Chapter 7 made a very convincing case for the superiority of Jesus as
the final and greatest high priest, it also made the point that because
Jesus was not of the tribe of Levi this was a completely different
priesthood with different rules, and as chapter 8 will go on to explain,
different and better promises as well.
V. 1-2 "Now the
point in what we are saying is this: we have such a high priest, one
who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a
minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not
man."
All of chapter 7 is summed up in these two verses, we have a true high priest who is seated in the true temple in heaven.
V.
3. "For every high priest is appointed to offer gifts and sacrifices;
thus it is necessary for this priest also to have something to offer."
Verse
3 is where the writer will begin to introduce the idea of the new
covenant simply by saying that the purpose of a priest is to offer gifts
and sacrifices, and since Jesus is a priest He also must have something
to offer.
V.4-6
Here the writer completes the
transition, he argues from earlier in the chapter that if Jesus was
ministering on earth He would not be a priest at all because He's from
the wrong tribe, then he explains that the entire old priesthood was
simply a shadow and copy of the true priesthood that Jesus holds. Then
He compares that with the new covenant saying that His ministry and
priesthood are as just as much better as the new covenant is better than
the old. So we can see from this that the old covenant was also a
shadow and copy of the new and true covenant.
V. 7-9
Verses
7-9 outline the problem with the old covenant. First the writer tells
us that if the first covenant had been perfect that God would not have
instituted a second, therefore, the first is faulty. Then he goes on to
explain why the first covenant was faulted. The entire fault that the
writer finds with the first covenant is found in verse 9 "For they did
not continue in it" How is that the fault of the covenant?
Well
lets do a review of the old covenant. He is here speaking of the Mosaic
covenant made at Mt Sinai. In this covenant God promised that if Israel
would listen and obey then He would bless them, it was a covenant of
physical blessing for physical actions, it was also an "if you do this,
then I will do this" covenant that was dependent on the actions of the
people. But because humans are sinful this covenant could never work,
therefore it has a major fault.
V. 10-12
These verses outline the ways in which the new covenant is better.
1. I will put my law on their minds and hearts
2. I will be their God and they will be my people
3. They will all know me
4. I will forgive their sins
So
how is this covenant better? Much in every way! First, it's not an "if
you do this I'll do this" covenant like the first, it is completely of
God, so it doesn't have the fault that the first one does. Secondly
instead of a law that is outside of us that we strive to attain He
promises change us and make His covenant a very part of our being! And
lastly it promises to forgive our sin! This is something the old
covenant could never do, and never promised to do. This covenant is sure
because God upholds all of it, not one part of this covenant is
dependent on man, we don't play a part in it, and we don't ratify it,
God does it all so we can have great confidence that it will be true and
that it will last.
V. 13 "In speaking of a new
covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete
is growing old and ready to vanish away"
Little did the readers
(and perhaps even the writer) know that in just a matter of 2-3 years
the entire priesthood and OT system would be destroyed along with the
destruction of the temple. This only served to prove the point that the
author is making here, the OT covenant served as a shadow and a copy of
this new covenant, and also proved to us our sin and our inability to
pay for it. Praise God for the new covenant and the freedom and hope
that it presents us!
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Assurance that surpasses our feelings. (1 John 3)
When faced with the question "How do I know if I'm saved" you would
probably receive a variety of answers from various persons with various
opinions, but all Biblical answers will basically boil down to one
thing, their fruit. So, knowing this, if you ask yourself "Am I a
Christian?" the next question would be "is there fruit in my life." At
this point things get more difficult, the most common answer that I give
hear and that I give myself is a shaky "I think so...."
Now while this isn't necessarily a bad answer, this is where things usually go downhill for me. The reason is because as soon as I recognize that I may not be producing fruit (which is a valid fear in the life of the believer) my first thought is "I gotta produce more fruit!!!" then comes a renewed zeal for loving others and the fruits of the Spirit as a genuine desire to bolster my assurance, but in that one subtle, seemingly innocent thought I have just crossed the line into works based salvation.
Think about it with me for a moment, if spiritual fruit shows us whether or not we are Christians in the same way that physical fruit shows what kind of tree a certain tree is, then lets continue with this example. Lets say I come to a tree (lets say the apple tree represents Christians) and I see pairs on the tree, or lets say that I see fruit, but I'm not sure what kind of fruit it is. How ridiculous would it be to think that if I can tape some fake apples to the tree it will become an apple tree? It may look like an apple tree now...but in reality it's no closer to being a true apple tree than it ever was.
Now I know that sounds silly, but is that not exactly the same thing that we do in our spiritual lives? We try to "tape on" some spiritual fruits in order gain assurance that we are in fact a Christian tree, when in reality we can't change the tree by changing the fruit, we can only change the fruit by becoming a different type of tree (which btw is quite the miracle.) One other thing, I would like to point out that it doesn't matter how much fruit is on the tree, if there is only one apple, it's still an apple tree. We cannot base the assurance of our salvation how much fruit we produce, because it doesn't matter how much fruit there is as long as it's there.
So lets take all these thoughts and give them some Biblical backbone. The text is 1. John chapter 3. And here's your context:
Chapter 1. Affirms the Deity of Christ and the message He preached.
Chapter 2. Gives us a thesis "I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin" gives hope for those who sin, then contrasts the difference between true believer and non-believer as well as true teacher and false-teacher.
Then we come to chapter 3.
v. 1-3 Declares the Fathers love for us in making us His children and tells us that that as His children we will begin to look like Him.
v. 4-10 Explains that in God is no sin, therefore no one who is born of God (a child of God) will make a regular practice of habitual sin.
v. 11-15 Tells us that the way we can tell who is of God and who is not boils down to loving our brothers.
v. 16-18 Shows how we know what love is "He laid down His life for us" and says that because of that fact we should lay down our life for our brothers.
v. 19 Is the key verse here because it tells us how to have assurance of our faith it says "By this (laying down our lives for the brothers) we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before Him.
v. 20 Then tells us that if our heart condemns us (because of sin that we still see in our life) God is greater than our heart. It seems to me to say that our assurance is not based on how we feel, or on how much fruit we see in our life. It is based on the presence of spiritual fruit in our lives, any fruit. If we have a desire to lay down our life for others, and that desire works itself giving and sacrificing ourselves for the sake of the Gospel then we know we are saved. It is not something we do to become saved, it's how we know that we are because of something God does in and through us.
"and He knows everything."
This phrase is very important I think. Because it says to me that as a believer when I see sin in my life my heart will condemn me, but that God, who "knows everything" knows the extent of my sin even more than I do! And if He tells me that my assurance is based only on the presence of fruit in my life and the the quantity or quality of that fruit, then that gives me great assurance to trust in this precious truth.
Now while this isn't necessarily a bad answer, this is where things usually go downhill for me. The reason is because as soon as I recognize that I may not be producing fruit (which is a valid fear in the life of the believer) my first thought is "I gotta produce more fruit!!!" then comes a renewed zeal for loving others and the fruits of the Spirit as a genuine desire to bolster my assurance, but in that one subtle, seemingly innocent thought I have just crossed the line into works based salvation.
Think about it with me for a moment, if spiritual fruit shows us whether or not we are Christians in the same way that physical fruit shows what kind of tree a certain tree is, then lets continue with this example. Lets say I come to a tree (lets say the apple tree represents Christians) and I see pairs on the tree, or lets say that I see fruit, but I'm not sure what kind of fruit it is. How ridiculous would it be to think that if I can tape some fake apples to the tree it will become an apple tree? It may look like an apple tree now...but in reality it's no closer to being a true apple tree than it ever was.
Now I know that sounds silly, but is that not exactly the same thing that we do in our spiritual lives? We try to "tape on" some spiritual fruits in order gain assurance that we are in fact a Christian tree, when in reality we can't change the tree by changing the fruit, we can only change the fruit by becoming a different type of tree (which btw is quite the miracle.) One other thing, I would like to point out that it doesn't matter how much fruit is on the tree, if there is only one apple, it's still an apple tree. We cannot base the assurance of our salvation how much fruit we produce, because it doesn't matter how much fruit there is as long as it's there.
So lets take all these thoughts and give them some Biblical backbone. The text is 1. John chapter 3. And here's your context:
Chapter 1. Affirms the Deity of Christ and the message He preached.
Chapter 2. Gives us a thesis "I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin" gives hope for those who sin, then contrasts the difference between true believer and non-believer as well as true teacher and false-teacher.
Then we come to chapter 3.
v. 1-3 Declares the Fathers love for us in making us His children and tells us that that as His children we will begin to look like Him.
v. 4-10 Explains that in God is no sin, therefore no one who is born of God (a child of God) will make a regular practice of habitual sin.
v. 11-15 Tells us that the way we can tell who is of God and who is not boils down to loving our brothers.
v. 16-18 Shows how we know what love is "He laid down His life for us" and says that because of that fact we should lay down our life for our brothers.
v. 19 Is the key verse here because it tells us how to have assurance of our faith it says "By this (laying down our lives for the brothers) we shall know that we are of the truth and reassure our heart before Him.
v. 20 Then tells us that if our heart condemns us (because of sin that we still see in our life) God is greater than our heart. It seems to me to say that our assurance is not based on how we feel, or on how much fruit we see in our life. It is based on the presence of spiritual fruit in our lives, any fruit. If we have a desire to lay down our life for others, and that desire works itself giving and sacrificing ourselves for the sake of the Gospel then we know we are saved. It is not something we do to become saved, it's how we know that we are because of something God does in and through us.
"and He knows everything."
This phrase is very important I think. Because it says to me that as a believer when I see sin in my life my heart will condemn me, but that God, who "knows everything" knows the extent of my sin even more than I do! And if He tells me that my assurance is based only on the presence of fruit in my life and the the quantity or quality of that fruit, then that gives me great assurance to trust in this precious truth.
Friday, February 14, 2014
How to deal with dullness. And when to question your faith. (Hebrews 5:11-6:12
Dullness, or a lethargic
approach to scripture is something that is prevalent in the church
today, and even among true Christians. I have found that the great
majority of Christians that I have the most respect for experience times
in their lives where this can be said of them, I find that it happens
to me all too often....my heart desires fiercely to be moved by
scripture, but yet when I read and listen to it my heart remains
unmoved. I believe the writer of Hebrews speaks to this, I have found it
encouraging and I hope that you do as well.
The context of this passage comes from the writer of Hebrews wanting to teach the Hebrews how Jesus is similar to Mekchizadek. He then pauses and tells them that it will be hard to explain because they have become dull of hearing. The Greek word for dull is nothros, and means slow, or sluggish. Or literally "one who apprehends with difficulty"
The writer proves this diagnosis by showing them that though at this time they ought to be teachers, they need instead to be taught, the basic principles of the oracles of God. Literally the "ABC's" of the faith, which he will later explain in chapter 6:1. He proceeds to tell them in v. 12 that they need milk, not solid food because they are unskilled in the word of righteousness. Their spiritual stomach cannot handle solid food, because as He says in v. 14 solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice of determining good and evil. I would like to note here that this is still the diagnosis, not the prescription. While it is true that someone who is not trained in discerning good and evil cannot digest spiritual solid food, this doesn't mean however that trying harder to discern good and evil will fix the problem. The solution comes later.
Next in chapter 6:1 the writer encourages those that are dull to leave the elementary doctrines of Christ and go on to maturity. Although there's a lot of meat here that I would love to get into, for the sake of space I wont discuss exactly what that means, but instead just to say that the main point the writer is saying here is that they need to move on to maturity, or in other words they need to stop being dull of hearing. Then comes a startling phrase "And this we will do if God permits. Stating without hesitation that it is up to God, and God alone whether or not they will become mature. Then the writer gives us a prognosis of what will happen if they do not go on to maturity, and the stakes are not crowns in heaven, but eternal death or life.
In verses 4-8 the writer tells us that for certain persons who taste of Christ, and make an outward profession of faith, but stay in a state of perpetual dullness it is impossible for those persons to come to a state of repentance. Notice that it does not say that repentance would not be granted to them if they sought it, but that it is impossible for them to come to that state. This idea is then told in a parable in verses 7 and 8. So we see that this is not speaking of simply whether or not someone becomes a mature believer, but whether someone inherits the promise, or is burned in eternal destruction.
So that is the prognosis, or at least half of it. In verses 9-10 the writer tells us that he does not believe that this will be the end of those that he is writhing too, and the reason he is confident is revealed in verse 10 "For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for His name in serving the saints, as you still do." He knows that these are genuine good soil Christians as opposed to shallow thorn and thistle or rocky ground professors because their fruit continues to the present. Now there are two very important things I would like to take note of from this fact. 1. Genuine Christians can and do become dull of hearing. 2. The grave life or death warning that the writer gave was for people that the writer believed to be genuinely saved.
At this point, if I read no further, I would be inclined to believe that the writer did not believe in eternal security, why would you give them such a grave life or death warning if you believed that there was no possible way that could happen to them. But the next verse shows that he does indeed very much believe in eternal security. v11. "And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness TO HAVE THE FULL ASSURANCE OF HOPE TILL THE END." And the reason that he wants them to have assurance is shown in v. 12 "So that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises." The reason he wants them to have the assurance of their salvation is SO THAT THEY WONT BE SLUGGISH! (Which is the exact same word used earlier in chapter 5:11 for dullness)
So here is basically how the train of thought goes. 1. Diagnosis- you are dull of hearing. (chapter 5:1) 2. Prognosis- Move on to maturity, because if you stay in this state of dullness you will be like the field that produced no fruit, and you will be burned. 3. Encouragement- Because I see fruit in your life, I don't believe that this will happen to you. 4. The cure- Be assured of the certainty of the promise of eternal life! And you will not be dull of hearing! (Which he explains in detail how sure the promise is until the end of the chapter)
Now, at first glance I had a few questions. 1. Why would the writer give such a warning like that to people he believed to be eternally secure? 2. How does being sure of your salvation cure and vaccinate you against dullness of hearing? and 3. How does all this apply to me?
This is my attempt to answer those questions. 1. The fact that the divinely inspired writer wrote this warning to people he believed were eternally secure tells me that one of the ways that God keeps His sheep secure is by warning them of what will happen if they don't come running back to Him. And this warning will work, because the greatest fear of a true Christ follower is to not be able to make it to the end. So it will achieve it's purpose and in the picture of Hosea 11:10 "When He roars, His children shall come trembling from the west."
2. To be sure of your eternal state and to know that no matter what the King of the universe holds you in His hands and has promised you eternal rest with Him in a state of perfection is enough to melt away all hardness clear away any dullness by replacing it with earnestness and zeal for Christ.
3. From all of this I take away this. When I find that I am becoming dull, or someone else brings it to my attention I should think of the warning in Hebrews 6 that if I stay in this state it will be proof that I never truly knew Him and that my end will be destruction. Which in turn should cause me to to take Paul's advice in 2 Corinthians 13:5 and examine myself as to whether I am in the faith. Knowing that I will only come out of this state of dullness "if God permits" Which should cause me to tremble, and beg God to be merciful to me repenting of my dullness and asking His forgiveness. Then, if He does so choose to allow me to mature, and He breaks through my dullness and pierces my heart with His truth working fruit in me. Then I will know that I am sure to obtain the promises and that He has chosen me and will not let go of me. And on this foundation, with Christ as my anchor, I will fight against dullness with the assurance that He who has called me will be faithful to the end!
The context of this passage comes from the writer of Hebrews wanting to teach the Hebrews how Jesus is similar to Mekchizadek. He then pauses and tells them that it will be hard to explain because they have become dull of hearing. The Greek word for dull is nothros, and means slow, or sluggish. Or literally "one who apprehends with difficulty"
The writer proves this diagnosis by showing them that though at this time they ought to be teachers, they need instead to be taught, the basic principles of the oracles of God. Literally the "ABC's" of the faith, which he will later explain in chapter 6:1. He proceeds to tell them in v. 12 that they need milk, not solid food because they are unskilled in the word of righteousness. Their spiritual stomach cannot handle solid food, because as He says in v. 14 solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice of determining good and evil. I would like to note here that this is still the diagnosis, not the prescription. While it is true that someone who is not trained in discerning good and evil cannot digest spiritual solid food, this doesn't mean however that trying harder to discern good and evil will fix the problem. The solution comes later.
Next in chapter 6:1 the writer encourages those that are dull to leave the elementary doctrines of Christ and go on to maturity. Although there's a lot of meat here that I would love to get into, for the sake of space I wont discuss exactly what that means, but instead just to say that the main point the writer is saying here is that they need to move on to maturity, or in other words they need to stop being dull of hearing. Then comes a startling phrase "And this we will do if God permits. Stating without hesitation that it is up to God, and God alone whether or not they will become mature. Then the writer gives us a prognosis of what will happen if they do not go on to maturity, and the stakes are not crowns in heaven, but eternal death or life.
In verses 4-8 the writer tells us that for certain persons who taste of Christ, and make an outward profession of faith, but stay in a state of perpetual dullness it is impossible for those persons to come to a state of repentance. Notice that it does not say that repentance would not be granted to them if they sought it, but that it is impossible for them to come to that state. This idea is then told in a parable in verses 7 and 8. So we see that this is not speaking of simply whether or not someone becomes a mature believer, but whether someone inherits the promise, or is burned in eternal destruction.
So that is the prognosis, or at least half of it. In verses 9-10 the writer tells us that he does not believe that this will be the end of those that he is writhing too, and the reason he is confident is revealed in verse 10 "For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for His name in serving the saints, as you still do." He knows that these are genuine good soil Christians as opposed to shallow thorn and thistle or rocky ground professors because their fruit continues to the present. Now there are two very important things I would like to take note of from this fact. 1. Genuine Christians can and do become dull of hearing. 2. The grave life or death warning that the writer gave was for people that the writer believed to be genuinely saved.
At this point, if I read no further, I would be inclined to believe that the writer did not believe in eternal security, why would you give them such a grave life or death warning if you believed that there was no possible way that could happen to them. But the next verse shows that he does indeed very much believe in eternal security. v11. "And we desire each one of you to show the same earnestness TO HAVE THE FULL ASSURANCE OF HOPE TILL THE END." And the reason that he wants them to have assurance is shown in v. 12 "So that you may not be sluggish, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises." The reason he wants them to have the assurance of their salvation is SO THAT THEY WONT BE SLUGGISH! (Which is the exact same word used earlier in chapter 5:11 for dullness)
So here is basically how the train of thought goes. 1. Diagnosis- you are dull of hearing. (chapter 5:1) 2. Prognosis- Move on to maturity, because if you stay in this state of dullness you will be like the field that produced no fruit, and you will be burned. 3. Encouragement- Because I see fruit in your life, I don't believe that this will happen to you. 4. The cure- Be assured of the certainty of the promise of eternal life! And you will not be dull of hearing! (Which he explains in detail how sure the promise is until the end of the chapter)
Now, at first glance I had a few questions. 1. Why would the writer give such a warning like that to people he believed to be eternally secure? 2. How does being sure of your salvation cure and vaccinate you against dullness of hearing? and 3. How does all this apply to me?
This is my attempt to answer those questions. 1. The fact that the divinely inspired writer wrote this warning to people he believed were eternally secure tells me that one of the ways that God keeps His sheep secure is by warning them of what will happen if they don't come running back to Him. And this warning will work, because the greatest fear of a true Christ follower is to not be able to make it to the end. So it will achieve it's purpose and in the picture of Hosea 11:10 "When He roars, His children shall come trembling from the west."
2. To be sure of your eternal state and to know that no matter what the King of the universe holds you in His hands and has promised you eternal rest with Him in a state of perfection is enough to melt away all hardness clear away any dullness by replacing it with earnestness and zeal for Christ.
3. From all of this I take away this. When I find that I am becoming dull, or someone else brings it to my attention I should think of the warning in Hebrews 6 that if I stay in this state it will be proof that I never truly knew Him and that my end will be destruction. Which in turn should cause me to to take Paul's advice in 2 Corinthians 13:5 and examine myself as to whether I am in the faith. Knowing that I will only come out of this state of dullness "if God permits" Which should cause me to tremble, and beg God to be merciful to me repenting of my dullness and asking His forgiveness. Then, if He does so choose to allow me to mature, and He breaks through my dullness and pierces my heart with His truth working fruit in me. Then I will know that I am sure to obtain the promises and that He has chosen me and will not let go of me. And on this foundation, with Christ as my anchor, I will fight against dullness with the assurance that He who has called me will be faithful to the end!
Jesus: Better than angels, better than Moses, better than all former priests. (Hebrews 7:1-28)
In chapter 1 of Hebrews we saw that Jesus is better than angels, in
chapter 3 we see that He's better than Moses, and now in chapter 7 we
get to see how He is greater than all former orders of priests and how
He is the final and perfect priest.
Let me first start in chapter 8:1 where it gives us a cheat sheet for the meaning of chapter 7 it says "Now the point in what we are saying in this: (I believe he refers to all of chapter 7 here) we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man." And in verse 5 "They (human priests) serve as a copy and shadow of the heavenly things"
So in short, chapter 7 tells us that Jesus is the "real thing" that that the human priests were a shadow of.
Now lets see this in chapter 7.
v.1-2a -Tells us the story of Melchizedek, how he blessed Abraham and how Abraham paid a tithe to him.
v. 2b-3- Compares Jesus and Melchizedek. It says that Melchizedek is 1. King of rightousness 2. King of peace. 3. Without genealogy or beginning or end. And thus he resembles CHRIST! Notice here that Jesus is not at all a picture of Melchizedek, but that Melchizedek is simply a picture to help us see Jesus more clearly. Jesus is the King of righteousness, the King of peace, and an eternal never beginning or ending Savior and priest.
V. 4-10 Basically tell us one thing. Melchizedek is better than Abraham, and thus he is better than all the levitical priests as well. We see this first in
V.7 "It is beyond dispute that he inferior is blessed by the superior."
And Abraham we blessed by Melchizedek making Melchizedek the superior.
Secondly we see in
V.9 that "One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him."
So Melchizedek is also better than Levi and all the priests that came after him.
And since Jesus is better than Melchizedek (we know this because Melchizedek was just a picture of Christ) then we can safely say that Jesus is also much better than Abraham, Levi, and all former priests as well. And chapter 7:11-28 is devoted to proving this.
V.11- "Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical Priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron?" - The answer to this rhetorical question is that if the Levitical order had been perfect then there would be no need for another order, but there is a new order, so the Levitical order was not perfect.
V.12-17 The main point of this section is found in verse 12 "For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well."
V.13-17 Jesus was obviously from the tribe of Judah. The law says that priests can only be from Levi, so the fact that Jesus is now a priest shows that a massive change has been made not only in who the priest is, but also how He functions. It shows clearly that a new order has come.
V.18-25 Tells us that this is a better covenant because;
V.18-19 The former commandment was set aside because the law cannot make anything perfect, But the new one can!
V.20-21- The former order of priests were made such without an oath, but Jesus was made a priest by an oath which guarantees that He will be such forever, which means that this is the perfect order because nothing will ever take it's place!
V.22 "This makes Jesus the Guarantor of a better covenant"
V.23-25- Jesus is better than the former order because He holds the office permanently, which enables Him to save to the uttermost, or to save completely because He is able to continuously make intercession for us without and end!
V.26-28- Are our recap of Chapter 7. Where the main point was to show how Jesus is the completion and perfection of the former priestly order.
V. 26- Unlike former priests Jesus is holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.
V. 27- Unlike former priests Jesus does not need to offer sacrifices daily because He made the sacrifice once and for all, that was sufficient for the sins of all the saints past and present.
V. 28- Unlike former priests Jesus is perfect, and He will remain our perfect priest forever.
Let me first start in chapter 8:1 where it gives us a cheat sheet for the meaning of chapter 7 it says "Now the point in what we are saying in this: (I believe he refers to all of chapter 7 here) we have such a high priest, one who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in heaven, a minister in the holy places, in the true tent that the Lord set up, not man." And in verse 5 "They (human priests) serve as a copy and shadow of the heavenly things"
So in short, chapter 7 tells us that Jesus is the "real thing" that that the human priests were a shadow of.
Now lets see this in chapter 7.
v.1-2a -Tells us the story of Melchizedek, how he blessed Abraham and how Abraham paid a tithe to him.
v. 2b-3- Compares Jesus and Melchizedek. It says that Melchizedek is 1. King of rightousness 2. King of peace. 3. Without genealogy or beginning or end. And thus he resembles CHRIST! Notice here that Jesus is not at all a picture of Melchizedek, but that Melchizedek is simply a picture to help us see Jesus more clearly. Jesus is the King of righteousness, the King of peace, and an eternal never beginning or ending Savior and priest.
V. 4-10 Basically tell us one thing. Melchizedek is better than Abraham, and thus he is better than all the levitical priests as well. We see this first in
V.7 "It is beyond dispute that he inferior is blessed by the superior."
And Abraham we blessed by Melchizedek making Melchizedek the superior.
Secondly we see in
V.9 that "One might even say that Levi himself, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, for he was still in the loins of his ancestor when Melchizedek met him."
So Melchizedek is also better than Levi and all the priests that came after him.
And since Jesus is better than Melchizedek (we know this because Melchizedek was just a picture of Christ) then we can safely say that Jesus is also much better than Abraham, Levi, and all former priests as well. And chapter 7:11-28 is devoted to proving this.
V.11- "Now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical Priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need would there have been for another priest to arise after the order of Melchizedek, rather than one named after the order of Aaron?" - The answer to this rhetorical question is that if the Levitical order had been perfect then there would be no need for another order, but there is a new order, so the Levitical order was not perfect.
V.12-17 The main point of this section is found in verse 12 "For when there is a change in the priesthood, there is necessarily a change in the law as well."
V.13-17 Jesus was obviously from the tribe of Judah. The law says that priests can only be from Levi, so the fact that Jesus is now a priest shows that a massive change has been made not only in who the priest is, but also how He functions. It shows clearly that a new order has come.
V.18-25 Tells us that this is a better covenant because;
V.18-19 The former commandment was set aside because the law cannot make anything perfect, But the new one can!
V.20-21- The former order of priests were made such without an oath, but Jesus was made a priest by an oath which guarantees that He will be such forever, which means that this is the perfect order because nothing will ever take it's place!
V.22 "This makes Jesus the Guarantor of a better covenant"
V.23-25- Jesus is better than the former order because He holds the office permanently, which enables Him to save to the uttermost, or to save completely because He is able to continuously make intercession for us without and end!
V.26-28- Are our recap of Chapter 7. Where the main point was to show how Jesus is the completion and perfection of the former priestly order.
V. 26- Unlike former priests Jesus is holy, innocent, unstained, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens.
V. 27- Unlike former priests Jesus does not need to offer sacrifices daily because He made the sacrifice once and for all, that was sufficient for the sins of all the saints past and present.
V. 28- Unlike former priests Jesus is perfect, and He will remain our perfect priest forever.
I want to go back to Egypt
I have found that many times I
find myself thinking thoughts similar to this. "I wish I could have
lived in the old testament, it was so much simpler then." Or "Why can't
God just give us a list of rules that plans out every moment of my our
lives like He so often did in the old testament?"
I have noticed questions like these pop up in my mind at regular intervals, basically all pointing to the same idea. I often would rather go back to the old testament law because it seems safer. Now, here is what I mean. In the old testament the Jews had very strict dietary, moral, societal, and religious laws. These laws told them what to eat, what to wear, how to worship, and the penalty for breaking any such law. Also, it was a time (it seems) when if you wanted to know something all you needed to do was find a prophet who would directly inquire of God for you. It just all seemed so simple, so laid out, so.....safe.
Safe...when I made the connection that a longing for safety was at the root of these desires and questions I was having, a startling connection was made. You see safety was the very reason that the Israelites wanted to go back to Egypt. They were slaves, yes, but they felt safe there. Every moment of their life was planned out, and every need was met, they had military protection, they even had good food.
I have often wondered how they could have been so foolish as to willingly put themselves back under that kind of slavery, but now I see that same tendency in my own life. You see, while my desires may have hints of good intentions they are ultimately the result of mistrusting God. I want to know for sure what God wants for me, just like the Israelites wanted assurance of their next meal, and protection from their enemies. And yet I'm looking for that assurance in the wrong place, I'm trying to put myself under the slavery of the old law to gain the false security that it vainly offers, just as the Israelites wanted to put themselves back under the yoke of Egyptian bondage instead of trusting God to provide their every need.
That's what it all comes down too, a trust issue. No, God does not spell out dietary laws, He doesn't give us specific rules on how to dress, or details on how to worship, or what movies to watch etc....Yes this present age is much more complicated than the last, yes it often feels overwhelming to try to wade through the vast diversity of interpretations of the Biblical passages to find the truth, and yes, because of all this I sometimes want to go back to the simpler times of God spelling out every detail of my life. I'm not sure if I'm the only one who has ever felt this way, but if I'm not here is my encouragement to you.
1. Just as God always provided for the nation of Israel when their lives became more "complicated" during the Exodus, He also will provide for us.
2. We have been delivered from that freedom to be able to know God in a deeper way, let us not be cowards who wish for simplicity and safety, but let us be courageous! Let's press on toward a deeper and more full knowledge of who He is by this new door that He has opened up for us.
3. Lastly, let's take comfort in the fact that He knows our frame, that we are but dust. And just as He showed mercy to the nation of Israel when Moses interceded for them, so He will much more assuredly show mercy to us when we refuse to trust Him and want to go back to the old law, because we have His son Jesus as our advocate continuously pleading our case before the Father, and may this stir our hearts to trust further and more fully that He will take care of our every need in this complicated and frightening age that we live in.
I have noticed questions like these pop up in my mind at regular intervals, basically all pointing to the same idea. I often would rather go back to the old testament law because it seems safer. Now, here is what I mean. In the old testament the Jews had very strict dietary, moral, societal, and religious laws. These laws told them what to eat, what to wear, how to worship, and the penalty for breaking any such law. Also, it was a time (it seems) when if you wanted to know something all you needed to do was find a prophet who would directly inquire of God for you. It just all seemed so simple, so laid out, so.....safe.
Safe...when I made the connection that a longing for safety was at the root of these desires and questions I was having, a startling connection was made. You see safety was the very reason that the Israelites wanted to go back to Egypt. They were slaves, yes, but they felt safe there. Every moment of their life was planned out, and every need was met, they had military protection, they even had good food.
I have often wondered how they could have been so foolish as to willingly put themselves back under that kind of slavery, but now I see that same tendency in my own life. You see, while my desires may have hints of good intentions they are ultimately the result of mistrusting God. I want to know for sure what God wants for me, just like the Israelites wanted assurance of their next meal, and protection from their enemies. And yet I'm looking for that assurance in the wrong place, I'm trying to put myself under the slavery of the old law to gain the false security that it vainly offers, just as the Israelites wanted to put themselves back under the yoke of Egyptian bondage instead of trusting God to provide their every need.
That's what it all comes down too, a trust issue. No, God does not spell out dietary laws, He doesn't give us specific rules on how to dress, or details on how to worship, or what movies to watch etc....Yes this present age is much more complicated than the last, yes it often feels overwhelming to try to wade through the vast diversity of interpretations of the Biblical passages to find the truth, and yes, because of all this I sometimes want to go back to the simpler times of God spelling out every detail of my life. I'm not sure if I'm the only one who has ever felt this way, but if I'm not here is my encouragement to you.
1. Just as God always provided for the nation of Israel when their lives became more "complicated" during the Exodus, He also will provide for us.
2. We have been delivered from that freedom to be able to know God in a deeper way, let us not be cowards who wish for simplicity and safety, but let us be courageous! Let's press on toward a deeper and more full knowledge of who He is by this new door that He has opened up for us.
3. Lastly, let's take comfort in the fact that He knows our frame, that we are but dust. And just as He showed mercy to the nation of Israel when Moses interceded for them, so He will much more assuredly show mercy to us when we refuse to trust Him and want to go back to the old law, because we have His son Jesus as our advocate continuously pleading our case before the Father, and may this stir our hearts to trust further and more fully that He will take care of our every need in this complicated and frightening age that we live in.
Tuesday, October 23, 2012
Hitchhiking (continued)
The next morning Anthony and I woke up and drove over to Clearwater Christian College. He had a retreat he had to go to at 10:00am so I started getting ready to leave too, but then it started storming so I went back and slept in his dorm room till 12:00. I started walking from the college down the road towards Tampa because there wasn't really any good place to get picked up where I was. I wasn't really sure what I was going to do because it's really hard to get picked up in the city, but I figured I would discover what to do when I got there. Before long it started to rain again, but there was no where to find cover so I started praying that the rain would stop or that someone would pick me up. I put a poncho over my bag and kept walking, this time trust that God had the situation under control and that He would take care of me. Before long I came up to a side street where a work van was parked. The driver walked up the bank and said that he had seen me walking but didn't have room to stop so he drove ahead of me and was waiting to see if I needed a ride. He was from Puerto Rico and did electric work in the Clearwater area. I noticed a Bible on his dash and our conversations turned to God. We had a very refreshing discussion about Gods faithfulness as he drove me through Tampa to the outskirts where I would be able to get a good ride. Before we parted ways I gave him my number because he wanted to make sure that I got picked up. He said that he would come back and pick me up and take me a little further if I couldn't get a ride, then we prayed and I walked down to the exit.
After waiting at that exit for a while prayed about it and decided to try to walk down to the next exit. There wasn't as much traffic as I thought there would be and the people that were passing didn't seem like the kind that would pick me up or that I would want to pick me up. While I was walking a car stopped up ahead of me. He said that he usually didn't do stuff like that but felt like God wanted him to pick me up. He was a Catholic but didn't want to know what I believed or really what I thought of God though he was full of opinions. He decided that he could take me all the way to Orlando and on the way he told me a lot about himself. He taught psychiatrics at universities for a living. His former wife had bi-polar as well as many other mental disorders and had kicked him out of the house multiple times. He said he still loved her and it really had him torn up about it. The more he talked the more I realized that the only way I could ever be a psychiatrist is by the help of God because I think that he probably needed one as a result of all that he dealt with. After we got into Orlando he took me to eat at Golden Corral then he dropped me off at the mall. It was about 4 when he left.
From there I tried to see if Tim could pick me up, but he didn't have any transportation so instead I took the bus. It took a good 4 hours to get from Buena Vista to Castlebury where Tim could come get me. It was 10:30 when we finally met. We went to a house party one of his friends was having, then came to his house and crashed.
After waiting at that exit for a while prayed about it and decided to try to walk down to the next exit. There wasn't as much traffic as I thought there would be and the people that were passing didn't seem like the kind that would pick me up or that I would want to pick me up. While I was walking a car stopped up ahead of me. He said that he usually didn't do stuff like that but felt like God wanted him to pick me up. He was a Catholic but didn't want to know what I believed or really what I thought of God though he was full of opinions. He decided that he could take me all the way to Orlando and on the way he told me a lot about himself. He taught psychiatrics at universities for a living. His former wife had bi-polar as well as many other mental disorders and had kicked him out of the house multiple times. He said he still loved her and it really had him torn up about it. The more he talked the more I realized that the only way I could ever be a psychiatrist is by the help of God because I think that he probably needed one as a result of all that he dealt with. After we got into Orlando he took me to eat at Golden Corral then he dropped me off at the mall. It was about 4 when he left.
From there I tried to see if Tim could pick me up, but he didn't have any transportation so instead I took the bus. It took a good 4 hours to get from Buena Vista to Castlebury where Tim could come get me. It was 10:30 when we finally met. We went to a house party one of his friends was having, then came to his house and crashed.
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Hitchhiking 8-19-2012
From camp I decided to ride with Melody Rowe and her mom back to Pensacola where she attended college. We spent the night at her grandmothers house then went to Pensacola beach and PCC the next day. The following day I helped Melody move into her new apartment then they dropped me off close to the interstate. I decided to go to Clearwater next to see my friend Anthony who worked at Lighthouse 2 years ago. It was around 12:00 or 1:00 before I made it out to the on-ramp towards Clearwater, then it started storming really badly so I went to a hotel close by and asked if I could wait out the storm in their lobby; thankfully they decided to let me. When the storm finally ended I went back out and waited for my next ride. After a while a truck pulled over and asked where I was going, I told him, but he said he was only going a few minutes down the road and there wasn't really a good exit there so I told him I would wait for another ride. This was actually the first ride I turned down so far. I waited for what started to feel like forever (but was probably only 30-45 minutes when another truck pulled over and the guy told me he could get me about 30 minutes down the road the only thing is that he asked me to ride in the back of the truck. This was definitely the most miserable ride I've had so far. It was already pretty chilly for shorts and a t-shirt especially with the cloud cover and storm coming through and moving at 80 miles an hour didn't help much. Then towards the end of the ride it started to rain lightly which hurts at that speed!
After he dropped me off I waited under a bridge for the rain to quit again then went back out to the on-ramp. The next person was able to bring me several miles down the road. I couldn't really tell what ethnic background he was from but he still had an accent and seemed to have immigrated from somewhere, he didn't say much and I didn't ask though. I was just happy to get a ride!
After he dropped me off at the exit I waited for about 30 minutes then started to get pretty discouraged. It's not unusual to wait 30 minutes or longer at an exit, but the lack of long rides and the fact that it was already 5:00pm and I hadn't even made it to Tallahassee made me realize that I probably wouldn't make it to Clearwater that day which meant I would have to spend another night under a bridge or find a place to sleep. Then I saw a red Ford truck coming towards me. After hitchhiking awhile you start profiling vehicles on how much of a chance there is of them picking you up, and this was usually the type that would pick me up. I remember praying that God would let it pull over and give me a ride. I have to admit that it wasn't a prayer that had strong faith attached to it, but was more like a desperate plea for help. By His mercy the truck actually did stop and he told me that he could get me to Tallahassee. Well, after talking to him a little while I found out that he was going all the way to Ocala, and that his boss would be driving all the way through Tampa that night! It amazed me that such a little prayer held such power when coming from a child of the King. This has definitely showed me that God is always in control and that nothing is too hard for Him. The man that picked me up was a Brazilian American who worked in the tile flooring business. We had some good conversations just about life and about God. He did have a good bit of knowledge about God and said that he prayed to him often, but I don't know how genuine he was. He told me about what it was like back in Brazil and how good things were down there. He said he planned to go back for the Olympics to be a translator since he know both languages. I remember him telling me that I should go spend some time in Brazil to learn the language and I must admit it does sound pretty good.
We made it to Ocala around 7 or 8 and met up with his boss, they moved some tools and workers to his truck from his bosses truck then we both got back on the road. His boss was also a Brazilian American who had started his own construction company. We talked some about his business and how it was going but for most of the trip we didn't talk much. He dropped me off in Brandon where Anthony was able to pick me up. We went to Starbucks and talked some then went and crashed at his mom's apartment.
After he dropped me off I waited under a bridge for the rain to quit again then went back out to the on-ramp. The next person was able to bring me several miles down the road. I couldn't really tell what ethnic background he was from but he still had an accent and seemed to have immigrated from somewhere, he didn't say much and I didn't ask though. I was just happy to get a ride!
After he dropped me off at the exit I waited for about 30 minutes then started to get pretty discouraged. It's not unusual to wait 30 minutes or longer at an exit, but the lack of long rides and the fact that it was already 5:00pm and I hadn't even made it to Tallahassee made me realize that I probably wouldn't make it to Clearwater that day which meant I would have to spend another night under a bridge or find a place to sleep. Then I saw a red Ford truck coming towards me. After hitchhiking awhile you start profiling vehicles on how much of a chance there is of them picking you up, and this was usually the type that would pick me up. I remember praying that God would let it pull over and give me a ride. I have to admit that it wasn't a prayer that had strong faith attached to it, but was more like a desperate plea for help. By His mercy the truck actually did stop and he told me that he could get me to Tallahassee. Well, after talking to him a little while I found out that he was going all the way to Ocala, and that his boss would be driving all the way through Tampa that night! It amazed me that such a little prayer held such power when coming from a child of the King. This has definitely showed me that God is always in control and that nothing is too hard for Him. The man that picked me up was a Brazilian American who worked in the tile flooring business. We had some good conversations just about life and about God. He did have a good bit of knowledge about God and said that he prayed to him often, but I don't know how genuine he was. He told me about what it was like back in Brazil and how good things were down there. He said he planned to go back for the Olympics to be a translator since he know both languages. I remember him telling me that I should go spend some time in Brazil to learn the language and I must admit it does sound pretty good.
We made it to Ocala around 7 or 8 and met up with his boss, they moved some tools and workers to his truck from his bosses truck then we both got back on the road. His boss was also a Brazilian American who had started his own construction company. We talked some about his business and how it was going but for most of the trip we didn't talk much. He dropped me off in Brandon where Anthony was able to pick me up. We went to Starbucks and talked some then went and crashed at his mom's apartment.
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