Genesis 2:15. The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.
You might be wondering how we get the idea of being a priest from Genesis 2:15. It comes from the two words, work and keep. These are two of the most important words in the Old Testament.
The word work is the Hebrew word abad. Again, this is an extremely important word. It can mean to work, serve, labor. Interestingly this word is both the word for a slave and the word for a worshiper. How do we know that our work is our worship, because they are literally the same word.
The word keep is the Hebrew word shamar. This word means to guard, protect, watch over, or observe.
Both these words show up again and again, all over the Old Testament. But they specifically show up in the context of being a priest. Years later, after the fall of man, God will establish a priestly tribe to work and keep the Tabernacle and the Temple.
Numbers 18:4. [The priests] shall join you and keep guard (shamar) over the tent of meeting for all the service (abad) of the tent.
1 Chronicles 23:32. Thus [the priests] were to keep charge (shamar) of the tent of meeting and the sanctuary, and to attend the sons of Aaron, their brothers, for the service (abad) of the house of the Lord.
The priests were put into the Tabernacle to abad and shamar, just as Adam was put into Eden to abad and shamar the garden temple. Just like Adam, they were called to represent God to his creation. Just like Adam, they were called to lead in the worship of the Lord through self-sacrifice. Just like Adam, they were called to guard and protect the things of God on Earth. Just like Adam, they were called to trust God above all else, having no other gods before him and serving only him.
You see, there was never supposed to be a unique priestly class within humanity. All of us were meant to be priests, king-priests over creation. Ruling and redeeming. Serving and sanctifying. Protecting and praising. To work and keep as priests is to image God. God himself is a worker and keeper. Our sustainer and protector. Most clearly God is working and keeping through God the Son, Jesus. The Suffering Servant performing the strange work of God as the great High Priest of Heaven.
Isaiah 28:21. For the Lord will rise up…to do his deed—strange is his deed! And to work (abad) his work (abadah)—alien is his work (abad)!
Isaiah 52:13-53:6: Behold, my servant (abad) shall act wisely…and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
This strange work (abad) of God, his alien work, performed by his Servant (abadah) is the priestly work of forgiveness and cleansing. It is strange because it makes no sense. It is alien, because we cannot cleanse ourselves. Only the Servant-King-Priest can do it. And he has done it. Just like creation, our redemption is a finished work. Tetelestai!
To live is Christ means that we who are in Christ are the royal priesthood of God (1 Peter 2:9). We are the workers and keepers of the Temple of God, his Church, his dwelling place, his possession and prize. Each of us serving those around us as the spiritual priesthood of Jesus, the High Priest of the strange work of God.
Questions: What makes it difficult or easy to see yourself as a priest? What is the working and keeping that God has called you to today? How might you represent God to the world in that space?
To Live is Christ 