LIVING WITH A CONFIDENT FAITH IN CHRIST

Jerry A Collins

Last night we were without power again. I sat there with candles all around me and an oil lamp I carried with me around the house. This is how people use to live and for a very long time too. I had to keep changing the candles, constantly wiping wax off of my desk and counters. I still had to squint to see things. The lamp was smokey and smelled terrible. The house was still cold and candles alone will not warm it up enough. After a short while I wanted the power back on. That may have been good enough for previous generations but not today! The inadequacies of the past motivated people to find better ways to light and heat our homes. It is much better. Hebrews 7 written to explain the OT priesthood and law superceded by another priesthood. A priesthood of another kind far superior to what Israel knew in the past. This priesthood is identified as that of Melchezedek. His priesthood is similar to Christ’s and makes him a type of Christ’s priesthood.

Here we have a 35 millimeter slide shot of Mel. With Abe we have a movie of his life and we know a lot about him. But all we can know about Mel is from the OT.

A. He was king of Salem by divine appointment. The historical setting of Melchezedeks priesthood is given to explain that two offices, king and priest, are united in this one person. Of course this is true of Jesus Christ.

B. He blesses Abe refreshing and strengthening him with bread and wine. The bread and wine an early indication of the communion meal. Jesus Christ strengthens and refreshes those who come to him in faith and prayer. Both of their ministries are characterized by blessing.

C. Abe gives a tithe of the spoils of war to Mel. This was an acknowledgement of Mel’s position as a priest of the most high God. We also recognize that we have been bought with a price and all we possess belongs to Christ. The titles king of righteousness, and king of peace are similar titles of Christ.

D. He is fatherless and motherless from the scriptural records. If you are of Aaron’s priesthood you must be able to trace your line but you cannot trace Mel’s line. He is of another kind of priesthood. Jesus has neither beginning nor end nor human parents. His resurrected life makes Him divine and another kind of priest for us today.

The point here is to establish that the priesthood of Aaron, a priesthood that Jews view as superior, is inferior to Mels and thus to Christ’s whom Mel is a type of.

Christ’s priesthood is after the order of Mels’s which is superior to Aaron’s in these ways.

(1) Abe gave tithes to Mel vs 4-6a. He gives of the best that he ahs to offer because of the dignity of the one receiving it. Here the superiority of Mel is proved. Levitical priests tithed their brothers but Mel tithed their father. Lev Priests continued as long as the law but Mel always.

(2) Mel blessed Abe vs 6b-7. The less is always blessed by the greater. If you say ‘lord bless you’ to someone you put yourself as greater than the person.

(3) Levitical priests all eventually die but Psa 110:4 declares the One who ministers in the order of Mel lives forever vs 8. 6 times in chp 7 said to live forever (3, 17, 21, 24, 25, 28).

(4) In some sense Levi, great grandson of Abe actually paid tithes too since he was at the time a part of Abes reproductive system which would produce Isaac then Jacob and eventually levi vs 9-10. Reflects links between generations and importance of ancestry (Rom 5:12 as well).

This priesthood is superior in every way to what the Jews had known under then old economy. Things have changed and from God’s standpoint it is final.

The levitical priesthood could not perfect the worshipper and bring maturity for several reasons.

(1) Because it was transitory 11-14. If they had learned Christ had superceded the old priests they could see the law was done away with. They cannot mature by pursuing that law any longer. Lighted candles are inferior any longer to the kind of electricity we have now. We don’t go back there. Since the law did not mature the priests under it were done away with too. As matter of fact the coming priests would not be from Aarons order. Christ had to be of a different order for no priests came from Judah. So levites order was transitory.

(2) Because it was temporary 15-19. So if there is another kind of priest after order of Mel the Aaron order must be temporary. Levites were priests because their fathers were. Jesus priesthood exists eternally. His nature makes him one who can minister life to his people. So the law is put away because a. its weakness could not impart the strength to fulfill its demands and b. its unprofitableness in that it could not give life. So the OT priesthood and law has ended because its purpose was fulfilled. It could only point to a better way a more sufficient answer to our sin problem. That answer has arrived. Quit trying to light your way by candles any longer. They are insufficient. The law never brot perfection (19) so we look to an new priesthood and priest. We now have access to God!

(3) Because this new order is unchangeable & Uninterrupted 20-22. Gods oath makes it so. Christ’s priesthood was in the mind of God before Aaron’s existed. That priesthood is uninterrupted since Christ is an eternal priest.. In contrast Levis priest died again and again. The Old system was weak. Christ’s priesthood can never be taken from Him vs 24 so no unfaithful priest or unqualified priest can succeed him. As a result (vs 25) he can save totally, completely all who come to God thru him. The idea would be to mature completely to grow fully.

(1) We must first have a spotless priest. Our priest must be victorious over sin. This is proved by his personal purity, freedom from defilement, his present ministry, separate from sinners.

(2) We must have a sufficient sacrifice 27. Shows his death was a priestly act. He did this once for all ending animal sacrifices and OT priesthood forever. Candles unnecessary now.

(3) We must have an eternal solution 28. The weakness of the OT priesthood and sacrifices has been replaced by an eternal never-ending strength. Based on an oath of God Christ’s work is complete and sufficient forever. No other way or lite!