God Speaks
Jesus Christ Is Superior to Melchizedek, the High Priest, the Earthly Tabernacle, the Old Covenant, the Blood of Animals or Any Earthly Sacrifice
Verse of the Day: How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God! For this reason Christ is the mediator of a new covenant, that those who are called may receive the promised eternal inheritance–now that he has died as a ransom to set them free from the sins committed under the first covenant.(Hebrews 9:14-15 NIV 2011)
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We Respond
Hebrews 7
Reflection: Hebrews chapter seven lays out arguments why, like Melchizedek, Jesus is better than the priests descended from Aaron. Melchizedek (whose name and title mean king of justice and king of peace respectively) points to Jesus who is the source of true justice and peace. He was priest of the Most High God, while Jesus is the Son of the Most High God. Because there is no record of his parentage, birth, or death, he is referred to as living forever, as is Jesus because of His resurrection. Because Abraham paid him tithes, Melchizedek is considered of higher rank, just as Jesus is due greater honor. Melchizedek was a priest of the LORD long before Moses and the Ten Commandments. Jesus existed long before them as well. Therefore, He is our high priest because of the different set of rules. This includes Jesus being from the line of Judah instead of Levi. In the case of Jesus, the old system was set aside for something better, which was backed up with God the Father taking an oath. Christ’s priesthood will last forever. He is both the priest and sacrifice we all need. Jesus Christ as both God and man was perfect and sinless, so He could be the perfect priest and sacrifice for the sins of all people.
Prayer: Dear God Most High, thank You for making Jesus both similar to and superior to Melchizedek. Jesus, by Your life, death, resurrection, ascension, and intercession, You proved Your superiority. You are the very Son of God and both our high priest and the sacrifice for our (my) sin. Your name means salvation and You are our prince of peace. You were miraculously born through Mary and had the human heritage of King David through both Mary and Joseph. Your death paid the penalty of our (my) sin. Those who believe in You are the “spoils of the war” You fought for at the cross. You set us free to serve You, and You are in the process of making us perfect (complete) through faith and obedience just as You were made perfect (complete) by Your obedience to the Father. AMEN
Action: (Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
- I will research more about Melchizedek.
- I will praise the LORD for all the ways Jesus Christ is greater than Melchizedek or the priests descended from Aaron.
- I will thank the LORD for Jesus being my perfect sacrifice and high priest forever.
- I will talk with my friend _______________ (someone specific) about how Jesus is better than Melchizedek or the priests of the Old Testament.
Hebrews 8
Reflection
Hebrews 8:1-2 teach us that Jesus now ministers in the heavenly Tabernacle. Verses 3-5 say that the earthly tabernacle and priests were only copies or shadows of the real ones in Heaven. Verses 6-7 explain why the second covenant replaced the first. Verses 8-13 use quotes from Jeremiah 31:31-34 to explain God’s reasoning.
Prayer
Dear Father God, thank You for making Jesus our great high priest. He ministers there in Heaven with You in the true place of worship. The tabernacle and temple on earth (as magnificent as they were) were only copies or scale models to give us a “sneak peek” of that real one. Christ’s ministry there with You is far better than that of the priests here. O God, Your special promises (covenant) through Him are greater than all that You did for Your people under the old covenant. If the old covenant had accomplished all that You planned, there wouldn’t need to be a new one. Even before You, Jesus, came to earth, You knew that the old covenant wasn’t working (because people didn’t and couldn’t keep their part). So, You, LORD God, said through Jeremiah (See Jeremiah 31:31-34) that You would set up a new plan (covenant) for how You and Your people would interact. With the new covenant instituted by Jesus, the old covenant became obsolete. All this was to the praise of the glory of Your grace. AMEN
Action
(Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
I will live today as if I am a living, breathing temple where God is worshipped, because I am.
I will continually thank Jesus, God the Son, for being my High Priest.
I will research how Jesus fulfilled the old covenant.
I will remember how God has forgiven me and forgive those who have treated me wickedly, and never again hold their sins against them (though they may have to suffer other consequences).
Hebrews 9
Reflection
The authorship of the book of Hebrews is debated among scholars, but the theme of Christ being better than various elements of the worship system of the Hebrews is not. In this chapter Christ is presented as better than the tabernacle and better than the blood of animals. The tabernacle and its contents on earth were to be scale models of the real ones in Heaven. God originally established that by faith the blood of bulls and goats would purify people in the physical realm. All the implements of worship had to be sanctified by blood. In the spiritual realm everything is sanctified by the blood of Christ. Once every year when he entered the Most Holy Place, the High Priest had to offer a blood sacrifice for his own sins as well as those of the people. The blood he offered could not cleanse the consciences of the people who brought the sacrifices. Only when Christ offered his own blood on the real altar in heaven could consciences be cleansed forever. Christ’s blood confirms the new covenant (will) so that by faith people’s sin could be taken away and they would no longer face judgment.
Prayer
Dear LORD God, You gave Your people directions to construct scale models of the contents of the real tabernacle in Heaven. Please help us to study and understand what they mean and/or represent. Even now help me to worship You properly. Jesus, thank You that You are and provide the better way into the presence of God here now and in Heaven for eternity. By faith, the blood of bulls and goats was used to purify people in the physical realm under the old covenant. How much more the blood of the spotless Lamb of God (Jesus) purifies “our conscience from dead works to serve the living God.” Jesus, You are executing an even better, (permanent) inheritance and final will through Your precious and powerful blood. It took Your suffering, shed blood and sacrificial death to earn our cleansing forgiveness from sin and acceptance into Your eternal presence. Merely saying thank you is not enough. Jesus, since You gave all You have and are for me, I give all I have and am to You. AMEN
Action
(Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
I will research what the Old Testament tabernacle looked like and how the priests functioned in it.
I will learn what the word atonement means.
I will pray and claim all that Christ made available to me by His permanent blood sacrifice.
I will discuss with someone how they can do the same.
Hebrews 10
Reflection
Hebrews chapter ten focuses on Jesus being a better, more lasting, sacrifice than those of bulls and goats. Although the blood of bulls and goats was required by the law of Moses to be offered annually, it did (could) not provide a permanent cleansing for the guilt of sin. Only the blood of the perfect Lamb of God, Jesus the Messiah, could do that. All the priests could do in their continual, daily sacrifices and in the annual special ceremony (the Day of Atonement) was to remind the people of the seriousness of their sin and point them to the future Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the whole world. This was John the Baptist’s message (See John 1:29). The point of Hebrews 10 was that if the tabernacle (or temple) sacrifices had been truly effective, they wouldn’t have been offered year after year. Jesus was the perfect Lamb of God. His suffering and death were the permanent substitute for all who choose to believe and receive this precious gift. Once Jesus had willingly offered Himself and died in our place, God the Father raised Him from the dead and seated Him in the place of highest honor at His right hand. Now, any believer with a sincere heart can go right into God’s presence and ask for anything that honors Him. Let’s hold fast to our faith because the LORD God can be trusted to keep His promises. If we insist on sinning, once we know the truth of what Christ has done for us, we can expect terrible judgment. We have trampled on the Son of God. [It would be like spitting in Jesus’ face while He was dying for us.] Instead, we should pause and remember how enthralled and full of joy and thankfulness we were when we first came to faith in Him. With that in mind, let’s not neglect getting together with other believers to worship with and encourage one another. In the end we will receive a great reward for our patient endurance==the saving of our souls.
Prayer
Dear LORD God, You are the ultimate Lawgiver, Way-maker, Miracle Worker, Promise Keeper. Jesus, You knew that we weak and sinful people could not keep the laws the Father gave at Mount Sinai; nor could the blood of bulls and goats really take away sin. So, in due time, You, the perfect Lamb of God, came and fulfilled it in our place. The priests of Israel had to offer sacrifices daily, but You did it once for all–all times and all people (whoever chooses to believe and continues in the faith). Once we come to You in faith, You begin the process of putting Your principles into our hearts and writing them on our minds. Please help us to strive to meet together with other believers so that we can draw near to You (by singing, preaching, prayer and praise). May we stir each other up to love and good deeds. Help us also to heed the warnings You give in Your word, through other believers and by Your Holy Spirit. Help us to endure and not shrink back or throw away our confidence in You and thus suffer judgment. May we continue to have faith and preserve our souls. AMEN
Action
(Ask God, the Holy Spirit, if He wants you to work on one of the suggestions below or something else more personal that He points out.)
I will spend some time each day thanking Jesus for being the Lamb of God who has permanently taken away all my sins.
I will daily interact with at least two people (in addition to my family) with the goal of talking about Jesus and all He is and has done for us.
I will look for ways to stir other believers to love and good deeds and then carry them out.
I will come out of hiding and not shrink back [because of fear of COVID-19, persecution, cancelation or being misunderstood] from expressing my faith in public.
Share
I plan to share what I’ve learned with ______.