Any visitor to the reputed Buckingham Palace in the Queen’s land (England) will notice an order. Its called the ‘Change of Guard’.It is a process where a few band of palace guards march in formation to take over from another exiting band of guards.It happens everywhere well may be just a little bit more celebrated by the ever-structured Brits.
As Kelly Verner wrote in his book,truly ‘The Priesthood is changing’.Friends,nothing can be more apt. For even here ,even now God is pointing his fingers at leaders as he expresses His agenda to change all wrong and compromised order of ministry and replace them with a new,obedient and pliable order.
Like God sent a man of God to Eli ( 1 Sam 2:27-36)to serve him heaven ‘s summon that the age-old Levitical priesthood is taken from his hands and given to those on the outside. Of his tribe.
Eli ‘s sin was simple; A disdain for the Lord’s sacrifice and allowinh his sons to take the fattest of the people’s offerings for themselves (sounds to me like misappropriation or even outright embezzlement of public funds).
Eli had looked the other way when his sons perpetrated this crime against the Lord’s order of sacrifice and offering. He saw it but simply did nothing! What should Eli had done?
It has always been said that everything rises and falls on leaderdhip.If this postulation is true,then Eli could have done either of these two things: Fire his sons or call them to question in the full glare of the public.Now the second option is the hardest for leaders for they think it will bring their household into public disgrace and that all they ve ever worked for will fall like a castle built with sand.But so be it! We need to always ask who will hold more sacrosanct : God or People.David it was who chose to fall into God’s hands than into men’s hands; his leaders Saul taught otherwise and today we know where each of them is positioned in history.
God’s verdict and judgement for compromised leadership never expires. From Isreal under Eli all the way till Isreal under Solomon (a period spanning well more over 100 years or so-1 Kings 2:26,27.),the house of Levi suffered the consequence of Eli’s compromise.
On a broader sense ,the priesthood keeps changing .From the order of Aaron to the Order of Melchizedek, From One priesthood that expires to another that is eternal. Jesus being the high Priest of the new order as He ever lives to make intercession for all the saints(those who have believed in the atoning work of Christ!)
