A Scripture Trail to our Melchizedek, our Great High Priest & His Foundation
as High Priest for our Eternal Salvation #2
Psalm 110:4 The Divine Oath! An Eternal High Priest.
Remember: We are considering the “Gospel preached to Abraham beforehand”! (Galatians 3:8) That Gospel is foundational to our Faith and is not some new thing! This is the Gospel of salvation to ALL “those who are of the faith & blessing with believing Abraham”.
#1. The shadow prefigures the Eternal Priest. Hebrews 7:3 says, "without father, without mother, without genealogy, etc. 7b says "made like the Son of God." Melchizedek wasn't the pattern, The Eternal Son of God IS, just as every item made for the Dwelling Place of God in the midst of Israel was made after the Pattern of Heavenly Things! (Exodus 25:8-9; Hebrews 8:4-5) How strange no genealogy is given when scripture is full of genealogies! Melchizedek had no earthly historical record in order to establish his priesthood as the prefigurement of the heavenly Priesthood!!!
#2. This Oath is unchangeable! (Hebrews 5:5:5, 7:20-24)This is God's predetermined Plan! Melchizedek's Priesthood is the shadow "reflection" of the Eternal Son of God. His Priesthood never was, is, or ever will be, resident upon this Earth! Hebrews 8:3-6; 9:11 ("good things to come"=Eternal Promises) Never trust an earthly priest!!! And I don’t just mean those who wear their collar backwards!
#3. "You (are) a Priest", not were or will be! Totally in keeping with the Divine Nature of the Oath Giver & the Oath Keeper!!! Faith must first of all believe that He IS!!! Not just that He is pre-existing, but all that His Plans & Purposes are Eternal. God never plays catch up!!! While the implications of such Sovereign Eternity may be impossible for finite beings to grasp & stubborn human will's to bow before, this is no less true than the fact of the Eternal Son of God becoming flesh & dying for a people who are defined by time that they might have ETERNAL LIFE!!! (John 3:16)
#4. Hebrews 5:1-10 This is the introduction of Melchizedek in Hebrews, the main point of the whole book!!!
5:5 is from Psalm 2:7, the Father's introduction of His Beloved Son as King, His Sovereign King over the nations, a study for another time. But in quoting it here, the writer ( the Holy Spirit) is wedding Kingship to High Priesthood, a wholly new concept, except for Genesis 14:18-20. It's as though the Father planted the Seed of His Son Redeemer in this obscure encounter & it "gestated" until the Birth of His Son, Christ Jesus!!!
5:6 This is the Oath of God upon which our Eternal Salvation depends. Taken directly from Psalm 110:4. This is the first of 4 quotations of it in introducing our Great High Priest.
5:7-9a gives the reason for "days of His Flesh"--"having been perfected", that is the "justified/vindicated in the Spirit" of 1 Timothy 3:16!
5:9b And here is the "main point" of Vs 1-9b, the introduction of our Melchizedek: "He became the Author of ETERNAL SALVATION to all who obey Him". The Eternity of our salvation is the big deal! The Eternity of our Great High Priest is I he bigger deal. To present "salvation" in mostly "here & now” terms & benefits negates the Gospel to Abraham as preached to him in this encounter & "fleshed out" in the book of Hebrews!!!
5:10 repeats our High Priest's Divine Calling & Oath! Doubling the quotation more than doubles the importance our Eternal High Priest!!! Whom are we to obey? (Vs 9) Our Eternal Melchizedek!!! How is it that it is to be known that we are His disciples? If we obey His commandment! (John 13:34-35 Notice that the context here is the feast of the Passover, & our High Priest explaining to the twelve His bringing the Ultimate Sacrifice (His Body) to the Altar (the cross) & the disciples struggle to understand the necessity of such a Sacrifice. This obedience is not optional!
5:11. This verse is very ominous, for it sets the stage for the writer's chastisement of his hearers (11b-13). His entire emphasis on Spiritual growth & maturity is attached to the "much more he has to say about this great Eternal High Priest!!!
5:14. What does the writer consider to be the mark of the mature (of full age)? Exercise!!! Yes the exercise of all their senses to "discern both good & evil"! It seems significant that he has already given the ministry of the Spirit taught Word of God in similar language. (4:11-13 "is a discerner of the thoughts & intents of the heart.) Notice what follows this ministry of the Word by the Spirit in 4:14-15, our Victorious Empathetic High Priest! And then comes the throne from which He mediates to us the Eternal Benefits of His Historical Sacrifice--the Eternal Throne of Grace as our King Priest! Failing to emphasize the Eternity of our Great High Priest leaves the Throne of Grace as some sort of heavenly pharmacy to cure our earthly Ills!!
Hebrews 6:1-3 Notice the Elementary principles of Christ that we are to move on from. These things are the whole of what passes for Christianity in our day. It is no wonder that stony ground hearers abound in the "church" today!
6:4-8 The writers description of “stony & thorny ground hearers”. (Matthew 13:20-22)
6:9-12 The writers confidence that his hearers are “good soil”. The evidence of their obedience to their Lord’s command was evident!!! The ministry of Love toward the saints is actually “toward His Name” and evidences the Family likeness of the children of God to the Father!!!
6:13-20 The practical “here & now” application of God's Covenant, His Gospel Promise to Abraham is to be our Anchor in the raging sea that is this fallen world. Jesus didn't say, "in this world there is a possibility that you might have a little bit of tribulation." No!!! "In this world you SHALL have tribulation.". There is nothing normal about this fallen world! It is Satan's seduction that leads us to seek "normal" here. Where is our Anchor? 6:19-20 Our Hope enters the Presence beyond the veil, "where the Forerunner has entered for us, EVEN JESUS," now notice, "having become High Priest FOREVER according to the order of Melchizedek".
The Redeemed are now an Eternal people who live in this fallen and temporary world, who pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17), that is, at the Throne of Grace of our Great High Priest after the order of Melchizedek!!! This is the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord! (Romans 8:18-39) This is our Blessed Anchor/Hope!
7:25 "Therefore He is also able to save to the UTTERMOST those who come to God THROUGH HIM, since He LIVES FOREVER to make intercession for them!!!
as High Priest for our Eternal Salvation #2
Psalm 110:4 The Divine Oath! An Eternal High Priest.
Remember: We are considering the “Gospel preached to Abraham beforehand”! (Galatians 3:8) That Gospel is foundational to our Faith and is not some new thing! This is the Gospel of salvation to ALL “those who are of the faith & blessing with believing Abraham”.
#1. The shadow prefigures the Eternal Priest. Hebrews 7:3 says, "without father, without mother, without genealogy, etc. 7b says "made like the Son of God." Melchizedek wasn't the pattern, The Eternal Son of God IS, just as every item made for the Dwelling Place of God in the midst of Israel was made after the Pattern of Heavenly Things! (Exodus 25:8-9; Hebrews 8:4-5) How strange no genealogy is given when scripture is full of genealogies! Melchizedek had no earthly historical record in order to establish his priesthood as the prefigurement of the heavenly Priesthood!!!
#2. This Oath is unchangeable! (Hebrews 5:5:5, 7:20-24)This is God's predetermined Plan! Melchizedek's Priesthood is the shadow "reflection" of the Eternal Son of God. His Priesthood never was, is, or ever will be, resident upon this Earth! Hebrews 8:3-6; 9:11 ("good things to come"=Eternal Promises) Never trust an earthly priest!!! And I don’t just mean those who wear their collar backwards!
#3. "You (are) a Priest", not were or will be! Totally in keeping with the Divine Nature of the Oath Giver & the Oath Keeper!!! Faith must first of all believe that He IS!!! Not just that He is pre-existing, but all that His Plans & Purposes are Eternal. God never plays catch up!!! While the implications of such Sovereign Eternity may be impossible for finite beings to grasp & stubborn human will's to bow before, this is no less true than the fact of the Eternal Son of God becoming flesh & dying for a people who are defined by time that they might have ETERNAL LIFE!!! (John 3:16)
#4. Hebrews 5:1-10 This is the introduction of Melchizedek in Hebrews, the main point of the whole book!!!
5:5 is from Psalm 2:7, the Father's introduction of His Beloved Son as King, His Sovereign King over the nations, a study for another time. But in quoting it here, the writer ( the Holy Spirit) is wedding Kingship to High Priesthood, a wholly new concept, except for Genesis 14:18-20. It's as though the Father planted the Seed of His Son Redeemer in this obscure encounter & it "gestated" until the Birth of His Son, Christ Jesus!!!
5:6 This is the Oath of God upon which our Eternal Salvation depends. Taken directly from Psalm 110:4. This is the first of 4 quotations of it in introducing our Great High Priest.
5:7-9a gives the reason for "days of His Flesh"--"having been perfected", that is the "justified/vindicated in the Spirit" of 1 Timothy 3:16!
5:9b And here is the "main point" of Vs 1-9b, the introduction of our Melchizedek: "He became the Author of ETERNAL SALVATION to all who obey Him". The Eternity of our salvation is the big deal! The Eternity of our Great High Priest is I he bigger deal. To present "salvation" in mostly "here & now” terms & benefits negates the Gospel to Abraham as preached to him in this encounter & "fleshed out" in the book of Hebrews!!!
5:10 repeats our High Priest's Divine Calling & Oath! Doubling the quotation more than doubles the importance our Eternal High Priest!!! Whom are we to obey? (Vs 9) Our Eternal Melchizedek!!! How is it that it is to be known that we are His disciples? If we obey His commandment! (John 13:34-35 Notice that the context here is the feast of the Passover, & our High Priest explaining to the twelve His bringing the Ultimate Sacrifice (His Body) to the Altar (the cross) & the disciples struggle to understand the necessity of such a Sacrifice. This obedience is not optional!
5:11. This verse is very ominous, for it sets the stage for the writer's chastisement of his hearers (11b-13). His entire emphasis on Spiritual growth & maturity is attached to the "much more he has to say about this great Eternal High Priest!!!
5:14. What does the writer consider to be the mark of the mature (of full age)? Exercise!!! Yes the exercise of all their senses to "discern both good & evil"! It seems significant that he has already given the ministry of the Spirit taught Word of God in similar language. (4:11-13 "is a discerner of the thoughts & intents of the heart.) Notice what follows this ministry of the Word by the Spirit in 4:14-15, our Victorious Empathetic High Priest! And then comes the throne from which He mediates to us the Eternal Benefits of His Historical Sacrifice--the Eternal Throne of Grace as our King Priest! Failing to emphasize the Eternity of our Great High Priest leaves the Throne of Grace as some sort of heavenly pharmacy to cure our earthly Ills!!
Hebrews 6:1-3 Notice the Elementary principles of Christ that we are to move on from. These things are the whole of what passes for Christianity in our day. It is no wonder that stony ground hearers abound in the "church" today!
6:4-8 The writers description of “stony & thorny ground hearers”. (Matthew 13:20-22)
6:9-12 The writers confidence that his hearers are “good soil”. The evidence of their obedience to their Lord’s command was evident!!! The ministry of Love toward the saints is actually “toward His Name” and evidences the Family likeness of the children of God to the Father!!!
6:13-20 The practical “here & now” application of God's Covenant, His Gospel Promise to Abraham is to be our Anchor in the raging sea that is this fallen world. Jesus didn't say, "in this world there is a possibility that you might have a little bit of tribulation." No!!! "In this world you SHALL have tribulation.". There is nothing normal about this fallen world! It is Satan's seduction that leads us to seek "normal" here. Where is our Anchor? 6:19-20 Our Hope enters the Presence beyond the veil, "where the Forerunner has entered for us, EVEN JESUS," now notice, "having become High Priest FOREVER according to the order of Melchizedek".
The Redeemed are now an Eternal people who live in this fallen and temporary world, who pray without ceasing (I Thessalonians 5:17), that is, at the Throne of Grace of our Great High Priest after the order of Melchizedek!!! This is the Love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord! (Romans 8:18-39) This is our Blessed Anchor/Hope!
7:25 "Therefore He is also able to save to the UTTERMOST those who come to God THROUGH HIM, since He LIVES FOREVER to make intercession for them!!!