The Priesthood

Broadly speaking, a priest is a religious official who presides over rituals and offers sacrifices on an altar in the worship or reverence of a deity.

In the Old Testament, priests were set apart by God for the specific purpose of serving Him. The Pentateuch records that God separated the tribe of Levi to be His servants. The book of Numbers points out that the Levites were not counted with the other tribes; they represented all the firstborn of Israel who served God. Within the tribe of Levi, only the descendants of Aaron had the right to serve as high priests, establishing the tradition of the Old Testament priestly system. Priests typically performed tasks that helped the Israelites offer sacrifices to God, acting as intermediaries between humanity and God. Although other nations had priests for their own gods (Exodus 2:16), the priests mentioned in the Bible generally refer to the priests of Israel.

When Israel was divided into the northern and southern kingdoms, Jeroboam, the first king of the northern kingdom, feared that if the people went to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices, their hearts would eventually turn back to the southern kingdom of Judah. So he set up two golden calves in Dan and Bethel and appointed priests from tribes other than the Levites. All the subsequent kings of the northern kingdom of Israel followed his example, which was a great sin in God’s eyes.

In the New Testament, the Lord Jesus is a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. He did not glorify Himself to become a high priest, but was called by God, just like Aaron. Christ offered one perfect sacrifice for sins, making those who have been set apart for God’s purposes eternally perfect. The sacrifice offered by Christ, our High Priest, was a complete atonement for sin. His sacrifice fulfilled the new covenant, and as a result, the continuous sacrifices of the old system completely ceased.

In 1 Peter 2:9, Peter says that according to God’s selection, believers have also become a new spiritual nation, sharing in God’s blessings alongside the chosen people of Israel in the Old Testament. The phrase “a royal priesthood, a holy nation” is a direct quote from the Septuagint version of Exodus 19:6, which was God’s promise to the Israelites if they kept His commandments. This promise now also applies to New Testament believers, bearing witness to the salvation God accomplished in Christ.

The Bible records:

[Exodus 19:6] And you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the people of Israel.

[Hebrews 5:1] For every high priest chosen from among men is appointed to act on behalf of men in relation to God, to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins.

[1 Peter 2:9] But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.