There was a little city with few men in it, and a great king came against it and besieged it, building great siege works against it. But there was found in it a poor, wise man, and he by his wisdom delivered the city. Yet no one remembered that poor man. But I say that wisdom is better than might, though the poor man’s wisdom is despised and his words are not heard.
Ecclesiastes 9:14-16.
The above emphasizes the power of wisdom. Solomon concluded that wisdom is better than strength and weapons of war. Through wisdom, they could overcome all the snares built by a great king.
The Levitical Priesthood
Exodus 28:1-4
Then bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, to serve me as priests–Aaron and Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. You shall speak to all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him for my priesthood. These are the garments that they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash. They shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons to serve me as priests.
God chose the Levites to be His own special people(Numbers 3:10-12). They were called to observe all His commandments. In His wisdom, He had the Levites spread out in various cities so they could help maintain order, teach knowledge, and provide education and administration. The people were to provide for their needs, being that they were not allowed to have jobs. God did not want them to be distracted from the responsibilities He had given them. Deuteronomy 18:1 – The Levitical priests, all the tribe of Levi, shall have no portion or inheritance with Israel. They shall eat the LORD’s food offerings as their inheritance. The priests were chosen from among the Levites and were to function especially in taking care of the tabernacle. They had specialized duties and communed with God on behalf of the people.
Many people today do not wait to be called by God. They get busy with things God did not ask to be done. We are to be like the Levites. When God calls us to do something, it should be our duty to be obedient.
Today, the Body of Christ has been given the fivefold ministry, to perform responsibilities similar to those which the priests had under the Aaronic priesthood.Ephesians 4:11-13 – And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ. They are to stand as intercessors between God and men. Levites are people who have given themselves more to doing God’s will. This is the kind of life we have been called to as Christians – it is beyond being a normal Christian.
What Was Required for The Priest to Be Clothed?
Exodus 28:2 – And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. The High Priest was to be clothed with special (set apart) garments. They were to be made by skilled artisans filled with the Spirit of Wisdom. The covering was for glory and beauty, not pride.
Why Should God Be Interested in His Representative Having Honour And Beauty?
God loves beauty. Psalm 96:6 – Splendour and majesty are before him; strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. Ecclesiastes 3:11 says “He has made everything beautiful in its time.” He was interested in making beautiful garments for those who served Him. However, this should not make us worship beauty. Instead, we must allow Him beautify us the way He wants to. The beauty was to distinguish the priests from others; this was why they were also anointed with the oil of gladness. The beauty referred to here is not physical: it represents a life washed clean by His blood, comprising of righteousness, obedience and holiness. Here is what the Bible says in Psalm 96:9 – Worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness. God finds holiness beautiful. To be beautiful in His sight, you must be set apart for Him.
How to Beautify the High Priest
The artisans were to come up with things that would make the High Priest beautiful and dignified. Today, Jesus is the High Priest. Hebrews 5:5 – So also Christ did not exalt himself to be made a high priest, but was appointed by him who said to him, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you.” In the same way, it is our duty to dignify Him. Jesus said in John 12:32, “And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” But many are afraid to dignify Him. Dignifying Christ can be a challenge if we are around people who consider the preaching of the cross as foolishness; the preaching of the cross is foolishness to those who do not believe (1 Corinthians 1:18). We shouldn’t be ashamed of the gospel of Christ; we should not stop spreading it (Romans 1:16). You might feel ashamed initially; keep doing it and with time you will get used to it. Here is what Matthew 10:32 says, “So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven.”
The Wisdom in Suffering for Christ
To dignify Christ, you must take up your cross and follow Him. Matthew 16:24 – Then Jesus told his disciples, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.”Taking up your cross involves suffering. It will make you give up a lot of things for God. Many times, we have the mindset that suffering for Christ is a bad thing. The Bible tells us the opposite. Philippians 1:29 – For you have been given the privilege for Christ’s sake not only to believe in him but also to suffer for him. It is a privilege!
How would we suffer when all we are taught around and in the body of Christ is that anyone who is in Christ should not suffer? But it is wisdom to be willing to suffer for Christ! Be like Jesus in your actions, and this can only come to be when you think like Him (Philippians 2:5). Your thinking is reflected in the things you do. In line with this, here is what Christ did: “… but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” Philippians 2:7. In Philippians 3:10 – That I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death – Paul made it clear that he didn’t seek ‘power’ only: he wanted to be a part of the sufferings of Jesus! — A desire very far from what anyone naturally seeks. All the average Christian leader wants today is power.
You make holy garments for Jesus, the High Priest, when you accept His cross, and lay down your life in obedience to Him. This is wisdom! Those who refuse to beautify and clothe Jesus are not wise. It is time to be disciples who learn the ways of the Master, Jesus. We must know that disciples do not make decisions on their own. Their will must be given up completely. Jesus, our master, endured the cross which was set before Him. It is time to look up to Him and learn to do as He does because Hebrews 12:2 calls Him “… the founder and perfecter of our faith…” In following Jesus, we have been warned about enemies of the cross. Philippians 3:18-19 – For many, of whom I have often told you and now tell you even with tears, walk as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their end is destruction, their god is their belly, and they glory in their shame, with minds set on earthly things.
The Mind of Christ
Many think ‘the mind of Christ’ is simply an access to or way of getting knowledge to acquire wealth and escape all the problems of life. Philippians 2:6-8 shows us the true mind of Christ; it says “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.”
Like the prodigal son who asked for his inheritance before time, it is possible to request to stop being a bond servant and ask to be rewarded instantly. Many are very comfortable receiving their rewards now when Jesus offers us a reward in the age to come. Luke 6:24-25 – But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation. “Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry. Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep.” A time will come when all who collect their inheritance now will be poor and those who are made poor now, for the sake of Christ, will be rewarded.
Matthew 5:3 – Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Yes, there will be a reversal of things. Those that claim to have the mind of Christ must be willing to give up anything that comes between their knowing God now.
This was the mindset Paul had, when he said in Philippians 3:8, “Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ.”
It is only when we have the same mind with Christ, that He will reveal things to us by His Spirit. Many people think there is a list of things that ought to be done to be in right standing with God. Sadly, many times, a lot of the things on the lists people come up with are not even from God. This is how many have been lured into believing false doctrines and following false religions. It is time to stop running around without any definite aim. Ask what the Father wants and do it. Let Him take charge over every aspect of your life. John 3:30 – He must increase, but I must decrease – this must be our mindset. Galatians 2:20 – I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. And the more you allow Him control, the more He will take over.
The Father’s Will
Jesus’ obedience to the Father earned Him great authority. He had attained the level where He could request for things and get them immediately. However, he always requested for things in accordance with God’s will. We see an example of this on the night when Judas Iscariot betrayed Jesus. One of the men with Him struck off the ear of the servant of the High Priest. Jesus rebuked this disciple. He asked in Matthew 26:53 – Do you think that I cannot appeal to my Father, and he will at once send me more than twelve legions of angels? He could have commanded Angels to fight for Him, but He did not (John 18:11). Mark 14:35-36 tells us – And going a little farther, he fell on the ground and prayed that, if it were possible, the hour might pass from him. And he said, “Abba, Father, all things are possible for you. Remove this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” In the garden of Gethsemane, Jesus submitted Himself to the will of God. He taught His disciples to recognize the Father when He said, “Pray then like this: “Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name” Matthew 6:9. We MUST learn to recognize the Father’s place in our lives! Doing His will should be what we live for! Jesus endured the cross because He wanted to fulfill the Father’s will. When we pray, our answers depend on whether our request is in line with God’s will. Help us oh Lord!
