The
Hebrew writer shared how God chose “high priest”
among men to offer “gifts and sacrifices”
for their sins, and once per year he would offer them on behalf of
all Israel. However, before doing so, he had to offer “gifts
and sacrifices” for himself
because he also was a sinner and not perfect before God. God later
chose His perfect Son Jesus who “glorified not himself to
be made an high priest; but he that said unto him, You are my Son, to
day have I begotten you” ,
and in chapter five and verse six of Hebrews we see how Jesus
was “a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec”
where we read:
As he says
also in another place,
You are a
priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.
The
verse begins, “As he says also in
another place,...”
The writer
began with the words, “As he says”
which means “since, according, just as and in proportion what was
said, uttered, affirmed and maintained” “also”
or “even and indeed” “in another
place”
which means “in a different, altered and next venue”. Psalm
chapter one hundred and ten and verse four reads, “The
LORD has sworn, and will not repent, You are
a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.”
The
verse goes on to say, “ ...You are
a priest for ever after the order of Melchisedec.” The
writer added, “You are a priest”
which refers to “Jesus being a priest who offers sacrifices and was
busy with sacred rites”, “for ever”
or “towards the unbroken age, perpetuity of time and eternity”
“after the order”
which means “down from, throughout and according to the
arrangement, post, rank and position” “of
Melchisedec” whose
name means “king of righteousness” and was “the king of Salem
and priest of the most high God, who lived in the days of Abraham”.
Jesus was not of the Levitical order but of the “order
of Melchisedec”
who appeared to Abraham
When
we consider these words in Hebrews, we recognize the difference
between Jesus as “high priest”
and all those who came before Him. All the others were from the tribe
or “order” of
Levi, but Jesus came after the “order of Melchisedec”
who appeared to Abraham as a
“theophany” of Jesus in the book of Genesis chapter fourteen and
verses eighteen and nineteen after Abraham rescued his nephew Lot
from being captured. “Melchisedec's order” was superior to that
of Levi, and this made Jesus superior to all previous “high
priests” and no one else is
higher. As the scripture says, “Neither is there
salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven
given among men, whereby we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12) –
Jesus.
Next
time we see
the writer share how Jesus “was
heard in that he feared” or
had “reverence”,
so read ahead, and we shall join together then.
Until tomorrow…there is more…
Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, and the new devotional “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.
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