Hebrews 7
Hebrews 7:1-28 says:
1This
Melchizedek was king of
4Just think
how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! 5Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become
priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, their brothers—even though
their brothers are descended from Abraham. 6This man,
however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from
Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7And
without doubt the lesser person is blessed by the greater. 8In
the one case, the tenth is collected by men who die; but in the other case, by
him who is declared to be living. 9One might even say
that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, 10because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the
body of his ancestor.
11If
perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood (for on
the basis of it the law was given to the people), why was there still need for
another priest to come—one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of
Aaron? 12For when there is a change of the priesthood,
there must also be a change of the law. 13He of whom
these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe
has ever served at the altar. 14For it is clear that our
Lord descended from
"You are a priest forever,
in the order of Melchizedek."[a]
18The former
regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless 19(for
the law made nothing perfect), and a better hope is introduced, by which we
draw near to God.
20And it was
not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, 21but
he became a priest with an oath when God said to him:
"The Lord has sworn
and will not change his mind:
'You are a priest forever.' "[b] 22Because of this
oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.
23Now there
have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in
office; 24but because Jesus lives forever, he has a
permanent priesthood. 25Therefore he is able to save
completely[c] those who come to God through him, because
he always lives to intercede for them.
26Such a
high priest meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from
sinners, exalted above the heavens. 27Unlike the other
high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his
own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins
once for all when he offered himself. 28For the law
appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the
law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.
·
Chapter 7
starts off with looking at the life of Melchizedek who was both a king and a
high priest.
·
The Old
Testament gives the genealogy that goes all the way from Adam to Abraham to
Christ.
·
It is the Biblical
way of showing how these people fit into God’s plan of salvation which
culminates in Christ.
·
Genesis
describes someone who is superior to Abraham, and yet there is no genealogy
given for him!
Genesis 14:17-20 says:
17 After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and
the kings allied with him, the king of
18 Then
Melchizedek king of
"Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
Creator [b] of heaven and earth.
20 And
blessed be [c] God Most High,
who delivered your enemies into your
hand."
Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.
·
Melchizedek
blessed Abraham when he returned from victory over the King of
·
Abraham gave
Melchizedek a tenth of everything.
·
Melchizedek
means “king of righteousness”.
·
The preacher
is referring to Jesus Christ.
·
Hebrews 7:3
makes it clear that the preacher is also reflecting on the fact that Genesis
gives no list of Melchizedek’s ancestors or descendents: WITHOUT FATHER OR
MOTHER, WITHOUT GENEALOGY.
·
In Vs. 4-5 we
are told he is without beginning of days or end of life because his life is not
included in the genealogy.
·
But these
verses are symbolically speaking of the Christ.
·
The fact that
the priest in Melchizedek’s order is the eternal Son of God without beginning
of days or end of life is the main point of Hebrews 7.
·
The fact that
Melchizedek was without father or mother, without genealogy (7:3) – that is,
without priestly genealogy – makes it very surprising that the patriarch Abraham
would give him a tenth of tithe of the plunder. V4
·
As the patriarch,
Abraham was the progenitor of all God’s people.
·
According to
a requirement of the law the descendents of Levi who become priests collect a
tenth from the rest of God’s people – that is, their brothers, who are also
descended from the patriarch Abraham. V. 5
·
The priests
descended from Abraham collected tithes from the people descended from Abraham.
·
Melchizedek
on the other hand, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a
tenth from Abraham who was both the priest from the Levitical priests and of
those who they collected tithes.
·
This shows
that Abraham, the patriarch, saw Melchizedek as superior to himself.
·
Melchizedek
stands in a position above the promises of salvation!
·
This
indicates his greatness.
·
The priest in
Melchizedek’s order does not receive those promises but puts them into effect.
·
The priest in
the order of Melchizedek is therefore not in the order of Aaron.
·
In
·
He is
“without beginning of days or end of life”
·
Therefore he
is like Melchizedek in that he is empowered by the power of an indestructible
life.
Psalm 110 says:
1
The LORD says to my Lord:
"Sit at my right hand
until I make your enemies
a footstool for your feet."
2 The LORD
will extend your mighty scepter from
you will rule in the midst of your
enemies.
3 Your
troops will be willing
on your day of battle.
Arrayed in holy majesty,
from the womb of the dawn
you will receive the dew of your youth. [a]
4 The LORD
has sworn
and will not change his mind:
"You are a priest forever,
in the order of Melchizedek."
5 The Lord
is at your right hand;
he will crush kings on the day of his
wrath.
6 He will
judge the nations, heaping up the dead
and crushing the rulers of the whole
earth.
7 He will drink
from a brook beside the way [b] ;
therefore he will lift up his head.
·
The essence
of v. 12 is: FOR WHEN THERE IS A CHANGE OF THE PRIESTHOOD, THERE MUST ALSO BE A
CHANGE OF THE LAW.
·
Note that the
priest is like Melchizedek in that He had “no beginning of days or end of life”
(7:3, 11, 15).
·
This is not
an order like the Aaronic priestly order.
·
In the
Aaronic order a person became a priest…on the basis of a regulation as to his
ancestry. V. 16
·
The
priesthood, however, of the priest like Melchizedek who was without beginning
of days or end of life” (7:3) is based on the power of an indestructible life.
V. 16
·
Only God’s life
is indestructible.
·
This priest
is also the eternal Son of God who shares in God’s life.
·
Only in this
way could he be a priest forever (
·
The
priesthood of the new priest is based on the eternal life of God and not human
weakness. Vs. 18-19
·
The quality
of the new priest shows clearly that the former regulation of priesthood based
on Aaronic descent and the whole covenant dependent on it are set aside.
·
That old
priesthood and covenant were never intended to be anything more than “former”
or “preliminary”
·
The old
priesthood was weak because it was based on frail, sinful humanity. V. 18,19
·
It was
useless in that it could not deal with sin.
·
When the
preacher says that the old law made nothing perfect, he means that it could not
cleanse God’s people from sin and thus enable them to come into the presence of
God. Vs. 14-18
·
The double
negative, not without oath, strongly affirms that Christ was made a priest by
the oath in Psalm 110:4
·
God
established the Levitical or Aaronic priesthood, but He did not guarantee its effectiveness
and perpetualness with any oath.
·
God’s oath is
the reason why Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant.
·
Jesus is just
not the mediator but the guarantee of this better covenant.
·
The old
covenant has a mediator.
·
No one could
guarantee the effectiveness of the old covenant because it relied on earthly,
human priests that are fallible.
·
Jesus on the
other hand, guarantees the new covenant – He makes it effective.
·
The biblical
writers use the word covenant to designate the way God has arranged for people
to live in fellowship with himself.
·
This word
covenant does not describe an agreement which God and humanity have mutually
negotiated.
·
God offers it
and human beings can accept or reject it.
·
The preacher
often uses the words like “law”.
·
God based the
new covenant of the oath-secured high priesthood of Jesus.
·
Therefore
this new covenant is better.
Psalm 110:4 says:
4 The LORD has sworn
and will not change his mind:
"You are a priest forever,
in the order of Melchizedek."
·
Jesus is a
high priest on the basis of the power of an “indestructible life”. V. 16
·
Who is
“without beginning of days or end of life”.
·
Again the
preacher contrasts the Aaronic priesthood described in
·
The old
system required many priests because none could effectively do the job that
needed to be done.
·
Because Jesus
lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood.
·
Because of
these new qualities the new priest – Jesus can really save where the old could
not.
·
Those who are
being saved are described as those who come to God through Him.
·
Jesus is
holy, blameless and pure and because He is completely obedient to the Father in
character is completely untouched by sin.
·
Hebrews 5:3
has already shown that the Aaronic priests need to offer sacrifice for their
own sin that marked them as sinful and therefore unable to deal with the sin of
others.
·
But the One
who was holy, blameless, and pure certainly would have no need to sacrifice for
himself.
·
DAY AFTER DAY
– the preacher expresses the receptiveness of these sacrifices.
·
The fact that
Christ’s sacrifice was once and for all shows that it truly dealt with sin and
therefore needs no repetition.
Hebrews 7 nuggets:
1) The old high priests
were human beings who fell short, the new and last high priest is Jesus Christ
who is God incarnate and God is perfect. Vs. 1-19
Implications for the
Christian today: God will never fail
you, but people will, so put God on the pedestal and not people.
2) The old high priests
were weak and feeble, the new High Priest was made
perfect and strong forever. Vs. 18-22
·
The problem
with the Aaronic high priests was that they were weak.
·
A literal
translation would be “human beings having weakness”.
Implications for the
Christian today: Put your trust in
God who has the strength to rescue you because no person can really rescue you,
it is just an illusion that you want to believe.
Psalm 9:9-10 says:
9 The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,
a stronghold in times of trouble.
10 Those who
know your name will trust in you,
for you, LORD, have never forsaken those
who seek you.
3) The old high priests
were established by the law, the new by the oath of God – and while mere men
can break God’s law, God cannot and will not break His oath. Vs. 20-22
Implications
for the Christian today: People will
break their promises to you and thereby break your heart, but God will fulfill
every promise He has ever made to you.
4) Whereas the old high priests
were temporal and died, Jesus the new high priest is permanent and lives
forever. Vs. 23-25
Implications for the
Christian today: We have a High
Priest that always intercedes for us and He always will forever!
5) As a high priest,
Jesus meets all our needs because He is perfectly holy and atoned for all our
sins – He is the forever lasting sacrifice without blemish! Vs. 26-30
·
With his last
breath, Jesus uttered the words, “It is finished”.
Implications for the Christian today:
Jesus perfectly meets my needs for salvation, sanctification and
daily provisions and resources – He is all I ever need!
6) As the ultimate,
perfect lasting high priest Jesus finished the work to make me acceptable to
God. Vs. 18-30
Implications for the
Christian today: In Christ Jesus, my
high priest – I am whole and complete, lacking nothing in Him. I have the mind
of Christ!
1 Corinthians
16"For
who has known the mind of the Lord
that he may instruct him?"[a] But we have the mind of Christ.
Question: If I am whole
and lacking nothing, then why do I sin, fall short, get anxious, fearful and
depressed?
Answer: When the Christian
gets distracted by dwelling on the past or worrying about the future it cuts
them off from the present power of the Holy Spirit.
·
TO STAY IN A
STATE OF
Matthew 6:25-33 says:
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your
life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is
not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or
store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much
more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can
add a single hour to his life[a]?
28"And
why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do
not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even
Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If
that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and
tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of
little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we
eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For
the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you
need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his
righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.
·
IN CHRIST, YOUR
PAST HAS BEEN FIXED AND YOUR FUTURE IS SECURED BY THE BLOOD OF THE PERFECT
LAMB/HIGH PREIST!
TO STOP LIVING IN BONDADE
TO YOUR THOUGHTS:
1. DO NOT COMPARE THE
PAST WITH TODAY – AVOID ALL JUDGEMENTS.
2. OBSERVE ALL YOUR THOUGHTS THAT ARE ROOTED IN
THE PAST OR THE FUTURE THAT ARE UNHEALTHY BY STEPPING OUTSIDE OF THEM AND BECOMING
A THIRD PARTY OBSERVER – IN OTHER WORDS DO NOT BECOME EMOTIONALLY HOOKED TO YOUR
NEGATIVE THOUGHTS.
2 Corinthians 10:5 says:
5We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets
itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to
make it obedient to Christ.
3. WATCH YOUR
DESTRUCTIVE, PAINFUL THOUGHTS GO BY IN YOUR MIND LIKE DEBRIS ON A RIVER – JUST
WATCH THEM GO BY WITHOUT TAKING THEM PERSONALLY.
4. SURRENDER YOUR PAST SINS/PAIN TO JESUS YOUR HIGH
PRIEST SINCE RESISTING YOUR NEGATIVE THOUGHTS OF THE PAST DOES NOT WORK BECAUSE
WHAT YOU RESIST PERSISTS BUT WHAT YOU SURRENDER TO JESUS YOUR HIGH PRIEST IS CLEANSED
BY THE BLOOD FOREVER!
Philippians 4:4-7 says:
4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again:
Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The
Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in
everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to
God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all
understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
NOTE: THINKING IS A FORM OF PRAYER. YOU
WILL ATTRACT INTO YOUR LIFE WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT THE MOST WHETHER YOU WANT IT
OR NOT SO THINK ABOUT ONLY WANT YOU WANT!
Philippians 4:8
8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is
noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is
admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
5. ASK JESUS FOR WHAT YOU
NEED – BECAUSE HE WILL INTERCEDE AND PETITION THE FATHER
ON YOUR BEHALF - ASK, SEEK, KNOCK and BELIEVE THAT THE FATHER HAS ALREADY GIVEN
IT TO YOU BECAUSE OF JESUS’ PERSISTENT INTERCEDING.
Matthew 7 says:
7"Ask
and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be
opened to you. 8For everyone who asks receives; he who
seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.
9"Which
of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? 10Or
if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? 11If you,
then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how
much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! 12So in everything, do to others what you would have them do
to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.