How does 1 Chronicles 6:49 emphasize the importance of priestly duties today? A closer look at 1 Chronicles 6:49 “ But Aaron and his sons were the ones who presented offerings on the altar of burnt offering and on the altar of incense in connection with all that was done in the Most Holy Place, making atonement for Israel, in accordance with all that Moses the servant of God had commanded.” Key Old-Covenant responsibilities highlighted •Presenting offerings on the altar of burnt offering •Offering incense, symbolizing prayer and worship (Psalm 141:2) •Serving “in connection with all that was done in the Most Holy Place” •Making atonement for the nation, exactly as God commanded through Moses Why these priestly tasks still matter •They reveal God’s priority on atonement—sin must be covered before fellowship can flourish (Leviticus 17:11). •They underscore the need for ongoing intercession on behalf of others (Numbers 16:46-48). •They show that worship is not casual but ordered by the Lord’s precise instructions (Exodus 30:34-38). Christ fulfills—and surpasses—the picture •“ We have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens—Jesus the Son of God” (Hebrews 4:14). •He “entered the Most Holy Place once for all time…having obtained eternal redemption” (Hebrews 9:12). •His once-for-all sacrifice completes the atonement foreshadowed in 1 Chronicles 6:49. Believers share in His priestly ministry today •“ You also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 2:5). •“ You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood…that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him” (1 Peter 2:9). •“ He has made us to be a kingdom, priests to His God and Father” (Revelation 1:6). Practical ways to live out priestly duties 1.Offer spiritual sacrifices •Romans 12:1—present your body “as a living sacrifice.” •Hebrews 13:15—continual “sacrifice of praise.” 2.Intercede for others •1 Timothy 2:1—“petitions, prayers, intercessions…for all people.” •Hebrews 7:25—Christ “always lives to intercede”; we partner with His work. 3.Guard God’s truth •Malachi 2:7—“the lips of a priest should preserve knowledge.” •2 Timothy 2:15—rightly handle the word of truth. 4.Model holiness •Leviticus 10:3—God is “to be regarded as holy by those who approach.” •1 Peter 1:15—“be holy in all you do.” 5.Proclaim reconciliation •2 Corinthians 5:18-20—entrusted with “the ministry of reconciliation.” Summary 1 Chronicles 6:49 demonstrates the gravity of priestly work: atonement, intercession, ordered worship, and obedience to God’s commands. In Christ the pattern finds its fulfillment, and believers now carry forward those same priorities—offering themselves, interceding for others, guarding truth, pursuing holiness, and proclaiming reconciliation—so the world encounters the living God. |
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