What is the significance of the ordination?

John Newton once noted that “none but He who made the world can make a Minister of the Gospel.” In many ways this is precisely the theme of Leviticus 8.

It was no small thing to be chosen and called to serve in the priesthood. As the writer to the Hebrews notes, “no man takes this honour to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was” (Hebrews 5:4).

We see in our text that the calling of the priesthood was very particular. God did not leave the choice of a high priest up to Moses, nor did he leave the choice of the regular priests to Moses. God told him very specifically to “take Aaron and his sons.”

Principles of priesthood

(1) The Old Testament Aaronic priesthood has been fulfilled and rendered obsolete by Jesus Christ, the Great High Priest. The Lord Jesus Christ has instituted a new priestly order. Priesthood is bestowed upon all those who are a member of the right family. Just as it was only the sons of Aaron who were priests under the Law of Moses, so it is only those who are in Christ by personal faith who are priests today. Priesthood is not something which men can bestow upon other men, or even which the church can bestow; it is the result of the new birth, which constitutes one to be a child of God and thus to be in Christ.

(2) God’s priesthood is a holy priesthood. We are to learn from God’s words, quoted by Moses, that disobedience to God dishonors Him and fails to regard Him as holy. A God who is Holy is a God who is to be honored, and we honor God by obeying Him.

God takes the sin of His priests very seriously. Being in close proximity to God brings with it correspondingly high standards of conduct. This is indicated in several ways in the Book of Leviticus. Then Moses said to Aaron, “It is what the LORD spoke, saying, ‘By those who come near Me I will be treated as holy, And before all the people I will be honored.’” So Aaron, therefore, kept silent (Lev. 10:3).

(3) The function of priests is to serve God and men. The garments which are made for Aaron and for his sons are those which enable them to minister to God. Let us never lose the wonder of the privileges and the responsibilities of being chosen by God to serve God by serving one another.

In many churches today, there is either a formal or an informal priesthood, an order of those who somehow mediate between God and men. Such practice is ignorant of (or worse yet, disobedient to) the fact that with Christ came a New Covenant, as well as a new priesthood, and that this priesthood includes every true believer, not a select few.

It is sad that the new priestly order of the New Testament has not been followed. The doctrine of the “priesthood of all believers” has been set aside, both doctrinally and practically, so that an elite priestly class still performs the religious rituals for the laity.

There is no biblical justification for church members refusing to gather with the body for worship. There is no justification for church members to only show up for services but to refuse to serve in ministry. There is no justification for a church member to withhold his fellowship and giftings from the local church.

Application Questions:

How can we increase focus on the holiness of our spiritual leaders and the holiness of the people as we come together to worship our holy God?

Quote:

A Pharisee is hard on others and easy on himself, but a spiritual man is easy on others and hard on himself. - A. W. Tozer

Prayer:

Lord, I thank You that You have separated me for Yourself to be a royal priesthood. Help me to recognise and fulfill my calling in the body of Christ. Amen.