When the Israelites arrived at the base of Mt. Sinai, God spoke to Moses:
“Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob, and tell the people of Israel: You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now therefore, if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession among all peoples, for all the earth is mine and you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.” (Ex 19:3-6)
First God reminds them of the covenant (You obey me and I will make you my treasured possession). Then he tells them that they will be a kingdom of priests. This thought is repeated by Peter to the new nation of Israel (aka the church that Christ established):
“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession…” (1 Pet 2:9a)
The same sentiments are said to us as were said to the Israelites over 3000 years ago; we are chosen to be God’s treasured possession, we are a royal priesthood, and a holy nation (again, not a geographic nation, but the kingdom of Christ).
Why are we called priests? Weren’t they for making sacrifices and wearing funny clothes? In a broad understanding of the term, a priest was the go-between for men and God. When a person wanted to make a sacrifice, they would go to the priest and he would make the sacrifice to God. Priests would call people to worship and teach God’s Word to the people. Their job was to be a connecting point between God and people. We are a nation of priests. It is our job to be a connecting point between God and the world. We are to show the world who God is, just as the nation of Israel was the way in which God displayed his glory and power to the rest of the world (by the time Israel crossed the Jordan river, all of Canaan was afraid because of what God had done in Egypt).
We, as a nation of priests, are supposed to be a HOLY nation. That means that we are to be different, special, and set apart. We can’t show God to the world, if we look no different than the world. Do not be conformed to this world (Rom 12:2); Do not be friends of the world (Jam 4:4).
And when we allow God to make us different so that we can “proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light (1 Pet 2:9b),” we become God’s treasured possession.
Today, may you take up your calling as a priest.