April 11, 2021
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Reading along with us in Hebrews? Here’s today’s reading:
Hebrews 7 (NIV)
Melchizedek the Priest
1 This Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He met Abraham returning from the defeat of the kings and blessed him, 2 and Abraham gave him a tenth of everything. First, the name Melchizedek means “king of righteousness”; then also, “king of Salem” means “king of peace.”........Continue Reading
This chapter seems to challenge the idea that a high priest must come from a certain lineage. As Jesus did not come from a priesthood lineage I am sure some some of the Jews of the time struggled with the idea of Jesus as the Most High Priest because of that mindset.
We are reminded the Jesus was made perfect and is in fact the perfect high priest!
“For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.”
Hebrews 7:28 NIV
https://www.bible.com/111/heb.7.28.niv
And even in the time line of the Gospels Jesus was challenged by many high priest and teachers, which really conveys how perfect he was, through God directly.
A call for former Jews to leave behind the old covenant and traditions; that with a new high priest from outside the tribe of Levi comes a new covenant. One that does not continue to awaken the sin within us and offer only temporary reprieve, but rather freedom from that sin through the ultimate and infinitely perfect sacrifice of Jesus which pays for all sin; past, present and future.
As the writer return to the topic begun in chapter 5, he makes the argument for Jesus to be considered a priest. Coming from the tribe of Judah, Jesus would have no traditional claim, but He can be a priest in the order of Melchizedek. Melchizedek is a bit of an enigma but he is declared a priest of God and Abraham, the father of the Jews, recognized him as such. But Melchizedek comes out of no where (no origin) and disappears as readily (the appearance of no end?). In that sense Jesus shares the same credentials and He is the best kind of priest because He mediates our relationship to God through Himself. He doesn’t have to be made pure to do so. He is pure. So Jesus improves the nature of the priest and the protocols the priests follows. Jesus is sacrificed once and for all. No more animal sacrifices required. Their inadequacy was shown in the repetitious use fo them. Jesus is the total package and is able and willing to mediate our relationship with God…all praise to Him!
The priests established through the line of Levi were imperfect and needed to make sacrifices for themselves as well was the people. That is why Christ is established as the High Priest from a different order, the order of Melchizedek. The priesthood of Levi was never satisfactory and sacrifices needed to be made over and over again, because they were insufficient to take away sins permanently…and priests die. Christ establishes a better covenant. He died once for all and remains continually interceding for us. “But He, because He continues forever, has an unchangeable priesthood. 25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.”
Another thing I wanted to say about this chapter, how perfect is God’s plan and His word? One might think the appearance of Melchizedek in the time of Abraham was random, but it was perfectly planned for God to introduce a Priest with no beginning and no end to reflect His plan for the redemption of man through a man who was and is the perfect person, Priest and sacrifice.
Hebrews 2-7
24but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. 25Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.
26Such a high priest truly 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