Becoming a Temple and a Priest by Ben Fronczek

http://granvillenychurchofchrist.org/?p=735

Becoming a Temple and a Priest

I Peter 2:4-10  Becoming a Temple and a Priest

I believe that one of the greatest buildings ever built was the Temple of Solomon which was built about 2000 years ago. In the past I had an opportunity to teach a class of teenagers in the Saratoga Church. Rather than just lecturing them, I gave them a hands on project where I had them erect a scaled down model of Solomon’s Temple. For every cubit in length and width we scaled it down to a centimeter. We duplicated the Tempe and it furnishing as best as we could using Styrofoam, clay, gold foil and even some doll house parts purchased from A.C. Moore. It was an amazing project which they took a lot of pride in constructing. And after they completed the building I had them look up the NT symbolism of those OT objects and present a short lesson to the adults.

Even today it’s hard to comprehend the magnificence of that temple. With all its fame you would think that it was huge structure but in all reality it was not. The Temple itself was only about 90 feet long, 30 feet wide, and about 45 feet high. But when you read about its construction you can’t help but wonder about how magnificent it was. We read that it took more than a 154,000 men seven and half years to build. Most of those men were those who cut each stone perfectly to size in the quarry and then transported them to Jerusalem. But there were also many craftsmen, carpenters, metal smiths and artisans that decorated the structure ornately with gold, silver, bronze, cedar, & more.

I did a little figuring to come up with labor costs for just the stone workers. If you used today’s minimum wage as a reference, (this is not including the skilled artisans) labor cost would be close to 2 billion dollars. But that is a drop in the bucket when you consider how much gold and silver was used to decorate this structure. The Bible tells us that they used about 120 million oz. of Gold and about 1.2 billion oz. of silver. By today’s standards we are talking about $226 billion worth of gold and silver not including all the other precious metals and jewels used in this Temple’s construction.

Only the best was used in building God’s Temple. And after the priest brought the Ark of the Covenant into the Most Holy place, God’s presence, the Shakinah Glory of God came down and set above the Mercy seat in the Holy of Holies.  (2 Chron. 5:13-14)

Then Solomon offered up a prayer of dedication on behalf of the Jewish nation. He also offered up so many animal sacrifices the altar was not big enough to accommodate all of them so a temporary altar area had to be prepared in front of the Temple for the burnt offering.

The Bible says that Solomon offered up 22,000 cattle and 120,000 sheep and goats as fellowship offerings that day and it must have blew their minds when the Lord sent fire down from heaven and consumed those offerings. Then the Glory of God filled the Temple and no one could go inside it.

This was probably the pinnacle, or highest point in all Judaism’s history. The people celebrated and marveled at not only Solomon and the Temple, and Glory of God that consuming those Sacrifices, they also probably felt a patriotism to their nation and their religion like never before.

The priesthood dated back to the time of Moses when God instructed Moses to consecrate his brother Aaron as the first High Priest and his sons to be the first regular priests to serve the people at the Tabernacle. (Exodus 28)

As exciting and glorious as all that was back then, those things; the Temple, the furnishings in the Temple, the Sacrifices, the High Priest and the regular priesthood, they were all shadows of things and people that would come later.

And today we will see that Peter talks about theses very things in his first letter to the early Christians in 1 Peter 2.

Now if you remember from previous lessons that Peter was writing to Christians who needed encouragement because life had become very difficult for them.  What makes Peter’s letter so practical and helpful is the fact that his words are encouraging for all Christians, including us today. As you know each generation has its own problems, trials, and hardships.  I know that some of you today are frustrated, discourages, and just plain tired of dealing with this life and the problems that come along with it.

In light of that listen to what the Apostle Peter wrote in his letter. Read 2:4-10 “

4 As you come to him, the living Stone —rejected by men but chosen by God   and precious to him— 5 you also, like living stones, are being built   into a spiritual house   to be a holy priesthood,   offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

6 For in Scripture it says: “See, I lay a stone in Zion,     a chosen and precious cornerstone, and the one who trusts in him will never be put to shame.”  7 Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

“The stone the builders rejected     has become the capstone,” 8 and,

“A stone that causes men to stumble     and a rock that makes them fall.”

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

9 But you are a chosen people,   a royal priesthood,   a holy nation,   a people belonging to God,   that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God;  once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

There’s a story about a king of Sparta in ancient Greece who boasted to a visiting monarch about the mighty walls of Sparta. But the guest looked around and didn’t see any walls, and finally he said to his host, “I’d like to see those walls. Show them to me!” The Spartan ruler pointed with great satisfaction to some disciplined and well-trained troops, part of Sparta’s mighty army, and exclaimed, “There they are! Those are the walls of Sparta!”

Just as each Spartan soldier was viewed by the king as a brick in his mighty wall, so we are viewed by God as “living stones.. the very building blocks that make up His new Temple  We are God’s true temple, not built with quarried stones and cedar like Solomon’s Temple.  Rather that was a shadow of what God had planned all along. A temple not made with the hands of men but by God Himself.

God now resides in and among His people. And together Peter tells us that we can and should bring more Glory to His name than Solomon’s Temple ever did.

And not only that, as Christians we have become God’s new holy priesthood. Not cleansed and made pure by the blood of animals like those early Jewish Priests, rather cleansed by the blood of Jesus, God’s one and only Son.

Solomon’s Temple, and that Jewish Priesthood of old were only a shadow of what was meant to be. We are now the foreordained Temple that God really wanted. And I believe this is more precious and precious to God than all the gold, silver and jewels of Solomon’s time. Jesus is ultimate High Priest as well as the only perfect sacrifice for our sin.  We are now members of God’s Holy Priesthood. And Peter said in verse 5 & 9 that we are a holy Priesthood that is meant to offer up spiritual sacrifices and verse 9 says that we “.. are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that we may declare the praises of Him who called us out of darkness into His wonderful light.”

The NLT put it this way, “You are royal priests, a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for He called you out of the darkness into His wonderful light.”

You and I are now priests of God. Back in the Old  Testament, a priest was a very special person.
– They were  not only to serve as “go-betweens” for men and God, they also had a the responsibility to evangelize the world of their time.
–  They led in worship and taught from the Scriptures
–  They wore special robes that distinguished them from other worshippers
–  Only they could handle the holy things of God (incense, sacrifices, the    furniture of the tabernacle – anything related to worship)
– They had a distinctive initiation before entering their office
– They had to be anointed as marks of their office (ex. 29)
–  And not just everyone could become a Priest – you had to born of the tribe of Levi

AND now, Peter tells us that we are a “holy priesthood”  in vs. 5, and part of a “royal priesthood” in vs. 9.  (If you are a Christian you are a Priest!)

The Apostle John also wrote in Revelation: Jesus “… has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father…” (Revelation 1:6)

So, how have we become like the Old Testament priests?

– We have been born of the line of Jesus – The True and Perfect High priest.
– And we were set apart for priestly service when we were saved. Just like the Priests of old we were washed with water and anointed with the Holy Spirit (Acts 2)

– And just like those priests we have put on a new garment. Galatians 3:27 tells us “all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”

And now because we are priests of God, we have a right to handle the holy things of God.
We have the privilege of coming before God in prayer
We have the right to baptize others into Christ
We have the responsibility of knowing and teaching the Word of God
AND we have no need for anyone other than Jesus to intercede for us before God

What about theses spiritual sacrifices that we are to offer up? What is He talking about there?  Here are FOUR SPIRITUAL SACRIFICES mentioned in Scripture:
#1. We should offer up our Bodies as a living Sacrifice. Romans 12:1 says,.
“Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship.” 
• Will you use your body for doing what is right, or what is wrong?
• Its about making daily choices – will I use my hand to hit and hurt someone, or to heal and help?

#2.  In Hebrews 13:15 it says to OFFER SACRIFICES OF PRAISE:
“Through Jesus,  therefore,  let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” (Hebrews 13:15).

#3 & #4. And here’s two more in Hebrews 13:16; it says. 16″ And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.”                                                                                  

• Doing Good and Sharing with others are also seen as  the kind of sacrifices that please God.

Whether you realize it or not, in God eyes you are very special, you hold a very high and privileged position in His kingdom.  Peter wrote those word long ago to encourage those Christian who were struggling and probably down, who needed encouragement.

Closing: Maybe it was a hard week for you. Maybe you feel tired, or depressed, lonely, or just feel like giving up like I would imaging those people did back then when Peter wrote to them.

Over and over Peter reminds us today how precious we in God’s sight. Earlier in his letter he told us that we have a Heavenly Father who is watching over us and because of His great love He has shown us mercy and grace by sending His son Jesus.

He has also given us a new birth into a eternal life set aside for us in heaven. And here in our reading today he tells us how He views us and reminds us of our position and role in His sight; and that is you are part of God’s Holy Temple and you are a priesthood made pure by the blood His Son Jesus

I would like to close with the following reading: Hebrews 10:19-25

19 Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, 20 by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, 21 and since we have a great priest over the house of God, 22 let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. 23 Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. 24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. 25 Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another —and all the more as you see the Day approaching.

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