Hebrews 7:11

Hebrews 7:11

Our High Priest

Here is another verse that reveals some divine truths that leave us with a lot to think about. Firstly, we need to understand how important the priests were in the development of the Israelites. God had given the Law at Sinai, and the people therefore had a series of rules and rituals that needed to be obeyed, and that revealed the heart of the Lord God. However, they could not proceed on their journey without a priesthood. These men and women were sinners just like you and me, they broke God’s laws and were condemned by their failure, they needed a priestly system that would mediate for them between the earth and heaven. The problem was that the earthly priests were no better than the people they served, they too were guilty of sin and consistently broke the laws of God, they too had to offer sacrifices and make reparation for their sins. Aaron’s descendants, the Levites, were human, weak and just as guilty as the people they served. 

Abraham’s meeting with Melchizedek proved that there was a superior priest to whom they could turn, that One was coming who would meet the requirements of a mediator – perfectly! The writer here uses the term, “in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron.” 

As we know, Jesus Himself was the final fulfilment of the superior order of priests, He came as the Son of God, with no inherent weaknesses, He did no sin, there was no guile found in His mouth. 1 Peter 2:22. Once again, we are forced to make a strong link between that King / Priest who appeared to Abraham and the Lord Jesus Himself! What is so encouraging is that our Priest, still exercises His roles, His sacrificial offering stands for all time, and He will never stop mediating between men and heaven. That is why there is no requirement for humanly ordained priests in the church of Jesus Christ for human priests are all in the order of Aaron. None of the Apostles was a priest and none were called to become Levites; they advocated leaving that system behind. To appoint such people is to reject the one who came in the order of Melchizedek or, even worse, to exalt ourselves to take His place!  Yes, we need the apostles, evangelists, prophets and pastor/teachers but not mediating priests. No men, or women, can ever effectively mediate between heaven and earth, they never could and they never will. Christ is the only true and qualified High Priest and He acts personally for every one of us who believes. It’s our choice, do we want our faith journey to be led and monitored by a human Aaronic priesthood, or would we prefer to be under the rule of the heavenly regime of our eternal Melchizedek? 

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Psalm 106:13

Psalm 106:13 Do not forget We need to remember that Israel’s relationship with the Lord God was based on His laws and their obedience. It was possible for them to live lives that were highly blessed, that incorporated the provision of God in every tiny detail of their national and individual existence. God was prepared to give them everything they needed, He would provide food and water for them and their flocks. He would guide them on their journey. He would protect them from their enemies. He would inspire and direct their leaders. He would keep them from the heat of the sun and the terrors of the desert night. He would take them to the land that He had promised, in double quick time. There was no reason why they could not be in situ in just a few months. Everything they could possibly need was His to provide and He was willing to sacrifice anything to see them gratefully settled in Canaan.  There was just one snag, it all depended upon their obedience and faithfulness. God insis...
Read more
Psalm1:5       Our earthly journey will allow us, at times, to stand with the redeemed in holy awe and worship exhilarated by the presence of our Father.  In the Psalmists’ day these “assemblies of the righteous” would have been joyful times of worship at God’s sanctuary where music played, choirs sang and the people joined in the excitement and corporate wonder of being together in God’s presence. If our own church worship is anything, it should be a prelude to the time when we will join with a numberless throng and sing the praises of the Lamb and the One who sits upon the throne of heaven. Many go to events like Spring Harvest, Keswick Convention, New Day and the rest, primarily for this experience of joy and exhilaration.  Our earthly, joyful experiences are but a foretaste of what is to come and we are promised that we will join with heavenly choirs and our song will be “Worthy is the Lamb.”   Such music and exalta...
Read more

Psalm 119:83

Psalm 119:83 Wineskins in the smoke Well, this verse has caught us by surprise! What does it mean? As we will be aware, in ancient times, wine was not stored in purpose-made glass bottles but in animal skins. In order to keep the skin pliable and soft it must not be allowed to dry out for it would soon shrivel and crack. It follows that the last thing you would do with your treasured wineskins is to hang them up over a smoky fire, not only would they quickly wither but the smoke would clearly ruin the flavour and texture of the wine!  What does the author mean when he says that he is like such a wineskin?  It denotes the uncomfortable condition he was in or at least thought himself to be in; being caught in the midst of smoke is very uncomfortable, and he considered himself to be in darkness with sin and afflictions, like a wineskin in smoke, black and sooty. He felt like an empty wineskin with nothing in him. Maybe he was worn out with cares and old age and had become pale an...
Read more