The Priesthood of the Lord Jesus Christ: Lecture 4

BESIDES abstaining from unclean things, which every Israelite was bound to do, the priests were on no account to drink wine or strong drink. The direction was simple enough, but doubtless reads to us very serious lessons. The effect of wine or strong drink is to inflame or stimulate the natural passions, which cannot be done without soul damage. Hence the Holy Ghost, by Peter, enjoins us to “abstain from fleshly lusts which war against the soul.” If we are doing anything for the strengthening of the passions of an evil nature, the result must be disastrous to our spiritual health, and therefore unfitting for the due exercise of our priestly office.
There are three reasons given why we should avoid thus gratifying the fleshly appetite. First, they were told not to drink wine nor strong drink, when they went into the tabernacle of the congregation, “lest ye die.” And what believer of any experience does not know the lethargy and dead state of soul which fleshly indulgence induces? “To be carnally minded is death,” is surely a divine axiom, and ought to be well pondered by us. Were this principle more heeded by saints, it may be that many would be able to ascertain why they have so often to complain of indolence and deadness as regards the things of the Lord. If we would live godly, ungodliness and worldly lusts must be denied. We are quickly influenced either by good or evil, and the spirit within us, the power for godless, is easily grieved, and “he that soweth to the flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption.”
Secondly, “That ye may put difference between holy and unholy, and between clean and unclean” (ver. 10). From this we gather that another effect of fleshly ways is to obscure spiritual vision and hinder spiritual discernment.
One of the first symptoms of souls having departed from the Lord is that they justify what they have formerly condemned. After Samson’s folly and trifling with Delilah, the first thing the Philistines did was to put his eyes out. Such blindness, too, the enemy will effect on souls who give way to fleshly indulgence; at least they will be unable to put a difference between holy and unholy, between clean and unclean, qualities which are absolutely necessary for the priestly office (see Lev. 13:22When a man shall have in the skin of his flesh a rising, a scab, or bright spot, and it be in the skin of his flesh like the plague of leprosy; then he shall be brought unto Aaron the priest, or unto one of his sons the priests: (Leviticus 13:2), &c.). If we, then, would have discernment according to God, we must abstain from fleshly lusts. Why have some saints such difficulty in perceiving what to others is clearly unholy and unclean in God’s sight? The answer is plain. There will be no ability to put difference between holy and unholy when the walk is careless and fleshly habits or ways encouraged. We are told that the Hebrew Christians were unable to enter into a true discernment of the Lord’s things; for they were dull of hearing. Not having been practically engaged in the due exercise of priestly functions, and turning back to legal and worldly religiousness, their discernment had been little cultivated, and the disastrous effect was most manifest to the apostle. He writes: “Of whom” (speaking of the Lord Jesus) “we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskillful in the word of righteousness; for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil” (Heb. 5:11-1411Of whom we have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of hearing. 12For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. 13For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. (Hebrews 5:11‑14)). I have quoted the passage at length, because of its solemn importance, and also because it almost seems like a divine commentary on the subjects now immediately before us.
Thirdly, “That ye may teach the children of Israel all the statutes which the Lord hath spoken unto them by the hand of Moses” (ver. 11). This point has been already anticipated by the quotation from Hebrews, where we are told that they ought to be able to teach others, instead of needing elementary teaching themselves. But this must be so, if souls are damaged by fleshly indulgence, instead of denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, and living a life of faith upon the Son of God, who loved us, and gave Himself for us. If we would, then, be lively, earnest Christians, and fit for our priestly functions, be able to discern between holy and unholy, and qualified to teach others, we must abstain from fleshly lusts, and feed upon those things wherewith the atonement was made to consecrate and sanctify us.
Avoiding wine and strong drink for the reasons given, the priests were to eat the meat-offering in the holy place, and the peace-offering in a clean place. How significant all this is! The meat-offering shows the perfect humanity of Jesus in life, the spotless One, in whom was nothing rough and inconsistent, but who was perfectly pure and even in all His ways, as the fine flour sets forth. That Holy One was conceived by the Holy Ghost — “fine flour mingled with oil” — and He was anointed with the Holy Ghost, as the oil poured upon the fine flour would teach us. As, however, God only could enter into the fullness and perfections of this One, a “handful of the flour and of the oil” was offered to God, burnt upon the altar by fire, of a sweet savor unto the Lord. The remainder was food for the priests. And here we are told they were to eat the meat-offering in a clean place. No leaven was to be with it. Nothing unclean was to be associated with it. Elsewhere we read that they were to eat it with unleavened bread, and in the holy place. As free from leaven or uncleanness, and occupied with what is unleavened and holy, in a clean place — that is, apart from every impure association, and in the holy place, or where God’s presence is — the priests were to eat the meat-offering. How profoundly precious yet solemn this is! How searching, too, inasmuch as it shows us that no careless walk, no unjudged evil, no association with uncleanness of any kind, can be allowed in those who are exercising the holy office of priests according to God!
But if self-judged and separate from all iniquity, as purged worshippers, consecrated priests, consciously in God’s presence, there occupied adoringly with the infinite perfections of Him who was represented by the fine flour anointed with oil, delighting our souls in Him, and gathering strength and grace from Him, what a deep reality and precious privilege we then know the priestly office to be! This, be it observed, is emphatically communion; for God had His part as well as the priests. So we feed on the same spotless One, in whom the Father was well pleased, and to whom we must be everlastingly thankful.
But more than this. They were not only to be occupied (typically) with the perfect Man Christ Jesus in His life, but also as the One who had offered Himself without spot to God. This must also be eaten in the holy place, for the consciousness of being in God’s presence, apart from everything unsuited to Him, is necessary for true enjoyment and appreciation of the food which His abundant grace has provided for us. It is important, too, to notice the parts of the peace-offering which were set apart for their food. They were “the wave-breast and the heave-shoulder” (ver. 14). Parts of the same victim which had been offered to God, and in which He had found a sweet savor. It is like the father who had provided the fatted calf, calling his returned prodigal to feast and rejoice with himself, saying, “Let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost and is found; and they began to be merry.” What a peace-offering! What holy joy! What matchless love! And, blessed be God, we may add, too, what precious fellowship!
Now what are we to learn from this rich and abundant gift of “the wave-breast and heave-shoulder” for the priests’ food, but that all the unsearchable, perfect love, as well as the almighty power of Christ, are laid open to us for our soul’s everlasting consolation and strength? The breast the seat of the affections, and the shoulder the source of power, are thus specially before us. And in feeding, the need of our souls is precisely met by spreading out before us both the affections and strength of Him who has made peace for us by the blood of His cross. And these parts, too, they could wave before the Lord as infinitely acceptable to Him, as well as most precious to us.
And what, beloved, I would ask, do we know of these exercises of soul in God’s most holy presence? Do we enter into the unspeakable privilege of being in the holy place — inside the veil? And when in the holiest of all, is it the ever-living Jesus there for us that attracts and delights our souls? Do we triumph in His exceeding preciousness, as well as His perfect love, and His almighty power usward? And do we rejoice thus in Him? Can we say, “In whom, though now we see Him not, yet, believing, we rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory”? Oh, beware of all uncleanness! We are careful not to have a spot of defilement on our bodies: why, then, should we not be equally zealous as to a spot of unjudged and uncleansed evil on our souls?
Without sustaining food, this blessed, happy fellowship, we must become weak and faint; but feeding on the finest of the wheat, on pure honey out of the rock, the life, and strength, and perfectness of Jesus the Lord, who has washed us from our sins in His own blood, we shall be qualified for our daily continual work of priesthood. Thus by the Word of God and Spirit we shall be tracing, entering into, and enjoying His unsearchable love and infinite power — love that met us in our sins and knows no change; power that has triumphed over all enemies, even death itself, and taken the place of Headship over all principality and power. What joy, and peace, and vigor to our hearts the reception of these glorious realities impart! What encouragement, too, all this divine instruction gives, to keep close to the Lord Jesus! How all this grace attracts and binds our hearts to Him! How necessary, too; for how else could we be fitted for faithfully exercising our functions as priests unto God?
(To be continued.)