Musing: A reminder of your priesthood

For the past few years the Holy Spirit has been emphasizing our identity as sons and daughters of God. While this has been essential to our understand who we are It is also important that we remember we are also priests.

When you think of a priest what is the image that comes to your mind? I normally picture a person wearing a clergy shirt. Every minister that wears a clergy shirt has daily reminder that they have been called to serve in the ministry. I know when I have worn my clergy shirt I am aware everyone knows who I am  and what I represent. You can feel all these eyes on you and truth behold you are much more aware your conduct. You are aware of your attitude and actions. There is no hiding of who we are

In 2 Chronicles 29 Hezekiah starts regaining at 25 years old. One of his first under taking was to assemble the priesthood and have them  reopen the temple and to remove the “rubbish” out of the temple.

• 2 Chronicles 29:3-7 “In the very first month of the first year of his reign, Hezekiah reopened the doors of the Temple of the Lord and repaired them. 4 He summoned the priests and Levites to meet him at the courtyard east of the Temple. 5 He said to them, “Listen to me, you Levites! Purify yourselves, and purify the Temple of the Lord, the God of your ancestors. Remove all the defiled things from the sanctuary. 6 Our ancestors were unfaithful and did what was evil in the sight of the Lord our God. They abandoned the Lord and his dwelling place; they turned their backs on him. 7 They also shut the doors to the Temple’s entry room, and they snuffed out the lamps. They stopped burning incense and presenting burnt offerings at the sanctuary of the God of Israel.”

To be honest taking out the rubbish is an ongoing thing in our lives.

Hezekiah makes it clear his expectations He tells the priest not to neglect their duties as priests. I am hoping all of us might feel the weight of being priests and thus living our public and private lives in a manner fit for the priesthood.

“2 Chronicles 29:11 (NLT) My sons, do not neglect your duties any longer! The Lord has chosen you to stand in his presence, to minister to him, and to lead the people in worship and present offerings to him.”

Yes, we are priests:

• 1 Peter 2:9 “But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;Revelation 5:10 And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”

• Revelation 5:10 “And have made us kings and priests to our God; And we shall reign on the earth.”

If our final destination is to be priests who are kings and we will reign on the earth we should be practicing now.

In the words of Hezekiah:

• “2 Chronicles 29:11 (NLT) My sons, do not neglect your duties any longer!