On Being A Royal Priest

The Book of Exodus chapters 28-30 are about Christians. In ancient times there were two types of priesthoods: the Levitical or Aaronic, and one on the order of Melchisedek. Jesus, according to scripture, is the latter-type of priest (Heb 5:6).
     Royal priests were priests of kings and for the Israelites. They were of the tribe of Levi. Aaron was the great-grandson of Levi, and hence was a "royal priest" although Israel at that time had no kings. What has that to do with Christians? Those three chapters are about us. The royal priests did ceremonially what Christians are to do attitudinally! Christians are of the royal priesthood as related in the following:

But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy. (1 Pet 2:9-10).

     The Levites were the peculiar tribe. Rather than land, they became servants to those who owned land and to God. We are to serve as they were to serve! God gave the priests responsibilities in those chapters of Exodus. Hidden within the ceremonial duties is what the priests were to do on behalf of the people in honor of God, as representative of what we should do ourselves to honor Jesus.
      The priests were indeed honoring Jesus. It must be remembered that Jesus is the Person of God and has a divine Personality. Jesus was there in Spirit when the priests brought the offerings. Their ceremonial worship was directed toward Jesus. Their ceremony was forever, not just for patriarchal times:

This shall be a continual burnt offering throughout your generations at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation before the Lord: where I will meet you, to speak there unto thee.  (Exod 29:42). 

     What they were doing in ceremony, Christians are to do in daily worship - continually and throughout the generations even unto this day! 

      Their worship was about Jesus. How is that known? Within those passages are the wave and heave offerings. The wave offering was taking the body parts of the sacrificial animals, as well as the bread offering, and waving them before the Lord. Aaron's hands were to do the waving. The wave offering was to please the Lord.

     The other type was the heave offering. It too was a statute forever, and was heaving the sanctified breast of the sacrifice as a peace offering to the Lord. (That represents the heart.) Thus, there were two types of offerings - one heaved upward and the other waved laterally:

And thou shalt sanctify the breast of the wave offering, and the shoulder of the heave offering, which is waved, and which is heaved up, of the ram of the consecration, even of that which is for Aaron, and of that which is for his sons. (Exod 28:27).

     Picture that ceremony. What do you see? The offerings were made toward the Lord, and were presented in motions which represented the cross on which Jesus was crucified. The priests understood the nature of God (Jesus) and his purpose - to die on the cross. Their ceremony was representative of how to honor and serve Jesus for dying on our behalf. Whereas they made some offerings annually and others daily, Jesus made the final offering once and for all people (not just the Israelites) (Heb 10:10).
     The priests brought animal and grain sacrifices. As "royal priests" what are we to bring to the altar of God? 

I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (Rom 12:1)

     Christians are to crucify their own flesh (Gal 5:24). That is our bodies which are to be sacrificed with all its lusts and pleasures. Like the priests: Aaron and his sons, whose service was to make the animal sacrifices, the "reasonable service" of Christians are to sacrifice ourselves - continually and until the end of our days. Spiritually speaking,  like the ancient priests, that's our jobs!
      Those three chapters have hidden within them how Christians are to praise and honor God. Sanctification is therein, as well as the Lord's Supper, baptism, and the crucifixion. I'll leave it to the reader to identify Christian worship of various types within those three chapters. Of utmost importance, is the aspect of sacrificing to the Lord on behalf of others. That is the Great Commission which is the responsibility of all us "apostles." And you thought that the Old Testament was for the Jews alone!