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Priesthood, in its widest sense, existed from the very earliest times. Before the Mosaic
priesthood was instituted, the father was the priest to his own household. Abraham,
Isaac, Jacob and Job performed this function (Gen. 12: 7, 8; 26: 25; 33: 19, 20;
Job 1: 5). The priesthood of Melchizedek would seem to be the Scriptural exception to
this rule, for even the patriarch Abraham recognized his greatness (Heb. 7: 4). It was
`after the order of' this man that Christ was a priest (Heb. 7: 15-17).
The People of Israel as a whole were intended to be "a kingdom of priests", but this
was dependent upon the keeping of certain conditions.
"Now therefore, if ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall
be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people: for all the earth is mine: and ye shall be
unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation" (Exod. 19: 5, 6).
But within this conception, the firstborn in particular were looked upon as specially
belonging to God. This was because of the deliverance effected for the firstborn when in
the land of Egypt.
"All the firstborn are mine; for on the day when I smote all the firstborn in the land of
Egypt I hallowed unto me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast: mine shall they
be; I am the Lord" (Numb. 3: 13).
Instead, however, of taking the firstborn, the Lord chose the tribe of Levi.
"Bring the tribe of Levi near, and present them before Aaron the priest, that they may
minister unto him . . . . . I have taken the Levites from among the Children of Israel
instead of all the firstborn that openeth the matrix among the Children of Israel:
therefore the Levites shall be mine" (Numb. 3: 6, 12).
Aaron and his sons in particular were chosen to "wait on their priests' office"
(verse 10), provided they satisfied the conditions of Lev. 21: 16-23.
The fixed duties of the priests included watching over the fire on the altar of burnt
offerings that it should never go out (Lev. 6: 12, 13), offering a lamb every morning and
evening and two lambs on the sabbath (Numb. 28: 3, 4, 9), attending to the golden
lamp outside the veil (Exod. 27: 20, 21) and teaching and guarding the law of God
(Lev. 10: 11, see Mal. 2: 7). In addition they were to be always at their post, ready to do
the office of a priest for any Israelite who might require them. The high priest had the
additional privileged duty of appearing before God once a year on the day of atonement.
There was thus three orders of ministers, corresponding with the three sections of the
Tabernacle and later, the Temple.
"The Levites were the appointed servants of the court, but from the holy place they
were excluded on pain of death. The priests executed the ministry of the holy place,
but were as solemnly prohibited from venturing beyond the veil which concealed the
Most Holy. The priesthood culminated in the high priest, as mediator between God and
the people" (Imperial Bible Dictionary).