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| Series Theme: Hebrews Studies | |
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Contents:
Ch.7 & 8
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Chapter: Hebrews 7 Passage: Hebrews 7:1-3 A. Find Out:
1. Who was Melchizedek? v.1a 2. What did he do? v.1b 3. What did Abraham do in return? v.2a 4. What does his name mean? v.2b 5. What strange things are said about him? v.3
B. Think:
C. Comment:Melchizedek was a strange person in Jewish history. All they knew about him was what we find in Gen 14:18-20. They knew nothing of his background, who his parents were, who his family was, where he came from. In that there are similarities with Jesus, the Son who came from heaven. But they also knew nothing of what happened to him after the incident with Abraham. For all they knew, he never died. he was a mystery. More similarities. So much for his life. His name meant righteousness and peace and he was king of both. So was Jesus. He was both king of peace and the priest of God. So was Jesus. He blessed Abraham, and similarly Jesus blesses all of Abraham's descendants by faith. He received from Abraham and so Abraham's faith descendants also give to Jesus. The writer will go on to explain how Jesus is a priest although not coming from the tribe of Levi, but of Judah. He is starting to build his theological case now, using Melchizedek as a parallel. This priest- king also had no connection with the Hebrew tribe of Levi, but he was never the less a priest of God. That priesthood was earthly and often failed. This priesthood is quite different, is mystical but real. it is greater than the Levitical priesthood, and that is the point the writer is making.
D. Application:
Chapter: Hebrews 7 Passage: Hebrews 7:4-10
A. Find Out: 1. What had Abraham done in respect of Melchizedek? v.4 2. To what then does the writer compare this? v.5 3. Yet what was different about Melchizedek? v.6 4. Who is greater than whom? v.7 5. What does the writer then suggest? v.9 6. How does he thus reason? v.10
B. Think:
C. Comment:Remember the writer is seeking to show that Jesus was a priest (in the way he ministered), even though he didn't come from the tribe of Levi, and that the priesthood that he belonged to was greater than the Levitical priesthood and, by implication, should be the one that the Jewish Christians should now follow rather than the Levitical one. His argument is fairly simple and straight forward once you re-order it: the Levitical priests were all descended from Abraham. Abraham offered a tithe to Melchizedek, and so, in a sense, the Levites had offered a tithe to Melchizedek, which makes him the superior one. More than that, Melchizedek had blessed Abraham and, in a sense, had therefore blessed his descendants, including the Levites. When a blessing is given it is always the greater blessing the lessor (e.g. God blessing man, or a father blessing a son). Thus it is clear, he argues, that the priesthood of Melchizedek is superior to that of the Levites, and as Psa 110 identifies the messiah as a priest in the order of Melchizedek (v.4), it means that Jesus is greater in his priestly ministry than the Levitical priests were in theirs. Jesus is superior to angels, and to Moses and now to the Levitical priesthood. The writer continues to show that Jesus is greater than any other the Jews could consider.
D. Application:
Chapter: Hebrews 7 Passage: Hebrews 7:11-16
A. Find Out: 1. When question does the writer now raise? v.11 2. What does he say must happen and when? v.12 3. What does he say about Jesus? v.13,14a 4. What was the problem about that ? v.14b 5. On what basis doesn't Jesus come? v.15,16a 6. So on what basis does he come? v.16b
B. Think:
C. Comment:This is really a link passage, one that prepares the way for what is to follow. The writer has already said that Jesus' and Melchizedek's ministry is greater than the Levitical priesthood's ministry, and now he adds two further dimensions to his argument. First he speaks about the Law and the priesthood. The Law drove people to God, to seek Him through the sacrificial system, for the forgiveness of their sins and for cleansing from them. The trouble was that they needed to keep on doing this for it did not help them to improve and to become perfect. In the writer's question he implies that there was a need for another law and another priesthood because the old one was inadequate for making men good. Next he speaks about the genealogy of the priesthood. The old Law said that priests had to come from the tribe of Levi, but Jesus came from the tribe of Judah. Melchizedek hadn't come from any tribe of Israel and yet the prophecy says Messiah shall be like Melchizedek. Jesus' claim to priesthood, as the writer sees it, comes therefore, not from being a member of a particular tribe or family, but simply because his own life is indestructible and he can go on and on acting as a priest for all future generations. That is what the writer is working towards.
D. Application:
Chapter: Hebrews 7 Passage: Hebrews 7:17-22
A. Find Out:
1. What now happens and why? v.18 2. For what two reasons? v.19 3. What distinguished the two priesthoods? v.20,21a 4. What had God promised the messiah? v.21b 5. So what results? v.22
B. Think:
C. Comment:For the people of Israel, first in the wilderness and then in the promised land, God gave them the Law, part of which was the sacrificial law so that when they sinned they would come and acknowledge their sin and make a sacrifice by way of a) saying sorry and b) of transferring the sin to the offering (note, they placed their hand on the head of the animal to identify with it and it with them and for the ritual transferring of the sin to the creature which died in their place). The only problem, as we've said before, was that it didn't help them stop repeating the sin. In that sense that priesthood acted as go-betweens between the people and God, for sins that kept on being repeated. In that sense the regulations were “weak and useless”. When Jesus came, God promised through the prophetic Psa 110 that He would make the Messiah an eternal priest. That was quite an amazing prophecy and the Jews hadn't really known what to make of it. A priest who goes on and on for ever? One who is established by a promise of God? Why the old priesthood wasn't even brought in by God's promise? No, this is a better covenant that actually changes people, brought in by a priest of a new order, a priest who will go on and on, on the same sure basis for ever. This is Jesus!
D. Application:
Chapter: Hebrews 7 Passage: Hebrews 7:23-28
A. Find Out:
1. Why were there many priests? v.23 2. How is Jesus different? v.24 3. Why is he able to sae completely? v.25 4. How is he described? v.26 5. How did the old priests sacrifice and how does Jesus? v.27 6. How were what sort of men appointed and how Jesus? v.28
B. Think:
C. Comment:The writer relentlessly pursues the argument to show how much greater Jesus is that the old Levitical priesthood. The old priests all grew old and died, and another had to follow in their place. The old priests were weak and had to offer for their own sinfulness. Then they had to keep on offering for the repeated sins of the people. Jesus, by contrast, is seated in heaven and lives for ever. Therefore we have just the one priest. Because he is in heaven, he can make constant intercession with the Father on our behalf (see also 1 Jn 2:1,2). Jesus is the holy and perfect Son of God, so he doesn't need to offer for himself. The Law required men to be appointed from the appropriate family, to act as priests, but Jesus holds the position and fulfils the task by the clear prophetic promise of the Father. The result of all this is that we today do not need to come, repeatedly bringing sacrificial offerings for our sin. Jesus has presented the one offering of his own body (for he is the Lamb of God - see Jn 1:29,36 & Rev 5:6,9). We don't come to a high priest who is like us, or who changes as one passes on to the next. No, we come to our Saviour and Redeemer who is our high priest who intercedes to the Father on our behalf. We could have no one better!
D. Application:
Chapter: Hebrews 8 Passage: Hebrews 8:1-6
A. Find Out:
1. Where does our high priest sit? v.1 2. Where does he serve? v.2 3. What does every priest do? v.3 4. Why wouldn't Jesus be a priest on earth? v.4 5. What is the existing earthly sanctuary (temple)? v.5 6. Why is Jesus' ministry superior? v.6
B. Think:
C. Comment:
The writer continues to compare old and new priesthoods to show that Jesus' priestly ministry is so much superior to the old Levitical priestly ministry. He now focuses on the place of Jesus' ministry, comparing it to the old. The place of Jesus' priestly ministry is in heaven. We've seen already that he intercedes on our behalf with the Father (7:25 & 1 Jn 2:1). Where does he do that? In heaven. He's seated next to the Father, on the throne where he rules. While he rules, he also speaks to God on our behalf. In this sense he is not only king of kings, but he's also our high priest. Now the writer also compares that to the earthly priesthood set up under the Law given to Moses. When Moses was on Sinai for forty days with God, the writer maintains that Moses was given a glimpse of heaven itself, where he saw the inner sanctuary in heaven. He was then told to build a tabernacle (or tent) to be a copy of what he had seen, so the earthly priesthood is just a shadow of the reality in heaven. As much as the earthly priesthood was utterly real and of value to the people of the old covenant, it was only a picture of the reality that was to come. Jesus is now the real and eternal high priest.
D. Application:
Chapter: Hebrews 8 Passage: Hebrews 8:7-9
A. Find Out:
1. What wouldn't have happened if nothing was wrong with what? v.7 2. Yet what did God do? v.8a 3. So what had the Lord said He would do? v.8b 4. What wouldn't it be like? v.9a 5. Why? v.9b
B. Think:
C. Comment:The writer has just been showing how Jesus' priestly ministry from heaven was so much greater than the earthly priestly ministry. He now moves his argument on a stage further to show the need for the new ministry. His reasoning is quite simple: if the old ministry and the old covenant had been adequate then a new ministry and a new covenant would not have been necessary, yet God had declared the necessity of a new covenant. Using a lengthy quote from Jer 31, the writer reminds us that the Lord had declared that He would establish a new covenant with Israel (the people of God), that was unlike the old one. The old one established at Sinai (see Ex 19) required the people to follow God, and He would then be their God. Tragically Israel did not keep their side of the covenant and were unfaithful to God and turned to idols. After years and years of calling to them to repent and come back, the Lord gave, first the northern kingdom of Israel and then the southern kingdom of Judah over to exile. Israel had proved that simply keeping the rules was beyond them. A new covenant was needed that would be better than that, that would enable them to maintain a relationship with God and not be continually falling away. That is the wonder of the new relationship that Jesus established for us with God.
D. Application:
Chapter: Hebrews 8 Passage: Hebrews 8:10-13
A. Find Out:
1. What did the Lord say He would do? v.10 2. What would no longer need to happen? v.11a 3. Why? v.11b 4. What also would the Lord do? v.12 5. What effect does all this have? v.13
B. Think:
C. Comment:The writer has been arguing that the old Levitical priesthood and the old covenant were being replaced by one that was so much better that the Jewish Christians wouldn't, if they realised how wonderful the new was, ever want to go back to the old. He has been quoting from Jeremiah's prophecy that promised a new covenant. Now he reminds us further what Jeremiah said would be the nature of that new covenant promised by God. In this new covenant, instead of having the law written on tablets of stone, it would be within our very hearts. Somehow God would put a sense of the law actually within us. It would no longer need one person teaching another what the law said, because each and every one would know instinctively what was right before God. No longer would you need to have teachers saying this is what you need to do to have a relationship with God, because each person would already have that relationship. How did this actually happen? It happened when God placed His Holy Spirit within each one of us when we were born again. The law is within us because God Himself is within us (see 1 Cor 3:16, 6:19). Jesus bought our forgiveness so that God no longer focuses on our sins. Instead He focuses on the fact that we are now His children.
D. Application:
RECAP: "A Greater Priesthood" - Heb 7 & 8
SUMMARY :
In this final group of 8 studies we have seen :
COMMENT :This concept of priest-king is wonderful. Jesus is seated at his Father's right hand, ruling in the midst of his enemies (Psa 110:1,2). But there he is also interceding on our behalf in the role of a priest (Psa 110:4). He has achieved this position by his obedience to the will of the Father, dying on the Cross, as our one-off eternal sacrifice (you'll have to go on to the next set in these studies to see the writer working this aspect out more fully). We can have total confidence in our position, in our hope, because of WHO Jesus is, WHERE he is today, and WHAT he is doing there on our behalf!
LESSONS?1. Jesus is our ruler and the one interceding for us. 2. He came to bring something better than the old covenant. 3. The new covenant transforms men. 4. We can have total confidence in our Redeemer. 5. He sits beside his Father speaking on our behalf.
PRAY :Thank the Lord that he loves you and accepts you and speaks up continually for you. Rejoice in the wonder of your salvation.
SECTION SUMMARY
In these first eight chapters of Hebrews we have seen:
1. Ch.1 & 2 Greater than Angels
2. Ch.3 & 4 Greater than Moses
3. Ch.5 & 6 Jesus, a new type of Priest
4. Ch.7 & 8 A Greater Priesthood
CONCLUSION
As we come to the end of these first eight chapters of Hebrews, may we consider the following:
1. The Supremacy of JesusJesus Christ is unique. There is no one to compare with him in al history. No other historical figure comes anywhere near him. It doesn't matter from where you view history, there is no one or no thing to compare with Jesus and with knowing him. Why? Because he is the unique Son of God who came from heaven to fulfil the purposes of God that he and his Father had agreed from before the foundation of all things. He came and experienced life as we experience it. He was rejected, given an unjust trial, was wrongly condemned and crucified. yet he rose from the dead, ascended into heaven and is now seated at his Father's right hand. Do we worship him as this all-glorious one who is Lord.
2. The Priesthood of JesusNot only does Jesus sit at his Father's right hand ruling, but he also acts as our priest. The role of a priest was to bring men to God and speak to God on their behalf. Jesus now does this from his position next to the Father. Having experienced what we experience, and having died to remove our sin, he is in the best position to represent us before God. We can be totally sure that with Jesus in this position, God is totally for us! Our salvation is totally sure. Be assured!
3. WarningsYou might think that this was all so wonderful that warnings would be completely unnecessary. However the history of mankind shows that sin is stupid and man has a tendency to self-centredness that even turns away from the wonderful glorious presence of God and away from all the wonderful things that He offers us. We were reminded of Israel who had seen all the wonderful things God did in delivering them from Egypt, had seen the wonder of God meeting with them at Sinai, and yet who, in unbelief, refused to go into the promised land and thus forfeited their inheritance. No, be quite clear, we need to heed the warnings! Hold onto the truth. Enter into all the God offers you. Grow up into maturity. Don't drift away. We need the warnings!
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