Prophet Priest King II

Christ is the Head of the Church, and he must express his love to his household in the amount
and manner that Christ loved the Church.
How is Christ the Head of the Church? He expresses His headship or authority over the
Church through the offices of Priest, Prophet, and King. How does Christ serve and express
His love for the Church? He loves and serves the Church by performing the duties associated
with these roles.
As I studied the Word, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart and I began to understand the
position that God has assigned to us. I saw a pattern for spiritual leadership established first in
ancient Israel, then perfected in Christ, and finally given to us as a model of leadership within
the household. When I understood my position and how to apply my roles, the battle between
the urgent and the important suddenly shifted in my favor.
While we are familiar with Jesus’ use of simple parables to teach deep meaning, Our
Father’s use of symbols is evident as He progressively revealed Himself to humanity through
the offices of Priest, Prophet, and King. These ancient offices provide meaning and
understanding beyond their original application. Each is rich in symbolism preceding the
perfect revelation provided in Christ. Nevertheless, the representation does not stop there; the
Father extends the same leadership pattern to the husband as head of the household.
The Father developed the formal priesthood in ancient Israel to draw His people close to
Himself. The priest brought an awareness of sin, and called the people to repentance. Through
ceremonial cleansing, the priest was able to draw near and offer sacrifices to God. A priest
shedding the blood of a lamb for the atonement of sin had contemporary significance in
ancient Israel, but he is also a type of Christ, our Great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14), shedding
His blood for our sins. He died to draw us to Himself (John 12:32). A father, as priest to his
family, must be cleansed from sin and draw close to God. He must bring awareness of sin to
his household and lead them into repentance. He must draw his family to the Father in an
environment where they acknowledge Him in the everyday operation of the home.
When Israel became enamored with religion rather than the Father, He raised up prophets
to bring life to their empty routine. They walked boldly, warned of danger, and brought
application to God’s message. The prophets of old revealed the Father through their words,
but Christ as the Word in flesh (John 1:14) perfectly revealed Him.
“Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?
Don't you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me?” (John 14:9b-10a).
Jesus brought us out of the law and into a relationship with the Father. A husband, as prophet
to his household, must bring his family out of religion and into a vital relationship with the
Father. He must be a man of prayer. He must watch for evil, confront sin, and move the Word
off from the page and into application within his home.
Following revitalization by the prophets, Israel was prepared to pursue her mission. God
raised up kings who trained warriors for battle, engaged the enemy, and defended the