THE RESPONSIBILITIES AND RIGHTS OF THE PRIESTS After confirming that all what Aaron and his sons received came from a divine origin, God sent them the laws that defined their responsibilities and their rights: 1) Their compulsion to guard the Tabernacle to prevent intruders,the priests are responsible for the people's inequities, since they represent the spiritual sanctuary. Added to that they are bound by their hallowed priesthood life and thus they are responsible for their own iniquities. The corruption of a priest destroys the congregation. Thirdly they have to co-operate together and work in union with the levites. For the priesthood is a fellowship of love and a joint service with the purpose of preserving the souls as holy temples for God. 2) In order that the priests devote themselves to the spiritual work, they were exempted from eaa living (1 Cor. 9:12-15). Things that were prohibited for the people such as first-borns, tithes and pledges were permitted for the priests and levites. The purpose behind it was not leading to a pampered life but to allow them to devote their lives for the spiritual service as well as to empower them to donate generously just like a father would give to his son. The priest feels that God is his inheritance [20]. God will satisfy his needs and give him abundant means so that it may overflow to include others, instead of just adding to his own interests. 3) During the harvest season, the people are obliged to offer their first-fruits to the priests. God spoke to Aaron and said "Behold, I have given you whatever is kept of the offerings made to me" [8]. How can he guard it, and he is supposed to eat it and consume it? It symbolizes the first-borns, Hallowed Christ the Lord, the One Who offered Himself to us (to eat) and partake of Him. So through Him and in Him we may become also first-borns. By His death He resurrected us in Him so we may become a church of first-borns, He sublimely manifests Himself through us as God's offering. 4) Aaron rejects the firstlings of defiled beasts and redeems them. As for the pure ones, they are "holy" [17], and that is because, first-borns represent Christ the Lord, the Hallowed Redeemer, that is without blemish (John 17:9). 5) The obligation of the levites to offer their tithes to Aaron the priest, with no exceptions to any tribe - not even the levites who are entitled to tithes (tenths) t- from tithing; tithing should come naturally from every believer, whether it be a priest or a member of the people.
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