Kohanim

“You are…….a royal priesthood” (I Peter2:9)

Kohanim.  A strange word in our modern-day language.  But not strange for those who lived in Old Testament times.  It is also a word that is relevant for followers of Jesus Christ.  Kohanim describes who we are in I Peter 2:9 in four ways – a chosen people, a royal priesthood, and holy nation, and God’s special possession. 

Chosen:  God has chosen each of us as his own.  Each individually wrapped in flesh and handpicked by God.  Sort of like when you go to the grocery store and look through the display of apples, carefully selecting the ones that look the ripest, the smoothest, the firmest.  No bruises, cuts, or spots.  So, God carefully chose each of us individually to be his best. 

A holy nation:  A holy nation means that we have been set apart from this world by God to be a nation of believers and followers of Jesus Christ.  Separated from all worldly ways and behavior.  It means we are distinct from everyone else because we belong to him.  God views us as his own special people.

A special possession:  We are created by God, for God.  That makes us his special possession.  Think of something you have that to you stands out above everything else.  An heirloom, a special gift, a memento from someone you love.  Something you would never want to part with.  Something that you can’t put a price on it.  That is how our Creator views us.

A royal priesthood:  Now, what about being a royal priesthood, and how is that connected to that strange word I began this blog with – Kohanim?  Back in the Old Testaments priests were called the Kohanim.  They came from the tribe of Levi.  Every tribe in Israel received an inheritance in the land – every tribe that is, except the tribe of Levi.  They alone had no inheritance, no real estate, because God wanted them to be unattached and free to serve him, worship him, and set their hearts on him.  In Numbers 18:20 the Lord said, “I shall be your inheritance.”   

We are called a royal priesthood because we are God’s Kohanim.  Our inheritance is not found in this world.  As a priest of God, we cannot get attached and weighed down by things.  God wants us to be free, free so we can serve and glorify him.  God called us to something higher.  He has called us to be free from the weight of this world. 

As God’s priests, we are to live a life free from worldliness.  Free from that which cumbers us with worries and cares.  A life that is lived closer to God than to anyone or anything else.  A life greater than any life we can pursue on this earth.  God is our inheritance, and we are his Kohanim.  Are you experiencing that position of freedom? 

                                                                                Darlene