“But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people…”
1 Peter 2:9 NKJV
Have you ever seen a javelin thrower in the Olympic Games? The reach of his outstretched arms, the long strides he makes as his feet seem to eat up the ground? Powerful! That is the image in my mind when I reflect on Phinehas, one of the men with whom Almighty God made a covenant of the priesthood forever.
We all know that Abraham received a blessing from Melchizedek, King of Salem, priest of God Most High – Genesis 14:18-24. Later, God chose Aaron and his sons Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar to be priests, to minister unto Him on behalf of the people – Exodus 28 – 30. Moses was given precise instructions on how they should dress, how they were to be anointed, their duties, and how they should offer the various sacrifices.
So where does Phinehas, the Covenant Priest, come in? In the process of time, Israel turned away from God and followed idols whose worship included satisfying the lusts of the flesh. Therefore, God was angry with them and directed Moses to execute all who were involved in this sin. While some people were before the tabernacle of meeting weeping in grief and repentance, Zimri, of the tribe of Simeon, took his Midianite mistress, Cozbi, into his tent to have carnal relations with her.
This act infuriated Aaron’s grandson, Phinehas, so much that he ran straight into the tent with his javelin in his hand and pinned the two of them to the ground, staying the plague of death in the camp. The purpose and zeal with which he ended the blatant disrespect of God’s laws earned him and his descendants a covenant of peace and the everlasting priesthood because – Numbers 25:6-13.
We have been grafted into this priesthood through the atoning work of the Blood of Jesus Christ as is written in Hebrews 5:9-10, “And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him, called by God as High Priest according to the order of Melchizedek.”
As priests of God, we are called upon to honour this Covenant of Peace. We are chosen, anointed, and empowered by the Holy Spirit to stay the plague of sin in this generation. Pray and ask God to strengthen us for His work.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, today we thank You for calling us by Your Holy Spirit. Thank You for washing us in the Blood of Your Son Jesus and for anointing us with the oil of gladness. We repent of any sin that we may have committed in running after the things of this world, and we disassociate ourselves from the enemy’s camp. Thank You for this opportunity to make it right, as we promise to remain faithful to You forever, in the name of Jesus. Amen.
Read: Psalm 110:4; Hebrews 4:14-16
Bible Reading Guide: Psalm 21:1-7; Matthew 27:11-44; Exodus 11; Exodus 12
