Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion:
- A priest represents God to the people and the people to God. Read Exodus 3:7-17 and consider why God asks Moses to represent him.
- After God delivers the Israelites from Pharoah’s oppression, he calls them to be a kingdom of priests. Read Exodus 19:3-6. What must the Israelites trust and do to represent God to other nations?
- What do the Israelites trust and do instead? Read Exodus 32:1-5.
- The Israelites are in trouble. How does Moses act as a priest for Israel? Read Exodus 32:30-32 and consider how Moses’ actions point to Jesus (e.g., Heb. 3:1-6; Rom. 5:6-8; John 10:14-18; 1 Pet. 3:18). How does Jesus complete what Moses foreshadowed?
- Take time to discuss other themes, questions, or key takeaways from what you learned together.
What is a priest?
A priest cares for the sacred space of the temple, represents the people to God, and announces God’s blessing over the people. The high priest is the only one who can enter the innermost part of the tabernacle, the holy of holies. This is where God’s presence dwells and the priest mediates that presence to the people.
The biblical authors use Eden imagery to describe the temple, making it clear that God’s ideal calling for humans is to be royal priests over creation—God’s cosmic temple. Even though humans forfeited their priestly vocation through rebellion in Genesis 3, Jesus fulfills God’s plan and restores humanity to their role as royal priests. The biblical story contains a priestly drama that leads to Jesus, and that’s what this video series is all about.
A gateway between Heaven and Earth
Priests embody God’s wisdom and fully experience God’s presence in the temple. They act as gateways between Heaven and Earth. And when humans live into their vocation as royal priests, all of creation becomes a sacred space where Heaven and Earth intersect.
If humans are God’s royal priests, where is our temple?
Priests care for the sacred space of the temple. And humans are the royal priests who are to care for the sacred space of God’s creation. We are called to work and worship so that our communities can flourish. We represent God’s presence so his Heaven-on-Earth blessings flow into the world.
In this series, we’ll explore God’s plan for humans to serve as royal priests over creation, and we’ll learn how Jesus fulfilled that plan after humans forfeited their vocation.
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