This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek. For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace. Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he abides a priest perpetually. (Hebrews 6:19 - 7:3)
Last time we took a brief look at the promises God made to Abraham which became a
Asure and steadfast hope@ for Abraham and his descendants of faith. The writer now emphasizes the confidence they have in that hope. In doing so, he uses Abraham=s encounter with Melchizedek to provide a contrast with the ministry of death under the Mosaic covenant.Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the choicest spoils. And those indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest's office have commandment in the Law to collect a tenth from the people, that is, from their brethren, although these are descended from Abraham. But the one whose genealogy is not traced from them collected a tenth from Abraham, and blessed the one who had the promises. But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater. And in this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives on. And, so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes, for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him. (Heb. 7:4-10)
The Jews considered their status as the children of Abraham to be their claim to superiority. Speaking through the inspired author, God makes it clear that even though the Levitical priesthood received tithes they were still mere men. Theirs was a place of service for which they were granted a tithe from their brethren. In spite of their position of privilege, in Abraham they paid tithes to One who was far greater than Abraham. We won
=t study of Melchizedek, but the description we have in scripture gives us a clue as to His true identity.Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron? For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also. For the one concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar. For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests. And this is clearer still, if another priest arises according to the likeness of Melchizedek, who has become such not on the basis of a law of physical requirement, but according to the power of an indestructible life. For it is witnessed of Him, "THOU ART A PRIEST FOREVER ACCORDING TO THE ORDER OF MELCHIZEDEK." (Heb. 7:11-17)
There are several points to be made here and all press us toward the conclusion that the audience lived in a pivotal time in redemptive history. First we are told the old priesthood was incapable of perfection so a new priesthood is required. The fact Christ
=s disciples declared that He was their High Priest even though He was not of the priestly tribe clearly signifies a dramatic change (better stated as fulfillment) in covenants. That is why we are told a change in priesthood of necessity meant a change of law. If the law was changing because a new High Priest had initiated a new order of priests, the transition from the old to the new is clear evidence that the promised time of fulfillment had arrived. We should not fail to note that Christ=s priesthood is based not on requirements of a written code, but on Athe power of indestructible life@ and it is because of that attribute He proclaimed Himself to be the resurrection and life. The connection between resurrection power, the change of covenants and the change of priesthood demand eschatological fulfillment.For, on the one hand, there is a setting aside of a former commandment because of its weakness and uselessness (for the Law made nothing perfect), and on the other hand there is a bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God. And inasmuch as it was not without an oath (for they indeed became priests without an oath, but He with an oath through the One who said to Him, "THE LORD HAS SWORN AND WILL NOT CHANGE HIS MIND, 'THOU ART A PRIEST FOREVER'"); so much the more also Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. (Heb. 7:18-22)
Again we note the
Asetting aside of a former commandment@ as indicative of the consummation of God=s promises to Abraham. We=ve said it before, but keep in mind that the provisions of the old covenant were still being upheld by many (not faithfully mind you, but practiced in some form nevertheless and thereby nullifying to themselves the salvific work of Jesus). The author continues to argue the superiority of Christ over Moses by noting that the Levites took no oath. They were priest by virtue of birth and, since no oath was required of Aaron, they could not even identify themselves as being entrusted with such. On the other hand, Christ was made Priest on the basis of God=s oath which is immutable. In Christ then, believers become partakers of that oath. Such a dramatic shift in positions was taking place as Hebrews was written. The Seed that was planted at Calvary had sprouted and matured. The time for reaping had come. The in-gathering of Genesis 49 was at hand.And the former priests, on the one hand, existed in greater numbers, because they were prevented by death from continuing, but He, on the other hand, because He abides forever, holds His priesthood permanently. Hence, also, He is able to save forever those who draw near to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them. For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, innocent, undefiled, separated from sinners and exalted above the heavens; who does not need daily, like those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins, and then for the sins of the people, because this He did once for all when He offered up Himself. 28 For the Law appoints men as high priests who are weak, but the word of the oath, which came after the Law, appoints a Son, made perfect forever. (Heb. 7:23-28)
Having previously noted Christ
=s power over death, he now emphasizes the obvious conclusion: in Him is eternal life. Because of man=s limited span, many priests were necessary to carry out the old covenant ministry through its generations, but the eternal nature of Messiah made the old system obsolete. The sacrifices of the old covenant, when done in keeping with its law, were efficacious to a point, but they were weak and had to be repeated annually. In Christ, the sabbath rest they needed and sought came and Athere remains no more sacrifice for sin.@ God=s oath did not fail. We enjoy the blessings of living in His completed work in the new heaven and earth.A
Time Is Up@A
Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.@ (Mark 1:14-15)Most of us can relate to deadlines or the popular idea of
Adrop dead dates@ so it shouldn=t be surprising to us that our generation is not the first to confront them. In the text above, Mark reports that following His temptation Jesus proclaimed the good news in a two-fold form: 1) time was up for the old covenant, and 2) the kingdom of God was Aat hand.@ God had ordained a period of time in which He worked through physical Israel as the instrument by which Messiah would come and reconcile mankind to God, and thereby fulfill God=s promises to Abraham.We will mention it again as we work our way through Hebrews but recall now what the writer tells his audience,
AAnd all these, having gained approval through their faith, did not receive what was promised, because God had provided something better for us, so that apart from us they should not be made perfect.@ (Hebrews 11:39-40)He is talking about those he
=s just mentioned in the Ahall of fame of faith@ who were indeed faithful but did not receive the promises because they did not live at the right time in redemptive history. But the author=s generation was Ajust the right time@ according to Romans 5:6. It was the time for which the faithful of all ages had looked longingly because the promises they sought were inextricably tied to that generation. The Aus@ referenced emphatically does not refer to Christians of all times. It certainly didn=t refer to the faithful of ages past and the clear reading of the text excludes future generations as well. It is a terrible mistake to interpret scripture related to that period of time in terms of our generation or generations yet to come.Time had expired in the first century and the kingdom of God was eggus (engus) close enough to touch. Isn
=t that what Jesus said again and again as He fulfilled His ministry? God came down so as to be touched by the people and they pressed in from every side for the opportunity. Indeed, the kingdom of God was within arms reach almost 2,000 years ago.The buzzer had sounded on the old covenant. Time was up and God set it aside as the new covenant emerged from the cocoon to reveal the glory which God had hidden in the old manifestation of His presence. No longer was His presence limited to the High Priest one day a year. In Christ, He was revealed to
Aall flesh@ His vindication in the eradication of the old covenant system and all its trappings in 70 A.D. stands as a testimony to all generations that Christ is the only way to the Father.Opportunity
Sharon and I recently attended a fund raising banquet for the local crisis pregnancy center. The keynote speaker for the evening shared a quote from Leonard Ravenhill which I
=ve not heard before, AThe opportunity of a lifetime only lasts as long as the lifetime of the opportunity.@ There is a lot of truth wrapped up in that little twist of a phrase doubled back on itself. While many might capitalize on it to urge others to accept the gospel message, it has, for me, a more practical application. By definition, an opportunity of a lifetime suggests we each might expect only one, but we use the phrase a little more expansively than that: more in the sense of a rare opportunity. However, the problem with rare opportunities can be that they are hard to recognize Ain the moment@.We each are confronted with opportunities constantly. The very fact that we may not have another day (or heartbeat) to respond truly makes each one special. Sometimes, opportunities can be in conflict: to take advantage of one means missing the other. Economists refer to such costs in the financial realm as opportunity cost. If you invest in X instead of Y and lose your investment while Y experiences a hefty increase in value, your real loss isn
=t just what you invested but what could have been yours had you invested differently.Life choices are like that and determining priorities is often one of the most difficult challenges we face. While some choices have little consequence (i.e. the flavor of ice cream we have for dessert), we usually aren
=t satisfied to settle for a good choice, we want to make the best choice. A good measure of our character is found in those areas where we are unwilling to compromise.We
=ve all compromised in areas we regret. That is part and parcel of being human. The proof of our character then becomes a matter of how we recover the ground we=ve lost. In our time, our collective compromises have cost us the heritage of liberty we received from those who founded this country. It has taken generations, but what we have left is but a vestige of the sacred trust we received. As troubling as that is, with God all things are possible and that means we still have opportunity to make a difference. The question for each of us is whether or not we will make the most of that opportunity during its lifetime. I pray we will.Another Note On The Sabbath
We mentioned the idea of the sabbath that remained for the faithful to enter when we hurried through Hebrews 4. One of the objections to fulfilled eschatology is the observation that the people of God had not ceased to work. We noted that, contrary to much popular teaching, the rest in view was not a cessation of all work but a rest from striving to please God.
Just today (October 16th) our Bible study class read a passage from John 5. The 17th verse really got my attention:
ABut Jesus answered them, AMy Father has been working until now, and I have been working.@ Clearly, although God ceased His work in the creation described in Genesis He did not cease all work. We would be hard pressed to explain how even the known universe continues to function if He is not sustaining and superintending it constantly. Consequently, we should not think of the sabbath for those first century believers or ourselves to be representative of a time when we cease all activity. Indeed, our activity in God=s kingdom never ceases so it is erroneous to assume that because we still labor, the kingdom of God could not have come.Christ finished the work of the new creation, like Adam before the fall, we are now to be about taking dominion over the creation in which we live. If we will actually do that, historians will record the further advancement of God
=s kingdom in our time. Let=s be sure that is the story the history books tell.The Unobserved Feast
We
=ve just passed the Jewish celebration of their new year, Rosh Hashanah It is celebrated as one of their high holy days or feasts. Yet, If you take the time to turn to Leviticus or Deuteronomy and examine the feasts God gave the people of Israel, you=ll make an amazing discovery: Rosh Hashanah isn=t there! What=s the deal? What we learn from studying the feasts is that they were required to keep seven convocations. If you=ll make a list of what the scripture requires and compare it with a calendar of the feasts kept by modern Jews you=ll realize they no longer observe one of the feasts God gave them: firstfruits.Without taking the time to develop it here, a straightforward reading of Leviticus 23 tells us that firstfruits was to be celebrated on
Athe morrow after the sabbath@ during the week following Passover. A quick review of the events on that day in the year Christ was crucified brings us face to face with His resurrection. This is entirely fitting as scripture refers to Jesus as the firstfruits and He is indeed the firstfruits from the dead.Though we don
=t know for sure, some scholars suggest that the Jews ceased to celebrate firstfruits because it was, and is, such a powerful testimony to the veracity of Christ=s claims, ATherefore My Father loves Me, because I lay down My life that I may take it again. No one takes it from Me, but I lay it down of Myself. I have power to lay it down, and I have power to take it again. This command I have received from My Father.@ (John 10:17-18)The Jews were instruments in God
=s hands. Though they certainly were responsible for Christ=s crucifixion, they could do nothing which He did not ordain. He chose the time of his death and He was emphatic about the time of His resurrection. It is no coincidence that He was resurrected on the Feast of Firstfruits, it=s the day He chose. For the Jews to continue celebrating it was to affirm the veracity of His claims to be Messiah. That simply would not do. However, dropping the feast from their observances left them with only six and in their numerology six is representative of evil so they had to find another one. The obvious answer was to borrow a feast from the civil calendar and celebrate it as one of their liturgical feasts. Nevertheless, their rationalization regarding the feasts doesn=t negate the command and its penalty - being cut off from true Israel. So, each year modern Jews affirm they are no longer the people of God by substituting the secular for the sacred and testify to all the world, ichabod: the glory has departed from them.It should bring us great joy to know that Christ is indeed the firstfruits of the new creation and because He is we have every confidence that we will never be cut off from the blessings of the new covenant.
The Apprentice
=s JournalThings have been more hectic than usual of late but some order does seem to be arising out of it all. If you missed a recent issue of The Carpenter
=s Apprentice, let me know. I discovered that the database of recipients had gotten shuffled and about half the zip codes were wrong. Since only a couple were returned, I assume most made it okay, but do contact me if you missed an issue.One of the reasons I
=m late with the September issue is related to my copier which suddenly decided it wasn=t going to make another copy without some work. I have the service manual and can get the parts, I just haven=t had time to do the work until now. If you have copier work done, you know you don=t want to pay someone to do it! I suppose the upside of the problem is that I=m getting the October issue out on time and hopefully I=ll be able to stay on schedule for awhile.Cool mornings are more frequent now and they are most welcome! The trees have begun dropping some leaves but we haven
=t had enough cool weather to paint the landscape with fall colors yet. The August gardenia is blooming and the bottle brush put on several late blooms to the delight of the last hummingbirds passing through. The confederate rose Courtney Parks gave us several years ago is now about 15 feet tall and covered with gorgeous blooms. Even the fall azalea managed a few blooms after being neglected unto death and transplanted.Encourage by weeks of neglect, the weeds in the flower beds are doing very well. The good news is that the grass is not growing nearly as fast and I may have done the last Weedeater Waltz of the season. For that my back is most grateful!
Our Three Grandsons went to the circus for the first time a few weeks ago. They were enthralled by the clowns so Sharon made them some clown outfits and completed their ensembles with wigs, face paint and a honking nose. She went to Dallas to deliver them and spend the next week with the kids. When she is exhausted, she
=ll come home!Maggie (our Yorkie) and I will tend to business around here until Sharon gets back. Actually, Maggie isn
=t much help these days. At age fifteen she can=t see much, or hear much. She is almost always in the way and really doesn=t want to be far away. If I move to some other part of the house or go outside and she doesn=t know it, she will bark until I show up and let her know everything is okay. She has never liked us leaving without her, but she is more troubled if she doesn=t see us leave.She can jump up on the bed, but she can
=t see well enough to get down without hurting herself so she will bark until we put her down. It is amazing the trouble we will go to in accommodating pets! Still, the experience makes me realize how our compassion pales to that of our heavenly Father. We seldom take the time to see ourselves as utterly helpless apart from Him. It is so easy to think we are self-sufficient and to act like it! At the same time, we tend to quickly complain if things don=t go like we think they should, even if we made the choice to jump on the bed knowing we wouldn=t be able to get down.As I watch Maggie
=s regular attempts to keep tabs on where we are, I can=t help but think how careful I should be to watch for God=s guiding presence in my life. I=m learning that when I seem out of touch it is because I really don=t hear or see all that well and need to be paying constant attention to God=s movements in my life. One of the special moments in Maggie=s week is on Sunday afternoon when we enjoy a nap together. It is a longstanding tradition which both of us anticipate on the days I=m home. If I don=t stop working by the time she thinks I should, she=ll sit in the floor by my chair with a wistful look until I do. If I ignore her silent request, she=ll curl up on the floor beside me until I say, AAre you ready for a nap?@ Then she trots off to the sofa to wait for me to get settled with my pillows and afghan before sidling up to the sofa to be picked up. We both have a lot more trouble getting comfortable these days and sometimes she just finds it easier to stay on the floor beside me. Still, she wants to be near.More and more I understand the need and desire to stay close to one=s master. To rest in His presence is true rest and no anxiety can compare with that caused by things which interrupt such sweet communion. If you know that peace and rest you will understand what I=m trying to say here in a way which words are totally inadequate to express.
It is so easy to live life on autopilot and cruise past the many opportunities which might bless us if we simply took the time to notice. Routines are a good thing, but they can be overdone. Maggie tends to latch onto things she enjoys and without any encouragement adds them to her list of daily expectations. She becomes so entrenched in that routine she would opt for the routine rather than something new which would be more enjoyable. There are times we just have to force her to abandon the old long enough to experience the new. Of course, it quickly becomes part of her new routine.
I wonder how often we each do the same thing in our daily walk with the Lord? We enjoy comfort and we find comfort in the routine. It is our tendency to avoid things which would require a change in that routine or put us in a place that is unfamiliar and/or uncomfortable. The last decade or so, God been calling me out of my comfort zone and things can never be the same again. I=d like to say I=ve always been ready right on cue, but I wouldn=t want to mislead anyone.
How about you? Are you avoiding things you know you should do because they might put you in an uncomfortable position? I encourage you to find the faith to freely embrace God=s calling on your life with every confidence that He who called you will keep you. There are rich blessings to be found in following His lead. Go boldly in His power! ~ Jim