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Tag: melchizadek

  • Hebrews 6-Our Inheritance through Faith & Perseverance

    I will indeed bless you, and I will greatly multiply you.

    Hebrews 6:14; Genesis 22:17

    What an inheritance we expect from God! A blessing passed on from generation to generation, then unto us and eventually to our heirs. No chosen people can claim any inheritance like the Jews.

    From a detailed Commandment and covenants of scripture the LORD makes wondrous promises of inheritance to the generations. Trouble is, none of us are faithful – no not one. For we all sin against God and must often repent. This is reason enough for our sacrifice as part of our worship. It goes back to Genesis, the faith of Abraham in the beginning.

    Faith beyond traditions

    “THEREFORE,” begins the writer of Hebrews in this important transition of his letter, leave elementary school. And learn the important things of our faith beyond the obvious traditions and practices.

    Two dangers confront believers.

    • We stand where we are. We are chosen by God, we are ‘in,’ we were born into the right religion and family line. Heaven is assured for us (but not others) and God blesses me because of who I am.
    • Or we turn back from where we ought to be. Call it ‘intentional sin,’ for we want nothing to do with God. No repentance, ever. And who cares about God’s inheritance?

    The writer of Hebrews begins by asking us not to stand still in our elementary look at religion. We must repent of our ‘dead works,’ which we think ought to earn us a fair judgment.

    Hebrews 6:

    Therefore, let us leave the elementary teaching about Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works, faith in God…

    Hebrews 6:1 CSB

    Why do we need perseverance in our faith? Because just following the rules does not assure us eternal life.

    2 teaching about ritual washings, laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

    Basics. These are the foundation of our elementary school. We know these practices, but these ritual works are not the steps of faith which lead to our inheritance.

    4 For it is impossible to renew to repentance those who were once enlightened, who tasted the heavenly gift, who shared in the Holy Spirit… and who have fallen away.

    Listen, here; for you know these who claim to be ‘christians.’

    … they are recrucifying the Son of God and holding him up to contempt.

    Hebrews 6:6B CSB

    Beloved believers, he speaks of Jews who have come to know the Messiah and received the Holy Spirit. Yet they turn away from an inheritance of their eternal promise to stand on their own right works.

    And dear Christian brothers and sisters, who does not know one recrucifying Christ with easy teachings denying Christ’s commandment?

    Many despaired that Jesus did not come to the Jews taking the Throne of the Temple victoriously. Even now many Christians lament the same.

    Christ came not to conquer a throne of Jerusalem, but to conquer sin and death upon the altar of sacrifice. For זָבַח the sacrifice is that which is given, slaughtered in divine judgment.

    God’s love for the world

    Who receives the blessings of God? John’s gospel also points toward this.

    He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be[e] children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born, not of natural descent…

    John 1:11-13a CSB

    God blessed the Jews, but also blesses the gentiles. The writer of Hebrews uses the blessing of God’s rain as illustration. God’s blessing falls upon the good and the evil. (What will you do with this same blessing?)

    7 For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; 8 but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned.

    He says, “We are confident of better things in you. God is not unjust and will not forget your work. He remembers your labors of love toward Him and toward the saints. (NOT Saints, revered examples of the faiths with a capital “S,” but saints, our beloved fellow followers of Christ.)

    Ministering to the saints

    For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

    Hebrews 6:10 NKJV

    We show our love of God through ministering to others who grow in His love. These saints in our midst receive the same rain by which the Lord blesses us.

    Let us not become the thorns to be sifted into the fire of judgment.

    He asks us to demonstrate the same diligence for the full assurance of your hope until the end. Do others receiving rain turn against us? Or do they rail against the Lord, even persecuting some proclaiming Christ even to death? Yes, but death only of this flesh of dust, which has received the water and the Spirit.

    We minister to our fellow saints,serving the Lord’s Holy messengers of the Spirit, fellow failing flesh given eternal life. And the writer gives us the reason.

    12 … so that you won’t become lazy but will be imitators of those who inherit the promises through faith and perseverance.

    These saints some churches capitalize, “Saints,” as examples for us. Yet the call of Christ and scripture is to minister to the many ‘saints’ among us. For we are the church, saints in the flesh, are brothers and sisters of the Lord by the Spirit.

    God’s Promise through Abraham

    The writer of Hebrews makes clear that not even all followers of Moses received the promise. He now mentions how God guarantees His promise, referring back to Genesis 22.

    God swore it; Abraham waited; his heir waited. And for what reason did the LORD swear this oath to Abraham of the promise?

    That we who have fled for refuge might have strong encouragement to seize the hope set before us. [v.18]

    We still expect God to act for us NOW. (Nothing has changed since Abraham and Moses.) Yet the LORD has purpose in blessing different generations with His more perfect will of eternal promise.

    How does the writer of Hebrews link Abraham and the Messiah Jesus? Once again, he returns to the most symbolic Holy of Holies, which Moses later built.

    This Hope as an anchor of the soul

    19 We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure.

    It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain. 20 Jesus has entered there on our behalf…

    As our hopes and fears leave us tossed about in the depth and vastness of eternity; yet like a ship held secure, Christ holds us in place. He makes the most certain intercession for our soul in the Holiest place before God the Father.

    20 Jesus has entered there on our behalf as a forerunner, because he has become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.

    Once again, the writer of Hebrews compares Jesus Christ to Melchizedek. He will follow this mature teaching through scripture in his next chapter.

    To be continued...

  • Hebrews 5- Christ a High Priest

    וְהַכֹּהֵן֩ הַגָּדֹ֨ול מֵאֶחָ֜יו אֲֽשֶׁר־יוּצַ֥ק עַל־רֹאשֹׁ֣ו שֶׁ֤מֶן הַמִּשְׁחָה֙ וּמִלֵּ֣א אֶת־יָדֹ֔ו לִלְבֹּ֖שׁ אֶת־הַבְּגָדִ֑ים אֶת־רֹאשֹׁו֙ לֹ֣א יִפְרָ֔ע וּבְגָדָ֖יו לֹ֥א יִפְרֹֽם׃

    “‘The high priest – who is greater than his brothers, on whose head the anointing oil is poured, who has been ordained to wear the priestly garments – must neither dishevel the hair of his head nor tear his garments.

    Leviticus 21:10 WLC NET

    The High Priest – a greater man

    If you have been following this series on the book of Hebrews you may already be thinking, ‘he just talked about the high priest in Hebrews 3.’ It’s obviously an office of great importance, but what more can be said by the author of Hebrews?

    https://mymorningmeditations.com/2014/07/30/sermon-review-of-the-holy-epistle-to-the-hebrews-the-bypass/
    High Priest in Holy of Holies

    In fact, even though we don’t necessarily revere an anointed priest above priests (or a bishop above bishops) as any more relevant to religion than any man, the LORD established an authority to come closer to Him on behalf of the congregation.

    Therefore the writer continues to make a connection between the high priest and Christ not only here, but also later in Hebrews 7 and 8. The priest and high priest are more than just anointed offices of the Temple and church.

    Hebrews 5 :

    For every high priest taken from among men is appointed in matters pertaining to God for the people, to offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.

    Hebrews 5:1 CSB

    We don’t really think of a priest in this way anymore, do we?

    Yet if we are not able to stand before the Living God, who can?

    And, in fact, if the Lord anoints a man to ‘offer both gifts and sacrifices’ for our sins, who should he be?

    So why do we need a priest? The writer of Hebrews reminds us:

    2 He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and are going astray, since he is also clothed with weakness.

    Think of one of your many sins. Would you want someone who will deal with your punishment and correction gently? And do you hope this intercessor between you and Almighty God in his own weakness will have compassion for you?

    Of course. And he continues:

    3 Because of this, he must make an offering for his own sins as well as for the people.

    Therefore any intercessor for our sins must also offer a personal sacrifice for his own sins. We cannot hide our sins from God. Perhaps the priest and high priest will be even more fearful coming before the judgement seat than you or me.

    4 No one takes this honor on himself; instead, a person is called by God, just as Aaron was.

    Scripture points to Christ as our High Priest

    5 In the same way, Christ did not exalt himself to become a high priest, but God who said to him,

    You are my Son;
    today I have become your Father,

    Hebrews 5:5, Psalm 2

    The writer of Hebrews adds:

    You are a priest forever
    according to the order of Melchizedek.

    He speaks not only of the high priest anointed for an appointed time, but of an order of priests before Levi, referring to Melchizedek to whom Abraham gave sacrifices to present to the LORD. (He will elaborate in later chapters.) The priests descended from Israel’s son, Levi, are only human.

    “Bring the tribe of Levi near and present them to the priest Aaron to assist him.

    Numbers 3:6

    The Son Intercessor

    Scriptural reference to Biblical quotes from Genesis and Psalms point to the Messiah, the Son of the Living God, as a first born Priest, even Most High above every High Priest.

    Who is this Son?

    His praises are sung by King David in Psalm 110, where His heart is revealed to those who know scripture.

    Psalm 110:

    110 לְדָוִ֗ד מִ֫זְמ֥וֹר נְאֻ֤ם יְהוָ֨ה׀ לַֽאדֹנִ֗י שֵׁ֥ב לִֽימִינִ֑י עַד־אָשִׁ֥ית אֹ֝יְבֶ֗יךָ הֲדֹ֣ם לְרַגְלֶֽיךָ׃

    This is the declaration of the Lord
    to my Lord:
    “Sit at my right hand
    until I make your enemies your footstool.”

    Examine part of verse 3: רֶחֶם rechem מִשְׁחָר mishchar; from the womb of the dawn. 

    The root word of womb, רָחַם, means to love, to have compassion or be compassionate.

    Can you find any better description of the Son of the Living God?

    And to say from the womb of the dawn may be metaphorical for the dawn of time, the beginning of light, but also derives from another Hebrew root, שָׁחַר, ‘to seek, seek early or earnestly, look early or diligently for.’ Is this not what the Messiah has done for sinful, yet faithful followers?

    He was with God in the beginning. In him was life, and that life was the light of men. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. We observed his glory, the glory as the one and only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

    John 1:2,4,11, 14 CSB

    The writer refers to Jesus in Hebrews 5:7-10 speaking of His earthly life, yet comparing Him to Melchizedek.

    Our immaturity in Scripture

    Then a challenge. Do you know your Bible?

    Essentially, this is our consideration of the remainder of Hebrews 5.

    “…you have become too lazy to understand. 12 Although by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the basic principles of God’s revelation again. You need milk, not solid food. “

    Of course, this may not apply to all, yet he chastens most of the congregation. And doesn’t it sound so much like our 21st century ‘too long, but not too deep’ sermons?

    Now everyone who lives on milk is inexperienced with the message about righteousness, because he is an infant.

    But solid food is for the mature—for those whose senses have been trained to distinguish between good and evil.

    Hebrews 5:13-14

    Now which are you, beloved brother or sister in Christ, dear friend and heir of our Hebrew heritage?

    Are you lazy for milk or hungry for the mature nourishment of Scripture and the holiness of the LORD?

    To be continued...
  • Lord of the Sabbath

    Lord of the Sabbath

    Dr. Luke retells two stories of witnesses about Jesus and the Sabbath. (We should consider that the Good News is witness of the message of salvation, though the story of Jesus is not always chronological.) The time of these witnessed stories is not so important as the point.

    Returning (for this) to Luke 6:

    Jesus Is Lord of the Sabbath

    6 On a Sabbath, while he was going through the grainfields, his disciples plucked and ate some heads of grain, rubbing them in their hands. 2 But some of the Pharisees said, “Why are you doing what is not lawful to do on the Sabbath?” 3 And Jesus answered them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: 4 how he entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those with him?” 5 And he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath.”

    (We will return to this example of Jesus and David in a moment.)

    A Man with a Withered Hand

    6 On another Sabbath, he entered the synagogue and was teaching, and a man was there whose right hand was withered.7 And the scribes and the Pharisees watched him, to see whether he would heal on the Sabbath, so that they might find a reason to accuse him. 8 But he knew their thoughts, and he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come and stand here.”And he rose and stood there. 9 And Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?” 10 And after looking around at them all he said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored. 11 But they were filled with fury and discussed with one another what they might do to Jesus.

    “They were filled with fury and ‘discussed…’”

    Nothing like the mixing of politics and religion, but that is the background and subject of these discussions; therefore let’s once again take on this controversy of Sundays, Sabbaths and the time and place of worship of God. [The ‘Sundays’ link points to my earlier post on Exodus: Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy.]

     

    Richard A Horsley, in ‘Scribe, Visionaries, and the Politics of Second Temple Judes,’ points out: The attention to conflict, whether with external imperial powers or internally between scribes and priest or between wealthy elites and others, results in a story of endless power struggles…

    Horsley continues: ‘a credible picture of the diversity of Judaism in Hellenistic Palestine emerges… ‘conflict: this time between the priestly aristocratic rulers of the Judean temple-state and their scribal retainers…

    Jesus lived under the watchful eyes of several opposing religious and political views, the two mentioned here: Scribes and Pharisees. Perhaps your church has a ‘scribe’ or ‘pharisee’ who would go on and on over endless controversies of how and when to worship God.

    It’s certainly not only the Saturday vs. Sunday controversy or what ‘Christians’ ought to do or ought not do on ‘the Lord’s Day.  As more recent controversies: “The State shouldn’t sell liquor on Sunday. The mall used to be closed on Sunday. God help us if we don’t have football and other sports to watch on Sunday!”

    No, the Sabbath controversy (artificial and particular as it can be) is not new and sometimes results in ‘christians’ being ‘filled with fury’ or resigned to unrighteousness. Jesus encountered such controversies every day. In fact, like conservatives and liberals, the religious and political types enjoyed such ‘discussions’ as a part of their ongoing emphasis of beliefs. (Nothing new under the sun.)

    When the Bible (Hebrew Bible, Orthodox Bible, Catholic Bible or Protestant Bible – {Get the idea?}) mentions Scribes, Pharisees, Priests or other religious officials; understand that these men had ongoing differences in their views of God and worship.

    The simplicity of Jesus approach to the Sabbath (or Sunday) is evident enough in Luke 6:9 KJV

    I will ask you one thing; Is it lawful on the sabbath days to do good, or to do evil?

    Jesus answer is so intuitive: It it lawful to do good seven days a week and 365 days every year; and unlawful to do evil on ANY day.

    Doing good is not work and failing to do good is evil.

    Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath and you would not expect your doctor to take Sunday off if you had a heart attack or were injured in an accident on the way home from church or the Sunday afternoon sporting event.

    In the earlier example, Jesus addresses the Sabbath ‘work’ controversy a little differently. (Imagine these men following you and your family to a restaurant after church.) Jesus and His Disciples were hungry and broke open some grain in a field as they walked through it (perfectly legal: Deuteronomy 24:19-22). The question of the Pharisees for these poor and hungry sojourners or travelers (Jesus and the Disciples) was ‘should you prepare and eat food on the Sabbath?’

    Jesus then uses the example of bread prepared for the Temple of God and an incident with King David.

    breadLuke 6:4 KJV How he went into the house of God, and did take and eat the shewbread, and gave also to them that were with him; which it is not lawful to eat but for the priests alone?

    Let’s examine this less-familiar reference a moment.

    Exodus 25:30  And you shall set the bread of the Presence on the table before me regularly.

    Leviticus 24: 5 “You shall take fine flour and bake twelve loaves from it… 6 And you shall set them in two piles, six in a pile, on the table of pure gold before the Lord… 7 …as a memorial portion as a food offering to the Lord. 8 Every Sabbath day Aaron shall arrange it before the Lord regularly… 9 And it shall be for Aaron and his sons, and they shall eat it in a holy place, since it is for him a most holy portion out of the Lord’s food offerings, a perpetual due.”

     David is not a Priest or a Levite of the line of Aaron.

    David and the Holy Bread

    21 Then David came to Nob to Ahimelech the priest. And Ahimelech came to meet David trembling and said to him, “Why are you alone, and no one with you?” 2 And David said to Ahimelech the priest, “The king has charged me with a matter and said to me, ‘Let no one know anything of the matter about which I send you, and with which I have charged you.’ I have made an appointment with the young men for such and such a place. 3 Now then, what do you have on hand? Give me five loaves of bread, or whatever is here.” 4 And the priest answered David, “I have no common bread on hand, but there is holy bread—if the young men have kept themselves from women.” 5 And David answered the priest, “Truly women have been kept from us as always when I go on an expedition. The vessels of the young men are holy even when it is an ordinary journey. How much more today will their vessels be holy?” 6 So the priest gave him the holy bread, for there was no bread there but the bread of the Presence, which is removed from before the Lord, to be replaced by hot bread on the day it is taken away.

    Or course, the Disciples are not Levite. Neither are Jesus and the Disciples in the holy place of the Temple. Yet the Pharisees did not recognize that they were in the Presence of Holiness.

    One earlier instance of the Hebrew use of this word for the Bread of the Presence.

    Genesis 14: 

    18 And Melchizedek king of Salem (where Jerusalem now stands) brought out bread and wine. (He was priest of God Most High.) 19 And he blessed him and said,

    “Blessed be Abram by God Most High,
    Possessor of heaven and earth;
    20 and blessed be God Most High,
    who has delivered your enemies into your hand!”

    And Abram gave him a tenth of everything.

    Jesus is our Redeemer and High Priest.

    Later, Jesus would say, “Before Abraham was, I AM.” (See John 8.)

    Here Jesus closes all discussion on the Sabbath controversies of the Scribes and Pharisees with a remarkable statement.

    Luke 6:5 KJV And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

    Jesus’ most frequent reference of his person is “son of man,’ that is:  huios anthrōpos. How bold a statement for Jesus to say that He lord [kyrios] also of the sabbath.

    Jesus IS Lord.

    He IS either your Lord…

    the Son of Man, who is Lord even over the days of the week – yes, even our measured days

    OR He will be Lord at your Judgment.

    Will you acknowledge Christ Jesus as your Savior and Redeemer?

    Abraham and Lot worshiped the Lord after the destruction of Sodom. God judged the sinful men and sinful women of those cities, yet saved Lot and his children. He would save you, also… before the wrath of the Lord rains down on you and it is too late.

    Worship Him.

    The Son of Man is Lord also of the Sabbath. Is He also your Lord and Savior?