Our Priestly Responsibility, No. 216

OUR PRIESTLY RESPONSIBILITY

Part 1 

Dear reader, I shared a little of the following in an article printed in Above Rubies # 74 entitled, Power Parenting! What is the Secret? However, I would like to share with you some further thoughts I have been meditating upon lately.  

Exodus 28:12, “So Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders as a memorial.” 

I love the typology of the Priesthood and how everything in the tabernacle in the wilderness relates to us today. The tabernacle followed a heavenly pattern but also shows us a pattern for our lives today. God commanded that the High Priest’s clothing was to be for glory and for beauty. I want to tell you about two aspects of his beautiful garments. 

Firstly the ephod, which was a garment skillfully embroidered with gold thread and blue, purple and scarlet yarn. It was joined with two shoulder-pieces in which were fastened two onyx stones. God told them to engrave the names of the children of Israel on the stones, six on one and six on the other, in order of their birth. These stones were not the onyx stone we know today. The word in the Hebrew means “to shine with the luster of fire.” It was obviously an exquisite shining jewel. Even more than that, they were to be set in gold. This reveals the preciousness of the sons of Israel to God. They were His chosen people, the apple of His eye. This is how we should see our children.  

Exodus 28:12 says, “And you shall put the two stones on the shoulders of the ephod as memorial stones for the sons of Israel. So Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders as a memorial.” 

The names of the tribes of Israel were not graven on these precious stones for an ornament, but to be carried on the priests’ shoulders into the presence of the Lord. The high priest bore the responsibility of the people’s spiritual life. It is on the shoulders that we carry burdens and weights. In the same way, the father (the priest of every home), along with the mother, carry the burden of their children upon their shoulders in prayer. It is a burden that we must not forsake. If we as parents do not carry this burden for our children, who will? 

Not only do the shoulders speak of carrying a burden, but they speak of governing responsibility. Speaking of Jesus and His final victory as king of the world, Isaiah 9:6-7 says, “The government shall be upon his shoulder… of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end… and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even forever.”  

It is our governmental responsibility as parents to bring our children before the Lord in prayer. God gives us authority as parents. We are not to take this lightly. One of the ways we show our governing responsibility is to intercede for them. It is in the place of prayer that we learn to parent with true justice. God chose Abraham because he knew that he would “command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment.” (Genesis 18:17-19) 

We are to raise our children with justice and judgment. We cannot do this with our own wisdom. Our wisdom tends to humanism and tolerance. God’s wisdom moves in the balance of justice and mercy. Only God can teach us the balance. For the sake of our parenting and the sake of our children we cannot afford to lay down our parental task of daily bringing our children before the Lord upon our shoulders.   

Love from

NANCY CAMPBELL 

PRAYER: 

“Lord, please help me to take my children upon my shoulders and daily bear my responsibility in prayer. Amen.” 

AFFIRMATION:

My shoulders will become strong as I carry my children  in prayer before the Lord. 

 

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