C.A.C SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON For February 23, 2020. God in the Administration of Man. UNIT One: THROUGH THE PRIESTS / LESSON THREE / Part II.

By | February 23, 2020

C.A.C SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON For February 23, 2020. God in the Administration of Man. UNIT One: THROUGH THE PRIESTS / LESSON THREE / Part II.

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C.A.C SUNDAY SCHOOL LESSON For February 23, 2020.

God in the Administration of Man.

UNIT One: THROUGH THE PRIESTS / LESSON THREE / Part II.

II. BEFORE SOLOMON’S TEMPLE (1 SAMUEL 22:11-23; 2 SAMUEL 15:24-35; 1 Kings 1:8,26,32-40; 2:22-27,34,35)

God sustained priesthood and make it to be, before the building of Solomon’s temple and beyond it is part of His eternal arrangement.

A. ABIATHAR’S DEED (1 Sam.22:11-23; 2 Sam. 15:24-35; 1 Kgs. 2:26,27)

Then he conferred with Joab the son of Zeruiah and with Abiathar the priest, and they followed and helped Adonijah (1 Kgs. 1:7).

i. 1 Sam. 22:11-23: God providentially assisted Abiathar to be the only survivor in King Saul masterminded massacre of His priests. Why would God allow such a terrible incident against His own?

ii. God is ever God. He is in heaven and does what pleases His will. Nothing ever happens “without His knowledge”, for He made all things for His pleasure (Rom. 11:36; Rev. 4:11).

iii. 2 Sam. 15:24-35: God preserved Abiathar for the continuity of the priesthood, not necessarily because he is holier or better. He even later became the High priest. Did he vie for it? No. It was provisional.

vi. It is wisdom to know and try to cooperate with God to fulfill the purpose He has continued to sustain and preserve you for.

v. 1 Kgs. 2:26,27: An attempt to look away God unusually brings disaster and irreparable failure. Despite God’s goodness and graciousness, how would Abiathar have lost focus of God to conspired against God’s programme? (1:7). Eventually, He was deposed from such a lofty office, and finally replaced, in fulfillment of prophecy (cf. 1 Sam. 2:27-36).

vi. God dealt with the strayed leader for misrepresenting His eternal purpose and programme. Unquestionably. God, our Caller and Commissioner, can recall any of His appointees who misfires, just as a nation recalls any high commissioner or ambassador who misrepresents her.

B. ZADOK’S ROLE (1 Kgs. 1:8,26,32-40; 2:22-27,34,35)

But Zadok the priest, Benaiah the son of Jehoiada, Nathan and prophet, Shimei, Rei, and the mighty men who belonged to David were not with Adonijah (1 Kgs. 1:8).

i. v. 8: But shows a sharp contrast between Zadok and Abiathar. Who was this Zadok? A Levite, a priest, who served alongside Abiathar during David’s reign (2 Sam. 15:24-35). Was he the high priest? No. Yet, he distinguished himself. God uses such men of integrity.

ii. Zadok received God’s grace to separate himself. He and some others refused to be part of the conspiracy of Adonijah. Whose side are you, God or Satan?

iii. vv. 26,32-40: Because He chose to follow God, he was deliberately side-lined. However, God, who would not shame His own, made him relevant. He was on ground to install the new king and David’s successor.

iv. 2:22-27: Even as Solomon would not kill Abiathar for some specific reasons, his priesthood was removed and given to another person who proved more faithful to God.

v. vv. 34,35: Without delay, Zadok replaced Abiathar, as the new king made some cabinet restructuring in line with God’s agenda. By this, God’s business would not suffer any hitch.

vi. God always has standby replacement, substitute, for any particular position to ensure there is no gap in His assignment, in case the current occupant fumble. God perfectly fixed Zadok to replace the derailed Abiathar. God’s work must continue after and despite Abiathar’s misdeed. Apart from someone having to come after you in your retirement, cooperate with God, never to be booted out of His service.

LESSONS DERIVED


1. There should not be any point in our lives that God’s programme should be treated with levity or be made secondary.

2. When we lightly esteem God, He will lightly esteem us, but there is grace and honour for anyone who honours God and His things.

QUESTIONS

1. What does priesthood of believers mean?

2. Why does God need priests?

SUGGESTED ANSWERS TO QUESTIONS
ANSWER TO QUESTION 1:

i. “Priesthood of Believers” simply means that all believers in Christ Jesus are priests (ministers) unto God.

ii. In the Old Testament, priests were only selected from among the Levites, and specifically, the descendants of Aaron.

iii. But now (New Testament), that is no longer the case. Through Jesus Christ, every Christian is a priest of God for good works and acceptable service (Eph. 2:10).

iv. We are all required to work and minister unto God. We all must offer acceptable sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving (Rom. 12:1-3).

v. The offering/sacrifices God needs now, is to offer yourself i.e. offering of oneself, no longer animals — bull, goat, lamb, or birds, etc. The requirement now is living sacrifice, holy and acceptable, not dead sacrifice.

vi. Old Testament priests had to slaughter animals and sprinkle the blood for atonement. That has changed with the new order. The blood of animals is no longer potent to remove sin, because Jesus has offered His blood and body as ransom, once and for all. What the new order priests now do, is to offer themselves daily unto God as living sacrifices. They are dead to sin but alive to God.

vii. Believers’ priesthood talks about the removal of the veil, which is a restriction to having access to God directly (Exod. 26:31-33; Lk. 23:45; Heb. 9:3,8; 10:19-20). It talks about direct access to God without any intermediary.

iii. Priesthood of believers is scriptural and refers to the New Order priesthood as instituted through Jesus’ blood.

ix. Christians no longer need an intermediary to go to God: they are a kingdom of priests for God (Rev. 1:6; NLTB). So, it is no longer news that we are priests of God. Let us so walk in holiness and sanctification, and offer unto God acceptable sacrifice while ministering God’s love and justice to the world.

ANSWER TO QUESTION 2:

i. Refer to sections *1. BRIEF COMMENTS for who priests are, and *2. DEVOTIONAL THOUGHTS.

ii. Moreover, priesthood is not for fun, nobody forced or counselled God to institute priests’ office. As Almighty God, who is purposive, He established priesthood of His own volition, just as He needed nobody to talk Him into Creation.

iii. Priests are to represent God.

iv. They are to minister to God and His people.

v. They have to offer sacrifices to God.

vi. They are obliged to show God’s people God’s love.

vii. They bear the burden of the people: Aaron had the names of the 12 tribes of Israel on his shoulders — the ephod.

viii. They have to show God to people or go before the people to God.

Basically, God instituted this holy office so that He could be ministered to, and His people. Are we still on track? Remember, Aaron eventually lost his focus and missed it, and messed up the job specification of his office. God replaced him. This will not be our lot in Jesus’ name. Amen.

LIFE APPLICATION

God is capable of representing Himself; He needed no one to do that for Him, but since He has chosen to appoint priets to represent Him among His people, these new order priests must see that as a special grace/privilege, and do the representation effectively — no flop. Otherwise, we will be like an ambassador of a particular nation who was recalled from the foreign mission, because he could not really properly represent the image of his country. May we not fail, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

CONCLUSION

This is the end of lesson 3. We can’t afford to misrepresented God at this crucial time, the end time. The world needs to see God through us, in action, word and speech. We are the epistles the world is reading. The world is impatiently asking us to show them the Father, just like the wilderness-bound Israel asked Aaron to show them God who brought them from Egypt and he needed up making them a calf (an idol). You can’t give what you don’t have. Before you can show God to the world, you must have known Him very well and be fully representing Him. Our sincere prayer is that you will not misrepresent God, in Jesus’ name. Amen.

DEVOTIONAL BIBLE READINGS FOR WEEK TWO

Mon. 17: God needs a Higher, Perfect Priesthood (Heb. 7:7-11)

Tue. 18: God’s Perfect Priesthood from Judah (Heb. 7:12-14)

Wed. 19: God Makes Jesus A Life-giving Priest (Heb. 7:15,16)

Thur. 20: God Covenants the Priesthood of Jesus (Heb. 7:17-21)

Fri. 21: Christ’s Priesthood is Forever (Heb. 7:22-24).

Sat. 22: Christ’s Priesthood Saves and Preserves Us (Heb. 7:25-28).

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