Monday after the Sixteenth Sunday after Trinity Sunday
Posted on September 28, 2020 by under
Scripture: Hebrews 7:1-28 (NKJV)
7:1 For this Melchizedek, 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 translated “king of righteousness,” and then also king of Salem, meaning “king of peace,” 3 without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.
4 Now consider how great this man was, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils. 5 And indeed those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, though they have come from the loins of Abraham; 6 but he whose genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises. 7 Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better. 8 Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives. 9 Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak, 10 for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.
11 Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), 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? 12 For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law. 13 For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar.
14 For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. 15 And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest 16 who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life. 17 For He testifies:
“You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”
18 For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness, 19 for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.
20 And inasmuch as He was not made priest without an oath 21 (for they have become priests without an oath, but He with an oath by Him who said to Him:
“The Lord has sworn and will not relent, ‘You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek’”),
22 by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant.
23 Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing. 24 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.
26 For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens; 27 who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. 28 For the law appoints as high priests men who have weakness, but the word of the oath, which came after the law, appoints the Son who has been perfected forever.
Devotion
The author of this letter to the Hebrews has already introduced the concept of “high priest” as it applies to Jesus, and has linked together the priesthood of Christ with Melchizedek. But now in chapter 7, he describes this relationship in much greater detail. In the Old Testament we have only four verses which mention Melchizedek. In those brief references we see a character who not only blesses the patriarch Abraham, but who himself receives a tithe from him. Undoubtedly Melchizedek is at least a type, if not the pre-incarnate Christ Himself. Whatever the case, the author of Hebrews makes clear the point that Melchizedek, as well as Christ, are from a superior line of priests than that of Levi. Jesus is not “more of the same,” but the “one and only” Great High Priest—the very Son of God.
So what is the significance of Jesus’ elite office of Great High Priest? Throughout the Old Testament priests could only offer imperfect sacrifices. No matter how good the sacrificial animal was, it was never good enough. No matter the quality or the quantity, the animal could never be a sufficient offering to pay for the gravity of man’s sin. Additionally, it would have to be a man—a sinless man—to be the once-for-all sacrifice for all mankind. Thanks be to God for fulfilling that sacrifice in Jesus Christ!
Prayer: Not all the blood of beasts on Jewish altars slain could give the guilty conscience peace or wash away the stain. But Christ, the heav’nly Lamb, takes all our sins away; a sacrifice of nobler name and richer blood than they. (TLH 156:1-2)
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
