARY INGREDIENT IN THE DIET.
¨ IT WAS SO VALUABLE THAT IT WAS OFTEN USEDINSTEAD OF MONEY IN MANY PLACES IN THE WORLD.
¨ BECAUSE OF ITS VALUE, IT WAS USED IN ALL THEOFFERINGS MADE TO GOD.
¨ ITWAS ALSO USED TO SEAL AN AGREEMENT.
Ø GOD USES SALT HERE TO SEAL THIS AGREEMENT HEMAKES WITH THE LEVITES. IT IS AN INDICATION OF A VALUABLE AND A PERMANENT AGREEMENT.
¨ READ MAT 5:13
Ø IN LIGHT OF THE USE AND VALUE OF SALT IN THEOLD TESTAMENT, WHAT DOES JESUS MEAN WHEN HE SAYS WE ARE THE SALT OF THE EARTH?
§ NO LAND
· WHEN THE ISRAELITES ENTERED THEPROMISE LAND, ALL THE TRIBES WOULD RECEIVE A SPECIFIC ALLOTMENT OF LAND, EXCEPT FOR THELEVITES. THEY WERE TO RECEIVE NO LAND.
¨ YOU WOULD THINK THIS WAS NOT A BLESSING BUT ACURSE. HOWEVER, GOD SAYS THAT INSTEAD OF LAND THEIR INHERITANCE WAS GOD HIMSELF. IT IS,THEREFORE, A GREATER BLESSING.
§ A TENTH OF THE OFFERINGS
· THE PRIESTS RECEIVED A TENTH OFALL THE OFFERINGS THAT CAME INTO THE TABERNACLE. IF THE PEOPLE FAILED TO BRING OFFERINGS,THE PRIESTS WOULD RECEIVE NOTHING.
¨ THIS LAW ACCOMPLISHED TWO THINGS:
Ø IT REQUIRED THE PRIESTS TO LIVE BY FAITH.
Ø IT IMPRESSED UPON THE PRIESTS THE IMPORTANCEOF DOING A GOOD JOB.
Ø APPLICATION:
§ IF THE NEW TESTAMENTBELIEVER IN JESUS CHRIST IS A ROYAL PRIESTHOOD, WHAT SPECIFIC PRIVILEGES DID GOD GIVE TOOLD TESTAMENT PRIESTS THAT HE GIVES TO US?
§ THE HEAVE OFFERING
· GOD HAS PROMISED TO SUPPLY ALLOUR NEEDS ACCORDING TO HIS RICHES IN GLORY. PHI 4:19 PSA 16:5
¨ THE OLD TESTAMENT PRIESTHOOD DID NOT HAVE TOSPEND TIME WORRYING ABOUT WHERE THEIR FOOD AND LIVELIHOOD WAS COMING FROM.
§ NO LAND
· THE NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVER IS NOTTO MAKE THIS WORLD HIS HOME. WE ARE TOLD TO FORSAKE THIS WORLD AND KEEP OUR EYES ON THENEXT WORLD IN JESUS CHRIST.
¨ GOD AND HIS KINGDOM ARE OUR INHERITANCE. ITIS BY FAR A BETTER BLESSING THAN ANYTHING IN THIS WORLD.
§ THE TENTH OF THE OFFERING
· THE PEOPLE WHOM THEY SERVEDSUPPORTED THE PRIESTHOOD FINANCIALLY.
¨ THE NEW TESTAMENT CHURCHES ARE SUPPOSED TOPROVIDE SUPPORT FOR THOSE IN THE MINISTRY. (LUK 10:7)
¨ AS NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVERS, WE ARE TOLD THATWE SHOULD LIVE BY FAITH.
v DISCUSSION:
Ø WHAT SPECIFIC WARNINGS OR COMMANDS DID GODGIVE TO THE OLD TESTAMENT PRIESTS THAT HE ALSO GIVES TO US?
§ THEY WERE TO LIVE BY FAITHAND SO MUST WE.
§ THE PRIESTS WERE TOLD TOTITHE ALONG WITH THE REST OF THE PEOPLE. THEY WERE NOT EXEMPT FROM THE TITHE.
· NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVERS ARE NOTSPECIFICALLY COMMANDED TO TITHE IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, BUT THROUGHOUT THE BIBLE, OLDTESTAMENT AND NEW TESTAMENT, THE TITHE IS A STANDARD EVEN JESUS ASSUMED NEW TESTAMENTBELIEVERS WOULD KEEP.
¨ (MAT 23:23 HE REBUKED THE PHARISEES FORFAILURE TO KEEP THE LAW INWARDLY. HE DID NOT REBUKE THEM FOR TITHING.)
Ø MINISTERS OF THE NEW TESTAMENT GOSPEL, ASWELL, ARE NOT EXEMPT FROM THE TITHE IN PRINCIPLE.
v STEP #12 IN BECOMING A MOVE-ER IN THEKINGDOM OF GOD:
Ø TAKE SERIOUSLY YOUR PRIESTLY JOB OFRECONCILIATION.
HOMEWORK
NUMBERS 19
THIS IS A SELF-STUDY.PLEASE DO NOT SEND HOMEWORK ANSWERS TO THE TEACHER.
v APPLICATION OF NUM 18
Ø WHICH LESSONS FROM NUM 18 REGARDING YOUR ROLEAS A NEW TESTAMENT PRIEST DO YOU NEED TO TAKE MORE SERIOUSLY?
§ HOW DO YOU PLAN TO DO THIS?
v PREPARATION FOR NUM 19
Ø READ NUM 19
§ WHAT WAS THE PURPOSE OF THEOFFERING OF THE RED HEIFER? (9)
§ READ JOHN 13:4-12
· HOW DOES THE WASHING OF THEDISCIPLES FEET RELATE TO THE OFFERING OF THE RED HEIFER? (NUM 19:17-19)
v MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 51:7
