He slept on a human skull for a pillow.  Other skulls lined his longhouse to protect him from the bloodthirsty evil spirits whom he had taken heads to appease.  He believed hunting heads gained him favor from the evil spirits for his wedding, for good crops, and for health.  He looked to his village witch doctor for further help with appeasing the spirits.  Then one night the witch doctor had a dream.  Salvation for the Dayak tribe would come and a white man would bring this good news.  He would have three signs to identify him.  Later, an American missionary arrived by boat and unbeknownst to him showed all three signs that signaled his authenticity.  The village accepted him immediately as the person who would explain salvation so they wouldn’t have to fear the evil spirits.  This true story was told to us by the son of the headhunter.  The grandson of the headhunter was Husband’s most trusted, skilled mechanic who helped keep the planes and helicopters airworthy which saved lives doing emergency medical flights, brought Bible teachers to remote areas, and transported students to Bible school where there were no roads in western Borneo (Kalimantan Barat).

 

How did you find out about God? Maybe since you were young your parents read you Bible stories,  prayed with you at bedtime and took you to church regularly. Maybe you were a young person before you were aware of  God. Maybe a friend talked to you about the Bible, or invited you to church, or you ‘happened’ across a book or a radio program or a video that explained the Bible. Maybe you grew up in a family who believed things about God that aren’t in the Bible and you got turned off and left religion. But later you read the Bible for yourself perhaps because a friend suggested it, and you were drawn to God. Maybe it wasn’t till you were an adult and someone was kind and helpful and you wondered why. Then they explained that they loved God and enjoyed serving others because that’s what God wanted.

Few of us saw an angel, although God does use angels or visions whenever he deems it necessary. Usually, he uses another human to explain spiritual things to us. This has been his approach since Abraham and Job. Abraham taught his household about God as did Job. Later, after God had rescued his special people from Egyptian slavery, he initiated a plan to teach his now greatly multiplied people more about himself. He appointed a certain family line to help the people draw close to God and learn about him.

“Only Aaron and his descendants served as priests. They presented the offerings on the altar of burnt offering and the altar of incense, and they performed all the other duties related to the Most Holy Place. They made atonement for Israel by doing everything that Moses, the servant of God, had commanded them.” 1 Chronicles 6:49

“Then the Lord said to Aaron, “You and your descendants…must teach the Israelites all the decrees that the Lord has given them through Moses.” Leviticus 10:9,11

Some of the duties of this special family of priests were to offer the sin offerings of the people thus making a way for the people to be forgiven. They also had duties inside the Tabernacle and later, the Temple. Behind the curtain, they kept the gold menorah trimmed and filled with oil so the light would never go out. It was the only light source by which the priests offered incense on the incense altar twice daily and replaced weekly the special bread signifying God’s constant presence and provision. (They were allowed to eat the bread after it was replaced with new bread.) Besides officiating at sacrifices, and tending the Holy Place, they were to teach the people God’s ways at the Temple and in the towns where they lived when not serving at the Temple.

In the bigger picture, God wanted to use the whole nation of Israel as his priests to the world. He wanted them to help everyone come close to God. He wanted them to explain to all the world how to be forgiven and love God.

“’Now if you will obey me and keep my covenant, you will be my own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to me. And you will be my kingdom of priests, my holy nation.’“ Exodus 19:5-6

God’s plan was to be culminated in the Messiah who would bring his own people and some from all nations back to God.

“He [God] says, “You [Messiah] will do more than restore the people of Israel to me.
I will make you a light to the Gentiles,
and you will bring my salvation to the ends of the earth.” Isaiah 49:6

The Messiah would make all the people who trust him a special priesthood with the job of showing others how to know God.

“…you are a chosen people. 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. ‘Once you had no identity as a people;
 now you are God’s people.
Once you received no mercy;
now you have received God’s mercy.’” 1 Peter 2:9-10 referring to Hosea 1:6,9; 2:23

He made the ultimate sacrifice so that animal sacrifices were superseded by his perfect atonement.

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! “John 1:29

“For you were slaughtered, and your blood has ransomed people for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation.
And you have caused them to become
a Kingdom of priests for our God.” Revelation 5:9-10

So the new priests wouldn’t have to offer sacrifices, but they still have the priestly duty of teaching people about God. There is no Temple on earth anymore for priests to tend to, but the symbols of the Temple were precursors of present realities. There isn’t a glowing menorah, but there is light from the One who said he is the Light of the world and sent his followers into the world as pure lights. There isn’t an altar to burn incense on, but our prayers rise like incense that pleases God. There isn’t a table of special bread, but the Bread of Heaven sustains us.

“He has made us a Kingdom of priests for God his Father. All glory and power to him forever and ever! Amen.” Revelation 1:6

So I’ve had to ask myself as I studied this: How am I doing as a priest? Am I helping others understand God? Am I helping them know how to be forgiven? Am I keeping my lamp clean and making sure it’s full of the oil of the Holy Spirit so I shine for God? Are my prayers constantly going up like a fragrant incense to God? Am I eating the Bread from Heaven to sustain my soul by being closely connected to Jesus?