This is “Becoming a Kingdom of Priests in Light of the Melchizedekian Order-Part 6 of our Melchizedek Series.” 

Yah always intended for a royal priesthood to operate amid His set apart people. He stated his intentions when He gathered our ancient cousins at the base of His Holy mountain, just before He spoke down to them His 10-Words/Commandments and the terms of His covenant:

⁴‘You have seen what I did to the Mitsrites, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.

⁵‘And now, if you diligently obey My voice, and shall guard My covenant, then you shall be My treasured possession above all the peoples—for all the earth is Mine—

⁶‘and you shall be to Me a reign of priests and a set-apart nation.’ Those are the words which you are to speak to the children of Yisra’ěl.” (Exo 19; The Scriptures ISR)

This is what Avram’s Melchizedek embodied, as recorded in Genesis 14 — that is, a royal priest — a single man filling two-offices — king (of Shalem/Salem) and priest of Ahl Ahlyon, Yah Most High.

And despite my personal opinion that Yah DID NOT merge the Melchizedekian and Levitical Priestly orders as some have suggested — and as we discussed in the last two installment to this series — Yah revealed to Moshe that if we — bene Yasharal/Sons of Israel were: (1) obedient to His voice (aka His “dabar” or His Words or instructions), and (2) we kept (i.e. “shamar” or guard) His covenant (aka His “berit”), we would become unto Him a kingdom of (aka a “man-la-kah”) — that is royal or kingly — priests and a set apart/holy nation.

Note that an essential prerequisite or requirement to the nation becoming this royal priesthood is that His people must “shomer” — guard and keep — Yah’s covenant. For without an intact covenant — that is, unless we are guarding/keeping/walking out Yah’s covenant — Yah will not sanction such a royal priesthood in His Name among us.

We entered into covenant with Yah when we accepted the terms of his covenant agreement — we accepted His “ketubah” if you will — at the base of Mount Sinai. We said “yes” to Yah’s proposal and we entered into covenant with the Creator of the Universe. The covenant we cut with Yah was then sealed/ratified with blood and a celebratory meal (Exo 19:8; 24:7-11)

But of course our ancient cousins broke covenant with the Almighty when they engaged in Golden Calf worship just days after the nation had ratified the covenant with Yah (Exo 32). Their breaking of covenant with Yah put an indefinite hold on their nation becoming that royal-priesthood Yah desperately desired for His people to become.

And so, Yah installed and put into operation the Levitical Priesthood over the nation. The Levitical Priestly Order is a restrictive priesthood where only the sons of Levi could serve and only the sons of Aharon could serve as High Priests and serve in the sanctuary.

Here’s a quick summary of the events that led to the rise of the Levitical Priesthood:

• The Covenant is Ratified (Exo 24).
• The Tabernacle [Make-up] is Revealed to Moshe (Exo 25-27).
• Yehovah reveals what the Levitical Priestly Garments were to be Fashioned. It is here that Yehovah reveals to Moshe that Aharon and Sons were to serve as His select priests (Exo 28-29:35).
• Yehovah Communicates the Precise Regulations for the Tabernacle Sacrificial System (Exo 29:36-46).
• Yehovah reveals to Moshe the Make-up of the Furnishings of the Tabernacle (Exo 30-31).
• The Golden Calf Incident Cuts Short Moshe’s and Yehovah’s Time Together on Yah’s Holy Mountain (Exo 32).

Now, I was always of the thinking that Yehovah established the Levitical Priesthood in response to the Golden Calf incident. But the Exodus/Shemote chronology shows that Yehovah established the Tribe of Levi, in particular Aharon’s direct line, to serve as His anointed priests (Exo 28) prior to the Golden Calf Incident (Exo 32).

It is striking that Yehovah kept Aharon as His Cohen HaGadol/High Priest, given the critical role he played in creating the Golden Calf and establishing the worship system around it:

(1) And when the people saw that Moshe delayed to come down out of the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aharon and said to him, “Get up, make us ahlohim that she go before us; for as for this Moshe, the man that brought us up out of the Land of Mitzrayim, we do not know what has become of him.” (2) And Aharon said to them, “Break off the golden earrings which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons and of your daughters and bring them to me.” (3) And all the people broke off the golden earrings that were in their ears and brought them to Aharon. (4) And he received them at their hand and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a golden calf: and they (i.e. the tribal leaders) said, “These be your ahlohim, O Yasharal, that brought you up out of the Land of Mitzrayim” (5) And when Aharon saw it, he built an altar before it. And Aharon made a proclamation and said, ‘Tomorrow is a moed — a feast to YHVH’” (32; RSTNE).

Notice beloved that the graven image of a calf was not named by the people, other than being identified as the gods that brought them out of the Land of Egypt (32:4). Aharon followed up by proclaiming the nation celebrate the next day with a feast to Yehovah (32:5).

So, what was really going on here and how were our ancient cousins interpreting all that was taking place before them?

Nahum M. Sarna asserts in his articles in “The JPS Torah Commentary on Exodus” (1991) that the Golden Calf served as “the pedestal on which the god stood, elevated above human level.” Thus, if this understanding is indeed correct, then YHVH would have symbolically been positioned atop the golden calf. YHVH, of course, is invisible to the human eye, unless Yah chooses to manifest Himself in some form or another, which is a very rare occasion.

Thus, our ancient Hebrew cousins, there at the base of Mount Sinai, just weeks after having cut a covenant with YHVH that prohibited them from “making any graven image, or likeness of anything… in heaven… in the earth… in the water… under the earth” (Exo 20:3-6), associated the golden calf with YHVH. For it is Aharon who proclaims to the people: “A feast for YHVH tomorrow” (Exo 32:5).

The people, all having grown up in very pagan Egypt, were accustomed to seeing images of the various demigods of the land. However, YHVH had become a cognitive challenge to the people. YHVH is invisible. Yet, as long as Moshe was in their sights, they no doubt associated YHVH with Moshe. But with Moshe’s 40-day absence on Yah’s holy mountain, the people had become somewhat jaded or cynical or uncertain towards YHVH. So, these demanded of Aharon, who would shortly become the designated Cohen HaGadol — the High Priest for the nation — that he produce “gods” (elohim/ahlohim) that would go before them (Exo 32:1). They “wanted an appropriate visible object that would recall the Divine Presence in their midst” (ibid). That divine presence, of course, was Yehovah.

The transgression, then, was not that of the people worshiping the golden calf, but rather, it was them creating the golden calf — making for themselves a graven image of which they looked upon and referred to as the God(s) that brought them out of Egypt.

It was heads of the tribes that took it upon themselves to address the concerns of their kin, who had become uncertain of Yah’s presence among them and the whereabout of their human leader Moshe. Thus, these leaders sought to divert the attention of their kinsmen away from their uncertainties in Yehovah and Moshe and have them placed upon the graven image or the golden calf. And this is why Yehovah prohibited His people from fashioning graven, molten images in the first place (Exo 20:4-6). These tribal heads were left in charge to keep the people in check and to care for them. But instead of orienting the peoples’ attention — keeping them focused on Yah — they appealed to the peoples’ base predisposition to look to idols — graven images — as the source of their wellbeing. Tragically, some of these leaders no doubt had previously engaged and enjoyed a covenant confirmation meal on Mount Sinai along with Moshe, Aharon, and Sons. In fact, these had entered into the direct presence of YHVH (Exo 24:9-11). So, what caused these to falter and give in to the whims of their kinsmen?

Nahum Sarna comments further that instead of being an object of worship that opposed Yah, as so much of denominationalism teaches, the golden calf — graven, molten image — was an object that the people could look upon and invoke the God of Yisra’el (The JPS Torah Commentary on Exodus). It added visual value to their weak sensibilities, such that it served as a universal symbol that they all felt secure enough to get behind. And this makes more sense, at least it does to me, that somehow, this mixed multitude had lost sight of the true Ahlohim, YHVH, that through many unfathomable wonders, and with a strong arm, redeemed and delivered them from bitter Egyptian bondage. The problem that our ancient cousins struggled with, however, was a severe absence of trusting faith, and a terminal case of stiffneckedness. And in just a couple verses, YHVH would acknowledge this sad reality to Moshe:

“And YHVH said unto Moses, ‘I have seen these people, and behold, it is a stiffnecked (i.e. qe-seh, or difficult) people’” (Exo 32:9; KJV; cf. 33:3-5; 34:9; Deu 9:6-13; 10:16).

Yah continued:

“… I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end shall be. For they are a very froward generation; children in whom is no faith” (Deu 32:20; KJV).

And so, these soothsaying elders and tribal leaders presumed Moshe to be dead, and they jubilantly declared to their people: “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up from the land of Egypt” (Exo 32:4; LEB).

Aharon follows the elders’ declaration with a proclamation that the next day, “a feast of YHVH…” (Exo 32:5; LEB).

And indeed our ancient cousins celebrated, worshiped, and feasted the next day:

“And they started early the next day, and they offered burnt offerings and they presented fellowship offerings, and the people sat to eat and drink, and they rose up to revel” (Exo. 32:6; LEB).

The nation that should have become a set apart people and a royal priesthood engages in priestly activities towards the golden calf:

• Rendering sacred burnt offerings (i.e. o-lot). These are supposed to be wellbeing offerings intended to commemorate the offerers’ covenant relationship with YHVH (Lev 3-7).
• Rendering fellowship (i.e. se-la-mim) offerings. These are always rendered for purposes of atonement (Lev 1).

These acts, along with the feasting and revelry, had to have been such an affront — a profound and utter offense to YHVH. For He explained to the nation just days prior, that under no circumstances are His covenanted people to (1) make a graven image of any creature; and (2) bow down to such images; and (3) serve such images. He declared:

“You will not make alongside Me gods of silver, and gods of gold you will not make for yourselves” (Exo 20:23; LEB).

And so what did our ancient cousins do? They did the very thing Abba Yah commanded them not to do. And on top of that, they engaged in sacrificial worship rituals that exclusively belonged to Yah (Exo 10:25; 18:12; 20:24; 24:5; 29:18, 25, 42; 30:9, 28; 31:9). And because these sacrificial worship rituals belong exclusively to Yah, He alone determines how, when, where, and why they are to be rendered. Consequently, our ancient cousins agreed to obey these commandments (Exo 24:3-7), and because they violated Yah’s explicit commandments/instructions, they broke covenant with Yah.

The covenant Yah intended to cut with us at Sinai included a provision whereby our nation would become (1) a kingdom of priests and (2) a set apart people if we obey Yah’s instructions and remain in covenant with Him. What did Yah mean by we would become a kingdom of priests? What relationship or connection would this particular priesthood have with that of the Melchizedekian Priestly Order, if any at all? Does this kingdom-priest covenant arrangement apply to us who are engrafted into the commonwealth of Yasharal?

Isaiah 61:6. But you shall be called the priests (cohenim) of YHVH. You will be called servers of God… (LEB).

The mention of a kingdom mandates the existence of a king (i.e. a melech). That king is Yeshua HaMashiyach. But this malchut/kingdom, ruled by the righteous king, will be unique — special — more precious than any nation on the planet. The nation is peopled by individuals that are fulfilling their Yah-derived and given purpose on the earth. Their covenant relationship sets them apart from the rest of humanity. And thus, because of their covenant relationship with Al Ahlyon (aka God Almighty), they not only reflect the image of YHVH to all creation, but they serve as [direct] facilitators or references for the world to experience Yah’s divine presence and Yah’s blessings (Gen 12:3; Deu 4:6; 1 Pet 2:5, 9 ). Yah always intended for Yasharal to be a set apart kingdom of intermediaries between Yah and the rest of humanity. For through His covenant people — including the engrafted ones — Yehovah would reveal Himself to a fallen world. Yasharal would be Yah’s holy emissary: Yah’s representative among the nation peoples of the world. The role of the Yah-sanctioned priest is always to “stand between Yah and humanity and to help bring humans closer to Yah” by (1) educating the world in Yah’s Torah, (2) ensuring righteous justice is dispensed, (3) to facilitate Yah’s favor being passed upon fallen humanity, (4) to show or model proper halachah (i.e. behavior or walk), and (5) display for the world to see what holy living looks like.

But Yah’s original plan for a royal nation of priests to serve Him was not lost because of Israel’s failures. In fact, all indications are that Yah’s original vision for a Kingdom of Priests would ultimately be fulfilled in the Person and ministries of Yahoshua, the Cohen haGadol according to the Order of Melchizedek, and we who belong to Yeshua will serve in priestly roles in his millennial Kingdom:

⁹But you are a chosen race, ^{Deḇ. 10:15} a royal priesthood, ^{Yesh. 61:6} a set-apart nation, ^{Shem. 19:6} a people for a possession, ^{Yesh. 43:21} that you should proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light, ¹⁰who once were not a people, but now the people of Elohim; who had not obtained compassion, but now obtained compassion. (1 Pet 2; The Scriptures ISR)

So, did the Melchizedekian Priesthood end with the inauguration of the Levitical Priesthood as recorded in Exodus 32? No. Nor did the Levitical Priesthood consume or conflate with the Melchizedekian Order. Nor did the Levitical Priestly Order replace the Melchizedekian. The Melchizedekian Order as we’ve previously discussed, preceded the Levitical Order (Genesis 14) and as we will in later installments to this series see, supersedes the Levitical Order. Furthermore, just to separate the two-orders, the Levitical Order is only a single-office order that is absent the royal or kingly office. Therefore, despite the thinkers who suggest that the Melchizedekian Order was swallowed up by or merged with the Levitical Order, without the royal component, which hearkens back to both Avram’s Melchizedek in Genesis 14, and Yah’s expressed covenant instructions to Moshe in Exodus 19 regarding what was necessary for Bene Yasharal to achieve royal priesthood status: obedience and keeping covenant. And I’ll add this as well: faith. For without faith it is impossible to please Yah (Heb 11:6).

With the sacrifice and resurrection of our Master Yahoshua HaMashiyach, the Melchizedekian Order, having been dormant for centuries, has been reactivated and put into full operation (Psa 110:4; Heb 5-7). And as we will discuss in the remaining installments to this series, we who are true disciples and sent ones of Yahoshua, are being groomed — trained to become kings and priests unto Yah, a fulfillment of Exodus 19. But in order to make it into and serve in Yeshua’s Melchizedekian Order, we must be steadfastly obedient to Yah’s voice and walk in His ways. No rote keeping of commandments as our ancient cousins were indicted by the Court of Heaven in doing: that is going through the motions of obeying Yah’s Torah all the while living like hellions. Our obedience must be complete and we must be wholly submitted to Yah’s will and sovereignty over our lives. Which also leads to our walking in covenant with Yah. If we are not in a right relationship with the Almighty such that He knows us and we know Him; where we are abiding by His house rules; where we are transforming into the image of our Master Yahoshua through the abiding presence and work of Yah’s Holy Spirit (aka His Ruach HaQodesh); whereby we love Him with all our being and love one another as we love ourselves; and we’re not cheating on Him by pursuing other gods — and those other gods don’t have to be idols and or graven images like the golden calf. In this age, most of us pursue gods that take the form of things; people; possession; power; influence; riches; entertainment; lasciviousness; and all things that supplant Yah’s number one place in our lives. And when such failures in our walk occurs, we run the risk of compromising the integrity of our covenant relationship with Yah. Doesn’t mean that we can’t reconcile with Yah when we falter — slip-up — lose our way — or experience a momentary crisis of faith and such in our relationship with Him. The remedy for fixing compromised covenant relationships with the Almighty is given by the Apostle John:

     “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Joh 1:9; KJV)

     And the Apostle Shaul adds: “Sober up correctly and stop sinning” (1 Cor 15:34; LEB).

     I don’t know about you, beloved, but I don’t only want to make it into the Kingdom, I very much want to serve in Yeshua’s Melchizedekian Order and build and promote His Kingdom. And so, may we all endeavor to be numbered among those of His Order.

     And with that, we will bring this installment of TMTO, and this 6^th installment to our Melchizedek Series to a close. I pray that you were blessed by our discussion here today and that you will endeavor to prepare yourself to serve in our Master’s Melchizedekian Royal-Priestly Order. There’s no better time than now to start walking out Exodus 19:5-6 and 1 Peter 2:9-10.