“Be Sent Out” (Ch. 36); "Walking Uphill" (Ch. 37)

Created to Draw Near: Our Life as God’s Royal Priests
by Edward Welch
 
“Be Sent Out” (Chapter 36)
“The plan had always been that priests would meet in the staging area of God’s house in order to be sent out into the world. His house is a place of rest, yet it is also very busy. It is life with a purpose. Following are elements of that mission.” - Edward Welch
Do Battle
Priests were an integral part of Israel’s warfare.
We are in spiritual warfare every day. Our enemy can be found in the world or what is earthly:
1 John 2:16 NIVFor everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.
A primary battlefield is in our own hearts:
Anger
Selfish ambition
Jealousy
Pride
The battle strategy is clear and detailed: We turn from Satan and turn to the Lord.
James 4:7–10 NIVSubmit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
Another favorite battlefield of the devil is the community of believers.
“Priests discern the body of Christ, which means that we know that the body of Christ is set apart for unity through humility and love, and we work for peace and reconciliation when we see interpersonal fractures.” - Edward Welch
The spiritual battle is also in the world.
“We hope to fit in by being good neighbors who contribute to the good of the community, and we hope to stand out in the way we love. When we encounter the inevitable relationship hassles, this is our opportunity to shine.” - Edward Welch
Pray and Bless
How do we do spiritual battle in our own hearts, preserve the unity of the body of Christ, and love even our enemies?
The life of God’s saints is one of prayer.
“This is an extension of the normal back and forth that characterizes growing relationships: God speaks to us, especially through his word, and we speak from our hearts to him.” - Edward Welch
Prayer is one of our greatest opportunities to bring Christ to the world.
“During trouble, most people welcome prayer. They might think prayer is silly during easier times, but real humanity emerges especially in difficulties, when they are grateful that we pray for them and have them on our hearts.” - Edward Welch
The partner of prayer is blessing.
God blesses us and uses us to bless others.
To speak blessing to others, we must know God’s blessings:
Grace and peace to you (2 Pet. 1:2).
May the Lord deal kindly (Ruth 1:8).
May the Lord give you peace (2 Thess. 3:16).
May the Lord direct your hearts to the love of God and to the steadfastness of Christ (2 Thess. 3:5).
Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered (Ps. 32:1).
Our words of blessing to others mature and deepen as we understand more deeply the goodness of God to us.
We move from physical blessings to spiritual and heavenly blessings, which are eternal and more significant.
Psalm 65:4 NIVBlessed are those you choose and bring near to live in your courts! We are filled with the good things of your house, of your holy temple.
“After going out into the world, sent by the Lord yet also with his presence, we invite others to come near to him and return to his house where together we bless him.” - Edward Welch
Psalm 134:1–2 NIVPraise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord who minister by night in the house of the Lord. Lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the Lord.
 
“Walking Uphill” (Chapter 37)
 
On a Journey
Priests are on a journey, and God is near.
Psalm 23:1–3 NKJVThe Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake.
Jesus is our Good Shepherd.
“Jesus the shepherd is with us, always close. With sins forgiven, there is nothing that can separate us from his love... We have everything we need, and the waters are quiet rather than turbulent. We are refreshed by him and in him.” - Edward Welch
The Holy Spirit is the presence of God with us.
“The Spirit assures us of the presence of Jesus, and he gives us power to follow him during trouble—and there will be trouble. Those reminders strengthen us.” - Edward Welch
Psalm 23:4 NKJVYea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.
Jesus is with us in the wilderness, in the troubles of life.
Jesus walks with us with his rod and staff - one protects us from attacks, and the other keeps us from wandering or picks us up when we fall.
Psalm 23:5–6 NKJVYou prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.
“The image of the shepherd and sheep gives way to the image of the Lord as host, and he has prepared a lavish banquet. His hospitality begins with the anointing of the head with oil, which was customary with honored guests, but this anointing doubles as anointing to the royal priesthood.” - Edward Welch
“Our destination is always God’s house, which he has actually prepared for us, so it is our house. It has always been that way. For now, you can pray for endurance and eyes to see these spiritual realities. One day, we will stay put.” - Edward Welch

“Living Stones, Flowing Fountains” (Ch. 34); "Enter In" (Ch. 35)

Created to Draw Near: Our Life as God’s Royal Priests by Edward Welch
“Living Stones, Flowing Fountains” (Chapter 34)
Living Stones
Stones as memorials (Gen. 28:22)
Stones of the temple
Christ the Living Stone
Believers as living stones in Christ
1 Peter 2:4–5 NIVAs you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— 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.
“This spiritual house is the Most Holy Place where God’s holiness was most concentrated and his glory most vivid.” – Edward Welch
Ephesians 2:19–22 NIV
Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.
 
The New Temple
Christ the Cornerstone
Apostles and teachers the foundation
Believers the stones built on the Cornerstone and foundation
1 Corinthians 6:19–20 NIVDo you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
 
Temple Imagery
“Glorify” (Glory)
“A living sacrifice” (Rom. 12:1)
“Living water” (Jn. 4:14)
“Light of the world” (Matt. 5:14)
“Showbread” kept close to God (Ex. 25-30)
Prayers are “incense and aroma rising up to the Lord” (Rev. 8:3)
Living Stones to Flowing Fountains
Stones that yield water?
Exodus 17:5–6 NIVThe Lord answered Moses, “Go out in front of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink.” So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel.
Water-giving stone in the Temple
Ezekiel 47:1 NIVThe man brought me back to the entrance to the temple, and I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar.
Water at the Feast of Tabernacles
John 7:37–39 NIVOn the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
“Jesus is the stone that gives living water. As we believe in him, we are reborn of 'water and the Spirit' (John 3:5) and are remade into living temple stones that are so filled with the presence of God that we cannot contain his work in us. It seeps out and brings life to family, friends, neighbors, and the world.” - Edward Welch
"Enter In" (Chapter 35)
Ongoing Sacrifices?
Christ’s sacrifice was the end of the OT animal sacrifices, because his was sufficient and final for our atonement.
But we still offer sacrifices to God in the NT, sacrifices that flow out of the grace we have received.
Love has become the sacrifice that we bring to the Lord.
Our good works and generosity are a well-pleasing sacrifice to the Lord (Phil. 4:18; Heb. 13:15).
Obedience to God’s Word has always been preferable to ritual sacrifices (1 Sam. 15:22-23).
We offer our whole selves as sacrifices to the Lord.
Romans 12:1 NIVTherefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.
 
God’s Pattern of Grace
God acts first.
He gives new mercies in Christ.
God makes promises and keeps them.
God’s faithfulness is not determined by ours.
He always acts first and loves the most.
Then we respond to his mercy as living sacrifices.
“This devotion to the Lord is worked out in the details of everyday life. It includes how we work together as the body of Christ, each exerting the gifts God has given without jealousy or envy, all of which can be summarized as love that is genuine, generous, humble, and persistent even when mistreated.” - Edward Welch
We Wash at the Basin
The priests washed their hands and feet at the bronze basin before entering the Tabernacle into the Lord’s presence.
We have been cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ, and we continually wash at the basin by confessing our sins.
1 Corinthians 6:11 NIVAnd that is what some of you were. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.
“Paul wants us to refuse to tolerate personal ungodliness; he also wants us not to tolerate past condemnation and old regrets. So in the most resolute of ways, he heaps on us what has been accomplished in Jesus through the Spirit.” - Edward Welch
“So when you come to the basin, you are not repeatedly coming to Jesus for admittance to his house. “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean” (John 13:10). You come because priests still sin. Though you have been set apart by God for himself, relationships can still be affected by unconfessed sin. So you confess daily, and confession enhances open and close fellowship.” - Edward Welch
We light incense, and the smoke comes before the Lord.
In the tabernacle, the altar of incense continually offered up a sweet-smelling aroma to the Lord. It represented the prayers of the priests and the people.
“In God’s house there is lots of talking. That’s what families do. When you are needy, live among needy people, and live with your generous Father, you talk all the more. We pray, he responds with words from Scripture. Silence and home simply do not go together.” - Edward Welch
Psalm 141:2 NIVMay my prayer be set before you like incense; may the lifting up of my hands be like the evening sacrifice.
“Picture bowls. Golden bowls. Our prayers are placed in these bowls, and they are offered to the Lord, along with the prayers of other saints (Rev. 5:8; 8:3).” - Edward Welch
“This glimpse of spiritual realities gives new zeal to priestly prayers. God, indeed, hears the prayers of one, solitary child who has been abandoned. He also is pleased when the bowls are full. This is why we ask other people to pray. With our more desperate prayers, we ask as many people to pray as possible, and not one prayer is inconsequential to the resulting heavenly aroma.” - Edward Welch

“Saints” (Ch. 32); “Shining Faces” (Ch. 33)

Created to Draw Near: Our Life as God’s Royal Priest
by Edward Welch
 
“Saints” (Chapter 32)
 
Priests in the NT
The NT only calls believers “priests” in a few instances:
“A holy priesthood” (1 Pet. 2:5)
“A royal priesthood” (1 Pet. 2:9)
“Priests to our God” (Rev. 1:6; 5:10; 20:6)
Romans 15:16 NIV16to be a minister of Christ Jesus to the Gentiles. He gave me the priestly duty of proclaiming the gospel of God, so that the Gentiles might become an offering acceptable to God, sanctified by the Holy Spirit.
The label “priest” had fallen in disrepute in the early NT era. It was associated with pride and power more than with holiness and service.
The NT more often refers to Christians by another priestly name: “Saints.”
Saints
“Saint” means “holy one.”
Our priestly identity resides in the word “holy.”
Exodus 28:36 NIV36“Make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal: holy to the Lord.
Priests were always set apart as holy to the Lord.
Christians are “saints,” “holy ones.” The term is used over 60 times in the NT and is always used for all of God’s people, not just a special class of Christians.
Holy Mission
The mission of the Holy God to bring people close to himself and to enter his holiness.
“You belong to God, and everything that belongs to him carries the imprint of his holiness.” - Edward Welch
The mission of God that we grow into that holiness and become holy.
“Scripture sometimes emphasizes that God is the one who makes us holy. Other times it assumes that because he has set us apart, we become increasingly more like him.” - Edward Welch
Deuteronomy 7:6 NIV6For you are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.
Psalm 15:1–2 NIV1Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain? 2The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart;
“Saints” and So Much More
Members of God’s household (Eph. 2:19)
Chosen (1 Pet. 2:4)
Precious (1 Pet. 2:4)
His own possession (1 Pet. 2:9)
Rich (Dan. 7:18)
Servant of God (Titus 1:1; Rev. 1:6)
Friend of God (John 15:15)
“Shining Faces” (Chapter 33)
 
Moses and the Glory of God
Exodus 34:29 NIV29When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord.
Moses relayed the Word of the Lord while his face shined.
Moses veiled his face as the brightness of his face faded.
Moses was a priest robed in light, reflecting the glory of the Lord. He was transformed by his nearness to God.
Moses reflecting the glory of God illustrates how we are changed by his nearness:
Moses reflected light because God is light.
Lamps in the Holy Place (in the Tabernacle) symbolized God’s presence and always faced the bread, which symbolized the people.
The Lord has made his light to shine upon us (Ps. 118:27).
Jesus himself is the light that shines in darkness (Matt. 4:16).
Jesus revealed his true glory as he shined in brilliant light on the Mount of Transfiguration.
Jesus will be our sun when we are with him face-to-face (Rev. 22:5).
We pray, “Lift up the light of your face upon us, O Lord” (Ps. 4:6), and he does.
Our Shining Faces
The apostle Paul revealed to us that we too have shining faces due to our faith in Christ through the indwelling Holy Spirit.
Paul’s “point is that the reflected glory of Christ in his people is better than Moses. Jesus brought us into a new era in which the Spirit opens our eyes to the glory of Jesus. The Spirit also assures us that the glory reflected in us will never fade.” - Edward Welch
2 Corinthians 3:12–13 NIV12Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold. 13We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away.
2 Corinthians 3:16 NIV16But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.
2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV18And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.
“The Spirit brings you into the presence of God, and you shine as you reflect the light of Jesus. As with holiness, you have it, and you can grow in it. When you believe, you receive the Spirit, who shines the light of Christ in you. You can also grow 'from one degree of glory to another' as you continue to draw near to him.” - Edward Welch
Opportunities to Shine
Sharing Jesus with others with joy, after spending time in his light
Expressing gratitude instead of grumbling in difficulties
Philippians 2:14–15 NIV14Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky
“It turns out that there are shiny priests around us most every day who follow the course of faith and love in ways that make them appear spectacular and beautiful as they reflect the character of the Lord.” - Edward Welch

“Priests in Plain Clothes” (Ch. 30); “Priests Descend & Ascend” (Ch. 31)

Created to Draw Near: Our Life as God’s Royal Priests
by Edward Welch
 
Part 3: Almost Truly Human
 
“Priests in Plain Clothes” (Chapter 30)
“Today’s priests wear ordinary clothes, work in ordinary jobs, and are hard to single out. They are subject to the same losses and hardships as the rest of the world.” - Edward Welch
Priests Are Needy.
Psalm 40:17 NIV17But as for me, I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; you are my God, do not delay.
NT believers were (and are) needy people.
Sick, sinful, outcasts of society, persecuted, and poor.
Our neediness and weakness draw us near to God.
Priests Believe.
We are consecrated to God by faith in Jesus.
Our eyes are opened to believe in a Messiah that was rejected by most of his people.
He came in weakness, not strength.
He came in humility, not wealth or nobility.
He came to serve, not to be served.
“Jesus might not be what we expected, but he is what we hoped for... His humility and gentleness attract children, misfits, the unwashed, and those with immoral pasts. ...abundant life follows in his path—sins are forgiven, sicknesses are healed. Death is pushed back.” - Edward Welch
Our eyes are opened to believe in a humble, poor, rejected Messiah when we see our own need and unworthiness and trust that only he can rescue us.
The Democratization of the Priesthood
The priesthood was entrusted to Israel, and only a select family within Israel.
Now, in Christ, the priesthood has been “democratized and redistributed to us all.”
Our daily lives as God’s priests might seem rather ordinary, but we are in union with Christ the Risen Lord and are indwelt by the eternal Holy Spirit. God has drawn near to us.
“Priests Descend & Ascend” (Chapter 31)
 
Jesus in Heaven, The Spirit in Us
How can we draw near to Jesus when he is in heaven, and we are on earth?
The answer is the indwelling Holy Spirit, whom Jesus gave to be with us and in us.
“Because of Jesus we have the Spirit, and because of the Spirit we have Jesus. To have one is to have the other.” - Edward Welch
Romans 5:5 NIV5And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.
“The Spirit brings us into God in such a way that we participate in his plans. Everything we have is in Christ and through the Spirit who dwells in us.” - Edward Welch
Not a Stopgap Measure
Having the indwelling Spirit instead of the physical presence of Christ is not a stopgap measure or a downgrade.
Jesus’ whole ministry was accomplished in harmony with his anointing with the Holy Spirit.
“Jesus himself experienced unity with the Father by the Spirit. His miracles were by the Spirit. His resurrection was by the Spirit.” - Edward Welch
The Spirit’s presence will continue with us into heaven and eternity.
The Spirit is the one who brings us into the Father and the Son.
By the Spirit, Jesus binds himself to us, including in his death.
Galatians 2:20 NIV20I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
“In this death you have been freed from all claims that were rightly against you. The demands of justice in the heavenly court have been fully met, and sin, death, and Satan have lost their power.” - Edward Welch
New Life in the Spirit
Freedom from guilt and condemnation
Freedom from the power of sin and death
Victory over death through resurrection
1 Corinthians 15:55 NIV55“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”
Romans 6:5 NIV5For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his.
Romans 6:4 NIV4We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.
A new life of fellowship with Jesus by the Spirit
The Spirit has made us his dwelling while Jesus prepares a dwelling for us (John 14:2).
Descending with Jesus in the Spirit
Following Jesus’ lead, we descend in humility and service to others through the strength of the Spirit.
“This descent is hard, but when we know that it follows Jesus’s lead and is done with him, and that his Spirit is with us to give more life and power, then we can find comfort and even fuller life in it.” - Edward Welch
Weakness is the way to draw near to God.
Our weakness magnifies God’s strength.
Our weakness reveals our dependence.
Our weakness draws us near to God.
Like Christ, our weakness will one day give way to exaltation.
2 Corinthians 13:4 NIV4For to be sure, he was crucified in weakness, yet he lives by God’s power. Likewise, we are weak in him, yet by God’s power we will live with him in our dealing with you.
“Strength in weakness. Dependence on God in weakness. This...was life close to Jesus Christ.” - Edward Welch
Philippians 3:8 NIV8What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ
Philippians 3:10–11 NIV10I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.
“The life of God’s priests on earth is full of reminders that we are expatriates who live at the bottom of the ladder but are citizens of heaven. So life is full of daily hardships and death’s leftovers, yet it is also marked by life and love—love from God, love for God, and love toward God’s people. And where there is love, expect joy.” - Edward Welch

"Descending Further" (Ch. 27); "The Lamb Slain" (Ch. 28); "Jesus Ascends, the Spirit Descends" (Ch. 29)

Created to Draw Near: Our Life as God’s Royal Priestsby Edward Welch
“Descending Further” (Ch. 27)
Jesus Descends
Philippians 2:6–7 NIV
6Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
Immanence
Compassion and Gentleness
“He passed by the smug and arrogant, and he stopped and spoke to the ones no one else saw.” - Edward Welch
Humble and Ordinary
Isaiah 53:2–3 NIV
2He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. 3He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.
“His glory was apparent to those whose daily life was full of shame. It was veiled from those who felt no need for rescue.” - Edward Welch
Luke 7:22 NIV
22 So he replied to the messengers, “Go back and report to John what you have seen and heard: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor.
“With all these, Jesus not only came near, but he touched them. He touched lepers, the blind, the sick, and even the dead. He touched children who, though not necessarily unclean, were considered to be of little worth.” - Edward Welch
Identifying with the Lowly
A humble, sinful woman full of gratitude (Luke 7:36-50)
An outcast, sick woman full of faith (Luke 8:43-48)
“Jesus used the moment to reveal the deeper meaning of what happened. She had laid hands on God’s Lamb and transferred her uncleanness to him, and the Lamb had given his power and life to her while he went off into the wilderness bearing the weight of sin, shame, sickness, and everything connected to death.” - Edward Welch
Descending Further
Making Himself a Servant
John 13:4–5 NIV
4so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. 5After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
John 13:8 NIV
8“No,” said Peter, “you shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered, “Unless I wash you, you have no part with me.”
“In turns out that a requirement for being close to him is that you let him serve you… Jesus was both host and servant. As host, he supplied for us the meal of his very body and blood. As servant, he washed the feet of weary travelers. He also washed the day’s debris of sin from those who believed.” - Edward Welch
Giving Himself to the Cross
Philippians 2:8 NIV
8And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross!
“The story of God is a story of descent. We might have missed that during the tabernacle and temple periods, but looking back, we see that the tabernacle was, indeed, God descending. He pursued his people for forty years in a harsh wilderness, never leaving their side. The movement from heaven to earth was always natural to him.” - Edward Welch
“The Lamb Slain” (Ch. 28)
 
Relating to a Holy God
God used priestly representatives who experienced cleansing and closeness on behalf of all the people.
God worked through representatives or substitutes who experienced God’s wrath against rebellion and contempt.
Blood was shorthand for life, and the lifeblood of animals was poured out so that God’s people might live.
The blood of animals was not the final word. An animal could not ultimately stand in for a human being.
The Day of Atonement was always in view, pointing to the goal of humanity of being close to God.
The Prophet Isaiah saw that a coming Messiah would be the suffering servant representative of God’s people.
Isaiah 53:10 NIV
10Yet it was the Lord’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer, and though the Lord makes his life an offering for sin, he will see his offspring and prolong his days, and the will of the Lord will prosper in his hand.
 
A New Adam
“All creation had been waiting for a new Adam—a new priest—to introduce a new creation.” - Edward Welch
Imperfect Forerunners:
Noah
Abraham
Moses
David
“Jesus was the true human being, our suitable representative, and the true God who alone could give us life and bring us with him into heaven. For this to happen, he joined himself to us, took everything of ours that was associated with death, gave everything of his that was associated with life, and brought our death to its rightful end.” - Edward Welch
John 19:5 NIV
5When Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe, Pilate said to them, “Here is the man!”
“All we can do is agree—believe—that Jesus is, indeed, the man and God, and his death becomes our peace.” - Edward Welch
“Jesus Ascends, the Spirit Descends” (Ch. 29)
Descending in order to Ascend
Descending to Humility
Descending to Humanity
Descending to Servanthood
Descending to Death on a Roman Cross
Descending to the Grave
Ascending from the Grave
Ascending to the Heavens
Ascending as Lord over all Powers and Authorities
Ascending to the Right Hand of Deity
Ascending to Glory
John 3:13 NIV
13No one has ever gone into heaven except the one who came from heaven—the Son of Man.
Mark 9:31 NIV
31because he was teaching his disciples. He said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise.”
“The resurrection declared to the world that Jesus—and Jesus alone—is the eternal Son of God, and Jesus alone has all rights to the heavenly realms and can bring people to God.” - Edward Welch
Romans 1:4 NIV
4and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.
 
First of Many to Ascend
“When he ascended, he was by no means alone. God always intended to have his people near, and in Christ they would be brought to him.” - Edward Welch
John 14:1–3 NIV
1“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. 2My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there to prepare a place for you? 3And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.
John 20:17 NIV
17Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
Acts 1:3 NIV
3After his suffering, he presented himself to them and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God.
“After forty days he ascended to prepare a home for his people, not to return until his final coming. He ascended to the throne that was over all the demonic usurpers. Satan and his accomplices always had death as evidence of their power… This was the beginning of creation being brought back to its proper head so that nothing could separate us from God, and, instead of heaven and earth having a mere point of contact, heaven would fill the entire earth in Jesus.” - Edward Welch
Ephesians 1:20–22 NIV
20he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church,
Jesus Ascends so that the Spirit May Descend
“The final act of his ascension and coronation was the Spirit, received from the Father, poured out on us.” - Edward Welch
Acts 2:2–3 NIV
2Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. 3They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.
“Kings typically receive gifts when they ascend to the throne; Jesus gave himself as the gift, and the Spirit binds us to Jesus.” - Edward Welch
“This Pentecost revealed that the heavenly ladder remained a busy one. After Jesus ascended, the Spirit descended. In his descent he gives power to his people, groans on our behalf before the throne, and brings us into Jesus so that we abide in him. The Spirit has raised us with Jesus.” - Edward Welch
Romans 8:11 NIV
11And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you.
“As a result, it is now official. We are no longer citizens of earth, nor do we have dual citizenship. Instead, we are strangers and aliens on earth, and we are full citizens of heaven as we wait with Christ for the day when he will bring heaven to earth (Phil. 3:20). - Edward Welch
Philippians 3:20 NIV
20But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,

“Jesus the High Priest” (Ch. 25); "Believe" (Ch. 26)

Created to Draw Near: Our Life as God’s Royal Priests
by Edward Welch
 
“Jesus the High Priest” (Chapter 25)
 
The Priesthood of Jesus Christ
Not from the line of Levi and Aaron
Patterned after the Priesthood of Melchizedek
Psalm 110:4 NIV
4The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”
 
Our High Priest is from the earth.
Like Melchizedek, Jesus shares in our humanity.
Experienced weakness and need
Experienced temptation to sin
But remained sinless
Empathetic and gracious intercessor
Hebrews 4:14–16 NIV
14Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
 
Our High Priest is from heaven.
No record of Melchizedek’s lineage, birth, death, or place of origin
By analogy, this pictures Jesus the one from heaven with no beginning or end.
Hebrews 7:3 NIV
3Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever.
 
Our High Priest is our King from heaven.
Jesus has divine, heavenly authority.
Jesus returned the priesthood to the true meaning and intent of the Law of God.
Matthew 7:28–29 NIV
28When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, 29because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.
 
Matthew 28:18–20 NIV
18Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
 
Our High Priest is eternal.
The eternal Son of God came from heaven and has now returned to heaven.
He finished the work his Father sent him to do and now is seated at the right hand of God.
His sacrifice is the final sacrifice, and his priesthood is eternal.
No need for any more sacrifices or any more priests
Our Heavenly Lineage
Our heavenly lineage now surpasses the importance of our physical lineage.
We have been born of God.
John 3:5–6 NIV
5Jesus answered, “Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit. 6Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.
 
“Believe” (Chapter 26)
“With the temple and its sacrifices fulfilled in Jesus, the way to be cleansed and close to God is to follow him. In short, it’s to believe.” - Edward Welch
Signs Pointing Us to Faith in Jesus
Signs “are moments when heaven is opened, when the transforming power of God’s love bursts in to the present world.” - Tom Wright
Turning water into wine - Jesus’ disciples believed.
Healing a nobleman’s son - he believed.
Healing a lame man on Sabbath - some believed; other rejected.
Feeding 5,000 with one boy’s lunch - many believed.
Healing a man born blind - he believed and worshiped him.
Final Sign: Raising of Lazarus
The purpose of Lazarus’s death was to reveal Jesus’ glory, leading to faith in him.
John 11:25–26 NIV
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; 26and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”
 
John 11:26–27 NIV
26and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27“Yes, Lord,” she replied, “I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”
 
John 11:45 NIV
45Therefore many of the Jews who had come to visit Mary, and had seen what Jesus did, believed in him.
 
Summary of John’s Gospel
 
John 20:30–31 NIV
30Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. 31 But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.
“These are just a few of the signs that Jesus is the one who descended from heaven. They all point to the glory of the Lamb slain for us. Look at the signs. Listen to his words. Then believe.” - Edward Welch
“John puts the question before us: “Do you believe that he is the one sent by the Father?” A simple response of believing becomes a sign both to ourselves and to the world that we belong to the family of God through Jesus. If you believe him, you belong to him.” - Edward Welch
“So true worship is founded on believing what God has said and done. That has always been the foundation of life with God.” - Edward Welch
“As Jesus said to the Samaritan woman, you don’t have to be close to Jerusalem. Rather, you come to Christ, the living water, the living tabernacle. You come to him, the truth, the embodiment of the invisible spirit God who cannot be contained by a temple.” - Edward Welch

"Interrupted by a Wedding" (Ch. 23); "Jesus the Temple" (Ch. 24)

Created to Draw Near: Our Life as God’s Royal Priests
by Edward T. Welch
 
“Interrupted by a Wedding” (Chapter 23)
 
John 2:1 NIV
1 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus’ mother was there,
 
The Third Day
Third Day of What?
Third day since Jesus’ baptism (John 1)?
Third day of the week?
Third day of the wedding ceremony?
Something deeper?
A better wedding after Jesus’ death and resurrection
John’s counting of days anchored in Passover
Day 1: Jesus is crucified on Friday, the day of preparation for Passover.
Day 2: Jesus “rests” in the tomb on Saturday, the Sabbath.
Day 3: Jesus is resurrected on Sunday, the first day of the week.
Water to Wine
Cleansing water for purification at Passovers and weddings
Jesus turned this water into wine, symbolizing his blood of the new covenant (1 Cor. 11:25).
Cleansing water is now replaced by the blood of Jesus, which alone can cleanse from sin.
Foreshadowing Another “Third Day”
This “third day” at the beginning of John prepares us for another parallel “third day” at the end of John.
The “Third Day” of Jesus’ resurrection is now the “First Day” - a new beginning/creation
Day 6: Adam and Eve are created; Jesus is revealed as “the man” (Jn. 19:5), the second Adam, at his crucifixion.
Day 7: God rests; Jesus “rests” on the Sabbath.
Day 1: Re-creation begins. The light dawns. Jesus inaugurates the new creation with his resurrection, and the most intimate of walks await us.
“This, writes John, is a new day. The Passover has finally caught up to its true meaning in the sacrifice of God’s Lamb. The temple, and its promise of God’s presence, has given way to the picture of marriage. We are royal priests, and we are bride priests. Priestly nearness to God cannot quite capture the intimacy that has been God’s goal with us, so Scripture is merging another identity.” - Edward Welch
Isaiah 62:5 NIV
5As a young man marries a young woman, so will your Builder marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.
 
Communion
Holiness is not the ultimate goal; communion with God is.
Holiness is the means God uses to draw us near to him.
John 17:20–24 NIV
20“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. 22I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—23I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 24“Father, I want those you have given me to be with me where I am, and to see my glory, the glory you have given me because you loved me before the creation of the world.
“Fellowship, bound up with worship, praise, and downright enjoyment, is what we are after. And it all rests on his nearness and invitation to draw closer.” - Edward Welch
“Jesus the Temple” (Chapter 24)
 
John 2:13–15 NIV
13When it was almost time for the Jewish Passover, Jesus went up to Jerusalem. 14In the temple courts he found people selling cattle, sheep and doves, and others sitting at tables exchanging money. 15 So he made a whip out of cords, and drove all from the temple courts, both sheep and cattle; he scattered the coins of the money changers and overturned their tables.
 
Light to the Nations
The temple itself and its courts were walled and reserved for Israelites.
Gentiles were permitted in a large courtyard beyond these walls.
In this area, open to all worshipers, worship had been replaced by commerce.
The temple was intended to be a light to the nations, but worship of Gentiles was being disrupted.
Jesus was angry when the nations were kept from seeking the Lord.
Build a Temple in 3 Days?
 
John 2:19–21 NIV
19Jesus answered them, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” 20They replied, “It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?” 21But the temple he had spoken of was his body.
The temple building would indeed be destroyed.
Jesus’ body would not be destroyed but would be raised from the dead to be the living temple.
Matthew 21:42 NIV
42Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: “ ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?
“Jesus is the temple, John writes. God’s signposts have always pointed to Jesus. The temple is a copy; Jesus is the original. Worship is now centered on him. His body and his blood became our way to pass through the veil that quarantined the Most Holy Place. If you want to see something more magnificent than the glimmering temple that once stood over all Jerusalem, look at Jesus.” - Edward Welch

“The Holy One Descends” (Ch. 21); “Jesus Our Passover Lamb” (Ch. 22)

Created to Draw Near: Our Life as God’s Royal Priests by Edward T. Welch
Part 2: Jesus Our Tabernacle
“The Holy One Descends” (Chapter 21)
“When Jesus came to us in human flesh, the priestly story converged on him. More accurately, the priestly story and every detail of the tabernacle converged on him. Our entire priestly identity would soon be absorbed into his.” - Edward Welch
John 1:1 NIV1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
Jesus, the Creator God
Light and Life
Entered our World
Came to restore creation to its intended state
He descended a ladder (Gen. 28:12-13).
John 1:47 NIV47 When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, “Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.”
“No deceit” refers to Nathaniel’s character and reminds us of Jacob, the deceiver (Gen. 27:35-36).
John 1:51 NIV51 He then added, “Very truly I tell you, you will see ‘heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on’ the Son of Man.”
“The ladder itself was the same. Angels were freely going between two realms. What was different was that God, once seen at the top of the ladder, was now on earth. The Lord—the Son of Man, the Ancient of Days, Jesus the Christ—had descended in all humility and love. This was always his intent. In the weakness of a baby he gave up power. He came to us, and the distance between heaven and earth has been forever recalibrated.” - Edward Welch
John 1:14 NIV14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
“Jesus Our Passover Lamb” (Chapter 22)
The fate of the Israelite priesthood and temple: AD 70.
How would worship continue after the dissolution of the priesthood and destruction of the temple?
How would God be present with his people when his house was no longer standing?
Why prepare themselves for worship by ceremonial cleansing when there was no house of God to approach?
The Ministry of John the Baptist
Prepared the way for Jesus
Announced his coming and the coming of the Kingdom of God
Preached a message of confession of sin and repentance in preparation for the King
Response of repentance was symbolized by baptism
“It was a suitable expression of the deeper cleansing of the soul that was to come, and one didn’t have to go to the temple or its pools. It pointed the way to what had been the hope all along:” - Edward Welch
Ezekiel 36:25 NIV25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.
John also baptized Jesus.
Not for forgiveness of sins, but for consecration as God’s priest.
Exodus 29:4 NIV4 Then bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance to the tent of meeting and wash them with water.
Father, Son, and Spirit at Jesus’ baptism
“This is the most obvious appearance of the triune God in Scripture. From all eternity, God was close within himself. The Father, Son, and Spirit shared the most intense nearness and friendship. For reasons we will never fully understand, God always planned to bring believing humanity into this divine nearness, and he would do it through the Lamb.” - Edward Welch
John 1:29 NIV29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
John 1:36 NIV36 When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”
Jesus Our Passover Lamb
The Creator God, our Light and Life, is also our Passover Lamb.
Passover - rescue and redemption through sacrifice of a lamb.
“In Jesus, the Passover and its feast find their fullest expression. He is the reason for Israel’s rescue. Houses were protected in honor of his blood that would later be shed. Jesus is the Passover lamb, and God himself is the one who supplied the lamb. Jesus is God’s Lamb.” - Edward Welch
Abraham & Isaac: “Where is the lamb for the sacrifice?” “God himself will provide the lamb.” (Gen. 22:7-8)
All the sacrifices ever made in Israel’s history point to Jesus. Jesus is the Lamb of God.
John 19:14 NIV14It was the day of Preparation of the Passover; it was about noon. “Here is your king,” Pilate said to the Jews.
Exodus 12:46 NIV46 “It must be eaten inside the house; take none of the meat outside the house. Do not break any of the bones.
John 19:33 NIV33 But when they came to Jesus and found that he was already dead, they did not break his legs.
“The world is being renewed, and the temple is where renewal began. Renewal did not begin with revival among the priests or with Jesus installed as high priest. It began with the perfect sacrifice, supplied by God himself, freely offered by the Son. If Jesus were simply an improved priest, he would have restored right worship and right teaching to the temple, and the day-to-day practices would have continued. But because Jesus is the Lamb, there is no more need for temple sacrifices, and when the heavenly court is in session, Satan can no longer raise legitimate accusations against believers.” - Edward Welch

“Be Holy as I Am Holy” (Ch. 18); “In God’s Courtroom” (Ch. 19); “A Tumultuous Interlude” (Ch. 20)

Created to Draw Near: Our Life as God’s Royal Priests by Edward T. Welch
 
“Be Holy as I Am Holy” (Chapter 18)
Everything about God is Holy.
Isaiah 6:3 NIV3And they were calling to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.”
God’s holiness is expanding and drawing us in to be holy as he is holy.
Leviticus 19:2 NIV2“Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: ‘Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.
The way of holiness is obedience.
Obedience, however, is a means to an end.
Obedience serves the purpose of our communion with him.
Think of “progressive sanctification” as “progressive nearness.”
Sin separates, but holiness draws us close.
“Sin separates, even after we are made holy. When we turn from sin, we turn back to the light and life, and we experience fellowship with a clear conscience.” - Edward Welch
1 Peter 2:9 NIV9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.
2 Peter 1:4 NIV4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.
“Somehow, through his Spirit, we actually become ‘partakers of the divine nature,’ which is very close. Progressive nearness makes this growth and change increasingly beautiful, satisfying, and attractive.” - Edward Welch
“In God’s Courtroom” (Chapter 19)
We are consecrated by God and made holy.
Then we grow in holiness.
But our sins and imperfections remain with us. We are always dirty.
How do we serve as priests before a holy God if we are imperfect and dirty?
Israel’s Priests
They too were imperfect, but they served in God’s house.
They were ceremonially cleansed and declared officially clean.
“No priest ever rested in his own perfections. He rested in God’s mercy and the confidence that the one who invites less-than-clean people to live with him is the one who figures out how that will happen.” - Edward Welch
Zechariah’s Vision
Zechariah 3:1–4 NIV1 Then he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the Lord, and Satan standing at his right side to accuse him. 2 The Lord said to Satan, “The Lord rebuke you, Satan! The Lord, who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a burning stick snatched from the fire?” 3 Now Joshua was dressed in filthy clothes as he stood before the angel. 4 The angel said to those who were standing before him, “Take off his filthy clothes.” Then he said to Joshua, “See, I have taken away your sin, and I will put fine garments on you.”
“But the judge reveals that he is not only a judge. He is also the advocate who comes to our defense. Even more, he is our advocate-defender-sacrifice-beautifier who will take upon himself the burden of qualifying his people to be with him.” - Edward Welch
“All eyes are on Jesus. He does all this himself. We witness his work... For his namesake, not because of our inherent worth or capacity, he forgives and cleanses us.” - Edward Welch
Zechariah 3:5 NIV5Then I said, “Put a clean turban on his head.” So they put a clean turban on his head and clothed him, while the angel of the Lord stood by.
Exodus 28:36 NIV36“Make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it as on a seal: holy to the Lord.
“In this vision the character of the Lord is on fuller display. He is not torn between loving people and consuming them in his anger. Instead, he has determined that we be with him, and he is always inclined to wash and forgive those who turn to him. Following Zechariah’s lead, we are emboldened to come near.” - Edward Welch
“Yet we are witnessing something even deeper. This beautifying means that we begin to look more and more like God himself as we are being refashioned into his image. Communion is best when we share a likeness. We are becoming truly human, remade in the image of our Father and Creator.” - Edward Welch
“A Tumultuous Interlude” (Chapter 20)
“The fortunes of the priests and the temple were bound together. As one went, so went the other.” - Edward Welch
Problems began as soon as the Temple was completed by Solomon:
Solomon spent more time and expense on his own house than he did on the Lord’s.
Solomon had a foreigner oversee the work, and this foreigner was paid with Israelite cities.
Solomon forced Hebrews into labor, which sounds peculiarly like the old Egyptian overlords.
Solomon took liberties with furniture dimensions and materials, which bent the tabernacle toward the pagan temples of that day.
“If you look closely, the story tends toward entropy. God’s presence is less intense, less concentrated. The glory and presence of the Lord rested on the new temple (1 Kings 8:10–11; 2 Chron. 7:1–3), but idol worship, tacitly approved by Solomon, was followed by civil war and a divided kingdom.” - Edward Welch
Propensity for idolatry
Tolerance of corruption and injustice
Eventual destruction by the Babylonians in 586 BC.
“When the Babylonians entered the Most Holy Place, there was no cloud of the presence, and the presence of God would not inhabit the Jerusalem temple again.” - Edward Welch
Permission to rebuild by Cyrus
Initial success then opposition
Apathy and selfishness left the 2nd temple unfinished for 10 years.
Haggai and Zechariah moved the people to finish the temple.
Jerusalem and its temple were under foreign rule for many generations to come.
Fought over by empires to the north and south.
Blasphemed and contaminated by Antiochus Epiphanes (168 BC).
Judah Maccabee recaptured Jerusalem for the Hebrews and reconsecrated the temple (164 BC), remembered at Hanukkah.
Greek and Roman influence turned the high priesthood into a political position and polluted its purpose.
Herod the Great arose out of this tumultuous history.
Master builder
Beautified and expanded the temple
Priests and Levites rotated through the temple duties, and the nations gathered there.
Yet, within there was spiritual decay, and its Most Holy Place was empty.
Also ordered the death of infant sons to protect his throne from Jesus, the coming Messiah.
Setup for the New Testament period:
Synagogues appeared.
Priests were spiritually unreliable.
Priests were more interested in maintaining Jewish identity than discerning sin and being a light to the world.
“In all this, there was reason for hope. The Lord still made appearances in his sanctuary (Luke 1:11)—he was never dependent on the presence of the ark… If we notice anything in this history, we see that the Lord is accustomed to entering into very messy situations in which he is uninvited but still faithful to his promises.” - Edward Welch

“Priests at Work” (Chapter 17)

Created to Draw Near: Our Life as God’s Royal Priests by Edward T. Welch
“Priests at Work” (Chapter 17)
Priests came before Kings and Prophets.
Manifold Duties of the Priests
Priests at Work
Sanctified
Sacrifices
Holy Days
Blessings
Sanctified
Set Apart for the Ministry of the Priesthood
Provision from the Offerings of the People
“What the people gave to the Lord, the Lord shared with the priests and the Levites.” - Edward Welch
No Inheritance other than the Lord
Numbers 18:20 NIV
20The Lord said to Aaron, “You will have no inheritance in their land, nor will you have any share among them; I am your share and your inheritance among the Israelites.
“When you get the Lord, you get everything else thrown in.” - Edward Welch
Luke 12:32 ESV
32“Fear not, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
Set apart by Ordination or Consecration
Cleansing
Investiture
Anointing
Sacrifices
Sin Offering
Burnt Offering
Ordination Offering
Food Offering
Meal at the entrance of the tabernacle
“The ordination service was for the male offspring of Aaron, but we know where the story is going. All God’s people were soon to be included in this ordination process. The details of the service look different for us because all these sacrifices have been condensed into the work of Jesus. But the rhythm of life for the Aaronic priesthood continues to be the rhythm of our lives.” - Edward Welch
The priests were:
Cleansed from sin
Devoted to the Lord
Thankful for the Lord’s provision
Blessed by his fellowship and care
Sacrifices
Division of duties
Priests who oversaw the sacrificial system
Daily burnt offering - continual pleasing aroma to the Lord for the entire night. Even while the people slept, the Lord was actively making a way for his presence to remain in the camp.
Daily morning and afternoon services
People came to the priests to offer various sacrifices.“To make an animal sacrifice, the worshiper laid hands on the animal and killed it near the entrance of the tabernacle. Everything was up close, participatory, and personal.” - Edward Welch
8 different kinds of sacrifices
Burnt offering - including burnt, sin, and guilty offerings. These involved the blood of animals and were for forgiveness of sin and purification and for expressions of devotion to God.
Peace offering - including cereal, drink, grain, vow, freewill, and wave offerings. These involved an expression of personal devotion and perhaps reconciliation and fellowship with the Lord.
“All of this created a pleasing aroma to the Lord, and it was God’s plan for meeting with his people (Ex. 29:42–43). Did the sacrifices earn God’s favor? No, they were in recognition of what God had done and would do, and they were effective because of his mercy. And the daily rhythm was gradually inculcated into the hearts of the priests and the people.” - Edward Welch
The people were:
Cleansed from sin
Devoted to the Lord
Thankful for the Lord’s provision
Blessed by his fellowship and care
Holy Days
Common days and Holy days
Holy days in cycles of seven
Sabbath every seventh day of the week
Day of Atonement in the seventh month
Year for releasing debts is the seventh or sabbatical year.
The Year of Jubilee is after the forty-ninth year, or seven times seven.
Feasts and Festivals
First festival - Passover and Week of the Feast of Unleavened Bread and the Feast of Firstfruits
Second festival - Seven weeks and a day later was the Feast of Weeks, later also known as Pentecost.
Third festival - Seventh month was sanctified at the beginning with the Feast of Trumpets in preparation for the Day of Atonement 10 days later. On the fifteenth day of the seventh month was the Feast of Booths/Tabernacles, lasting a week.
All of these were marked by special sacrifices, rest, and particular remembrances.
Sabbath
Creation Week - the Sabbath is designated as Holy.“On the Sabbath God rested, and he invites us to rest with him. This is not so much that everyone takes a nap on the Sabbath. The point is that we don’t have to work, so we have time to meet with the Lord—and he meets with us. The point is shalom or peace, not sleep.” - Edward Welch
A Sabbath for Slaves“With the Sabbath, God essentially proclaimed that his people were not slaves but a royal priesthood.” - Edward Welch
Sabbath - an expression of trust in and dependence upon the Lord
Manna - trust God to provide for the 7th day.“This meant that they were to trust in the Lord’s care for them more than in the work of their hands. Trust is essential to a relationship.” - Edward Welch
Sabbath at harvest time - trust God to provide even with a day’s worth of harvesting lost.“The Sabbath was a good test for the soul. Trust does not come naturally; self-interest does. The Sabbath was an opportunity to say that all things come from the Lord.” - Edward Welch
Sabbath - distinguished God’s people from their neighbors.
Jesus reclaims the Sabbath from legalistic burdens.
Matthew 11:28 NIV
28“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.
“In the Gospels, “on the Sabbath” is a marker that something important is about to happen. Jesus had come close, life was breaking in, heaven was piercing earth, and death was being pushed aside. Withered hands were being healed. Disciples were being fed. The Sabbath was a time for blessing, not burdens.” - Edward Welch
The first day of the week - in remembrance of the Lord’s resurrection - became set apart for worship and rest.
“The Sabbath reminds us that rest and peace can only be found in the Lord of the Sabbath.” - Edward Welch
The Day of Atonement
Sabbath dominated the weekly calendar
The Day of Atonement dominated the yearly calendar.
It was the only day when the curtain to the Most Holy Place was lifted for one representative of the people.
Holiest of Holy Days - marked by fasting rather than feasting
Bull and Ram - offered as a sin offering and burnt offering for the High Priest and his family
Two Goats - for the people as a whole - one for a sin offering and one for a “scapegoat.”
Leviticus 16:30 NIV
30because on this day atonement will be made for you, to cleanse you. Then, before the Lord, you will be clean from all your sins.
“So many spiritual realities were crammed into this day. Sin was purged by a substitute acceptable to the Lord, blood was sprinkled to bring life to people who had been polluted, and the wandering goat took sins “as far as the east is from the west” as a way to illustrate how far God removes his people from their sins (Ps. 103:12). God was making a way to get closer. To use Genesis language, a new Adam could go past the cherubim that guarded the presence of God. The Day of Atonement assured the people that intimacy with the Lord was still the plan, but it would happen gradually.” - Edward Welch
“As we bring these holy days into the present, what is most obvious is that our sins are our deepest and most profound problem. Our struggles with money, broken relationships, and poor health will be over when we see Jesus, but our sins have eternal implications unless they are sprinkled with the cleansing blood of the Lamb.” - Edward Welch
“All modern-day priests, therefore, should be able to identify personal sins. We could put this more strongly: to be fully human is to know our sins, to know that the sacrifice of Jesus has taken our sins away from the presence of God, and to do battle against ongoing temptations.” - Edward Welch
Blessing
“The priestly story is that of God reclaiming us, bringing us close, and blessing us. The Lord is not under compulsion to show us this kindness. He blesses us because it is his nature. He is inclined to bless, he has made a way to deal with sin so he can bless, and we certainly need his blessing.” - Edward Welch
Bless - to show favor
Blessed - to experience the happiness and joy of such favor
“When God speaks words over his creation, his creative power is put to work. Life appears. This happens with the earth, the sky, the seas, and with us. Blessing is God’s procreative power being brought to our lives. It is necessary for us if we are to live as he intends.” - Edward Welch
John 10:10 ESV
10The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.
As those who have been blessed, God invites us to speak his blessing on others.Numbers 6:22–27 NIV
22The Lord said to Moses, 23“Tell Aaron and his sons, ‘This is how you are to bless the Israelites. Say to them: 24“‘“The Lord bless you and keep you; 25the Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you; 26the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.”’ 27“So they will put my name on the Israelites, and I will bless them.”
“The Lord bless you and keep you.” - He is close enough to shade you from the sun, always awake, and protecting your very life (Ps. 121).
“The Lord make his face shine on you and be gracious to you.” - The lampstand is in view as well as the light that is characteristic of his presence. The blessing is that you would know his rescue when you are overwhelmed.Psalm 80:3 NIV
3Restore us, O God; make your face shine on us, that we may be saved.
“The Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.” - The Lord tells you that he sees and hears you. The face of the Father is toward his children. By his gentle care he will make things right and give deep and lasting peace.
We have been called to bless others in the name of Jesus. This is a premiere feature of our priestly calling.

“Job Descriptions” (Chapter 16)

Created to Draw Near: Our Life as God’s Royal Priests
by Edward T. Welch
 
“Job Descriptions” (Chapter 16)
 
Heart of the Priestly Job Description
Fellowship with the Lord
Enjoying his hospitality and protection
Living in his house
“May we never think that dour obedience is the essence of life in Christ. Lavish meals, satisfaction, peace, and pleasure are the lot of God’s priests. It could be no other way when we are invited to live at the junction of heaven and earth.” - Edward Welch
Duties of the Early Priests
Care for the weak, orphaned, widows, and poor
Prayer and encouragement in preparation for battle
“These early descriptions of the priestly mission were always pointing toward something more and someone more. The mission converges on Jesus, the true high priest, and from him our job description explodes with new meaning.” - Edward Welch
We still care for the weak, but we realize that we too are poor and needy.
We continue to prepare for battle, but now our battle is against the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Three Aspects of the Priests’ Job Description
Fill the earth with wise, discerning royal priests.
Care for the peace and purity of the believing community.
Reflect the Lord.
Fill the Earth with Wise, Discerning Royal Priests
The original creation mandate
Genesis 1:28 NIV28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
The updated new creation mandate
Matthew 28:19–20 NIV19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
“The job of subduing the earth continues unabated from the original commission. We are stewards of earth. But the souls of humanity have become our primary stewardship.” - Edward Welch
1 Samuel 12:23 NIV23 As for me, far be it from me that I should sin against the Lord by failing to pray for you. And I will teach you the way that is good and right.
“Priests call children, neighbors, and the world to draw near to Jesus.” - Edward Welch
Care for the Peace and Purity of the Believing Community
“The job of priests is to protect and keep God’s house.” - Edward Welch
Adam and Eve’s failure to protect the Garden of Eden
The Israelite Priests failure to protect the community of Israel
Jesus Christ the Great High Priest
The church, a royal priesthood under Christ
Imperfect but Sanctified
Seek unity not division
Seek justice not favoritism
Seek righteousness not wickedness
Seek love not selfishness
1 Corinthians 3:16–17 NIV16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in your midst? 17 If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy that person; for God’s temple is sacred, and you together are that temple.
 
Reflect the Lord
Moses reflected the greatness and holiness of the Lord after having been in his presence.
Exodus 34:29–30 NIV29 When Moses came down from Mount Sinai with the two tablets of the covenant law in his hands, he was not aware that his face was radiant because he had spoken with the Lord. 30 When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him.
“Moses represented the people and was invited to draw near. When he drew near, he took on a characteristic of the one he beheld… As God is light, so Moses reflected that light.” - Edward Welch

“In God’s House” (Ch. 14) & "Priests Clothed" (Ch. 15)

Created to Draw Near: Our Life as God’s Royal Priests by Edward T. Welch
“In God’s House” (Chapter 14)
Exodus 25:8–9 NIV
8 “Then have them make a sanctuary for me, and I will dwell among them. 9 Make this tabernacle and all its furnishings exactly like the pattern I will show you.
“God’s Home(s)”
• Eden: life and communion
• Mt. Sinai: sacrifices, meals, communion, & promises
• Tabernacle
• Most detail provided in Scripture of any of God’s dwelling places
• Based on a heavenly pattern
• God’s people lived in tents, and he would dwell in a tent in the midst of them.
God’s “home consisted of a tent, surrounded by a courtyard, which was surrounded by the people of Israel, and beyond them was the world that needed the God of Israel.” - Edward Welch
Pictures of God’s Character
• The tabernacle’s design and composition revealed much about God’s character:
• Royalty
• Fine white linen, purples, blues, and reds, gold, silver, and bronze
• Righteousness
• Bronze Altar - people need to be forgiven and cleansed before going into God’s house.
• Purity
• Laver - the necessity for washing/cleansing
• Light and Life
• Golden lampstand shaped to remind of the tree of life in Eden
• Provider
• Table of the bread of presence - God’s care for Israel.
• Divine hospitality
• Grace and Beauty
• Altar of Incense - the sweet smelling aroma rising to the heavens represented the prayers of God’s people brought into the presence of God.
• Holiness and Glory
• Most Holy Place and Ark of the Covenant - God’s throne in God’s throne room
• Only allowed access once a year by the High Priest
• God’s glorious presence came to dwell among his people.
“The tabernacle was a visual representation of God’s world along with specific instruction on how his people were to come near. Each detail was intended to prepare humanity to recognize Jesus when he came and gathered all these details into himself.” - Edward Welch
“Priests Clothed” (Chapter 15)
For Glory and for Beauty
Exodus 28:1–2 NIV
1 “Have Aaron your brother brought to you from among the Israelites, along with his sons Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar, so they may serve me as priests. 2 Make sacred garments for your brother Aaron to give him dignity and honor.
• God clothes us to make us beautiful and glorious to stand in his presence.
“God has designed our clothes, and they will make us quite presentable.” - Edward Welch
Characteristics of the Priestly Clothing
• Special - Consecrated
• Costly
• Ornate
• Holy - made of same linen and yarns of the tabernacle itself, gold plate on turban: “holy to the Lord”
“...image bearers—human beings—were the ones intended to represent God most accurately. The tabernacle, indeed, reflected his glory, but walking, living tabernacles were always the plan. The priestly coverings pointed to the Spirit-filled tabernacles that were to come, when we would all be made holy in Jesus Christ.” - Edward Welch
• Representative - names of the 12 tribes engraved on stones on the shoulder pieces and on the jewels of the breastplate.
“The high priest carried the people everywhere, even into the Most Holy Place.” - Edward Welch
• Wisdom - Urim and Thummim represented wise judgment in consultation with the Lord’s will.
“The image of God in humanity was being restored. The discernment and wisdom lost at Eden were available because God was with his people.” - Edward Welch
• Royal - Turban with royal, crown-like overtones
“When you take a step back, it becomes clear: the priestly garment mimicked the tabernacle... The priest was a living version of the tabernacle. The priest and tabernacle both imaged God.” - Edward Welch
Psalm 84:10 NIV
10 Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
“The priests were blessed to be attendants at God’s residence, but their presence there pointed to a much greater reality: his presence with his people would be so intimate that he would actually reside within them.” - Edward Welch
“We look ahead and see that we are, both singularly and corporately, living tabernacles, and a tabernacle is where God resides with his people.” - Edward Welch
1 Corinthians 6:19 NIV
19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own;
“The Father over us, Jesus with us, and the Spirit in us—all this intimacy is now in view in the priestly story.” - Edward Welch

"Holy" (Ch. 12) & "A Meal with God" (Ch. 13)

Created to Draw Near: Our Life as God’s Royal Priests
by Edward T. Welch
 
“Holy” (Chapter 12)
 
Set Apart
“Holy” found everywhere in conjunction with priests of God.
Holy days, places, objects, and people
Set apart by the Lord and for the Lord
God’s Classification System
 
Leviticus 10:10 NIV
10 so that you can distinguish between the holy and the common, between the unclean and the clean,
Holy
Common
Clean
Unclean
 
An Orderly Universe
Separated light from darkness
Separated water from water to form the sky
Separated water from land
A Holy Nation
Separated types of seed in fields
Separated kinds of fabric from garments
Separated clean and unclean foods
“These unusual expressions of distinctions and order were a bridge to the deeper order in which God’s people were to belong to him and separate themselves from sin. Sin is an alien kind that should not mix with those created in God’s image.” - Edward Welch
“Death, too, sin’s constant companion, is alien to the God of life, so we are not surprised that priestly laws contained taboos against anything that had ties to death.” - Edward Welch
The Clean and Unclean
Clean - welcomed and could draw near
Free to worship at the temple gates and enter the courtyard
Included in the community
Unclean - unwelcome and remain far away
The unclean were farther from God and closer in proximity to death.
Excluded from the community
“The unclean person’s only hope was that God would do something to redeem him or her from uncleanness, and he did. The entire sacrificial system was intended to point the way from death toward the life giver himself. The unclean were purified or cleansed.” - Edward Welch
The Holy
Near to God
Set apart from the rest of creation
Honorable because the Lord brings them near to himself
From Unclean to Holy
Since the Fall, God is reclaiming the unclean and making them clean and holy.
Consecration, Sanctification
Sacrifice was the way to cleanse and make holy.
 “The purpose of humanity is to be brought near to God as a holy people.” - Edward Welch
Left to ourselves, we are unclean.
Sin and death (sin’s colleague) are our problem.
God has made a way for forgiveness of sins through sacrifice.
His mission is to draw us close to himself and give life.
He takes the unclean and makes them clean.
He takes the clean and makes them holy.
“A Meal with God” (Chapter 13)
“You know that God has accepted you when he invites you to a meal.” - Edward Welch
Exodus 24:9–11 NIV
9 Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up 10 and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as bright blue as the sky. 11 But God did not raise his hand against these leaders of the Israelites; they saw God, and they ate and drank.
 
One Way, His Way
It is by grace that we draw near to God.
It is by God’s word and command that we draw near his way.
Divine Hospitality
The feet of God - a partial view of God’s presence
A covenantal meal, prepared by God
​“‘Come, live under my protection, enjoy a meal with me; it is my honor to treat you; let’s talk.’ That’s the gist of the Lord’s Table. It gets to the heart of priestly privileges and pleasures, and it is a recurring event where heaven and earth meet.” - Edward Welch
First of Many Meals
Priests shared a meal from the sacrifices presented to the Lord.
People who brought a peace offering shared in a meal with the Lord from that offering.
Those who remained faithful to the Lord received an invitation to a soul-satisfying and free banquet (Isa. 55:1–6).
Jesus himself gathered the most unlikely and unworthy to eat with him.
Mt. Sinai, the Tabernacle, and the Lord’s Presence
Mt. Sinai was like a vertical tabernacle.
The people were at the base in the outer courtyard - they saw the cloud of God’s glory.
The elders were invited farther up into the inner courtyard - they saw the Lord’s “feet.”
Moses was invited up to the summit to the Most Holy Place - He would later see God’s “back.”
What about Us?
We have the coming of Jesus who revealed the Father to us.
But there is even more to come.
1 Corinthians 13:12 NIV
12 For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
 

"Moses" (Ch. 10) and "A Nation of Priests" (Ch. 11)

Created to Draw Near: Our Life as God’s Royal Priests
by Edward T. Welch
 
“Moses” (Chapter 10)
 
From Jacob to Levi
Jacob’s son Levi would be the father of the priestly line in Israel.
Transition from Father/Patriarch priests to Levite priests
A Levite Had a Son
 
Exodus 2:1–2 NIV
1 Now a man of the tribe of Levi married a Levite woman, 2 and she became pregnant and gave birth to a son. When she saw that he was a fine child, she hid him for three months.
“This couple would have a priestly son, and he would stand in the gap between heaven and earth. He would receive words from the Lord to give to the people, and he would hear the pleas of the people to give to the Lord. In Moses, humanity’s true identity would become more vivid than in anyone before Jesus.” - Ed Welch
1. Meeting God in a bush.
 
Exodus 3:1–5 NIV
1Now Moses was tending the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian, and he led the flock to the far side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God. 2There the angel of the Lord appeared to him in flames of fire from within a bush. Moses saw that though the bush was on fire it did not burn up. 3So Moses thought, “I will go over and see this strange sight—why the bush does not burn up.” 4When the Lord saw that he had gone over to look, God called to him from within the bush, “Moses! Moses!” And Moses said, “Here I am.” 5“Do not come any closer,” God said. “Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground.”
A moveable Most Holy Place - wherever God is, there is holy ground.
A fire that does not consume - awe and nearness.
Removed sandals - cleansing in the presence of the holy
A conversation - a back and forth dialogue between the Lord and Moses.
“This is an image-bearing priest on grand display. We alone are like God in such a way that he speaks to us, we listen, we speak to him, and he listens—back and forth. This is what can happen when God comes close, and it was a distinctive feature of Moses’s life.” - Edward Welch
2. Meeting God on a mountain.
Heaven and earth meet at Sinai.
A vision of heaven
Exodus 24:10 NIV
10and saw the God of Israel. Under his feet was something like a pavement made of lapis lazuli, as bright blue as the sky.
With God on the summit - the Most Holy Place
Exodus 24:16 NIV
16and the glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered the mountain, and on the seventh day the Lord called to Moses from within the cloud.
Moses - a new Adam walking and talking with God on the seventh day.
A shining face - drawing near to the Lord is transformational.
Exodus 34:30 NIV
30When Aaron and all the Israelites saw Moses, his face was radiant, and they were afraid to come near him.
​
3. Meeting God in a small tent.
The Lord descends and came to Moses at the tent of meeting.
Face to face
Exodus 33:11 NIV
11The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young aide Joshua son of Nun did not leave the tent.
 
Moses’ Priestly Role
Established altars and made sacrifices and burnt offerings
Guarded and kept the temple mountain to protect the people
Made a stand for God’s holiness (Ex. 32:21)
Led people into war (Ex. 17:8)
Taught and applied the words of the Lord to the people (Lev. 10:11; Deut. 33:10)
Preeminently, it was his nearness to God that identified him as a priest unto the Lord.
“Levites worked in the tabernacle courts, but they couldn’t get as near to the Most Holy Place as the priests who descended from Aaron. Moses and Aaron came from Levi, but Moses did not come from Aaron. Since Moses clearly came close to the Lord—closer than any Aaronic priest—he is a small reminder that non-credentialed people like us might also be able to come near to God, and he might come near to us.” - Edward Welch
“A Nation of Priests” (Chapter 11)
 
Exodus 19:5–6 NIV
5Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, 6you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words you are to speak to the Israelites.”
 
Priests among a Nation of Priests
Priestly line was demarcated and specific
Levi
Aaron
“Priests represented the people, and the high priest actually wore symbols of the people on his vestments, but the people in general were not priests... But we have reason to think that the line of priests was going to expand.” - Edward Welch
Priests outside the Line of Aaron
Moses
Samuel
1 Samuel 16:2 NIV
2But Samuel said, “How can I go? If Saul hears about it, he will kill me.” The Lord said, “Take a heifer with you and say, ‘I have come to sacrifice to the Lord.’
King David’s sons
2 Samuel 8:18 NIV
18Benaiah son of Jehoiada was over the Kerethites and Pelethites; and David’s sons were priests.
Family-father priests (Passover, Ex. 12:1-11)
“It wasn’t the temple or Levi that defined the priesthood. The key was holiness, and holiness—an essential condition for priests in which they were chosen by God, set apart for him and cleansed—was going to be available to everyone (Lev. 19:2; 20:7–8).” - Edward Welch
“The people as priests came first. The Levitical priesthood did not replace the people as priests. It simply offered a more concentrated version of priestly life that would eventually be redistributed to all the people.” - Edward Welch
“This means that you are a treasured possession. Out of all creation, God determined that those whose allegiance is to him are of great worth, and when you have a treasured possession, you keep it close and never let it go.” - Edward Welch
“You are among a kingdom of priests. Men, women, and children wear the priestly garments. As per the original calling, you go out and serve as priests to the nations that are presently far off.” - Edward Welch
“You are brought into a holy nation. You are not holy because you are pure in yourself or closer to perfection than your neighbor. Only God makes us holy. Humility and thanks, therefore, are the natural response of all priests.” - Edward Welch
Leviticus 26:11–12 NIV
11I will put my dwelling place among you, and I will not abhor you. 12I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people.
 
Isaiah 61:6 NIV
6And you will be called priests of the Lord, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast.

"Sanctuaries & Ladders" (Ch. 8) & "Jacob" (Ch. 9)

Created to Draw Near: Our Life as God’s Royal Priests
by Edward T. Welch
 
Part 2: Israel
 
“Sanctuaries & Ladders” (Chapter 8)
 
When God Comes Close
Altars - where heaven came to earth
God’s voice and heavenly visions - when God speaks, he is present.
Blessings and promises
When he blesses us, we will, in turn, pass that blessing to others, and a prized priestly job is to pronounce blessings. - Edward Welch
Holy
people, places, special days, and objects that God has brought close to himself
Priests
Job - one of our priestly ancestors
Job 1:5 NIV5When a period of feasting had run its course, Job would make arrangements for them to be purified. Early in the morning he would sacrifice a burnt offering for each of them, thinking, “Perhaps my children have sinned and cursed God in their hearts.” This was Job’s regular custom.
Abraham
Genesis 12:8 NIV8From there he went on toward the hills east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. There he built an altar to the Lord and called on the name of the Lord.
Melchizedek
As God’s priest Melchizedek shared in the status of God himself, which means that he was Jesus. - Edward Welch
Was Melchizedek Jesus?
Melchizedek described with names, locations, etc. suggest he was a normal man.
Melchizedek, king of Salem parallel with king of Sodom in Gen. 14, who met Abram simultaneously (Wenham, Hamilton).
Hebrews 5-7 understands him to be a “type” of Christ, but not Christ himself. Melchizedek’s priesthood becomes a paradigm for the priesthood of Christ.
Both Jewish interpretation and early church interpretation understood Melchizedek to be a historical figure.
It has been suggested that he is the pre-incarnate Messiah. However, the author of the epistle to the Hebrews teaches against such an identification (see Heb. 7:3–4). - John Currid
Jacob
Genesis 28:12–13 NIV12He had a dream in which he saw a stairway resting on the earth, with its top reaching to heaven, and the angels of God were ascending and descending on it. 13There above it stood the Lord, and he said: “I am the Lord, the God of your father Abraham and the God of Isaac. I will give you and your descendants the land on which you are lying.
Genesis 28:16–17 NIV16When Jacob awoke from his sleep, he thought, “Surely the Lord is in this place, and I was not aware of it.” 17He was afraid and said, “How awesome is this place! This is none other than the house of God; this is the gate of heaven.”
Genesis 28:18–19 NIV18Early the next morning Jacob took the stone he had placed under his head and set it up as a pillar and poured oil on top of it. 19He called that place Bethel, though the city used to be called Luz.
It was only a stone or two, but that’s how temples get started. This temple was the house of God, and from it was a ladder that traversed into heaven itself. - Edward Welch
When the veil of heaven is pulled back for a moment, as it was with the ladder, we see that much is happening. And God is resolute—he was making a way for his royal priests to be with him. He is never far. - Edward Welch
“Jacob” (Chapter 9)
...Priests are the ones brought close to God, and Jacob was very close. - Edward Welch
Genesis 32:24–30 NIV24So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak. 25When the man saw that he could not overpower him, he touched the socket of Jacob’s hip so that his hip was wrenched as he wrestled with the man. 26Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.” 27The man asked him, “What is your name?” “Jacob,” he answered. 28Then the man said, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with humans and have overcome.” 29Jacob said, “Please tell me your name.” But he replied, “Why do you ask my name?” Then he blessed him there. 30So Jacob called the place Peniel, saying, “It is because I saw God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”
Meeting God a Second Time
Jacob was alone, and it was dark.
Facing danger
Would he and his family survive his meeting with Esau?
God met him.
God responds to our fears.
God assures his people of his presence.
God emptied himself of strength.
The “man” who wrestled with Jacob was most likely a Christophany - a preincarnate appearance of Christ.
This event gives us a glimpse of the incarnation in which Christ humbled himself and took on the weakness of humanity.
God revealed his strength gently.
God and his strength were revealed with he “touched” Jacob’s hip.
...Those who know God accurately know that he is inclined to be near, and to be near is to bless. - Edward Welch
God blessed him.
A new name
No longer “deceiver”
Now “prevailer with God”
Priests typically were models of decorum when they came near to the Lord. There were, however, especially desperate times during which they learned that they could not make life work through their own cunning. At those times desperation emboldened them. Like the impudent midnight caller who kept asking a neighbor for bread until he finally got out of bed and gave him bread (Luke 11:5–8), we have the option of holding on to the Lord even tighter as we remember his power and love. There is more than one way to be near and receive the blessing he promises. - Edward Welch

"Discernment Lost" (Ch. 6) & "Living outside the Most Holy Place" (Ch. 7)

Created to Draw Near: Our Life as God’s Royal Priests
by Edward T. Welch
 
“Discernment Lost” (Chapter 6)
 
Genesis 3:22 NIV
22And the Lord God said, “The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever.”
 
Humanity Downgraded
Humanity suffered a loss of status after the Fall.
The created order was inverted: serpent -> woman -> man.
Like God, Knowing Good & Evil?
How did Adam & Eve become “like God”?
How did Adam & Eve “know good & evil”?
An experiential knowledge vs. a theoretical knowledge?
Did “know good & evil” before the Fall but then lost it?
Self-gained knowledge sought by human autonomy rather than by submission to divine revelation.
Knowledge by Revelation or by Autonomy?
Seeking our own knowledge and wisdom makes us “like God” in one sense in terms of our own autonomy and self-determination, but it makes us less “like God” in every other sense.
Disregarding God’s revelation actually makes us less “like God” and makes us “less human.”
In order to be full-functioning priests we need a steely, moral discernment. To lose it is to become less noble and honorable. It is to become less human. - Edward Welch
Yet the Lord has determined that nothing will interfere with his priestly call on our lives, so he will do it. He will set us on a course of wisdom and discernment that will culminate in the Spirit of wisdom being poured out on all of us. That wisdom and discernment will be essential for our closeness to God, which is our destiny. - Edward Welch
Deuteronomy 4:5–6 NIV
5See, I have taught you decrees and laws as the Lord my God commanded me, so that you may follow them in the land you are entering to take possession of it. 6Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”
 
1 Kings 3:9–10 NIV
9So give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong. For who is able to govern this great people of yours?” 10The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for this.
 
Isaiah 5:20 NIV
20Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness, who put bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter.
 
Jeremiah 4:22 NIV
22“My people are fools; they do not know me. They are senseless children; they have no understanding. They are skilled in doing evil; they know not how to do good.”
 
Jeremiah 31:33 NIV
33“This is the covenant I will make with the people of Israel after that time,” declares the Lord. “I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.
 
Hebrews 5:14 NIV
14But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to dis
Obedience to Christ is not a burden to bear. Instead it points the way to being truly human—an unfettered conscience, an unhindered nearness to him, and the pleasure of his hospitality and protection. - Edward Welch
“Life outside the Most Holy Place” (Chapter 7)
 
The March of Death
Physical Death
Spiritual Death
Breach in relationship with God
Breach in relationship with one another
Blind to personal wrongdoing
Magnifying the wrongs of others
Genesis 3:11–13 NIV
11And he said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?” 12The man said, “The woman you put here with me—she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” 13Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
 
Point and Accuse
Excusing ourselves and passing blame is our default setting.
Proverbs 14:12 NIV
12There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death.
Pointing and accusing is our means of covering up our own sins.
The accusations start flying when we want to cover up certain behaviors. So when you blame, consider what you are trying to hide. - Edward Welch
Nakedness and Shame
Rebellion brought guilt, which brought shame, which revealed our nakedness.
God clothed Adam and Eve.
Covering of Atonement
Reminder of Atonement
Among our many spiritual disabilities is that we so quickly forget reality. As a way to jostle a dull memory, the Lord clothed humanity with animal skins. For the ancient Hebrew the message was clear: if you follow an animal, you will look like an animal; if you forsake the path of life, you will wear death… Being draped with a dead animal was no reason for boasting. It was a statement of spiritual need. - Edward Welch
Inside Out
Humanity’s search for independence and autonomy only brought separation.
Adam’s original role was to work and protect the garden (Gen. 2:15).
Now the Garden would be protected from Adam and Eve (Gen. 3:24).
Genesis 3:24 NIV
24After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.
 
In Our Place
A substitute could stand in our place.
The blood of an animal for the blood of humanity
This became a key insight for God’s priests: God will, in fact, accept substitutes in our place. - Edward Welch
An imperfect system: an animal cannot truly stand in the place of a human being
Grounded in the mercy of God
Farther from God’s Presence
Self-justification, others’ condemnation
Jealousy, envy, hatred, and murder
Blame is a form of judgment: “I am right; you are wrong.” It is a kind of curse: “May you be damned [rather than me].” We want the best for ourselves and punishment to fall on another. Murder was inevitable. - Edward Welch
Cain ventured farther and farther from Eden, farther from the presence of God.
Humanity was farther from God’s inner room. Yet nothing had changed. God created us to be a priesthood and to live at the meeting place of heaven and earth, and he would do it. - Edward Welch

“Discern Right from Wrong” (Chapter 4) & “An Intruder” (Chapter 5)

Created to Draw Near: Our Life as God’s Royal Priests
by Edward T. Welch
 
“Discern Right from Wrong” (Chapter 4)
 
Two Trees, Two Paths
 
Genesis 2:17 NIV17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
To be fully human, which means to be close to the Lord, we must know that there are two paths.
The path that is with God and to God is life and honor. It says yes with his yes and no with his no.
The path that leads away from God can feel like pleasure for a moment, but it goes headlong into death. It says yes to his no and no to his yes.
“Moral Discernment… is a premiere feature of our humanity… Obedience, knowing right from wrong are… essential for a fruitful and good life to those who are replicas of the heavenly God on earth.” - Ed Welch
Moral Discernment, True Humanity
Image of God, Imitating God
Essential to All Relationships
Human Relationships
Divine-Human Relationship
To be human—God’s priest—is to discern what is best and what is deadly.
To be human is to act on that discernment and obey. This demands confidence in what God says and the humility to place his words above our own understanding and our own desires. It demands faithful love.
To be human is to teach and encourage others in their discernment.
“An Intruder” (Chapter 5)
 
Keeping Watch
The world has been filled with danger from the beginning.
“Everyday life was not intended for our relaxation and entertainment.” - Ed Welch
A part of Adam’s role to keep and care for the garden was to protect it from danger.
In the Garden, Satan (as the serpent) encountered a spiritually drowsy and unprepared humanity.
Genesis 3:1 NIV1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?”
 
Satan’s Schemes
God is not good. (Creating doubt)
Genesis 3:2–3 NIV2The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, 3but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ”
Sin is not bad. (Creating desire)
Genesis 3:4–5 NIV4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. 5“For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
 
Genesis 3:6 NIV6When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.
“The serpent’s goal is for humanity to be remade in his image and imitate him. His twofold strategy remains his most prominent and effective weapon. Every failed spiritual test can be traced to our tacit agreement with him and these two lies. 'Go ahead,' he says, 'you will like it; rest in your own understanding. Look at the evidence. God is not that good, sin is not that bad. To put it bluntly, God is not good; sin is good.'” - Ed Welch
You are lost. (Creating despair)
“When we follow him into disobedience, Satan will add one final strategy: 'You are now irredeemably bad, and God could never forgive or love you.' … Shame replaces communion and fellowship, and everything is injected with hopelessness. We are fooled into thinking that we can never regain what’s been lost.” - Ed Welch
“Before priests could protect the holiness of the garden temple, they first had to learn to protect their own hearts.” - Ed Welch
Application of Chapters 4-5
Drawing near to God as his holy priests requires moral discernment, trusting in and obeying God’s commands.
Drawing near to God as his holy priests requires guarding our hearts against Satan’s schemes.

“In God’s Image” (Chapter 2) and “Not Yet Dressed” (Chapter 3)

Created to Draw Near: Our Life as God’s Royal Priests
by Edward T. Welch
 
“In God’s Image” (Chapter 2)
 
Genesis 1:26 NIV
26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”
 
We are created in God’s own image.
To bear his image is to be like him and have the capacity to grow in a relationship with him.
All creation is made to reflect God’s glory, but we are like him in every way a finite creature can be like him.
Not Just Pharaoh
In the Egyptian religion, Pharaoh was an “image” of the gods. Everyone else was a servant or slave to Pharaoh as the representative of the gods.
In biblical theology, all human beings were created to be “images” of God, each designed to relate to their Creator God.
Genesis 5:3 NIV
3 When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth.
 
Images of the Father
As a child reflects the likeness of the parent, so we reflect the likeness of our Creator God. We are his offspring.
We experience a likeness or kinship to God that uniquely qualifies us for a relationship with him.
“We can represent him to the world, we can participate in his purposes, and we can imitate him. Of all creation, we share the closest kinship with God, so we alone can know him and be known by him in the most intimate of ways.”
We alone have the capacity to live in God and he in us.
Psalm 8:5 NIV
5 You have made them a little lower than the angels and crowned them with glory and honor.
We are priests, the very offspring of God, who share in his likeness.
Our Priestly Mission
With Eden as the epicenter, we were sent out to tame the untamed world. We were called to claim it for the Lord, work it, and keep it. There was much to do.
Our mission was to imitate him and represent him on earth.
“Be Fruitful”
In reproducing image bearers of God, we were called to expand the boundaries of Eden to the ends of the earth - to fill the earth with the glory of the Lord.
The New Testament image is disciple-making: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations...” (Matt. 28:19).
“Not Yet Dressed” (Chapter 3)
 
“Naked and Not Ashamed”
God always intended to dress us.
The announcement that Adam and Eve were “naked and not ashamed” points to the need for clothing that would come with maturity.
Royal Robes
When kings ascend to their thrones, they were majestic garments.
When priests were installed they were invested with royal robes.
With new status comes new clothes.
Humanity’s task was to grow in wisdom, and with wisdom would come investiture and robes of righteousness.
Beauty and Glory
Beauty is a part of the priestly package. If we are close to God, it can be no other way.
As humanity matured into its mission, their role would be manifested in adorned beauty.
Isaiah 61:10 NIV
10 I delight greatly in the Lord; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
The path toward this beautification was straightforward:
Genesis 2:17 NIV
17 but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat from it you will certainly die.”
This was the path toward beauty, honor, and communion with God. Do this and truly live.
​“The path man chose veered from this path, but the beautification project continued nonetheless because it did not rely on man’s obedience and best efforts but solely on God’s pursuit.”

"In the Garden of God" - Chapter 1 of "Created to Draw Near" by Edward Welch

Created to Draw Near: Our Life as God’s Royal Priests by Edward T. Welch
Introduction: Longing for Closeness
The human condition is bent toward connection and closeness.
Human to Human Relationships
Human to Divine Relationship
All this carries the stamp of our spiritual lineage: we are priests. God’s intent for humanity has been that we would live in his house and receive his divine hospitality. That is the mission of the priests—priests are near God.
In his royal residence, which he declares is also our own, we are known, unashamed, at peace with each other, dressed in garments he himself tailored, ushered into a feast, and joined to him in communion that leaves us searching for words to describe.
Scripture must shape our understanding of priesthood and God’s design for it.
Part 1: Our Past
Eden
Chapter 1: In the Garden of God
Tabernacle and Temple: God’s House on Earth
“The Tabernacle” before the Tabernacle
Times when God came near
Genesis 1:1–2 NIV
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
Spirit Hovering over the Waters (Gen. 1:2)
Apparently, heaven was never meant to contain the triune God. The movement between heaven and earth was always intended to be fluid. What follows is the story of that movement between heaven and earth—God coming from his abode into our own, and we being brought into his. Here you will find priests. It is an intensely personal story of mutual engagement.
Genesis 2:8–10 NIV
8 Now the Lord God had planted a garden in the east, in Eden; and there he put the man he had formed. 9 The Lord God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 10 A river watering the garden flowed from Eden; from there it was separated into four headwaters.
Genesis 2:15 NIV
15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it.
Eden
This was the Garden of God, the place where heaven and earth met. This was the “holy mountain of God.” This was God’s house.
Eden was the first tabernacle, and humanity’s home was in the presence of God, in his Most Holy Place.
Wherever God is, there is the tent of his dwelling.
Garden - a protected, sacred area within Eden
The holy place (Eden) was near him; the Most Holy Place (the garden) was nearer.
The rivers of Eden signify God as the source of life.
Humanity had a mission in the garden-”to work it and take care of it” (Gen. 2:15). Similar language is used of the priests in the tabernacle (Num. 1:53; 3:36).
The tree of life was the symbol of the life we have in God’s presence. The tree of life is represented by the flowering lampstand in Israel’s tabernacle, merging the images of light and life (Ex. 25:31-34).
From the beginning, our everyday existence was intended to be lived out in the temple precincts. Our heritage is the royal priesthood. And since God’s purposes for us have never changed, you are a royal priest. You have a rich job description, and his Spirit is with you. God’s fellowship and hospitality have begun in earnest.
God desires that we be close.
Leviticus 26:12 NIV
12 I will walk among you and be your God, and you will be my people.Communion. Closeness. Heaven comes to earth, and our home is at the intersection of the two. This has been God’s plan for humanity, and he has done it.