19 December

Bible in 365 Days                  

Hebrews 7-10

Hebrews 7

The writer now takes up again the subject of the Priesthood of Jesus after the order of Melchisedek. Melchisedek is called "Priest of the Most High." His name means king of righteousness. He is called "King of Peace." The one instance of the exercise of his priesthood in the Old Testament reveals him administering sustenance. imparting blessing, and instituting communion. The similarity between him and his priesthood and Christ and His priesthood is so remarkable that it does appear as though the appearance of Melchisedek to Abraham was one of the Christophanies of the Old Testament.

The writer then turned to the subject of the superiority of Christ to the priesthood of Levi. That priesthood had failed to perfect anything. The right of the Priesthood of the Son was vested with His own Personality. He had an endless life, and this implies the absolute perfection of His nature, and, consequently, the continuity of His Person. The superiority of the Priesthood of the Son consists in that through Him a better hope was given to men through which they might draw nigh unto God, and so ultimately realize perfection.

The contrast is made vivid in two particulars. First as to the oath of appointment; and, second, as to the perpetuity of the office. Beyond the Son there is no necessity for any priest, for that God has appointed Him by oath forever. He is therefore "able to save to the uttermost," because "He ever liveth to make intercession."

Hebrews 8

Having established the fact of the superiority of Christ, the argument now proceeds to deal with the superiority of the relationships consequent thereupon. The central verity is set forth in the words, "We have such a High Priest." Because this is so, His ministry must be superior in all its details. It is so in the place of its exercise. In position and localization He is not on earth. He rules over the whole spiritual House, ''which House are we," in which God dwells, and in which He is the perfect and prevailing Priest.

The result of this more excellent ministry and place of ministry is a better covenant. In a quotation from Jeremiah the writer claims that in and through Christ the new order which prophets saw and foretold is realized.

The superiority of the covenant is threefold. First, it is written on the heart, and so is internal rather than external. Second, it is inclusive, for its far-reaching scope men will not need to teach each other concerning God. Finally, it is based on that incalculable blessings of the forgiveness of sins, the putting away of those things which so long had stood between man and God. The writer ends by saying that the old "is nigh unto vanishing away" because of the coming of the new.

Hebrews 9

Because of the better priesthood and the better covenant a better worship is established. First, the sanctuary is described. Christ is set forth as the One who has entered into a greater Tabernacle through a greater service. His entry into the Holy Place is "once ' for all," because He has for ever dealt with sin.

The superiority of the sacrifice is emphasized, for it is able to "cleanse the conscience from dead works to serve the living God." The words used here to describe the central mystery of redemption are arresting. Christ is seen suggestively as Priest and Sacrifice. He offered Himself: "through the eternal Spirit."

On the basis of this great sacrifice the new Priest had entered into the Holy Place. A testament or a covenant always becomes operative through death. Moses had initiated the service of the tabernacle of old by the shedding of blood. So Christ, "once at the end of the ages," having "put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself," initiated a new covenant of life through the gateway of death.

The pre-eminent thought in this section is that now in the priesthood of Christ a place of worship, unlocalized and unlimited, is provided. Wherever is found the soul who will come to God through Him, there He is as Priest, with the value of His own sacrifice, providing redemption and acceptance; and, moreover, having exhausted judgment in the process of His death, He hides from coming judgment all who trust in Him, changing the dread of that awful assize into the glorious hope of His own second appearing.

Hebrews 10

The writer now deals with the subject of the better worship. In this connection he again quotes from the prophecy of Jeremiah in order to emphasize the prediction of the new covenant concerning the forgiveness of sins. Through this offering and sacrifice of Christ, the worshipers are brought into a relationship with God in which there is no more consciousness of sin, but, instead, a delight to do God's will, and so is fulfilled the second part of Jeremiah's prediction.,

The provision made in Christ lays a new responsibility on those who understand it. The veil has been rent, and a way has been made into the Holiest of all. Those who enter through this rent veil may do so boldly. That responsibility is described as threefold, "Let us draw near," "Let us hold fast," "Let us consider one another."

A solemn warning dealing with the sin of possible apostasy follows. Those guilty of such sin have "trodden under foot the Son of God . . . counted the blood . . . an unholy thing . . . done despite unto the spirit of grace." If this great way of salvation, this mightiest sacrifice of all is refused, no other sacrifice remains. The work of Jesus is God's uttermost possible for the salvation of man. If this be rejected, by such rejection man deliberately chooses for himself the only possible alternative, which is the vengeance of God. Concerning that the writer says, "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

The warning ends with words full of hope. They had endured, taking joyfully the spoiling of their possessions, and are urged not to cast away their boldness. Faith was the abiding condition of the old economy, and so it is also of the new.