Malachi 2:7

"For the priest's lips should keep knowledge, and they should seek the law at his mouth; for he is the messenger of Jehovah of hosts."

Despite the fact of Haggai having been designated a messenger (Haggai 1:13), this is the only Old Testament designation of the priesthood as, in fact, messengers of God; but even here, it is the statement of an ideal violated and not the indication of any reliability of human priests. Certainly, it is a fact now that if one is to communicate the knowledge of God effectively to anyone else, it must be done by one who himself is a sincere and faithful worshipper at the Throne, and who lives in full consciousness of the presence of God in his life. In the holy religion of Christ, however, there is no distinguishable priesthood apart from the rank and file of all Christians, who alike, are "kings and priests unto God." The false differentiation between clergy and laity is a damnable error. As Buttrick once said, "The institution of sacerdotal man has been demonstrated throughout five thousand years of human history as a shamefully incompetent and ineffective device." Israel's priesthood succeeded little better than the pagans in the communication of God's will to humanity.