QUALITIES NECESSARY FOR PRIESTHOOD
[p. 184] QUALITIES NECESSARY FOR PRIESTHOOD
Exodus 18:10-12; Exodus 24:5; Exodus 28:1-4; Exodus 28:40-43
JT What is in mind is to seek under the Lord to reach an understanding of priesthood so far as we can. The service of God as far as we are concerned necessarily calls for priesthood in the sense in which it appears in chapter 28. Earlier it is seen in these other scriptures; first in Jethro, and then in the youths of Israel in chapter 24. The appearance of the subject in the book is very orderly, for the idea of service begins in chapter 3, where it is stated it should be in a certain place, namely, the mountain, and then Israel is viewed as a son in view of service.
Moses asserted to Pharaoh several times that there should be cattle suitable for offerings to Jehovah. What is striking is that Jethro comes into it according to the verses read as showing us that quality suitable for priesthood must underlie the official exercise of it: that is, before the thing is owned officially it must be there in quality. Jethro represents the formative side — he is growing in his soul, having heard from Moses what God had done for Israel — and he goes into it joyously (Exodus 18:9) and in verse 10 he blesses Jehovah. Following that he confesses his knowledge, “I know that Jehovah is greater than all gods; for in the thing in which they acted haughtily he was above them”. He is gathering up the true knowledge of God, and the true knowledge of God is essential to the service of God as priests. He took a burnt-offering and sacrifices for God; Aaron comes and all the elders to eat bread in the presence of God. That is evidently a good meeting; no official priest but nevertheless priestly service.
[p. 185] The service of God is to be marked by freshness; these youths of the children of Israel are there under the direction of the mediator. This element runs through from this point; priesthood is subservient to mediatorship. That is, authority in Christ is present in regard to the exercise of priesthood, which leads us to chapter 28, where we have the formal requirements of God, “That he may serve me as priest”. “And thou shalt take thee Aaron thy brother, and his sons with him, from among the children of Israel, that he may serve me as priest”.
In chapter 19 Jehovah says, “Then shall ye be my own possession out of all the peoples — for all the earth is mine — and ye shall be to me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation”. Exodus 19:5,6. That is the thought applying to all, but chapter 28 contemplates selection, the idea is narrowed down to a family, and they, in particular, are to serve Jehovah as priests. Again in verse 4 we get “That he may serve me as priest”, and in the end of the chapter “That they may serve me as priests” (verse 41).
Ques What is the difference between a “kingdom of priests” and a family?
JT I think it is a question of quality. It is a principle with God that when a matter is introduced it becomes more and more refined; it is the principle of refinement, that which is more excellent, showing that Israel will have a priestly place by and by on earth, but we have it in a more refined and exalted way. We belong to a priestly family.
ELM Is it that the point of refinement should be reached that should immediately concern us?
JT We ought to have it before us; the heavenly calling requires this thought of refinement and selection.
JHT When you speak of selection in chapter 28 have you in mind Aaron’s previous history in chapter 4 [p. 186] where he kissed his brother and he and Moses brought the people to the point of worship?
JT He is in the background from the beginning. In speaking to Moses Jehovah had in His mind a one-man matter — and of course it is in the antitype, Christ is Apostle and High Priest — so in speaking to Moses the emphasis is that the whole matter is to be in his hands. Aaron meeting Moses suggests the truth of ‘brethren’, but primarily God had one Man in mind in the whole matter; He had Christ in mind. It was so ordered that mediatorship is in one man’s hand and priesthood is in another. In teaching, no doubt, it is good that it is so. We learn in part and we can see the matter more clearly in that way; Aaron is clearly in the background from the beginning.
JMcK In Romans 15, where the apostle speaks of the saints glorifying the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, would that be priesthood appearing?
JT Informally, not yet formally. Romans runs parallel with this; we have priesthood without naming it.
WL This matter of priestly service becomes all a question of clothing, does it not?
JT Clothing represents qualities, the great divine thoughts touching the office. In Exodus young brothers come into it. We are taken up for service and reminded that we are sons, and God asserts there are certain qualities needed in the matter. Every christian is a priest but God reminds us He looks for certain qualities. If I give out a hymn my spirit moves me to do it, but even a favourite hymn must be with the understanding; my intelligence must indicate it is suitable or I do not use it. Likewise in everything in the assembly, intelligence is the thought. I am to sing with the intelligence and pray with [p. 187] the intelligence.
JHT I wondered if intelligence appeared in the youths in chapter 24; when Moses sent them, they offered sacrifices without being specifically commanded.
JT It alludes to the progress already made in the book. Jethro is the formation that comes into the soul; he is a foreigner but he is coming into the truth and going on in it. The youngest brother is able to officiate with the most experienced brother.
ELM Would the youths be an indication of progress — a wider thought, there are more of them?
JT In each case the service fits. It is indeed great; I do not jar anyone in this service, I do not offend the ear of the assembly, or, above all, the ear of God, for He is listening. Divine Persons are attentive. It is the spiritual element that is to lead us, so that what the youths had here seems to be in advance of Jethro. What he did he did of himself, meaning all young believers growing by the true knowledge of God come into fellowship and take part.
Aaron came to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law. The next occasion is under authority; he sent the youths of the children of Israel and they offered burnt offerings and sacrifices of peace offering of bullocks to Jehovah. This connects with the Lord’s supper; we are under the Lord’s authority, but anyone with liberty in his soul in the assembly as under authority may take part, but the point is what is done is suitable.
FW Would Jethro indicate formation in the every-day life? We were noticing yesterday how frequently he is stated to be the father-in-law.
JT His relation to Moses is expressed ten or twelve times as “in-law”. In his case it was extended back a good while, but as he heard things (and, indeed, he is hearing things from Moses), he is affected, and then he has the wife with him and sons — they would be an abstract thought in relation to [p. 188] the assembly in a person of this stature. The gospel suggests the thought to us, the basis of offering is in the gospel in Romans. The idea of the wife is with Jethro; she is not brought into the feast. She is recognised, but the meeting is really made up of Jethro, who has the leading part, and Aaron and all the elders of Israel. It is in the presence of God; it is a meeting characterised by the peace-offering. It is not so far that Jehovah has part in the thing, but it is in keeping with the presence of God.
FW You were suggesting that it is relative to the Lord’s supper, the youths introducing the thought. It is “under the mountain”; it is a different position from “up ... into the mountain”.
JT They have now committed themselves formally to Jehovah, and so they were in a morally greater position and Moses is moving in sending the youths; it does not seem he says what to do, but they do it under his influence.
GEE Would you say the youths are together in it in relation to the covenant?
JT I thought they maintained the freshness of it; that is important in our meetings. There is no one of us that has not been affected by the part young brothers have taken. Progress in the subject is here, in freshness, and under control; it is not a brother doing it of himself. In the assembly we must be always under control; that is what appears here.
SH Are the young brought in before the priesthood is established?
JT It is not a simply individual impulse; they are under orders; they are under control. We come together in assembly and it is the Lord’s matter; it is His authority from the outset.
FW Would you indicate what position this sprinkling of blood has in our economy?
JT It is 1 Corinthians where we have the blood, “the new covenant in my blood”. 1 Corinthians 11:25. We have not got [p. 189] the blood in the second letter, it is the spirit of the new covenant there. This chapter corresponds with 1 Corinthians 11, where the blood is part of the Lord’s supper.
JHT As to priesthood in Romans you have the quality appearing, “full of goodness” Romans 15:4, and in Colossians spiritual feelings coming forward and in Ephesians the intelligence: “being enlightened in the eyes of your heart”. Ephesians 1:18.
JT That is the order. You are strengthened in chapter 3 by the Father’s Spirit. We were saying in Plymouth that what is developed first of all are qualities of service in the living creatures in Revelation. There is the face of a man, a lion, the calf and flying eagle; these are qualities developed livingly in young christians or however old we may be. The elders refer to persons; the qualities are subservient to persons. They know just what to do and wait upon the exercise of quality in the assembly. The elders come in when the living creatures come in.
WL Would you say what we are to understand by priestly service?
JT Chapter 28 introduces it to us formally. We have already been remarking that certain serve unofficially; that is, they serve in relation to certain qualities, formation in Jethro and freshness in the youths; now we have an advanced point and God is opening a heavenly system. Moses is to be there forty days. He is there to receive all those wonderful divine thoughts: the tabernacle is stated to be a representation of things in the heavens, and Jehovah is showing him the pattern. Priesthood comes in in the midst of all this, as if, in the presence of such great thoughts, we need persons of intelligence. Things must be done rightly. Chapter 28 opens the thing up and it is now in the one family; we are now in the presence of the greatest thoughts. We must [p. 190] learn everything from Christ; the saints thus come in and take their part.
WF “Consider the apostle and high priest ...”. Hebrews 3:1.
JT It is that we might learn priesthood in Christ. Peter says we are priests.
WB Would we get the quality of service in Peter: “Sacrifices acceptable to God by Jesus Christ”? 1 Peter 2:5.
JT That is the thought.
WF What is the thought of “by Jesus Christ”? 1 Peter 2:5.
JT We offer in relation to Him.
WL Does priesthood mean offering up spiritual sacrifices?
JT Priesthood means that divine requirements are taken care of. I do not think it will go into eternity: it will not be needed, it is too great a position. What God is, the exigencies of divine nature, require this in addition to Sonship. The primary thought is that sons shall serve, but priesthood shows it is provisional to keep in restraint all that would defile in relation to God.
WL Is it confined in expression to the Supper?
JT It goes right through.
EG It would come into prayer.
JT It affects all that attaches to the service of God.
JHT Do you get priests standing for God in Uzziah’s day when eighty priests withstood him (2 Chronicles 26:18)?
JT They are maintaining the rights of God.
GEE Would spiritual conditions be seen in Hebrews 2:11? He is “not ashamed to call them brethren”.
JT That is the highest point in Hebrews. In the truth viewed as we shall be in heaven as entirely in Christ’s present humanity the thought of priesthood is not necessary. It does not say He is ‘not ashamed to call us priests’, but brethren; He sings Himself in the midst of the assembly. We are partakers of His humanity there, His holy nature; we shall share that eternally. Priesthood is not there.
Ques Has the Lord anything less to offer now than the prayers and praises of His people?
JT He is there Himself.
WF “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise continually to God”. Hebrews 13:15.
JT It is more that we offer, not that He offers us. It is a continual service carried on, seen in its most exalted way in the assembly.
ETS Could we do without priesthood in our worship?
JT It is a question of whether we are free of our flesh and blood condition; it is doubtful if any one of us can say we are; there is nothing else suggested than serving as priest here.
Ques If there is to be response and God is to have things presented fully and acceptably, can you not see the necessity for conditions?
JT It is all in view of conditions. When we reach the types, the temple and the service there, are a figure of eternal things. We reach a point there where priests cannot minister. That does not mean the saints are shut out, but we have got on to the eternal state of things; the metals of the temple denote what the saints are, the official side is just dropped.
ELM Would that suggest three offices of priesthood — the moral qualifications of Jethro, the youths and more official side in chapter 28, and touching what is eternal that you have alluded to?
JT That is good. The priests could not serve, and yet the glory was there and affections of God were satisfying themselves; Christ remains Son before the Father — priesthood is in abeyance.
[p. 192] Ques I noticed a remark in your prayer in connection with Peter’s word, “the holy one of God”, John 6:69 and I wondered if that bore upon priesthood.
JT It does, intimately. John’s gospel contemplates persons affected by the presence and service of Christ. John the baptist sees Him sacrificially, as the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world; he is able to name that Person; the woman at the well sees Him in another way, as He takes her on in the service. She is to be a vessel in the great administrative work He has taken on. “The Father loves the Son, and has given all things to be in his hand” John 3:35, and then in chapter 4 the woman is affected by the Lord in an administrative capacity. She is brought into the thing as her soul is enlightened as to Him. She leaves her waterpot and goes into the city, meaning she understands she is part of the great administrative system. Peter comes in next, “Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast words of life eternal; and we have believed and known that thou art the holy one of God”, John 6:68,69. That is the way He carries on the service of God. There is the sacrificial side and the administrative side and priestly side. Peter sees the priesthood at Jerusalem set aside.
JHT Was it in your mind to say a few words as to verse 4?
JT There is no time. What is in mind is more general, this expression particularly “That he may serve me as priest”, not as son. It is sons that serve, only priesthood is needed because of conditions and that raises the whole question of what state we are in. The garments are qualities in which priesthood is exercised; the whole chapter undertakes for the necessity for suitable conditions.
EG Would you say a word about the plural thought, ‘sons’?
JT The linen garments are brought in particularly with them, showing a balance to the subject of beauty. The chief idea is Christ in His garments of glory and beauty; in the sons it is in a lesser way but with the linen. It keeps us balanced.
Ques Do the garments represent various states of soul qualifying for priesthood?
JT “And these are the garments which they shall make: a breastplate, and an ephod, and a cloak, and a checkered vest, a turban, and a girdle: and they shall make holy garments for Aaron thy brother, and his sons, that he may serve me as priest”. The breastplate is remarkable as coming first; that is, so to say, that which includes all the saints in the affections of Christ. He has all the saints upon His heart; Aaron never went in without this. It is as if God would say, You must have all the saints. In a lesser way in each of Aaron’s sons there is what would take character from the breastplate. You must love the saints.
Ques Do the clothes indicate the qualities or features of mind underneath the clothes?
JT You must have the qualities; the clothes are the external evidence of the state we are in.
That brings in another matter; namely, the Hebrew bondman as a figure of Christ. He loves master, wife and children; that is, love is in widest evidence: ascending, horizontal, so to speak, and descending love is there. He undertakes to remain in that attitude for ever; that is the full limit of love. In chapter 28 it is the same Person in type only in glorious garments indicating that love underneath was there.