July 3, 2016
Morning Service

Our writer has been comparing Jesus to this person named Melchisedec.  A priest that met Abraham after he had defeated his enemies.  Our writer continues in the comparison in chapter seven.  

We finished chapter six with this idea:

Heb 6:17-20  Wherein God, willing more abundantly to shew unto the heirs of promise the immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an oath:  (18)  That by two immutable things, in which it was impossible for God to lie, we might have a strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold upon the hope set before us:  (19)  Which hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and stedfast, and which entereth into that within the veil;  (20)  Whither the forerunner is for us entered, even Jesus, made an high priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.

 

Chapter seven:

Heb 7:1-28  For this Melchisedec, king of Salem, priest of the most high God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings, and blessed him;  (2)  To whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all; first being by interpretation King of righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is, King of peace;  (3)  Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life; but made like unto the Son of God; abideth a priest continually.

Here is the account of this meeting: 

·         Gen 14:17-20  And the king of Sodom went out to meet him after his return from the slaughter of Chedorlaomer, and of the kings that were with him, at the valley of Shaveh, which is the king's dale.  (18)  And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God.  (19)  And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:  (20)  And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

·         As I mentioned in another study, this man Melchizedek, is not heard of or mentioned again until a 1000 years later in the Psalms.   

(4)  Now consider how great this man was, unto whom even the patriarch Abraham gave the tenth of the spoils. 

·         Now remember the law has not yet been given.  And the tithe was instructed in the law.  We must go through the children of Abraham, from Isaac, then Jacob, and his sojourn in Egypt of 400 years, then Moses is raised up to deliver the children of Jacob (Israel) out of Egyptian bondage, then God gives Moses the law for the children of Israel.

(5)  And verily they that are of the sons of Levi, who receive the office of the priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham:  (6)  But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises.  (7)  And without all contradiction the less is blessed of the better. 

·         The writer tells us that even though Abraham had the promises from God, he was blessed by one closer to God, which means Abraham was the lesser, and Melchisedec was the better.

(8)  And here men that die receive tithes; but there he receiveth them, of whom it is witnessed that he liveth.  (9)  And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, payed tithes in Abraham.  (10)  For he was yet in the loins of his father, when Melchisedec met him. 

·         Though yet unborn, Levi, who was a  son of Jacob, who was a son of Isaac, who would eventually be born through the lineage of Abraham, paid tithes himself to Melchisedec.

(11)  If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, (for under it the people received the law,) what further need was there that another priest should rise after the order of Melchisedec, and not be called after the order of Aaron? 

·         The writer reasons with the hearers.  The law was not perfect, so we need another High Priest after the order of Melchisedec. 

It won’t be long after the writing of this letter that the temple will be destroyed by Titus.  This will end the sacrifices, and the High Priest entering the holy of holies once a year to offer blood for their sins.                      (12)  For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law.  (13)  For he (Messiah, Son of God, Jesus) of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe, of which no man gave attendance at the altar.  (14)  For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood. 

·         Now more reasoning from the writer.

(15)  And it is yet far more evident: for that after the similitude of Melchisedec there ariseth another priest,  (16)  Who is made, not after the law of a carnal commandment, but after the power of an endless life.  (17)  For he (God) testifieth, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.  (18)  For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness thereof.  (19)  For the law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better hope did; by the which we draw nigh unto God. 

·         Paul speaks of the law as a schoolmaster, that brings us to the knowledge of Christ, and once we have this knowledge of Christ we no longer need the schoolmaster.  (Gal. 3:24-25)

·         This writer calls the law, weak, and unprofitable.  It made nothing perfect, it was a shadow of the real things, fulfilled in Christ. 

·         Then he says, In which we have better hope, which causes us to draw closer to God.

(20)  And inasmuch as not without an oath he was made priest:  (21)  (For those priests were made without an oath; but this with an oath by him that said unto him, The Lord sware and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec:) 

·         The writer quotes from this Psalm 110:4; quite often.

(22)  By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament.  (23)  And they truly were many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death:  (24)  But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.  (25)  Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. 

·         This should build our faith that Jesus is, and always will be there for us in our times of need.  It also means that He is there for us to praise, and give thanks too for all He does for us.

·         Now our writer is trying to convince his listeners not to go back into Judaism, but to stay steadfast in the Lord, but you can see what this means for us.  We have Jesus sitting on the throne of power as our High Priest.  This is why Paul could say, “pray without ceasing”, and pray always.  We serve the Almighty God of creation.  We are encouraged constantly in the Scriptures to pray, and trust God for all our needs.  To pray for others, to pray for our enemies, just talk to God, for even though He is so far above us in holiness, and righteousness, He is our friend.

(26)  For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;  (27)  Who needeth not daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then for the people's: for this he did once, when he offered up himself.  (28)  For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.

·         A glorious description of our Lord.

·         But the word of the oath (Psa. 110:4),which was since the law, consecrated the Son for evermore.  How is that?   Psa. 110:4, was spoken in the time of David, who was the second King of Israel.  Before David there was Saul, before Saul there was the law of Moses, taught, and commanded through Samuel the prophet.  The law, that ordained priests was before the oath, so the oath replaced the law in ordaining an eternal High Priest, Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, the Jews Messiah, our Great High Priest.

 

WE THANK YOU O GOD FOR THIS FAITH BUILDING KNOWLEDGE CONCERNING OUR LORD, AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST.  HELP US TO BE WORTHY OF THIS GREAT SALVATION, AND NEVER TAKE IT FOR GRANTED.