2 Samuel 8:18

[Billy]

In my previous post, my point was that before Aaron, and the tribe of Levi, there was but one priesthood, which was THE priesthood of God.

. . .but possibly it was just called THE priesthood.

You keep saying that there was this ONE priesthood before Aaron that was called "THE priesthood", do you have a Biblical reference for this?

[Flyonthewall]

You keep saying that there was this ONE priesthood before Aaron that was called "THE priesthood", do you have a Biblical reference for this?

The Bible does not use the words "THE priesthood", it merely says that Melchizedek was a priest, and Jethro was a priest. Are you really looking for the Bible to spell out every detail with specific words? Will you argue that they were priests of some other religion?

In the same way that the tribe of Levi, and Aaron and his sons, received the priesthood and became priests, so too, did Melchizedek and Jethro....or will you ask for a biblical reference of their ordination? How else could someone become a priest?

There was no mention of a name of the priesthood only that there was an order after Melchizedek. Only during Moses' time was there a mention of different responsibilities of those that hold the priesthood. The bible seems to indicate that the Sons of Aaron were High Priests, and the Levites were priests. In 2 Kings 23, there is a mention of the High Priest and priests of the "2nd order".

In Hebrews, there is a distinction made between the Levitical Priesthood, a priest after the order of Melchizedek, and the order of Aaron.

I will say that there was God's priesthood, however it was referred to, and there was divisions of responsibility within it. So I guess I will have to concede that it was not called "THE" priesthood (but I would have thought you knew what I meant with "the" capitalized)

[Billy]

The Bible does not use the words "THE priesthood", it merely says that Melchizedek was a priest, and Jethro was a priest. Are you really looking for the Bible to spell out every detail with specific words? Will you argue that they were priests of some other religion?

You are right it says priests, but it does not say "The Priesthood", "Melchizedek Priesthood", or Aaronic Priesthood". I am merely pointing out that this is something that you are saying, not the Biblical text.

As noted in the passage below, Joseph marries a daughter of Potiphera, a PRIEST of ON, what kind of priesthood did he have?

Jethro had the Melchizedek Priesthood? Where is this from?

Genesis 41

44 Then Pharaoh said to Joseph, "I am Pharaoh, but without your word no one will lift hand or foot in all Egypt." 45 Pharaoh gave Joseph the name Zaphenath-Paneah and gave him Asenath daughter of Potiphera, priest of On, [e] to be his wife. And Joseph went throughout the land of Egypt.

[Flyonthewall]

You are right it says priests, but it does not say "The Priesthood", "Melchizedek Priesthood", or Aaronic Priesthood". I am merely pointing out that this is something that you are saying, not the Biblical text.

As noted in the passage below, Joseph marries a daughter of Potiphera, a PRIEST of ON, what kind of priesthood did he have?

The bible identifies priests that are not of God by saying they are a "priest of <a false god>ON, or Baal or whatever" or "Idolatrous priests". When they are true priests of God, then they are either identified simply as a priest, or High Priest, or priest of <location>(Midianites) as Jethro was.

As I stated before, the priesthood of God was not given divisions of responsibility, that we know of, until Aaron, and the Levites, so there was no need of differentiating between functions. Simply being identified as a "Priest" was enough. There was a reference to a "Priest after the order of Mechizedek" in the Old and New Testaments, which indicates that that type of priest was different than the Levites, with the Levitical priesthood, or the Sons of Aaron and their responsibilities.

No, the bible does not say anything about "THE priesthood", "Melchizedek priesthood" or "Aaronic priesthood", but it does differentiate between the Levitical priesthood, the order of Aaron, and the order of Melchizedek.

[Billy]

The bible identifies priests that are not of God by saying they are a "priest of <a false god>ON, or Baal or whatever" or "Idolatrous priests". When they are true priests of God, then they are either identified simply as a priest, or High Priest, or priest of <location>(Midianites) as Jethro was.

OK, I am starting to get it. So according to your rule above these are the lands of priests from the true priesthood?

Gen 47

22 "Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not their lands."

26And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part, except the land of the priests only, which became not Pharaoh's.

Add on

Doing a search for the word priest in Genesis, you get 6 verses with priest or priests.

1. Genesis 14:18 Melchizedek

2. Genesis 41:45 Priest of On

3. Genesis 41:50 Priest of On

4. Genesis 46:20 Priest of On

5. Genesis 47:22 Land of Priests (? Egyptian priests)

6. Genesis 47:26 Land of Priests (? Egyptian priests)

Genesis takes you from Adam all the way down through the 12 sons (tribes) of Israel going into the land of Egypt. Doesn't it seem odd to anyone else that not one of the 6 references refer to any well know Biblical character? If the Priesthood is as vital as you say it is and it has been around since Adam, why do you think that not a word about priesthood or priest is connected to Adam, Abel, Noah, Shem, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, or his 12 sons?

[Flyonthewall]

OK, I am starting to get it. So according to your rule above these are the lands of priests from the true priesthood?

Gen 47

22 "Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not their lands."

26And Joseph made it a law over the land of Egypt unto this day, that Pharaoh should have the fifth part, except the land of the priests only, which became not Pharaoh's.

Add on

Doing a search for the word priest in Genesis, you get 6 verses with priest or priests.

1. Genesis 14:18 Melchizedek

2. Genesis 41:45 Priest of On

3. Genesis 41:50 Priest of On

4. Genesis 46:20 Priest of On

5. Genesis 47:22 Land of Priests (Egyptian priests)

6. Genesis 47:26 Land of Priests (Egyptian priests)

The priests in #'s 2, 3, and 4 are identified specifically as pirests of ON. The priests of 5 and 6 are identified as Egyptian in the preceding verses:

20 And Joseph bought all the land of Egypt for Pharaoh; for the Egyptians sold every man his field, because the famine prevailed over them: so the land became Pharaohâ??s.

21 And as for the people, he removed them to cities from one end of the borders of Egypt even to the other end thereof.

22 Only the land of the priests bought he not; for the priests had a portion assigned them of Pharaoh, and did eat their portion which Pharaoh gave them: wherefore they sold not their lands.

23 Then Joseph said unto the people, Behold, I have bought you this day and your land for Pharaoh: lo, here is seed for you, and ye shall sow the land.

24 And it shall come to pass in the increase, that ye shall give the fifth part unto Pharaoh, and four parts shall be your own, for seed of the field, and for your food, and for them of your households, and for food for your little ones.

Genesis takes you from Adam all the way down through the 12 tribes of Israel going into the land of Egypt. Doesn't it seem odd to anyone else that not one of the 6 references refer to any well know Biblical character? If the Priesthood is as vital as you say it is and it has been around since Adam, why do you think that not a word about priesthood or priest is connected to Adam, Abel, Noah, Shem, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, or his 12 sons?

I'm guessing here, but perhaps there was no need to. For example, if I'm always talking about driving a car, going here and there, would I really have any reason to talk about the keys?

Hmmm...Perhaps during the times of the Patriarchs, the priesthood line went through them, and there would still be no need to mention who had the priesthood, except in passing, such as Abraham paying tithes to Melchizedek, or that a Patriarch calls his children together to "bless" them.

I would assert that the blessing from a Patriarch is not just a father's blessing, but a priesthood ordinance.