10/18/12. Hebrews 7:1-28. JESUS THE PERFECT HIGH PRIEST-my devotional

Key Verse: 7:28                                                                                                                   Kevin Jesmer NIU UBF

“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.”

Dear Lord heavenly Father, thank you for a wonderful day. You bless the healthcare group Bible study. You blessed the KBC Marks Gospel overview. Thank you for the abundant word of God. Thank you for the good fellowship among the believers. May we all grow in maturity in the Lord and joy in the Lord. May abundant fruit be born within and without. I pray that you may help my kids to all follow the Lord and love the Lord and have a spiritual hunger and thirst. Lord, I pray that I may hold onto one word of God in my heart through this passage. I pray in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen!

Part 1:  Melchizedek Remains Priest Forever (1-10).

Verses 1-10, “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.” ³ Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever. ⁴  Just think how great he was: Even the patriarch Abraham gave him a tenth of the plunder! ⁵ Now the law requires the descendants of Levi who become priests to collect a tenth from the people—that is, from their fellow Israelites—even though they also are descended from Abraham. ⁶ This man, however, did not trace his descent from Levi, yet he collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. ⁷ And without doubt the lesser is blessed by the greater. ⁸ In the one case, the tenth is collected by people who die; but in the other case, by him who is declared to be living. ⁹ One might even say that Levi, who collects the tenth, paid the tenth through Abraham, ¹⁰ because when Melchizedek met Abraham, Levi was still in the body of his ancestor.”

The Order of Melchizedek is a great and mysterious priesthood. There were people worshipping the one true God. They were descendents of Noah. Abraham was not the beginning of monotheism. He was, however, the beginning of someone believing the promises of the one true God and having faith enough to set out on an epic journey of faith, forsaking his past and embracing God’s great and glorious hope for him and his future nation. This is what made Abraham unique. But Melchizedek was a great man of God also. But he was leading some sort of organized religion of the day.

Melchizedek was a reflection of Jesus. Without genealogy, beginning or end, resembling the Son of God, he remains a priest forever. Jesus is a priest forever, since his suffering death and resurrection. The Levitical priesthood collected tithes from their brothers and blessed them. Melchizedek was not a Levite, yet he blessed Abraham, and collected the tithe from him. Melchizedek’s order is greater than the Levites. Jesus is greater than any of the religious leaders. Jesus order is the greatest.

I like Melchizedek. He came to Abraham at a crucial moment in his life and brought him spiritual fellowship. They ate bread and drank wine in a holy ceremony. He reminded Abraham that God gave him the victory. He helped Abraham to practically worship God by giving God a tenth of his income. He humbled himself to come see this old man and sheep herder and treat him with the utmost respect. Melchizedek is a reflection of Jesus.

I pray that I can follow Melchizedek’s example and reflect Jesus as I serve my Lord in this world. I need to come to others in their critical moments and counsel them. I must have spiritual fellowship. I must encourage others to worship God and point them to Jesus, who is the source of their victories in life. Lord, help me to be like the Lord Jesus in my interaction with those around me.

Part 2: Jesus Is Our Perfect, Eternal High Priest (11-28).

Verses 11-28, “If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood—and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood—why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? ¹² For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also. ¹³ He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. ¹⁴ For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. ¹⁵ And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, ¹⁶ one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. ¹⁷ For it is declared: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”¹⁸ The 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. ²⁰ And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, ²¹ but 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.’”²² Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant. ²³ Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; ²⁴ but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. ²⁵ Therefore he is able to save completely^[c] those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them. ²⁶ Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. ²⁷ Unlike 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. ²⁸ 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.”

The above passage is very complicated to understand. But to make is simple, no matter how sincere Melchizedek was and how sincere the Levites were, they were not perfect. The sacrifices that they presided over, were not perfect and could not bring about the complete forgiveness of sins.

Perfection could not be found in the Levitical priesthood so a new priest in the order of Melchizedek was promised on oath. Jesus is that high priest. He was appointed by oath on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. While other priests die and cannot save, Jesus is able to save completely those who come to him because he lives forever to intercede. Other priests are weak in sins, needing to sacrifice for themselves daily. But Jesus is holy, blameless, pure, exalted above the heavens. His sacrifice once for all brings the complete forgiveness of sins brings us into a personal relationship with the holy God.

I can trust Jesus’ efficacy. I can trust that faith in Jesus will cleanse me of all my sins. Faith in Jesus will help me bring me complete forgiveness and into the presence of God. God will be able to dwell in my heart and guide me and sanctify me. I can have a new hope and a new life because Jesus is my high priest. This new life is available because of forgiveness. Forgiveness sets our hearts free. It opens up possibilities onto eternal life. It gives us power to change.  And there is no way to be completely forgiven without faith in the perfect high priest, Jesus Christ. Thank you Jesus.

Prayer: Thank you for Jesus, my perfect high priest. You made my salvation possible.

One Word: Jesus my perfect high priest