The Dirty Work of Salvation

As I was studying, I looked at all that the priests were called to do and I remembered something that happened when I was a child. My sister said a 4 letter word in front of my brother. He immediately told my dad which landed my sister in trouble. My dad was about to spank her and when I came into the room, I told him not to hit her. He asked if I wanted to take the whooping for her. I said yes without thought or hesitation. Even if it meant I had to suffer so she could go free, I would. When I accepted my dad’s offer and my fate in taking an undeserved spanking, I could see his shoulders drop. He didn’t want to spank my sister and he especially didn’t want to spank me because I hadn’t done anything wrong. I was doing what he taught me, which was protecting my little sister. My dad softened up and put my sister on punishment for a couple of hours but it was at that moment that I realized in my mind I couldn’t be a good big sister unless I helped my little sister. Protecting her was my job. But it was at that moment that the help I had to provide looked like taking her suffering on myself. If I had to suffer that was what must be done so she could be ok.

If you’re an older sibling you know exactly what I mean we cover our families and not just our siblings. Even as you lay your life down for others there’s a certain pain that comes with always being the scapegoat or the ram in the bush for punishments meant for others. Jesus sees you and he honors your sacrifice.

Jesus understands.

As I studied the book of Leviticus it reminded me of what I went through as a child. Leviticus shows us that much like older siblings, Priests didn’t have it easy at all. They were the laborers in God’s temple. Priests had the duty of assisting people in maintaining a healthy communion with God or assisting people in becoming right with God again as they atoned for their sins through sacrifices.

To be a Priest in God’s temple was to be ordained by God himself, random people couldn’t just walk in off the street and call themselves priests. While speaking to Moses on Mount Sinai God hand-selected Aaron and his sons to be his priests. Aaron’s bloodline was selected from all of Israel to do the work in God’s temple. Being called to the priesthood meant that they had many job duties but one primary task they had was to help facilitate the sacrifices of the worshippers. Leviticus starts off by giving us a glimpse into the duties of a priest.

5 He (the person sacrificing) shall kill the bull before the Lord; and the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall bring the blood and sprinkle the blood all around on the altar that is by the door of the Tabernacle of Meeting. 

6 And he shall skin the burnt offering and cut it into its pieces. 

7 The sons of Aaron the priest shall put fire on the altar, and lay the wood in order on the fire. 

8 Then the priests, Aaron’s sons, shall lay the parts, the head, and the fat in order on the wood that is on the fire upon the altar; 

9 but he shall wash its entrails and its legs with water. And the priest shall burn all on the altar as a burnt sacrifice, an offering made by fire, a sweet aroma to the Lord.

Leviticus 1:5-9

The priest sprinkled the blood and burned the offerings to the Lord on behalf of the people. I work a desk job and I work from home. So I don’t have to break a sweat throughout the day, I get to take meetings in sweatpants no one can see, and have my favorite coffee on hand. I’m also blessed to say I always have coffee creamer that I’m sure no one tampered with and lunch that stays exactly where I left it. 

Now, imagine being a priest. From day to night, they would help with animal slaughter, haul wood for fires, deal with animal carcasses and constantly sprinkle blood from those sacrifices on the altar. I’m sure they were held up by the worshippers, listening to story after story as to why a sacrifice had to happen and what mistakes the person made. Because that’s what the law did, it exposed sin. Imagine what the priests smelled and looked like at the end of the day. Imagine how heavy their burden was as they carried the weight of Israel’s problems. Many times we make the mistake of glorifying the people that God calls to be priests, but we often fail to realize the weight that is priesthood. 

A quick Google search will return images of God’s temple, well-polished and clean. To an extent, it was because it was God’s house, had multiple rooms, and was built by his instruction. The temple was covered in gold and expensive tapestries. True it was pretty, but it was also filthy in certain areas. When we look at the altar, there was blood, carcasses, fire, and strange smells all around it. The Tabernacle was a place of sacrifice, burning flesh, and an altar covered in blood. The priests were called to this environment day and night and to help facilitate the atonement of God’s chosen people.

As I studied Leviticus even further the Holy Spirit pointed out to me that the priests were getting dirty for sins they didn’t even commit. They were exhausting their bodies to help atone for and cover people they most likely didn’t even know. That’s the very reason why in scripture Jesus is referred to as the high priest. Jesus died for sins that he didn’t commit. 

He gave his life and his body to bring us into communion with God. Jesus was the atonement for our sins, all of them the big ones and the small ones. Don’t let the enemy lie to you, he suffered so we don’t have to. Our sinless High Priest became stained with the blood of sacrifice on our behalf. And to take it a step further, the blood was his own!

The Bible says  in 2 Corinthians 5:21

He (God) made Christ who knew no sin to [judicially] be sin on our behalf, so that in Him we would become the righteousness of God [that is, we would be made acceptable to Him and placed in a right relationship with Him by His gracious lovingkindness].

Jesus teaches us how to serve, he is the servant leader and the perfect example of how to love. He shows us that there is no greater love than to lay your life down for your friend (John 15:13)

Serving God looks like sacrifice. 

Serving God looks like giving up and surrendering when you want to fight. 

Serving God looks dirty, messy, and undesirable.

Serving Good looks like wanting to take things into your own hands but giving up control remembering that he’s in control and he’s your deliverer, defender, your refuge, and your fortress. 

Serving God looks like death… death to your own will and desires, death to your ego and your pride. Jesus shows us that in more ways than one, serving God is a sacrifice of self.

God required a blood sacrifice to atone for the sins of the world. So Jesus came and spilled his blood to pay a debt that we couldn’t afford. Our debt of sin was paid through our Savior. 

Jesus didn’t want to carry the cross, he didn’t want to be beaten within an inch of his life. Jesus bringing salvation to the world was a dirty job. He was bruised, he was broken, and he was killed. Jesus knew he was born to die. You can’t kill a man who was already dead to himself and you can’t kill the God who is eternal. Jesus is both. He died so we didn’t have to and he rose again because we weren’t able to, Jesus beat death for us!

When Jesus was in the temple as a child he said “I must be about my father’s business” That business looked like being misunderstood. It looked like being betrayed. It looked like it was left uncovered by those closest to you. It looked like laying his life down for people who would reject him. How Jesus got to the cross was gritty, it was dirty, it was fueled by purpose. 

What Jesus did was impossible for us, that’s why it had to be him. He was the only one who was able. As he hung on the cross he yelled out “It is finished” with his last breath, then he was buried and on the third day, he rose again with holes in his hands, and feet and a gaping wound in his side most likely exposing the internal parts of his human body that were meant to be covered by skin and bone. But in his rising, he got the job done and defeated death hell, and the grave. Jesus is our example he shows us that

You gotta have a strong stomach to do a dirty job. 

But why be a priest? Why come down from your throne in heaven to serve God if this is what it looks like? What’s the point of it all if you’re only guaranteed suffering? Jesus guaranteed us that we would face hard times (John 16:33), but He promised that He would always be with us (Matthew 28:20). Jesus changed us and gave us power. Even though the night is dark, Jesus is light, even though the valley is far from the mountain top Jesus walks with us. The benefit of the Christian walk is not that we are excluded from suffering but that we have a savior who suffered like we did, who understands our pain, and when it’s all said and done we cannot be overtaken by the things we are going through because Jesus is victorious. So you might ask again, why be a priest? And this is my response…

Because Jesus deserves to get the glory through us laying our lives down and picking up our cross. He called us a royal priesthood and we are set apart. This life is for his glory and not our own. Once you receive salvation you are on a mission to help save as many souls as possible by revealing Christ wherever you are. To know Jesus is to know love but to become a priest in his kingdom is an act of love that draws you closer to him and will ripple through generations far after you’re gone.

Remember, the temple was a benefit to everyone but was provided for and built only by those with willing hearts for the work of the temple many were called but few were chosen. Those who operated in excellence built the temple. Will you be one of the few? Is your heart willing? If you believe that Jesus is calling you and you want him to be your Lord and savior pray this prayer:

“Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins and surrender my life. Wash me clean. I believe that you are the Son of God. You died on the cross for my sins and rose again on the third day for my Victory, I believe in my heart and confess with my mouth, that you are my Lord and Savior. I receive eternal life, in Jesus name, Amen.”

If you said that prayer and meant it with your heart, congratulations, you have been born and again and your eternity just changed!

There are people whose futures hinge on you stepping into your purpose and you just took the first step, I’m proud of you. We would never have had the opportunity to step into eternity if Jesus didn’t provide us with the finished work of salvation. If you’d like to know more about what to do after you get saved, I’ll link a video for you called “I’m saved, what’s next?” and while you’re at it find a local church and get baptized!

As we wrap up, remember being a priest is a dirty job but someone’s gotta do it!