wfn.org | TCN Editorial: Nurturing pastors to become God’s holy priests

["Lydia Ma" <enews@pctpress.org>]

>Taiwan Church News

>2971 Edition

>February 2~8, 2009

Editorial: Nurturing pastors to become God’s holy priests

>From my experience serving churches, I’ve learned that a healthy  pastor or deacon can tremendously bless a church, while an unhealthy one  can hurt it or prevent it from growing. The second chapter of 1st Samuel  offers stories and teachings on the roles and duties of priests worth  examining and also outlines an important theological theme throughout  the book. In this chapter, God essentially says, “Those who honor  me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained.” (1st  Samuel 2:30).

1st Samuel 2 details a conversation between God and the prophet Eli and  God was clear about the consequences of treating appointed priesthood  with contempt when He told Eli that He would discipline and curse  Eli’s descendants. God said to Eli, “Why do you honor your  sons more than me by fattening yourselves on the choice parts of every  offering made by my people Israel?” God also pronounced a curse on  Eli’s family, “There will not be an old man in your family  line and all your descendants will die in the prime of life. Your two  sons will die on the same day.”

God’s conversation with Eli is a warning all pastors should heed.  Though God is kind and compassionate, He is also just and faithful, lest  we abuse His abounding grace.

This passage should remind church leaders to be alert to possible blind  spots in their lives. Leaders should never lose respect and fear of God.  They should also avoid misguided lusts or ambitions. This passage uses  the word “scorn” (NIV), but another meaning for this word in  Greek is “lustful eyes and strong desires”.

Priests of God should maintain correct values and priorities at all  times and this is best reflected through their actions and whether they  are God-centered or self-centered. 1 Samuel 2:35 speaks about being a  faithful priest. The meaning of the word “faithful” in Hebrew  includes steadfast, confirmed, and loyal. In the same manner, we should  make up our minds to be loyal and faithful Christians determined to  build faithful and true churches.

God told Eli in 1 Samuel 2:28, “I chose your father out of all the  tribes of Israel to be my priest, to go up to my altar, to burn incense,  and to wear an ephod in my presence.” An ephod is an apron-like  garment or uniform worn by the high priest according to Jewish  traditions. It is adorned with twelve precious gems representing the  twelve tribes of Israel – God’s children. When the high priest  wears an ephod, he is symbolically carrying all of God’s people  (the Church) on his shoulders, and taking responsibility of uniting and  training them.

Priestly garments are not worn to show off, but demand holy living from  those who wear them. Ephods are akin to today’s pastoral attire and  both should not be treated as mere uniforms, because only those who are  called and faithful are worthy to wear them. Hence, I urge Christians  and pastors to wear your own ephods while living out all the inner  values Jesus displayed while hanging from a cross.

Churches today should re-examine what is the proper and required  attitude for God’s chosen priests. Pastors should honor God’s  calling by faithfully proclaiming the gospel and teaching their  spiritual children to lead Christ-like lives. They should also honor and  cherish the holy relationship they have with God by becoming genuine  disciples, thus avoiding the fate of Eli’s sons in their own lives.

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