"Priesthood"

Well, good morning. Again, it's good to see all of you. If you are feeling hot and overwhelmed, we will say this a few times this summer, there are fans.

If you can't feel a fan, it's okay for you to get up and move to a place you can feel a fan. Or you can go downstairs to our lower level meeting room, which is air conditioned and live streams are service from there.

We would rather you get up and move in order to continue to participate than sit in the pews and suffer. So, that's our heart as we come to God's Word today.

So, I want to begin by asking a question. When you think of a priest, what do you think of? Maybe you think of Indiana Jones in the Temple of Doom, the pagan priest offering human sacrifices.

Or maybe you think of the princess bride, marriage. Marriage is what brings us here together today. Maybe you think of a priest like that.

Maybe you think of the classic stereotypical priest in a Catholic school, ready to wrap your knuckles for chewing gum or not having your socks pulled up.

Or maybe you think of a Catholic priest as a judge whose life is consumed with exposing all of your unrighteous living and to bring you shame.

Now, some of you may have had good experiences with priests and have different views, but these negative responses are typical in our culture and often come from our personal experience, don't they?

But is that how we are supposed to think of priests? Well, that brings us to our text today.

We are going through the summer, the book of Numbers, and we are in Numbers 17 and 18.

Interestingly, at the end of this week, I did a Google search online to see if I could find a sermon on Numbers 18 in the internet, and the answer was no.

So, here we go. We're going to do it, and we're going to be exploring parts of the Scripture that maybe aren't always looked at.

And just to remind you where we are as we come into this section, last week, Pastor Nick preached about chapter 16,

where the people of God rose up and rebelled, at least a portion of them, rebelled against the priesthood that God had established among His people.

The followers of Korah, a part of the Levites, rose up against them, and God brought judgment upon them because of their rebellion.

They were swallowed up by the earth, and then a plague came, and Aaron, the high priest who God had anointed, brought his censer full of incense,

and the smoke of that stopped the plague that was a second judgment against the people of God because they were rebelling against God's plan.

And the people realized the danger of trying to come to God without a priest, of trying to come to God on their own.

But they haven't yet even learned that lesson. We'll see in verse 12 of chapter 17, they will come back to this refrain again and say,

we are undone. We will all perish if we try to approach God.

But God speaks a word of hope to them and to us today because God has given the priesthood in order to bring blessing to His people.

And that's the overarching theme of verses of chapters 17 and 18.

We're going to walk through it in three sections, so we'll read it in a section at a time

to see how these blessings come to God's people through the priesthood.

So, first, chapter 17.

This is page 117 in the Pew Bible.

If you want to pull out your Pew Bible and follow along, or it will be on the screen behind me as well.

The Lord spoke to Moses saying, speak to the people of Israel and get from them staffs, one for each father's house,

from all their chiefs according to their father's house, twelve staffs.

Write each man's name on his staff and write Aaron's name on the staff of Levi.

For there shall be one staff for the head of each father's house.

Then you shall deposit them in the tent of meeting before the testimony where I meet with you.

And the staff of the man whom I choose shall sprout.

Thus I will make to cease from me the grumblings of the people of Israel, which they grumble against you.

Moses spoke to the people of Israel, and all their chiefs gave him staff, one for each chief according to their father's houses,

twelve staffs, and the staff of Aaron was among their staffs.

And Moses deposited the staffs before the Lord in the tent of testimony.

On the next day, Moses went into the tent of the testimony, and behold,

the staff of Aaron for the house of Levi had sprouted, and put forth buds, and produced blossoms, and it bore ripe almonds.

Then Moses brought out all the staffs from before the Lord to all the people of Israel.

And they looked, and each man took his staff.

And the Lord said to Moses,

Put back the staff of Aaron before the testimony,

to be kept as a sign for the rebels,

that you may make an end of their grumblings against me, lest they die.

Thus did Moses, as the Lord commanded him, so he did.

And the people of Israel said to Moses,

Behold, we perish.

We are undone.

We are all undone.

Everyone who comes near, who comes near to the tabernacle of the Lord shall die.

Are we all to perish?

Let me pray as we look at God's Word this morning.

Lord, thank you for this Word.

Thank you that, Lord, by your Spirit, you have given us this Word so that we might know you and be instructed by you,

so we might understand what you are up to in the world,

and Lord, what it means to be your people.

Lord, I pray for your help this morning.

You would help me to speak clearly as I ought.

And I pray for all of our hearts,

that we would sit under your Word,

that we would receive it as from you.

Lord, that we would know it in our minds,

that we would love it in our hearts,

that we would do it with our hands.

Thank you, Lord.

We pray this in Jesus' name.

Amen.

So the first thing we see in chapter 17 is that God gives a priest

who brings abundant life to his people.

Right?

So this story, remember, they've just come out of judgment,

and God comes to Moses and says,

okay, I've got to do more to establish Aaron in the eyes of the people

as the one that I have chosen.

And so he calls all the tribes together.

He says, we want one tribe from the leader of each tribe to give a staff.

And they write a name on it.

And in case you're doing a little math and you're wondering,

the Hebrew is a little less clear than the way…

The English suggests there were 12 staffs,

then there were 13 staffs.

There were 13 staffs total because there are 12 tribes.

And then on top of that, there was the tribe of Levi.

Because, if you remember, Jacob had 12 sons.

Those were the 12 tribes.

But then Levi gets set apart earlier,

and the two sons of Joseph, Manasseh and Ephraim,

become their own individual tribes.

In the 12 tribes, when they enter the land,

they will get 12 different parcels of land.

Levi will get something different,

and we'll see that by the end of our passage.

So, sorry, that was a little excursus

into the history of that, but that's the way it was.

So, 13 staffs, Moses gathers with the names of these tribes,

and he puts them in the tent of meeting,

the holy place, right?

The Ark of the Covenant in the middle of the tabernacle.

And he puts them in, and he says,

just wait and see.

And then he comes back the next morning,

and there are 12 dead sticks,

and there's one staff that has budded.

And it hasn't just budded.

It has budded, and it's flowered,

and it's borne fruit, right?

Don't miss the fact that this is not

some sort of natural process

where somehow a green staff

became a little bit more lifelike.

God did something miraculous

to picture something that was dead

being brought back to life,

and not only life, but abundant life

where it was producing something, almonds,

that would bless those who received it.

So, this is the sign that God gives.

Now, here's a question for you.

If I say to you,

what's the biblical significance of almonds?

Anything? Anyone?

Yeah, me neither, right?

So, I did a word search,

and do you know what?

It's amazing.

There are a couple of other references to almonds,

but there's this really neat one

in Exodus 25.

Exodus 25 is when God is giving instructions

to the people of God on Mount Sinai

as they receive the law

about the building of the tabernacle,

the place where God will meet with his people.

And in it, there's a lampstand.

And that lampstand has, like a menorah,

like multiple branches

that will then hold candles

to bring light into the temple

where the priests are offering sacrifices.

But in Exodus 25, verses 33 and 34,

Exodus 25:33

it describes those branches like this.

They will have three cups

made like almond blossoms,

each with calyx and flour.

And on one branch,

and three cups made like almond blossoms,

each with calyx and flour,

on the other branch.

So, for the six branches

going out from the lampstand,

and on the lampstand itself,

there shall be four cups

made like almond blossoms,

their calyxes and flour.

So, this is the one place

in all the ritual life of Israel

where almonds are mentioned.

And it's amazing.

I don't think, by the way,

that Aaron's staff

was made from an almond tree.

It might have been.

I suppose it's possible.

But I don't think that was the point.

The point is that the people of God

would remember this passage

and would see that Aaron alone

has the right to minister

in that place where the lampstand was,

he and his sons in the priesthood,

right?

And that, that lampstand was a picture.

One commentator says

that the lampstand was like

a stylized almond tree

set within the holy place

representing Eden's tree of life,

its light symbolizing

the light of Yahweh's blessing.

Did you get that?

In this place, in the temple,

there was this lampstand

that pictured a tree of life

and it had almond blossoms.

And so, when you get to this sign

in Numbers,

God is reminding the people,

the priesthood is there

so that they can minister

in the tabernacle

so that you may have

the abundant life

that I'm going to bring you

because I am your God.

What an amazing thing it is

that God has given us

a priesthood that brings life.

Sometimes we feel like

coming to God

is more like being called

into the principal's office.

We know we've messed up

and now we're just waiting

for the other shoe to drop

and the consequence time

to happen for us

and we are afraid

and we fear the outcome, right?

And it's fascinating

because that's what God's people did.

They said,

we're not done.

How can we ever approach God?

But God is trying to say,

your priesthood is there

to give you life,

not death.

And of course,

we know that the priesthood

of Aaron

is just a picture

of a priesthood

that's yet to come.

That Jesus would come

as a greater priest

and that He would come

as one

not to bring death

and destruction,

but to bring life

life

and life

that is abundant

in Him.

And He would picture

this death

by being

one who is made dead

and then who is brought

back to life

as the resurrected

Son of God.

And so,

this staff of Aaron

both affirms

the priesthood

and pictures ahead

the resurrection life

that Jesus will bring

as our high priest

to all

who believe

in Him.

And because Jesus

is raised from the dead,

you don't have to fear

going to God

because He's a God

who delights

to give life

to those

who come to Him.

So,

chapter 17,

the priesthood

that brings life.

Let's look ahead

now to verse,

chapter 18

and think,

what else do we learn

from these sections

about the priesthood

that God gives?

What we'll see,

well,

let's read it first.

So,

we'll look at

verses 8,

chapter 18,

verses 1 through 7.

So,

the Lord said to Aaron,

you and your sons

in your father's house

with you

shall bear iniquity

connected with the sanctuary

and you and your sons

with you

shall bear iniquity

connected with your priesthood

and with you

bring your brothers also

the tribe of Levi,

the tribe of your father

that they may join you

and minister to you

while you and your sons

with you

are before the tent

of the testimony.

They shall keep guard

over you

and the whole tent

but shall not come near

to the vessels

of the sanctuary

or to the altar

lest they and you die.

They shall join you

and keep guard

over the tent

of the meeting

for all the service

of the tent

and no outsider

shall come near you

and you shall keep guard

over the sanctuary

and over the altar

that there may never again

be wrath

on the people of Israel

and behold

I have taken your brothers

the Levites

from among the people

of Israel

they are a gift to you

given to the Lord

to do the service

of the tent of meeting

and you and your sons

with you

shall guard

your priesthood

for all that concerns

the altar

and that is within

the veil

and you shall serve

I give you

your priesthood

as a gift

and any outsider

who comes near

shall be put

to death

so the second thing

that God's priesthood

brings us

is access to God

why do I say that

well you've got to go back

and recognize a couple things

first remember the context

of Korah's rebellion

where people rose up

and said we can get to God

without the priest

without the Levite

we can just go in

straight ahead

and lo and behold

they found out

the holiness of God

is too great

to be born

for sinful people

to merely approach him

go back and listen

to Pastor Nick's sermon

last week

to get all of that

but the other thing

you need to remember

is that

what God is reaffirming

to Aaron here

is the structure

of the camp

okay this goes back

to numbers

one through four

we're trying to pull

all the threads together

so you can follow

through all this

so remember

that in chapters

one through four

when God set up

the people of God

to leave

he set it up

with a particular

structure

to picture

things that he thought

were important

first

at the center

of the camp

was the tabernacle

the tent of meeting

and that's where

God's presence

was manifested

that's where Moses

met face to face

with God

and that's where

Aaron and his sons

would offer sacrifices

in worship to God

according to God's instruction

so God was in the center

of the people of God

and then you had

these other people

you had the priests

ministering within the temple

and then you had the Levites

and the four tribes

and you can look at chapter four

and see all the details

they had particular roles

about packing and carrying

and setting up

and all that stuff

but the Levites

were tasked

with ministering

on the outer

outside of the tent

but between

the tent of the meeting

and the people

then the twelve tribes

who were set up

in a square

around that

and that's what they would do

when they were camped

and then when they would move

they would elongate it

and make it a big line

but the same picture

basically is there

with concentric circles

going from

God at the tent of meeting

to the priests

to the Levites

and then to the tribes

of the people

and then the people outside

and that was the picture

that you got

right

and God is reminding

Aaron

and the Levites

and the people of God

by extension

that this structure

had a purpose

right

the priests

had a particular role

to deal with

the holy things

in the vessel

to offer sacrifices

to atone for the sin

of people

inside the tent

they stood between

God

and the people

and represented them

so that the people

of God

and their sin

would be addressed

the Levites

surrounded them

and served

the priests

so that they could

continue this act

and acted as a buffer

and here in this passage

you see very clearly

they were the guard

of the tent of meeting

to make sure

that people

didn't fall into

the same sin

that had happened

in chapter 16

of thinking

you could just run

rush right into

the tent of meeting

and face God

in his holy of holies

on your own

because

as we're reminded

God's holiness

is like the sun

it is beautiful

it is radiant

but it cannot bear impurity

it will burn up

anything

that draws close

that is not

perfectly pure

and so the priests

and the Levites

lived between

and did you notice

the phrase

that they will bear

the iniquity

of the sanctuary

that they will

actually stand

and bear the consequences

if the Levites

transgressed

and tried to do

what the priests

would do

both the Levites

and the priests

would die

if people

from the outside

tried to come in

and the Levites

allowed that to happen

the Levites

would die

so they stood

in the gap

and bore

responsibility

for the judgment

of God

against the people

all of this

is to say

God created a system

like the guardrails

a couple of summers ago

we went to Yellowstone

National Park

and if you've ever seen

the hot springs

right

they're absolutely beautiful

they're gorgeous

they're also really hot

and every once in a while

you see

that some bison

wandered into a hot spring

and do you know

what happens

it dies

really quickly

it's boiled to death

almost instantaneously

and so

when you go visit

these things

there are guardrails

there are boundaries

that are set up

so that you and me

and the silly

tourists

in our world

that always think

I've got to get

a little closer

I've got to get

the perfect selfie

and transgress

these boundaries

and end up falling

into these things

and dying

that's what the priests

and the Levites

were doing

they were preventing

the foolish

Israelite people

from doing something

that would lead

to their death

by their guarding

the tent

and the tabernacle

by their playing

their particular roles

that God

had given them

friends

how much more now

do we have

a high priest

who mediates

our access

to God

just like it was

a matter of life

and death

for them

we too

have a high priest

who mediates

life and death

to us

so in Hebrews

Hebrews 9:24

chapter 9

verses 24

and following

the writer

says this

for Christ

has entered

not into

holy places

made with hands

which are copies

of the true things

but into heaven

itself

now to appear

in the presence

of God

on our behalf

nor was it

to offer himself

repeatedly

as the high priest

entered the holy places

every year

with blood

not his own

for then he would

have had to suffer

repeatedly

since the foundation

of the world

but as it is

he has appeared

once for all

at the end

of the ages

to put away

sin

by the sacrificing

of himself

and just as it is

appointed for a man

to die once

and after that

comes judgment

so Christ

having been

offered once

to bear the sins

of many

will appear

a second time

not to deal

with sin

but to save

those who are

eagerly

waiting for him

okay

there's a lot

here

I don't know

if you've noticed

how often

we keep quoting

the book of Hebrews

as we're reading

numbers

but it's a really

amazing

rich

deep connection

between these books

so for your

for your benefit

but what we see

here in Hebrews

is picturing

Christ being

the ultimate

high priest

who goes in

and by his

final and perfect

sacrifice

makes it possible

for us

to approach

God

because our sins

have been dealt

with

because he has

died in our

place

and so

when we

on this

side

of the

crucifixion

of Jesus

in his

sacrifice

and the

resurrection

of Jesus

in his

justification

approach

God

in Christ

trusting in

him

knowing that

we have

no righteousness

that we would

be just like

the Israelites

burning up

if we try to

approach him

on our own

but because

Christ has

done that

and because

Christ was

perfect in

his sacrifice

we now have

access to

God

we have a

mediator

who has

opened the

doors

I didn't

read Hebrews

10 19

through 25

because we've

read it

every week

for the last

three weeks

but go back

and read it

again

because

therefore

Christ has

opened a way

for us

by the

sprinkling

of his

blood

and the

cleansing

of our

conscience

for us

to approach

God

with great

confidence

this is

the access

that God

has given

to us

he is

our

great

guardian

who has

made a way

so that we

have access

to him

so this is

the second

blessing

that we see

the first one

is abundant

life

the second

one is

access to

God

and fellowship

with him

and then the

last section

gives us

one more

thing

to see

about the

priesthood

now this

is a longer

section

so bear

with me

here we

go

starting

in verse

8 of

chapter

18

then the

Lord spoke

to Aaron

behold I

have given

you charge

of the

contributions

made to

me

all the

consecrated

things of

the people

of Israel

I have

given them

to you

as a

portion

and to

your

sons

as a

perpetual

due

this

shall

be yours

of the

most

holy

things

reserved

from

the

fire

every

offering

of

theirs

every

grain

offering

of theirs

and every

sin

offering

of theirs

which they

render

to me

shall be

most holy

to you

and to

your

sons

in a

most

holy

place

you

shall

eat

it

every

male

shall

eat

of it

it

is

holy

to

you

this

also

is

yours

the

contribution

of

their

gift

all

the

wave

offerings

of

the

people

of

Israel

I

have

given

them

to

you

and

to

your

sons

and

daughters

with

you

as

a

perpetual

due

everyone

who

is

clean

in your

house

may

eat

the

first

fruits

of

what

they

give

to

the

Lord

I

give

to

you

the

first

ripe

fruits

of

all

that

is

in

the

land

which

they

bring

to

the

Lord

shall

be

yours

everyone

who

is

clean

in

your

house

may

eat

it

every

devoted

thing

in

Israel

shall

be

yours

everything

that

opens

the

womb

of

all

the

flesh

whether

man

or

beast

which

they

offer

to

the

Lord

shall

be

yours

unclean

animals

you

shall

redeem

and

their

redemption

price

at

a

month

old

you

shall

redeem

them

you

shall

fix

at

five

shekels

of

in

silver

according

to

the

shekel

of

the

sanctuary

which

is

twenty

geras

but

for

the

first

born

of

a

cow

for

the

first

born

of

a

sheep

the

first

born

of

a

goat

you

shall

not

redeem

they

are

holy

you

shall

sprinkle

their

blood

on

the

altar

and

shall

burn

their

fat

as

a

food

offering

with

a

pleasant

pleasing

aroma

to

the

Lord

but

their

flesh

shall

be

yours

as

the

breast

that

is

waved

and

as

the

right

thigh

are

yours

all

the

contributions

that

the

people

of

Israel

present

to

the

Lord

I

give

to

you

and

to

your

sons

and

daughters

with

you

as

a

perpetual

due

it

is

a

covenant

of

salt

forever

before

the

Lord

for

you

and

for

your

offspring

with

you

and

the

Lord

said

to

Aaron

you

shall

have

no

inheritance

in

their

land

neither

shall

you

have

any

portion

among

them

I

am

your

portion

and

your

inheritance

among

the

people

of

Israel

to

Levites

I

have

given

every

tithe

in

Israel

for

an

inheritance

in

return

for

their

service

that

they

do

their

service

in

the

tent

of

the

!

so

that

the

people

of

Israel

do

not

come

near

the

tent

of

the

meeting

lest

they

bear

sin

and

die

but

the

Levites

shall

do

the

service

of

the

tent

of

the

meeting

and

they

shall

bear

their

iniquity

it

shall

be

a

perpetual

statute

throughout

your

generations

and

among

the

people

of

Israel

that

they

shall

have

no

inheritance

for

the

tithe

of

the

people

of

Israel

which

they

present

as

contribution

to

the

Lord

I

have

given

to

the

Levites

for

an

inheritance

for

I

have

said

of

them

that

they

shall

have

no

inheritance

among

the

people

of

Israel

and

the

Lord

spoke

to

Moses

saying

moreover

you

shall

speak

and

say

to

the

Levites

when

you

take

from

the

people

of

Israel

the

tithe

that

I

have

given

you

from

them

for

your

inheritance

then

you

shall

present

a

contribution

from

it

to

the

Lord

a

tithe

of

the

tithe

and

your

contribution

shall

be

counted

to

you

as

though

it

were

the

grain

of

the

threshing

floor

and

as

the

fullness

of

the

wine

press

so

you

shall

also

present

a

contribution

to

the

Lord

from

all

your

tithes

which

you

shall

receive

from

the

people

of

Israel

and

from

it

you

shall

give

the

Lord's

contribution

to

Aaron

the

priest

out

of

all

the

gifts

to

you

you

shall

present

every

contribution

due

to

the

Lord

from

each

its

best

part

is

to

be

dedicated

therefore

you

shall

say

to

them

when

you

had

offered

from

it

the

best

of

it

then

the

rest

shall

be

counted

to

the

Levites

as

produce

of

the

threshing

floor

and

as

produce

of

the

wine

press

and

you

may

eat

of

it

in

any

reason

of

it

when

you

have

contributed

the

best

of

it

but

you

shall

not

profane

the

holy

things

of

the

people

of

Israel

lest

you

die

okay

reading

the

law

is so

much

fun

isn't

it

there's

lots

of

little

details

in

here

and

there

are

lots

of

threads

that

I

could

pull

out

about

different

kinds

of

offerings

or

about

how

do

we

redeem

people

and

things

like

that

but

I

don't

think

actually

that's

the

big

picture

because

what

we

see

here

is

basically

two

big

things

right

what

God

is

doing

in

this

section

is

assuring

both

Aaron

in

verses

11

through

verses

8

through

19

and

then

the

Levites

in

21

through

32

he's

saying

I'm

going

to

provide

for

you

even

though

you

don't

have

an

inheritance

of

the

land

because

the

other

12

tribes

will

take

up

all

the

land

and

the

promise

I

will

provide

for

you

through

the

contributions

and

one

of

the

things

that

remarkable

is

if

you

look

through

this

over

and

over

again

God

isn't

instructing

the

people

hey

you

need

to

give

to

these

God

is

saying

I

will

provide

for

you

I

will

provide

as

these

people

give

to

me

I

will

be

the

one

who

will

provide

for

you

God

is

the

source

of

their

abundant

provision

and

generous

inheritance

and

when

you

look

through

the

details

you

see

they

get

the

best

stuff

they

get

the

first

fruits

of

the

grain

and

of

the

wine

they

get

the

fat

parts

of

the

meat

that

is

offering

all

that

doesn't

go

straight

to

the

Lord

is

available

to

them

and

it's

not

just

to

them

but

it's

for

their

whole

families

right

did

you

hear

again

commentaries

I

read

actually

argued

that

this

is

the

very

center

of

the

entire

book

of

numbers

we

can

talk

about

that

later

but

it's

an

interesting

is

verse

20

look

back

with

me

at

verse

20

let me

read

it

again

for

you

and

the

Lord

said

to

Aaron

you

shall

have

no

inheritance

in

their

land

neither

shall

you

have

any

portion

among

them

I

am

your

portion

and

your

inheritance

among

friends

all

of

this

the

promise

that

goes

way

back

to

Abraham

that

God

would

make

his

people

great

and

would

give

them

a

land

and

a

place

all

of

that

is

temporary

in

some

way

because

God's

ultimate

purpose

is that

the

inheritance

that

his

people

receive

is

not

merely

a

place

but

him

God

himself

right

and

when

we

have

God

as

our

inheritance

then

we

live

in

his

kingdom

and

he

provides

a

place

for

us

and

you

know

Jesus