Religion & Covenant: The Royal Priesthood #3

It is important that we keep covenant with the Lord as the royal priesthood in the area of our individual lives and how it manifests in the area of religion. This includes all believers in Christ, not just the pastors and clergy.

“Then you shall know that I have sent this commandment to you,
That My covenant with Levi may continue,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
“My covenant was with him, one of life and peace,
And I gave them to him that he might fear Me;
So he feared Me
And was reverent before My name.
The law of truth was in his mouth,
And injustice was not found on his lips.
He walked with Me in peace and equity,
And turned many from iniquity.

“For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge,
And people should seek the law from his mouth;
For he is the messenger of the Lord of hosts.

But you have departed from the way;
You have caused many to stumble at the law.
You have corrupted the covenant of Levi,”
Says the Lord of hosts.
“Therefore I also have made you contemptible and base
Before all the people,
Because you have not kept My ways
But have shown partiality in the law.”
Malachi 2:4-9 (NKJV)

Even though this scripture speaks of the covenant of life and peace with Levi and his descendants as the priests, this speaks to us directly today as the royal priesthood.

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy. 1 Peter 2:9-10 (NKJV)

What the Lord intended for the covenant of life and peace with Levi and his descendants as priests is still the same covenant of life and peace for the royal priesthood of believers. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. Hebrews 13:8 (NKJV)

As the royal priesthood, please repent in our individual lives, for our past family generations and on behalf of our Nation for not representing well or extending the covenant of life and peace with the Lord to others. These can either be acts of commission—things we have done, or acts of omission—things we have not done.

“For the lips of a priest should keep knowledge…” Malachi 2:7 (NKJV)
- As the royal priesthood, please repent on behalf of us individually, our generations and our Nation for…
  - not keeping knowledge and instruction with our lips and how this has caused injury to others (Proverbs 5:2; Malachi 2:7)
  - not using discretion with words and how it has caused injury to others (Proverbs 5:2)
  - not using wisdom with words and how it has caused injury to others (Proverbs 15:7)
  - any way we have had the heart of a fool and have not dispersed knowledge and instruction with our lips (Proverbs 15:7)
  - for devaluing our lips by not seeing that the lips of knowledge are a precious jewel (Proverbs 20:15)
- As the royal priesthood, please replace with…
  - lips that keep knowledge (Malachi 2:7; Proverbs 5:2; Proverbs 15:7)
  - preservation of discretion (Proverbs 5:2)
  - being wise (Proverbs 15:7)
  - receive words of wisdom (Proverbs 2:1)
  - treasure commands of wisdom (Proverbs 2:1)
  - incline ear to wisdom (Proverbs 2:2)
  - apply heart to understanding (Proverbs 2:2)
  - cry out for discernment (Proverbs 2:3)
  - lift up voice for understanding (Proverbs 2:3)
  - seek wisdom as silver (Proverbs 2:4)
  - search for wisdom as hidden treasures (Proverbs 2:4)
  - value lips of knowledge as precious jewels (Proverbs 20:15)

And people should seek the law from his [a priest’s] mouth….Malachi 2:7 (NKJV)
- As the royal priesthood, please repent on behalf of us individually, our generations and our Nation for…
  - any ways we have not been trustworthy for others to ask, desire, seek or request the law or instruction from our lips (Malachi 2:7)
  - any ways we have not prepared our hearts to speak the law or instruction from our mouth (Ezra 7:10)
  - any ways we have not ourselves followed the law or instruction of the Lord in our lives (Ezra 7:10)
- As the royal priesthood, please replace with…
  - preparing our hearts to seek the law and instruction of the Lord (Ezra 7:10)
  - following the law and instruction of the Lord (Ezra 7:10)
  - receiving the instruction of the Lord (Psalm 94:12)
  - receiving the Lord’s teaching of the law (Psalm 94:12)

For he [the priest] is the messenger of the Lord of hosts. Malachi 2:7 (NKJV)
- As the royal priesthood, please repent on behalf of us individually, our generations and our Nation for…
  - not being an ambassador, messenger or representative of the Lord of hosts (Malachi 2:7)
  - not giving the message the Lord of hosts has asked us to give, including but not limited to the message of the covenant of life and peace (Malachi 2:7)
  - misrepresenting the message from the Lord of hosts, including but not limited to the message of the covenant of life and peace (Malachi 2:7)
  - any ways either knowingly or unknowingly given wicked messages on behalf of the Lord (Proverbs 13:7)
  - as an ambassador of the Lord, not spreading the message of reconciliation to God (2 Corinthians 5:20)
  - for not speaking boldly the message of the mystery of the gospel (Ephesians 6:19-20)
- As the royal priesthood, please replace with…
  - being a faithful messenger of the Lord of hosts (Malachi 2:7)
  - being a faithful ambassador/messenger of the Lord to bring health to others (Proverbs 13:7)
  - being a faithful ambassador of spreading the message of reconciliation with God (2 Corinthians 5:20)
  - speaking boldly the message of the mystery of the gospel (Ephesians 6:19-20)

This is an excerpt from Chapter 4 of “Covenant & Religion.” The remainder of this chapter and the complete book, “Covenant & Religion,” is available for purchase here.