July 14, 2016

HONORING GOD'S PRIESTS

Wisdom of Sirach 7:29-31 LXX

Fear the Lord with all your soul
And honor His priests.
Love Him who made you
And do not forsake His ministers.
Fear the Lord and honor His priests,
And give them their portion as commanded:
The firstfruits, the trespass offering,
The gift of the shoulder offering,
The sacrifice of sanctification,
And the firstfruits of the holy things.

Personal Challenge

One of the outcomes of the western approach to Christianity where we are given the authority to interpret the scriptures is that we have diminished the role of the priesthood in the church. God ordained an order to the church, both in the Jewish nation and the new covenant church ushered in by our Lord Jesus Christ. Just as the people were admonished in the day of Sirach to honor and respect those who had been called and ordained into priestly roles, so too are we to do the same in our church today. It is not up to me to declare this structure as invalid because it is God's structure and not mine. Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy! Lord, have mercy!