UPDATE: click here for Wednesday’s message on this theme
Here’s the first installment of the weekly prayer focuses for the Isaiah 56 Focus. Each week we’ll look at a theme behind what’s in God’s heart when He promises He will raise up His house as a house of prayer in all the earth. The first page is background Scripture to start connecting our hearts with the ideas, and the second is passages to meditate on. Return to these as often as you like (our suggestion is every day during this period!), dialog with the Lord about what they mean to Him, use the questions at the bottom as fuel, and then pray it: God if that’s what’s in your heart than do … in me, and do … in my city and in the nations of theearth!
Week 1: The Central Identity of the Church – a Kingdom of Priests
Background Verses: From the garden of Eden, where God created a paradise where He would walk and charged man to “keep it” (Genesis 2:8-9,15;3:8), to the New Jerusalem, where God again dwells with man and He will be our God and we will be His people (Revelation 21:2-4), God’s central purpose for humanity has always been priesthood.
Genesis 2:8 The Lord God planted a garden eastward in Eden, and there He put the man whom He had formed. 9 And out of the ground the Lord God made every tree grow that is pleasant to the sight and good for food… 15 Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to tend and keep it… 3:8 And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden.
Revelation 21:2 Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. 4 And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”
The priestly calling to God is at the foundation of His choosing us by His mercy. It means simply that our glory is to be that God is ours and that we are His (Exodus 19:4-6), made holy by His choice of us, created and redeemed to minister to Him and to have Him dwell among us (Exodus 29:43-46).
Exodus 19:4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself. 5 Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be a special treasure to Me above all people; for all the earth is Mine. 6 And you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’
Exodus 29:43 And there I will meet with the children of Israel, and the tabernacle shall be sanctified by My glory. 44 So I will consecrate the tabernacle of meeting and the altar. I will also consecrate both Aaron and his sons to minister to Me as priests. 45 I will dwell among the children of Israel and will be their God. 46 And they shall know that I am the Lord their God, who brought them up out of the land of Egypt, that I may dwell among them. I am the Lord their God.
When Israel despised the priestly calling given to them, God made a declaration about His end purpose for the earth – from every tongue and tribe and nation people would choose priesthood and the earth would be filled with voluntary worship and ministry to the Lord (Malachi 1:11-13). At issue is God’s greatness, and so the central identity of Jesus’ Church was to be a royal priesthood, joyfully declaring the praises of God our joy and our delight, by glorying in the call to be first of all His (1 Peter 2:9).
Malachi 1:11 For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles; In every place incense shall be offered to My name, And a pure offering; For My name shall be great among the nations,” Says the Lord of hosts. 12 “But you profane it, In that you say, ‘The table of the Lord is defiled; And its fruit, its food, is contemptible.’ 13 You also say, ‘Oh, what a weariness!’ And you sneer at it,” Says the Lord of hosts. “And you bring the stolen, the lame, and the sick; Thus you bring an offering! Should I accept this from your hand?” Says the Lord.
1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
Meditation Passage 1: Malachi 1:11 For from the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles; In every place incense shall be offered to My name, And a pure offering; For My name shall be great among the nations,” Says the Lord of hosts.
Food for Thought: What does this verse tell us about the “why” of redemptive history? In light of the verses that follow (see pg1), what characterizes the “pure offering” God is looking for? What’s the central issue if a priesthood with the heart God’s looking for is to be raised up in the earth?
Meditation Passage 2: 1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light.
Food for Thought: God’s echoing what He spoke to Israel, what’s that tell us about what we were chosen for? Using the Old Testament insights, and just talking to God, what does it mean to actually embrace being a royal priesthood? In light of what God says here, is being “holy” about behavior or about embracing an identity? What is that identity that God gives us? Why is proclaiming His praise so important to carrying that identity?
As I was working through the prayer guide last night I struggled to verbalized what I knew from my own experience to be true about the difference between following rules and what true holiness is. Then this morning I heard a preacher on a podcast say “A love relationship will bring about obedience, but obedience will never bring about a love relationship.” Thank you so much for this prayer journey, I have been very lost lately and that short time with The Lord yesterday, and his kindness in responding to my confusion over the question gives me hope.