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Redeemer, Priest, and King, July 8
For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless,
undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the
heavens.
Hebrews 7:26
.
By divine direction the tribe of Levi was set apart for the service of
the sanctuary. In the earliest times every man was the priest of his own
household. In the days of Abraham, the priesthood was regarded as the
birthright of the eldest son. Now, instead of the first-born of all Israel,
the Lord accepted the tribe of Levi for the work of the sanctuary.... The
priesthood, however, was restricted to the family of Aaron. Aaron and
his sons alone were permitted to minister before the Lord; the rest of
the tribe were entrusted with the charge of the tabernacle....
In accordance with their office, a special dress was appointed for the
priests. “Thou shalt make holy garments for Aaron thy brother for glory
and for beauty” (
Exodus 28:2
), was the divine direction to Moses....
Everything connected with the apparel and deportment of the priests
was to be such as to impress the beholder with a sense of the holiness
of God, the sacredness of His worship, and the purity required of those
who came into His presence. Not only the sanctuary itself, but the
ministration of the priests, was to “serve unto the example and shadow
of heavenly things.”
Hebrews 8:5
.
The people were taught each day, by means of types and shadows,
the great truths relative to the advent of Christ as Redeemer, Priest,
and King; and once each year their minds were carried forward to the
closing events of the great controversy between Christ and Satan, the
final purification of the universe from sin and sinners. The sacrifices
and offerings of the Mosaic ritual were ever pointing toward a better
service, even a heavenly.
The merits of His [Jesus’] sacrifice are sufficient to present to the
Father in our behalf.
We are to have free access to the atoning blood of Christ. This we
must regard as the most precious privilege, the greatest blessing, ever
granted to sinful man.
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