Daily Meditations

Hebrews 8:1 We do have such a High Priest This chapter of the Epistle to the Hebrews begins with a rather unsettling comment. After all that we have covered in recent studies we find that we have yet to get to the main point! We’ve deliberated over explanations of the qualifications of God’s Son, the provision of spiritual rest, the efficiency of the Word of God, the establishment of the priesthood and the covenant with Abraham, the role of a High Priest and the appointment of Jesus Christ to be that person for the church forever. If we thought that was sufficient material for a fairly complex letter, then we are being reminded that all this is just an introduction! If that is not enough, now we are reminded that we are about to get to the main point!  Firstly, the author wants to stress to his Jewish readers that every quality required by an earthly High Priest has been met in Christ Jesus - and some. He has demonstrated that despite any misgivings they might have and despite His ...

Hebrews 7:28 Men are weak, the Son is perfect This last verse of chapter 7 is a kind of summary of all that has gone before. The footnote in my Bible gives three excellent reasons why  “men in all their weakness”  cannot compare with the Son, in fulfilling the roles of the priesthood.  Firstly, men are mortal, we do not live forever, Christ on the other hand is eternal and His priesthood will never end.  Secondly, human beings are tainted and scarred by sin, no man or woman has ever been able to rid themselves of this terminal and pervasive disease. However righteous a priest might be, he is still imperfect and unable to meet the holy standards that define the Lord our God. For that reason, all human priests have had to offer sacrifices for themselves as well as for the wider population.  The third distinguishing difference between the Levitical priesthood and that pioneered by the Lord Jesus is that the human priests could only offer animals to God as substitut...

Hebrews 7:27 Once for all It is hard for us to imagine just what a conveyor belt of ritual and ceremony the role of an Aaronic priest embraced. There would be daily queues of men standing with their animals and other offerings waiting to be attended by those on duty. Every offering must be explained, the various sacrificial rules must be followed; was this a peace offering, a sin offering or a burnt offering? The priests needed to know because in some cases they were entitled to a share of the meat, in the case of the peace offering a portion would be returned to the offeror’s family. Imagine the clamour and commotion as the various participants queued with their animals awaiting their turn. On the special Feast days, the hubbub would be greatly increased, for up to 2 million people could descend on Jerusalem for the celebrations! The trouble is, each sacrifice and each offering was only temporary, the rituals were repeated over and over by every individual, because as time elapsed and...

Hebrews 7:26 Such a High Priest! How can anyone sufficiently unpack what this verse is saying? It lists five of the attributes of our High Priest, the qualities and characteristics that set Him apart from all human priests. Firstly, He is holy. The Hebrew word is “Kadosh” and in Greek it is “Hagios”. These words describe One who is sacred and unique. Jesus is set apart for God and from the world, He transcends this earth with all its problems and is far higher than anything or anyone else that God has created. Secondly, Yeshua is blameless. The Scriptures attest to this and no human being could find fault with Him. Even the Roman Governor, Pilate, had to wash his hands and declare that Jesus was innocent.  What is even more impressive is that God could not indict Him either! As we saw in Hebrews 4:15, “ He was tempted in every way, just as we are – yet He did not sin.”  Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 5:21  “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him w...

Hebrews  7:25 He lives to intercede for us The priestly role of Jesus Christ is described brilliantly by John in his first epistle.  “ My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”  1 John 2:1-2. John obviously understood all this as well as anyone, for he devotes a whole chapter of his Gospel to the High Priestly prayers of Jesus for His disciples and then for the church. Reading John 17 gives us an insight into the ways that Jesus views His role, to protect us from the world, to develop unity amongst His followers and for them to be sanctified by the Word of truth. His mission is to see His people filled with His joy and with His glory and love, so that the world may believe.  This High Priest offers salvation by His sacrifice tha...

Hebrews 7:23-24 A permanent priesthood Presumably some of the priests of Israel were popular with the people and well loved. They would begin their active ministry at the age of 30 and it was a job for life; there was no retirement age! Levites who were assistants, however, could commence their work at age 25 and retire from the hard physical jobs at 50.  It follows that, after years of active service amongst their contemporaries, the death of the priests was a huge shock and a cause of grief amongst the people. As is usual in the ways of men, the priestly conveyor belt passed through many generations, and no one knows exactly how many of these men has served at the altar and in the Temple of the Lord. Death obviously brought about the termination of their office and someone younger would step into their shoes. None of the above applies to Jesus, by conquering death He established a permanent priesthood and His position is unshakeable, we will never grieve for Him or miss His ...