Hebrews 7:11-22
A logical argument, this--I like it: If the old system (like MS-DOS?) was so good, why did it change?
And did it change, you ask? Of course, yes; observe: the old priesthood came from ancestry of the line of Levi. But this new priest is not a Levite; he's from Judah. And if He is from Judah, then He can't be a priest under the old system. (Ironic, isn't it, that Jesus the Christ was not qualified for priesthood under the law of God passed down through Moses? But that's what the author of Hebrews is saying!) But He is a priest, as it's prophesied: "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."
Now you and me are thinking, huh what? How do we know this is talking about Jesus anyway? It's from Psalms!
Aha, but take a look at the distinctive quote in its own context, in Psalm 110. David says in verses 1-3,
"The LORD says to my Lord: 'Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.' The LORD will extend your mighty scepter from Zion; you will rule in the midst of your enemies. Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy majesty, from the womb of the dawn you will receive the dew of your youth."
He's clearly talking about the king, isn't he? And yet, verse 4 throws in a surprise: "The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: 'You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.' "
So what's this? Saul was a Benjamite and David from the tribe of Judah. Neither Benjamite nor Judean was authorized to become priests--and so, when God declares here He'll suddenly decide to make the king a priest, as well...
Well, what else can it mean? The priesthood is going to change!
I just wonder if that's part of the reason the high priests really wanted Jesus dead. The gospel says that the high priest had a vision that one man should die for the sake of many, but I just wonder if this passage wasn't in the back of his mind: God's going to make the king priest, instead of the Levites. Where would that put the priests of the day, anyway? Some of them loved the power they had over the people, and I'm sure they didn't want to give that up. So when Jesus came out and started preaching with authority, saying to people "You've heard this about the Law of God [from the priests and the teachers of the law!], but I'm telling you it means something different!" Other rabbis argued and bickered and quoted other rabbis and scriptures, but Jesus was giving what seemed to be His own interpretation of the Law. What's worse, it was the right interpretation--Jesus spelled it out so clearly that even a fisherman could understand it!
Is it little wonder, then, that men who loved power moved to protect their power?
Anyway. God declared about this king, "I am declaring you priest!"
This was new. And yet, if Jesus was the King--and everyone thought He was; they'd been willing to crown Him during His ministry. Look at what they called Him in the triumphal entry: "Son of David". Son of the Great King! In our language, that means prince. For them, it meant king.
And it was this king of whom David spoke--who else could it be? No other king had been a priest. When Saul tried, God forsook him; and yet, it's God that appoints Jesus as king and priest.
And, this having been said, we come back to the point of the matter: If there's a new priesthood, there must be a new law. If only Levites could be priest under the old law, and if Jesus is not of Levi, and if Jesus is a priest, then the old law must have been replaced.
And why? Because it was weak and useless, and because there's now something better.
Jesus is something better. He was coronated by God, lauded by angels, worshipped by men, murdered by men, raised by God, and now lives to intercede with God on our behalf, waiting at His Father's right hand for God to crush all enemies under His feet, just as He promised.
And what of us that worship Him and that strive to follow Him? Are we waiting for God, too? Have we forgotten what we're waiting for?
It's so easy to forget. Someone gets ahead of me in traffic, and I'm not waiting patiently on God--I'm busy cursing my brother. I see a beggar on the street, and I'm not waiting on God--I'm too busy crossing over on the other side of the road. Someone says something that hurts me, and I'm not waiting on God--I'm too busy lashing out and trying to hurt him back.
But we mustn't. Jesus died for us. Don't we want to live for Him? Don't we want to serve Him? And if I do want to serve, how then shall I serve? How, in my life, will I be faithful?
How will you?
And did it change, you ask? Of course, yes; observe: the old priesthood came from ancestry of the line of Levi. But this new priest is not a Levite; he's from Judah. And if He is from Judah, then He can't be a priest under the old system. (Ironic, isn't it, that Jesus the Christ was not qualified for priesthood under the law of God passed down through Moses? But that's what the author of Hebrews is saying!) But He is a priest, as it's prophesied: "You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek."
Now you and me are thinking, huh what? How do we know this is talking about Jesus anyway? It's from Psalms!
Aha, but take a look at the distinctive quote in its own context, in Psalm 110. David says in verses 1-3,
"The LORD says to my Lord: 'Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.' The LORD will extend your mighty scepter from Zion; you will rule in the midst of your enemies. Your troops will be willing on your day of battle. Arrayed in holy majesty, from the womb of the dawn you will receive the dew of your youth."
He's clearly talking about the king, isn't he? And yet, verse 4 throws in a surprise: "The LORD has sworn and will not change his mind: 'You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.' "
So what's this? Saul was a Benjamite and David from the tribe of Judah. Neither Benjamite nor Judean was authorized to become priests--and so, when God declares here He'll suddenly decide to make the king a priest, as well...
Well, what else can it mean? The priesthood is going to change!
I just wonder if that's part of the reason the high priests really wanted Jesus dead. The gospel says that the high priest had a vision that one man should die for the sake of many, but I just wonder if this passage wasn't in the back of his mind: God's going to make the king priest, instead of the Levites. Where would that put the priests of the day, anyway? Some of them loved the power they had over the people, and I'm sure they didn't want to give that up. So when Jesus came out and started preaching with authority, saying to people "You've heard this about the Law of God [from the priests and the teachers of the law!], but I'm telling you it means something different!" Other rabbis argued and bickered and quoted other rabbis and scriptures, but Jesus was giving what seemed to be His own interpretation of the Law. What's worse, it was the right interpretation--Jesus spelled it out so clearly that even a fisherman could understand it!
Is it little wonder, then, that men who loved power moved to protect their power?
Anyway. God declared about this king, "I am declaring you priest!"
This was new. And yet, if Jesus was the King--and everyone thought He was; they'd been willing to crown Him during His ministry. Look at what they called Him in the triumphal entry: "Son of David". Son of the Great King! In our language, that means prince. For them, it meant king.
And it was this king of whom David spoke--who else could it be? No other king had been a priest. When Saul tried, God forsook him; and yet, it's God that appoints Jesus as king and priest.
And, this having been said, we come back to the point of the matter: If there's a new priesthood, there must be a new law. If only Levites could be priest under the old law, and if Jesus is not of Levi, and if Jesus is a priest, then the old law must have been replaced.
And why? Because it was weak and useless, and because there's now something better.
Jesus is something better. He was coronated by God, lauded by angels, worshipped by men, murdered by men, raised by God, and now lives to intercede with God on our behalf, waiting at His Father's right hand for God to crush all enemies under His feet, just as He promised.
And what of us that worship Him and that strive to follow Him? Are we waiting for God, too? Have we forgotten what we're waiting for?
It's so easy to forget. Someone gets ahead of me in traffic, and I'm not waiting patiently on God--I'm busy cursing my brother. I see a beggar on the street, and I'm not waiting on God--I'm too busy crossing over on the other side of the road. Someone says something that hurts me, and I'm not waiting on God--I'm too busy lashing out and trying to hurt him back.
But we mustn't. Jesus died for us. Don't we want to live for Him? Don't we want to serve Him? And if I do want to serve, how then shall I serve? How, in my life, will I be faithful?
How will you?
posted by ionathas78 at 5:59 AM
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