Plan A. Or Was that Plan B?

Understanding our created beings may not sound all that enticing and fun.  But for me, it really has been a great way to connect with God.  In reading and learning about worship, I found that there is much more than meets the eye.  Or in my case, there is much more than meets the heart.  I was talking to the wife about this a month or so ago and it really excited and saddened me at the same time.  God speaks to Moses:

You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles' wings and brought you to myself.  Not therefore, if you obey my voice and keep my covenant, you shall be my treasured possession out of all the peoples.  Indeed, the whole earth is mine, but you shall be for me a priestly kingdom and a holy nation.  These are the words you shall speak to the Israelites.  Exodus 19:4-6

When I first read that, I was excited.  That was the plan God wanted for us.  To be a "priestly kingdom and a holy nation".  In The Adventure of Worship, Gerrit Gustafson wrote that in Unger's Bible dictionary, it reads: "In precise terminology of the law, a priest [kohen] is one who may draw near to the divine presence."  And, in the New Testament, "there is a word that carries the same meaning: prroserchomai.  In Hebrews 10:1, it is translated as 'those who draw near to worship'."  And that's what God wanted for us.  To be a kingdom of people who drew near to worshiping the Lord.  He showed His grace of the Israelites by taking them out of captivity of Egypt and gave us an offer.  If we were to obey His voice and covenant, we would be His treasured possession out of all the people.  How exciting is that!  To be His treasured possessions. 

God told Moses to consecrate the people for two days and get them ready for Him.  By the third day, Moses was to set limits around the mountain because they were not to go up on it or touch the edge.  On the third day, God was to reveal Himself to the people of Israel [Exodus 19:9-15].  And come He did:

On the third day there was thunder and lightning as well as a thick cloud on the mountain, and a blast of trumpet so loud that all the people who were in the camp trembled. Exodus 19:16

God gave the people the 10 commandments on the third day.  But here is how the people of Israel responded to the thunder, lightning, and trumpets:

When the people witnessed the thunder and lightning, the sound of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking, they were afraid and trembled and stood at a distance, and said to Moses, 'You speak to us and we will listen, but do not let God speak to us or we will die.  Exodus 20:18-19

God wanted them to be priests, one who draws near for worship.  But now, they are afraid and wanted an intermediary between themselves and God.  I think one of the main things here is that because of their fear of the unknown [who God is], they wanted someone else to represent them.  They wanted Moses to be their "priest".  Moses responds to the people by telling them not to be fearful, God came to test them to put the fear of Him upon them so they would not sin.  Moses then drew near to God on his own to where God was.  The ordination that was suppose to happen between God and His people never took place.  They wanted Moses to go in place of them.  And God honored their decision - to not be part of His priestly kingdom.  So in Exodus 28, God assigns Aaron and his descendants to be the priests that will represent the people of Israel.  They shall be distinguished by their clothes and they alone will be called "priests".

So, we opted out of God's plan A.  And because God doesn't want people kicking and screaming into His plans for us, He created the priestly line.  It's sad that we would opt out of His plans out of fear, but so often I do that with God.  I don't trust that it will be OK if I follow His path, so I make my own.  And God shows that He honors my decision, but I will do that outside of the relationship with Him.  Plan A was an ordination and intimacy with God.  Place B was separation and having Aaron and his line be our path to God.  It wasn't until Jesus came that we no longer needed a priest - that we can come to God as our rightful and created role of "priests".  I am a priest.  And I draw near to God for worship.