Last week, we went to LeHigh UBF for join worship. But when the kiss is planted, what happens? "you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." (Ex 19:6) The LORD God had Moses tell that to his people 430 years after He pointed to the promised Messiah in the covenant He made with Abraham.. 1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, "I am God Almighty. Wherever it was erected, it defined a certain space as holy, meaning, set aside for God. We are victorious, and yet sometimes there are some things that make us a little afraid. By virtue of our special relationship with God and our modeling of godly behavior in the world, we could function as a kind of moral and spiritual priesthood and lead the world toward holiness. Youre members of His family by blood and by status. When we read in 1 Peter 2 that were a royal priesthood, we need to understand some things about that. 3. 2 I will make my covenant between me and you . They were the direct mediators between God and Israel, while the rest of the nation maintained their responsibility as a holy people, following Gods laws and commandments. However, if no time or space were holy, the opposite danger would exist, namely that a world in which God is hidden would be one in which, for many people, God does not exist. Any enraged people in a nation? Made with in California 2023. It was one and half month ago when they left Egypt. The role of a priest in ancient times was to act as a mediator between God and the people. 620 E. Hamilton Ave.State College, PA 16801(814) 238-4611admin@britshalomstatecollege.org. He shares his desire to set the imprisoned free from their slave masters and bring them to him. Is there still a distinction between priests and non-priests within the Church? God was talking to a literal nation, the nation of Israel, which He had chosen from among all the nations of the earth. A royal priesthood.
Covenant & Conversation | Yitro | A Holy Nation | Rabbi Sacks Key Verses 19:5,6a Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. God is laughing while the nations are raging. What does it mean to be royal? But I want you to understand what it means to be a holy nation. And then, only one day out of the year, he could come into the Holies of Holies and offer sacrifices for the peoplerepresenting the cleansing that was necessary for unholiness. .Today I have begotten you. Thats one of the most quoted Old Testament verses in the New Testament. It was about the time we went to attend the SBC. Some practical ways to live this out include participating in corporate worship, engaging in regular self-examination, cultivating a Christ-centered character, and being intentional in our relationships and interactions with others. They were slaves and a minority. Now, in Scripture, we need to understand that for us, we are called a holy nation. .no, He is not! The Book of Psalms is the eternal lexicon of the soul in dialogue with God. This would be a world with no limits on human self-assertion always the prelude to political, military, economic or environmental disaster. Yet, they were not complaining or frowning. Amen. They were aglow with new life and power, and dissension vanished and unbelievers were converted. Were separated by His designation; we are called out of an unholy nation to be a holy nation. However, there are spiritual leaders, pastors, and elders who are called to equip and shepherd the congregation. 8. We are indwelled by the Holy Spirit. Be holy, for God is holy. This is where we differ from our Catholic friends. Holiness is that bounded emptiness filled by the Divine Presence. Samuel anointed King Saul, and it was a precursor to the fact that God the Father would anoint His Son, Jesus, to be the descendant of King David, and to be the king of this kingdom. We do this by a temporary renunciation of creativity. What they found out is, because of the emotion and the pressure of the crowd, subconsciously the refs found themselves making just little, slight favoritism rulings toward the home team because the home team crowd would cheer or boo based on what they would do. Likewise, an ancient tradition states that when the Roman General Pompey invaded Jerusalem and entered the Temple he was amazed to find that the holy of holies was empty. Skim 21:1-23:9. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, out of all nations, you will be my treasured possession. If God is everywhere, how can anything else exist? We are called out by a holy God. One was an economics professor from the University of Chicago, and the other was a sportswriter. The graciousness of its welfare legislation, and the lucidity of its (unremittingly anti-mythological) faith will bespeak a social order more than human in its sheer humanity. Are you going to run to the next presidential candidate who maybe can pass a few laws that might be a little favorable to us? Its most obvious appearances in the Mosaic books are twofold, the first in relation to Shabbat the day God Himself proclaimed holy and the inner chamber of the sanctuary known as the holy of holies. But its great concerns are with the life we construct together and the terms on which we do so: justice, compassion, human dignity, peace, the limited and proper conduct of war, care for the dependent, welfare for the poor, concern for the long term viability of the environment, above all, the rule of law in which strong and weak, powerful and powerless, are subject to the same code of conduct applied equally to all. . Now, wait a minute. The word goi like its cognate term geviyah means a body. It is a metaphor for a group of individuals whose relationship to one another is as of the limbs to a body. Love the Son! Every Israelite was to have a unique relationship with God, functioning as intermediaries between Him and the rest of the world. Sinai constitutes the creation of a nation long in advance of those things that normally lead to the birth of a nation, because it is not a normal nation but a holy one. Hes King Jesus, and He is the King of this kingdom of citizens who have been redeemed and purchased by His blood. Thats what we would call a positional holiness. When it was time for the Israelites to move from one place to another, the kohanim did the packing, but it was another group, their Kohathite cousins, who did the carrying. Knowing him is the eternal life. Only in a kingdom citizen would you ever find those two words existing at the same time: rejoicing and trembling. Dont let any resistance or hostility keep you from loving Him and serving Him and proclaiming Him. Youve got to choose! Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. Then he will speak to them in his wrath, and terrify them in his fury, saying, As for me, I have set my King, and its not you! Additionally, prayer and reliance on Gods strength are vital in navigating the challenges of living as a holy nation in a secular world. That was true in America. Its the referees! What does the Bible say about selfishness? He is our authority. So, dont try it without a priest. How does our status as a holy nation affect our pursuit of social justice? But, the Bible also talks about a practical holiness. This too is the meaning of Isaiahs remarkable statement: You are my witnesses, declares the Lord, that I am God. 4 In its collective fate and destiny Israel will constitute the most compelling evidence of Divine involvement in human history. Not all in the nation were priests. At the same time, Moses represented the people to God.
A Kingdom of Priests and a Holy Nation - Congregation Brit Shalom Could it be getting a home-cooked meal? God had appeared to Moses here, and he intended to reveal himself to the descendants of Jacob. In the Church, there is no longer a hierarchical priesthood as was seen in ancient Israel. May God help us to love him and obey him fully from our heart. First of all, lets talk about this word holy, here, because thats kind of spooky. Being a kingdom of priests and a holy nation implies a responsibility to share the good news of Jesus Christ and proclaim His kingdom to the world. America was born as it declared its independence from a king. Its not new! What does it mean to be a kingdom of priests? Youre royalty! My kingdom is filled with worry, anxiety and fear. Yes, for you too, they said, Jesus conquered death to save you and give you eternal life and this is the reason we have come here, to make this known unto you. Even though they mixed the German and Dutch languages (in what they said to them) the Negroes still understood them. Once posts are published, youll see them here. . And surely I am with you always, to the every end of the age. (Mt 28:19,20). As we draw near to God, God shares with us his broken heart toward this broken and suffering world. When God calls us in the New Testament, we need to understandHes calling us to stand in the gap between the holy nation that we are (the kingdom that we one day will be in, fully and completely) and the unholy nation in which we currently live. Therefore there must be some window some point of transparency in the screen between the infinite and the finite. even come into the presence of the holiness of God? The answer is, You cant! Fulfilling our role as a holy nation involves living in obedience to Gods commandments, imitating Christs love and forgiveness, and pursuing righteousness in all aspects of our lives. Last week, we talked about how we are a chosen race as Christians redeemed by Godfrom all the peoples of the earth, from all tribes and tongues and nationswere a chosen race that views all other races through the lens of Scripture. What a blessed life it is! I went to a wedding this past weekone of my friends got marriedand there is always the climactic moment, right? You can study that later. He established a theocracy. It means that He is set apart. We discussed this topic during our Friday GBS. And so, where you find countries that are proud, and you find leaders of nations that are proud and arrogant, dictators and tyrants, you will find God setting Himself against them. What does it mean to be a nation? And so, its not enough just to blend in with whatevers going on in your neighborhood or in your school or in your family. You will eat the wealth of nations, And in their riches you will boast. Because, not only are you a royal priesthood, you are a holy nation. There was only one designated tribethe Levitesthat were to act as the go-between. By renouncing our own status as creators (on Shabbat all melachah, meaning creative work, is forbidden). The essence of the Sinai revelation is that the Israelites become the first indeed the only nation formed on the basis of a covenant with God. These things lie far ahead in the future. We acknowledge that everything is from God and we are only his stewards. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. What do I fear the most? Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation." . . No human, says God, can see Me and live.. Why are they so mad? Some of you men have been trying to convince your wife of that for years, and she is yet to be convinced! One phrase that has repeated the most in the first part of Exodus is that I am the Lord. Let us read Exodus 6:2-8. All holiness is a form of renunciation, but since God desires the existence of human beings as responsible and creative beings, he does not ask for total renunciation. 46-5102221. Rudolf Otto, in his book The Idea of the Holy, famously defined the holy as the mysterium tremendum et fascinans, a sense of being in the presence of something vast and awe inspiring . They were not even a nation at that time. What then does it mean to be a holy nation? Whats your excuse? That is not a consequence of holiness but its very meaning. Thus, all believers, regardless of their heritage, are part of the kingdom of priests. On the first Sunday, they shared the gospel with the black slaves. God would be a Deus absconditus, a creator who deserted humanity. Saul confessed that he feared the men and disobeyed God. "A kingdom of priests" thus meant, among other things, "a society of universal literacy"). God, as it were, contracted His Presence so that finitude space and time and the things that occupy them could emerge. So, I understand that I must make a choice every day, who is going to rule and reign on the throne of my heart. Our pursuit of social justice aligns with our calling to reflect Gods character and advance His kingdom on earth. 19:6, NASB). Remembering that our calling as a holy nation extends beyond personal piety, we must actively engage with the world, striving to be a light in darkness, promoting justice, love, and compassion. Let us read Jeremiah 2:5, This is what the Lord says: What fault did your ancestors find in me, that they strayed so far from me? And here we are reading, as a reference to the Trinity, God the Father has a Son that He says will sit on a throne. Theres a battle going on constantly. However, Israel often struggled to embrace their priestly role fully. Did you know that? What do these laws teach about social responsibility, justice, protection of the weak? Lurianic kabbalah gave Judaism one of its most glorious concepts an idea, to be sure, that had been present from the outset but had never been articulated as simply before. Well, it typically means that you have a family connection, a blood connectionto a king. What does it mean to have royalty? Finally, because of their disobedience, their idolatry and their [lack of] morality the whole kingdom imploded in on itself. How many of you, thats news to you? Do it with humility and sincerity and unashamed passionin light of the fact that He has been a servant to you. Acts 19:1-41
Gods heart desire for Israel and all the world is that they may know that God is the Lord. There is no other. Through all these wonders and signs, God demonstrated that he is the Lord in heaven above and on the earth below. That is precisely what Godoes not want to happen. Is Jesus violent? . While the role of mediator between God and people continues to be fulfilled by Jesus alone, we are called to reflect His character and be ambassadors of His kingdom in the world. He took the needs of the people to God and interceded for them. When God is their king, they are Gods kingdom. God introduces the idea of a royal priesthood, describing Israel as a kingdom of priests and a holy nation ( Exodus 19:6 ), and later John writes to the churches explaining that we (the church) are a kingdom of priests also ( Revelation 1:6 ). His desire for us is to obey him fully. But they followed their own conviction and went there. How does being a kingdom of priests impact our relationship with God? We see all kinds of religious history and Christian history. Were not smart enough to figure this out. 65 years later, by 1791, the small community sent out 300 missionaries of which two became slaves to preach the gospel to slaves[3]. The Lord called to him from the mountain, saying, Thus shall you say to the house of Jacob and declare to the children of Israel, You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, how I bore you on eagles wings and brought you to Me. It was kind of depressing up to this point, right? Here are four things I just kind of thought of, as we think of this: They are raging against transcendent truthmoral boundaries that were given to us, outside of time and space, by a holy God, to say, If you live within these boundaries, youll be safe. But its as if no one wants to listen to truth anymore, and now were living in an age where people even deny the existence of truthand truth can be whatever you want it to be. Our worship should be characterized by authenticity, reverence, and a deep desire to honor and glorify God. He exists himself, he has no beginning and no end. When the Greeks and Romans first encountered Jews, they could not understand Shabbat. (It was partly because they had the chance to play games afterward) I was very happy to see their obedience. First of all, find Psalm 2 and put a bookmark or your husbands finger there, and then turn back to 1 Peter chapter 2. How did Israel fulfill this role throughout history? [5] Historically, the most remarkable outcome of the Sinai covenant was that even when they lost their land and sovereignty, Jews did not cease to be a nation because they became a nation before they reached the land or acquired sovereignty. Because there can be no unholiness in the presence of a holy God. These words of God also reveal to us his broken shepherd heart toward the world. God will draw nations to him through those who serve him as the Lord. In the simplest and most elegant way, holiness is to humanity what tzimtzum is to God. Knowing him is the freedom from sin and death. . There is no limit in his power, and nothing is impossible with him. Nothing good lives in us, but when we obey him, God fills us with his goodness, love, peace, power, self-control, and holiness. The Apostle Paul highlights this inclusivity in Galatians 3:28, There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus (NIV). Israel becomes a nation prior to all these things. What does this show about God? Thats the introduction! Love Him with an unashamed adoration. (19:8, 20:18-21). We are to be intentional in our witness, demonstrating the transformative power of the Gospel through our words, actions, and lifestyle. Heres the third thing: Amen? Revelation 1:6 So that the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord. Were learning that we are citizens of two different countries: were American citizens, but we are citizens of a holy kingdom, with a holy King. What is Gods heart desire for us? Our High Priest serves us!
What does it mean that we are a royal priesthood (1 Peter 2:9)? Let me invite you to open your Bibles to two different places. Your email address will not be published. Lest you think that this is a message about America and its raging against God, the kingdom that you should be most concerned withand the king you should be most concerned withis the kingdom of your heart and King Me, who always wants to sit on the throne. I mean, come on! Youre learning something! 2023 Gospel City Church, Inc. Site by MereChurch. It is where many smaller groupings, families and communities, come together to construct the basic terms of their common life. What, though, of the phrase goy kadosh, "a holy nation"? God, if You loved us, You wouldnt have let this happen. By proclaiming Israel to be a kingdom of priests, God was calling the entire nation to fulfill this mediatory role.
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