‘I will welcome you into my holy mountain and make you joyful in my house of prayer. I will accept every sacrifice and offering that you place on my altar, for my house of worship will be known as a house of prayer for all people.’ ”
Just as no one can count the stars in the sky nor measure the sand of the seashore, so I will increase the descendants of my servant David and the Levites who minister to me until they cannot be counted.”
therefore, Yahweh, the God of Israel, Commander of Angel Armies, promises you this: There will always be a male descendant of Jonadab son of Rechab who will stand before me and serve me forever.’ ”
Yahweh says, “The Levitical priests, the sons of Zadok, who faithfully served in my sanctuary when the rest of the Israelites strayed far from me, they will come near to me to minister to me. I, Lord Yahweh, declare that they will stand in my presence to offer the sacrifices of fat and blood.
The other half of the area, a section 25,000 cubits long and 10,000 cubits wide, will be owned by the Levites who minister at the temple, with towns for them to live in.
Throughout human history the fingerprints of God were upon them, yet they refused to honor him as God or even be thankful for his kindness. Instead, they entertained corrupt and foolish thoughts about what God was like. This left them with nothing but misguided hearts, steeped in moral darkness.
For this grace has made me a servant of the gospel of God, constantly doing the work of a priest, for I endeavor to present an acceptable offering to God; so that the non-Jewish people of the earth may be set apart and made holy by the Spirit of holiness.
giving orders to the people, “Watch for the priests of the tribe of Levi to lift the ark of the covenant of Yahweh your God. When it starts moving, follow it
Come and be his “living stones” who are continually being assembled into a sanctuary for God. For now you serve as holy priests, offering up spiritual sacrifices that he readily accepts through Jesus Christ.
But you are God’s chosen treasure —priests who are kings, a spiritual “nation” set apart as God’s devoted ones. He called you out of darkness to experience his marvelous light, and now he claims you as his very own. He did this so that you would broadcast his glorious wonders throughout the world.
and to the one who has appointed us as a kingdom of priests to serve his God and Father—to him be glory and dominion throughout the eternity of eternities! Amen!