Hebrews

Monday, 26 November 2018

For He testifies:
“You are a priest forever
According to the order of Melchizedek.” Hebrews 7:17

The author now returns to his proof text concerning Melchizedek to support his words of the previous verse. There he said that the Lord’s priesthood, which is in the likeness of Melchizedek, is “according to the power of an endless life.” From there, this verse is now introduced with the word, “For.” He has made the statement, and now he supports it by going back to inspired Scripture, which contains the words of God being spoken out through the psalmist. There, God testifies concerning Christ that, “You are a priest forever.”

David was speaking by inspiration of the Holy Spirit as he penned these words, and they looked forward to the coming work of Jesus. As was seen in the previous verse, this new priesthood is eternal because it is based “not according to the law of a fleshly commandment.” Instead, it is one which is spiritual in nature, and it deals with the internals, not the externals. How absolutely unimaginable it must have been to the Levitical priests and the Sanhedrin that the One they accused and condemned as worthy of death, and who indeed they asked to be crucified, would supersede their priestly order by an indestructible life! As Paul says it in Romans 1:1-4 –

“Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God ² which He promised before through His prophets in the Holy Scriptures, ³ concerning His Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who was born of the seed of David according to the flesh, ⁴ and declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.”

It is by the power of the resurrection that Jesus proved He was and is fully God, eternal, and a “priest forever.” Further, this is “According to the order Melchizedek.” Thus, it is one of inherent right, one which is greater than Levi (just as Abraham was greater than Levi), and most especially because of its eternal nature. As Christ is eternal, and as He is the High Priest of the New Covenant, He is “a priest forever.” It is for this glorious reason that the believer in Him is both eternally secure and always allowed access into the most holy place.

Life application: We have an eternal Mediator who sits at the right hand of the Father and is always interceding on our behalf. If your prayers seem like they are not being answered, don’t fret – they are. Jesus is there, working out His office of High Priest, and aligning your needs with His glory so that in the end you will see the absolute wisdom of what was accomplished on your behalf. Please understand this as you face trials or hardships – Jesus is there with you and is tending to every need as an empathetic and merciful High Priest.

Lord, may I never doubt Your glorious hand in my life. Rather, Your word assures me that You are now and always “a Priest forever.” You can empathize with my weakness and you have the exalted position at Your Father’s right hand. Certainly, those things assure me of Your ability to handle every woe and trial I may face. Glory to You, and may Your glorious name ever be praised. Amen.

Sunday, 25 November 2018

…who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life. Hebrews 7:16

The words, “who has come,” are referring to Jesus. It is He who was referred to in the previous verse as “another priest” who came “in the likeness of Melchizedek.” In this, He has come “not according to the law of a fleshly commandment.” The meaning is that the priesthood of Aaron was one which focused on externals. They washed with water, they ate certain foods, they performed animal sacrifices, and so on. These are referred to in Hebrews 9 in some detail. None of the things conducted by the Levitical priesthood was actually efficacious in nature. Rather, it all only pointed to the coming Christ. In Him, rather than a fleshly commandment, there is a law “according to the power of an endless life.”

For the past 17 verses, the author has shown us the superiority of the priesthood of Jesus over that of the Levites. Melchizedek was shown to be greater than Abraham because he bestowed the blessing rather than Abraham. Further, Abraham gave a tenth of his spoils to Melchizedek. This indicated that Melchizedek was in a position superior to that of Abraham. Thirdly, David looked back on the priesthood of Melchizedek and said that a new priesthood was coming in the order of Melchizedek’s. All of these points have been used by the author to prove that his priesthood was superior to that of the Levitical priesthood which came through Aaron.

Jesus’ New Covenant priesthood, being on the same order as Melchizedek’s, then supersedes that of the Old Covenant. In this verse, we see another point which demonstrates this “greater than” theme. Jesus, because of the resurrection, has an indestructible life. As will be explained further in verses to come, the Levites filled a position in time and then died. For this reason, there were many high priests throughout the ages. But Jesus is a High Priest forever. He prevailed over death because of His sinless nature. As Peter proclaims in his Pentecost speech to the people of Israel –

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a Man attested by God to you by miracles, wonders, and signs which God did through Him in your midst, as you yourselves also know— ²³ Him, being delivered by the determined purpose and foreknowledge of God, you have taken by lawless hands, have crucified, and put to death; ²⁴ whom God raised up, having loosed the pains of death, because it was not possible that He should be held by it. ²⁵ For David says concerning Him:
‘I foresaw the Lord always before my face,
For He is at my right hand, that I may not be shaken.” Acts 2:22-25

Death could not hold Jesus and can it never touch Him again. He is “a Priest forever.” Hallelujah!

Life application: There is no time that our prayers are not heard. Because Jesus is a priest forever, He is an eternal Mediator for us. For the believer, every prayer that we utter to God in faith is received by Him. Further, because Jesus’ work was spiritual, not fleshly, everything He accomplished for us is of a spiritual nature. Whereas the sacrifices of the Law of Moses could never internally purify the people, that of Jesus can. Salvation is not a repeatable thing in Christ. Rather, it is a one-time for all-time occurrence. Take time today to reflect on your status before God because of Christ, and then be sure to thank and praise God for what He has done through Christ Jesus our Lord.

Lord, sadness must have come upon the ancient faithful as they saw their high priests die and return to the dust. Each new high priest was an uncertain entity and a fallible man. But, glory to You, O God, that we have an eternal High Priest – One who never fails, never tires, and never disappoints. We have Jesus! Thank you for Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

Saturday, 24 November 2018

And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest… Hebrews 7:15

For the past two verses, the author has discussed the replacement of the Old Covenant with the New. This is obvious from the words, “for the priesthood being changed.” Because of this, “there is also a change of the law.” With this understanding, he then said that the One spoken of in this change “belongs to another tribe.” Understanding this, he continues with the words, “And it is yet far more evident.”

Here, the author uses a word unique in Scripture, katadélos. It is a more forceful word than that used in verse 7:14. It was “evident” that Jesus descended from Judah. However, it is “far more evident” that when another priest comes according to the order of Melchizedek, that the wholly inadequate nature of the Levitical priesthood is realized. And so, what is proposed in the previous verses is to be considered more fully here. There was a defect in the previous priesthood which required its replacement.

This is necessarily true because there is a change in priesthood, not only in a minor sense but in the complete sense. This new High Priest, selected by God, descended from the tribe of Judah in the flesh, but in his deity is “like Melchizedek” in the sense that He is also without genealogy – having no beginning or end of days.

It would be unheard of for a descendant of Judah to minister in the temple because it would violate the law which Moses received directly from God. But even if a descendant of Judah were to somehow work his way into this position, it wouldn’t be nearly as difficult to imagine as it would for one on the order of Melchizedek. Why? As previously stated, because Melchizedek was before the time of Levi.

Being before Levi means that the Levitical priesthood actually would have superseded the priesthood of Melchizedek unless by one thing – that it was eternal; without beginning or end. If this is the case, and Genesis clearly records that it is, then the Levitical priesthood cannot supersede it. Rather, the Law was introduced “so that through the commandment sin might become utterly sinful” (Romans 7:13).

The Law of Moses with the temple worship could in no way save, but it could only point us to our desperate need for an even greater covenant with a greater and more complete sacrifice. And that priest “in the likeness of Melchizedek” did appear! As the author states, “there arises another priest.” He has arisen, and He is, even now, interceding on our behalf to the Father. Jesus is a “priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”

Life application: When you sin or err as a Christian, you already know how utterly sinful sin is… it necessitated the death of our Lord Jesus. Think on this always and remember that our actions required a most precious and eternal payment.

Lord God, what You have done for us through Jesus is greater than we can imagine. It is the marvelously splendid work of an infinitely wise and loving Creator. To You we bow, to You we confess, to You we sing our praises, O mighty and glorious God! Amen.

Friday, 23 November 2018

For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. Hebrews 7:14

The author, for the third time in three verses, again begins his thought with the word “For.” He is building a case which is obvious, and which is indisputable. He just stated, “For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe.” He now builds on that with the words, “For it is evident.” The word “evident” is the Greek word prodélos. This is its third and last use in Scripture. It signifies “plain before all men,” and thus “obvious.” The truth of Christ’s genealogy is recorded for all to see. The genealogical records of Israel were meticulously maintained, and a copy of His was carefully restated in both Matthew 1 and in Luke 3.

However, there is more to the word “evident” than this. It was known from many passages in Scripture that the Messiah would come from Judah. As the author says here, “our Lord arose from Judah.” He wasn’t just stating this as something which suddenly came to light in the coming of Christ, and which was then compiled by Matthew and Luke. Rather, he was stating this to Jews who may have never seen these genealogical listings. Even if not, they still had their own Scriptures to testify to this. Jacob’s prophecy of Genesis 49:10 showed this. 2 Samuel 7 reveals this. Isaiah 11:1 speaks of it. Micah 5:2 makes it evident. Further, countless other stories and hints all point to this fact as well in an implicit manner.

Therefore, He wasn’t just “born” into the tribe of Judah, but He “arose” from it. The word is anatelló, and it signifies “completing a process.” There was nothing arbitrary about His being born into Judah, but it is the fulfillment of a process which began in the mind of God, even before creation. In Christ’s birth, the goal had met its consummation. A Priest, but also a King, would come out of Judah. As Melchizedek was a type of this person to come (meaning a king and a priest), and as David confirmed it in Psalm 110, then any king of Judah might feel they qualified to fill this messianic role. And sure enough – after the time of David – a king from the tribe of Judah attempted to offer the sacrifices of the priests. He not only failed, but was punished by God for doing so –

“But when he was strong his heart was lifted up, to his destruction, for he transgressed against the Lord his God by entering the temple of the Lord to burn incense on the altar of incense.” 2 Chronicles 26:16

Uzziah may have felt he was a suitable candidate for being Messiah. However, the account continues…

“So Azariah the priest went in after him, and with him were eighty priests of the Lord—valiant men. ¹⁸ And they withstood King Uzziah, and said to him, ‘It is not for you, Uzziah, to burn incense to the Lord, but for the priests, the sons of Aaron, who are consecrated to burn incense. Get out of the sanctuary, for you have trespassed! You shall have no honor from the Lord God.’ ¹⁹ Then Uzziah became furious; and he had a censer in his hand to burn incense. And while he was angry with the priests, leprosy broke out on his forehead, before the priests in the house of the Lord, beside the incense altar. ²⁰ And Azariah the chief priest and all the priests looked at him, and there, on his forehead, he was leprous; so they thrust him out of that place. Indeed he also hurried to get out, because the Lord had struck him.” 2 Chronicles 26:19-20

It is obvious then, that it wasn’t just any king who was prophesied of, but it must be a specific person at a specific time. As the author has already noted, the temple (and all of its rituals) was specifically set aside for the priests who were Levites – and this was mandated by the law itself. By necessity then, all of these things must be set aside or abolished to establish a new priesthood. None of the Old could remain if the New was to be in effect.

As the genealogies of Jesus record, He descended from Judah. And yet we are being instructed that He is now our High Priest. As the author says, “of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood.” The priesthood of the law of Moses was a Levitical priesthood. The priesthood of the New Covenant is a Judahite priesthood. Thus, it logically follows then that the Old Testament is set aside to make way for the New. The author has made his case, but he will continue to defend it in the verses ahead.

Life application: If you participate in a denomination that mingles these two covenants, it would behoove you to study this truth further, and to then depart from that body. They are not teaching the truth of God in Christ, and they are not relying on the grace of Jesus Christ to obtain restoration to God the Father. Such a group of people has departed from the truth of God and they are teaching a false gospel.

Yes Lord! We look to You alone and to Your work – accomplished on our behalf – for our reconciliation to our heavenly Father. Help us to see the clear distinction between covenants, and to understand what is for our edification only and what is for doctrine in this dispensation. May we never reapply works of the law to our walk before you, which then sets aside the grace You have so lavishly poured out on us. Thank You, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Thursday, 22 November 2018

For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar. Hebrews 7:13

The word “For” again takes us back to review what has been said. The author just stated, “For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law.” He is now building on that thought. It is the beginning of an explanation for the statement, and it will continue through verse 19.

“He of whom these things are spoken” is referring to Jesus. This is based on the words of verse 11 which said, “what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron.” In this, “the order of Aaron” is that of the Levitical priesthood because Aaron descends from Levi. However, Jesus is not of Levi. Instead, He descends from Judah. As the author says, He “belongs to another tribe.” The same Greek word for “another” is used here that was used in verse 7:11. It implies one of a different kind. It is one which stands in contrast to that which is being spoken of.

The priests of Israel during the times of temple worship were Levites from the line of Aaron. This was in accordance with the Law of Moses, specifically, the book of Leviticus (plus parts of other books) which detail the tabernacle layout, the priest’s lineage, and the duties of those priests.

However, the Messiah (Jesus) wasn’t from the tribe of Levi. This means there’s a conflict which needs to be resolved. If the Messiah wasn’t from the tribe of Levi, he couldn’t participate in conducting the temple rituals. As the author next says, “from which no man has officiated at the altar.” The law designated Aaron’s line to do this, and all else were forbidden from such duties. As stated in the commentary of verse 12, this necessarily means that a new covenant must be built around the new High Priest and His priesthood. Not only is this the case, but the very temple itself is no longer a sufficient point of worship for the people. A new temple is required for this new Priest. That temple is under construction even now –

“Now, therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, ²⁰ having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone, ²¹ in whom the whole building, being fitted together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord, ²² in whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit.” Ephesians 2:19-23

Now, under this new order of priesthood, the people of God are “living stones” in the temple of God and Jesus is our High Priest. Everything about the nature of Christ and His priesthood is on a completely different order than that of Aaron. It is not merely “different than,” but it is “better than” in all ways.

Life application: Are you seeing the majesty of what God is doing in redemptive history! All things of the Old Testament foreshadow something so much greater which is revealed in Christ Jesus! The author is going through painstakingly precise terminology in order to ensure that we don’t miss this fact. The error in returning to the Law of Moses is to go from that which can save to that which cannot. Christ has come, a New Covenant has been brought forth, and a new High Priest is realized for God’s people. Nothing else is effective in bringing humanity back to God. Only through Christ is this possible.

Thank You O God for allowing us to become living stones in Your glorious eternal temple. How precious it is to be considered as a part of Your handiwork. And, may our lives be used to Your glory until we attain our final glorification some splendid day ahead. This we pray to the honor of Jesus our Lord! Amen.