The concept of a holy priesthood is central to understanding our spiritual responsibilities. Holiness is paramount to a priest's life work, serving as an example before those worshipping God. God's holiness transcends mere morality; the term "holy" encapsulates His uniqueness, indicating He is different, separate, set apart, and a cut above. As described, God is numinous, evoking awe and reverence, and is beyond human comprehension, characterized by a presence that overwhelms and instills a sense of filthiness by comparison. Our responsibility is to become holy, striving for moral holiness, though we will never reach the full extent of God's holiness in this life. The righteousness of Jesus Christ, imputed to us by God's grace, enables us to come into His presence, yet we are called to reflect His holiness as much as possible. Priests, through their religious instruction and living example, combined with the tabernacle and temple services, are constant reminders to the entire nation and church that everyone is to be holy as God is holy. Under the Old Covenant, priests and Levites were visible and audible links between God's call to holiness and its fulfillment in His Kingdom. Now, under the New Covenant, though there is no priesthood of the same kind, all of us together form a priesthood, serving as visible and audible links to that same purpose. We are to be priests to each other, bearing priestly responsibilities under our High Priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, in an intimate association with the Father, the Son, and each other within God's family, striving to become holy as He is holy. The establishment of the priesthood began with Aaron and his sons, as seen in Exodus 28:1, where God appointed Aaron as high priest and his sons—Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar—as priests to minister to Him. This organization was crucial for Israel to meet their responsibility as a holy nation, with priests acting as intermediaries between God and the people, providing instruction and example. Hebrews 5:1 and 5:4 confirm that Aaron's calling was specific to this high office, appointed by God, not self-assumed, to act on behalf of men before Him. The high standards of holiness required of priests are evident in incidents like Nadab and Abihu's offering of profane fire, resulting in their immediate death by God's fire, as recorded in Leviticus 10:1-2 and Numbers 3:4. This act underscored the necessity of strict adherence to God's commands with no deviations, emphasizing the holiness of the office. Leviticus 10:8-11 further instructs priests to abstain from wine or intoxicating drink when serving, to distinguish between holy and unholy, clean and unclean, and to teach Israel God's statutes, hinting that Nadab and Abihu's error may have involved intoxication. Physical qualifications for the priesthood were stringent, as outlined in Leviticus 21:16-21, disqualifying any descendant of Aaron with a physical defect from offering sacrifices, reflecting God's perfection and the need for priests to mirror that holiness. Even temporary injuries disqualified a priest until healed, maintaining the high standard of representing a holy God in a holy place. Leviticus 21:1-5 and 21:6-7 set boundaries on personal conduct, prohibiting priests from defiling themselves for the dead except for close relatives, and from adopting pagan practices, ensuring they remain holy and not profane God's name, including marrying only virgins from their own lineage to preserve purity. The high priest faced even stricter regulations, as seen in Leviticus 21:10-15, prohibiting defilement even for close relatives and restricting marriage to maintain consecration. These ceremonial regulations highlight the carefulness required in a priest's life, as death and sin are enemies of God and thus defiling. The severity of penalties for deliberate acts, like Nadab and Abihu's, contrasts with milder cleansing rituals for inadvertent defilement, underscoring the importance of int

In the scriptures of I Peter, we find a profound calling to a holy priesthood, as mentioned in chapter 2, verses 5 and 9. You are being built up as a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. This is not just any priesthood, but a royal priesthood, a chosen generation, and a holy nation, set apart as God's own special people to proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. These priests are tasked with a sacred duty to present spiritual sacrifices that are pleasing to God through our Lord Jesus Christ. This calling reflects an exclusive and precious role, akin to the Levites in Numbers 1:47-53, who were not numbered among the other tribes but were appointed by God over the tabernacle of the Testimony. Their responsibility was to care for and guard the dwelling place of God with their lives, ensuring that no outsider approached, under penalty of death. Similarly, we are called to guard the spiritual temple, understanding that God cannot dwell where sin resides, and we must strive to eliminate sin from our lives. The significance of this priesthood is further illustrated in Exodus 32:25-30, where the sons of Levi stood for the Lord's side after the Golden Calf incident, upholding God's law even at great personal cost. God blessed them for their dedication, showing that His law takes precedence. Through the change in priesthood, with Jesus Christ as our High Priest after the order of Melchizedek, the veil has been torn, granting us direct access to the Father at any time. We must strive every moment to uphold the name of our High Priest, who provides us unlimited access to the Most High, His Father and ours, fulfilling our role as a holy nation, God's own special treasure.