All who believe in Christ Jesus are kings and priests. However, fathers of families are especially privileged to apply this two-fold ministry.
We read in Revelation 1:5, 6: “Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion forever and ever, Amen.”
We read again in Revelation: “And hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth.”
The titles of kings and priests are united in these two passages and given to all believers that have been redeemed by the blood of Christ out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation. In the Old Testament the titles of kings and priests were generally separated with the kings coming from the tribe of Judah, although the first king came from Benjamin, the tribe of Levi.
In Genesis 14:18 we read that Melchizedek who was king of Salem (Jerusalem) was also the priest of the Highest God. Revelation 7:21 speaks of Jesus Christ with reference also to Psalm 110:4: “The Lord has sworn and will not relent, ‘You are a priest for ever according to the order of Melchizedek’.”
Because of the weakness and frailty of man’s human nature, God separated the two ministries so that kings who ruled over the secular affairs of the nation would not be able to easily corrupt the spiritual affairs of the nation. However, in many cases, corrupt kings still corrupted the the nation. We understand why we in many western natures have a separation of the powers of church and state.
Fathers, as kings and priests in our families we must watch out that the secular does not outweigh the spiritual. This happens in many Christian families.
The church, which encourages the spiritual state of the nation should influence the secular state of the country and not the other way around. It is grievous when the secular state of the nation becomes corrupt and spreads the corruption into the church. This occurred many times when wicked kings ruled over Judah and Israel. They also corrupted the priesthood.
We read in 2 Chronicles chapter 33 how King Manasseh set up images and idols in the house of the Lord: “So Manasseh made (seduced, deceived) Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to err, and to do worse than the heathen, whom the LORD had destroyed before the children of Israel” (2 Chronicles 33:9).
Tomorrow we will see that our kingship is not to ourselves, but more importantly, it is unto God.
Be encouraged.
Colin Campbell