FOURTHLY, Aaron’s sons were in such relationship with Aaron, the high priest, as no others were, and were also associated with him in the service of the sanctuary. So, now, every believer, whether man, woman, or child, is by the new birth, and by the indwelling of the Holy Ghost, brought into real relationship with Jesus, our Great High Priest. Being sanctified by God, and made children, “He is not ashamed to call us brethren.” We are also united to Him by the Holy Ghost, so that “we are members of His body, of His flesh, and of His bones.” Thus are we in spiritual and eternal relationship with Jesus, now in the heavens, our life and righteousness.
Moreover, having liberty to enter into the holiest of all, where Jesus acts as Minister of the Sanctuary, and of the true tabernacle, which the Lord pitched and not man, we offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Him. As none but Aaron and his sons had access to the sanctuary for the service of priesthood; so now all who are priests, and none else, have liberty to enter into the holiest where Jesus is.
Thus we see that, like Aaron’s sons, believers now are priests unto God, by election, by birth, by consecration, by being in relationship with the High Priest, and associated with Him in the service of the sanctuary; the distinction between high priest and priest being always preserved. Jesus, though “King of kings,” as well as High Priest, has not yet come forth to reign; and we too, though both kings and priests, await His time of manifested glory ere we reign with Him. Now we exercise our priestly office, and ere long through matchless grace shall sit on thrones and wear crowns. Now we are both “an holy priesthood” and a “royal priesthood”; now we suffer with Him, then we shall reign with Him.
Again, because they were God’s priests, he provided everything for their sustenance. He prescribed what they were to eat, and what they were to abstain from, so as to be fitted for their office. To feed on what was forbidden, or to have abstained from what God ordered, would alike have rendered them incompetent for the true work of priesthood. Here also the typical instruction set forth touching the sons of Aaron is deeply instructive. The food prescribed, too, was for priests only — “a stranger shall not eat thereof.” The priests were to eat and be satisfied, and the remainder might not be eaten by a stranger, but it was for God; it was burnt and offered up by fire. “If ought of the flesh of the consecrations, or of the bread, remain unto the morning, then thou shalt burn the remainder with fire: it shall not be eaten, because it is holy” (see Exod. 29:33, 3433And they shall eat those things wherewith the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them: but a stranger shall not eat thereof, because they are holy. 34And if ought of the flesh of the consecrations, or of the bread, remain unto the morning, then thou shalt burn the remainder with fire: it shall not be eaten, because it is holy. (Exodus 29:33‑34)).
The priests were to feed on the sacrifices in order to be fitted for their service. Observe the divine directions: “They shall eat of those things wherewith the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them.” This is both simple and positive. We know who has made atonement, and by what sacrifice alone it has been accomplished; and it is upon that blessed, spotless, perfect One, who loved us and gave Himself for us, that we have to feed for real strength and blessing.
Remark here that the priests were to eat — not merely to look upon and talk about, but to handle and receive, so as to derive nourishment and strength, refreshment and comfort, from the same sacrifice by which atonement had been made; thus teaching us that it is personal communion with the Lord which can alone qualify for the activities of priestly service. The believer, already washed from his sins, having a purged conscience, accepted in Christ, is therefore to find his daily strength for priestly service in drawing blessing from Him who was the one Sacrifice which was once offered. We are to feed upon Him — to taste, enjoy, and enter into the qualities, worth, perfections, and glory of Him who redeemed us by His death upon the cross, so as to be strengthened for the faithful discharge of our priestly office.
“But how are we to feed upon Him?” some may ask. We reply, “The written Word reveals Him, and the Holy Ghost given unto us testifies of Him.” Thus, pondering the Holy Scriptures in dependence on the Holy Ghost, and receiving God’s thoughts in faith, we enter into the divine testimony of Jesus, Son of God — His personal glories; His finished work; what He was and is to God; what He is to us and for us; thus our hearts are gladdened and our inner man strengthened. In this way we shall be so attracted to Him, so taken up with His perfections, that in a measure we shall be able to say: “We beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” And being occupied with Him, He will be to us the attractive, absorbing, commanding, and satisfying object of our hearts. We thus obtain strength for service. It is communion, entering into the love and power of Christ, and finding satisfaction and delight in that same object which perfectly satisfies and delights the heart of the Father. “Our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ”; for by the communion of the Holy Ghost, we have thoughts, feelings, joy, and rest produced in our souls in joint-participation — wondrous grace! with those of the Father and His Son.
Does the Father delight and rest in that beloved Son who glorified Him on the earth, and finished the work which He gave Him to do? So do we. Is He an object capable of filling and satisfying the Father’s heart? Assuredly He is. He is then much more than enough for our hearts. And does that beloved Son, now in the glory, delight in all the results of His accomplished work? And do not we? Does He not take deepest interest in His present work on earth, both in evangelizing and care for His own flock? And do not we? Is He not looking forward with earnest expectation of having us to be with Him to behold His glory? And are not we looking and waiting for Him? And if we ponder it for a moment, we must see that the blessed Spirit, the other Comforter, who has been given by the Father to dwell in us, could not produce in us a lower order of thought, feeling, joy, and hope, than suit the Father and the Son, though our apprehensions may be small and poor. “Oh the blessedness of this precious fellowship! How it kindles our hearts to go out in adoring worship and thanksgiving — attracts, and sets our minds on things above where Christ sitteth, and draws us onward in testimony for Him who so richly loved us, and so willingly gave Himself for us! What a mine of wealth, what untold treasure, is wrapped up in those precious words, “They shall eat of those things wherewith the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them”! (Exod. 29:3333And they shall eat those things wherewith the atonement was made, to consecrate and to sanctify them: but a stranger shall not eat thereof, because they are holy. (Exodus 29:33)). It has always been God’s way to feed His people. In the sandy desert He rained down bread from heaven day by day, and they had only to gather up and eat of His gracious and abundant provision. When they arrived in the land flowing with milk and honey, the manna ceased, and they ate of “the old corn of the land.” But when Jesus came and announced Himself to be “the bread of God,” “the bread of life,” He said, “The bread that I will give is My flesh, which I will give for the life of the world.” He is now, then, the bread of God, “and the living bread”; concerning which He added, “Whoso eateth My flesh, and drinketh My blood, dwelleth in Me, and I in him. As the living Father hath sent Me, and I live by the Father; so he that eateth Me, even he shall live by Me. This is the bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live forever” (John 6:56-5856He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 57As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 58This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. (John 6:56‑58)).
Enough has been quoted from Scripture to show the imperative importance of the believer being occupied with Christ, as drawing his resources from Him, so as to be strengthened and fitted for service — not only to do the will of God, but to do it in the spirit and mind of Christ. By feeding on the same sacrifice “wherewith atonement was made,” as we have seen, we are in communion with Him, we dwell in Him, and He dwells in us. His thoughts engage our minds, His grace pervades our souls, we enter into His unspeakable love, and He has a place in our hearts; thus His presence is enjoyed, and we find our true place with Him in the true sanctuary inside the veil. Without this personal intercourse and communion with the Lord, we cannot possibly carry on the high and holy functions of the priesthood; and though through marvelous grace we are objects of His untold love, washed from our sins in His blood, and have been made a royal and holy priesthood, we shall have little or no sense of it, and lose one of the highest occupations of soul, and one of the most exalted privileges that could possibly be known to us on the earth, during the absence of our precious Lord Jesus.
Blessed be God, the Scriptures testify of Christ, and the Holy Ghost guides into all truth, and takes of the things of Christ and shows them unto us; so that we are well furnished for the life and walk of faith through a barren and thirsty land where no water is — where, with all the bodily comforts we enjoy, there is nothing, absolutely nothing, for our souls; but in Christ we have enough to satisfy our every need — a sufficiency for every requirement. Oh the blessedness of thus finding more than we could possibly have desired or needed in Christ, instead of complaining of the dry and disappointing character of broken cisterns, and the barrenness of the desert path! Thus we can look above, and step out with quickened step and freshly-girt loins, singing:
“Jesus, the Bread of life, is given
To be our daily food;
The Rock that gave the streams from heaven
The Spirit of our God.
“Lord, ‘tis enough; we ask no more:
Thy grace around us pours.
Its rich and unexhausted store,
And all its joy is ours.”