054 - Better, Better, BETTER

You pick up your Bible. One is more here than meets the is there something here for me. I mean it's just words printed on paper right it may look like just print on the page but it's more than eight. Join us for the next half hour, as we explore God's word together as we learn how to explore it on our own. As we ask God to meet us there in its pages welcome to more than better is the thing I got is worn out or doesn't work. The job correctly exactly and so he's going talk to me about everything, not just anything, but better and better priest exactly and better about today on more than he, and I'm Dorothy and we are excited that you're with is I'm excited were excited as kind of a classically difficult territory.

At least that's what people say in the room thinking requires thinking yeah he he actually little few chapters ago said that were going in the US solid food territory. So this is like the teacher should put your thinking cap on.

So this is really fascinating stuff. I think every time we come back to it. We learn something new because the depth of what's been shown here is just really marvelous. So if your head is spinning a little bit well and in a week since you been listening for us is been weeks since we sitting here yeah yeah so let me just catch up where we got to if you if you look at Hebrews sentiment beginning the book Mickey comes around again saying no you need to consider who this Jesus is and this is a topic that was pretty critical to Jews because he said what we've got better Temple and we've got when the promised land. And so Jesus is coming to relevant and Mason is no Jesus is preeminent in fact makes his first KC and he's he's more important than angels themselves, which is a big big deal. The supremacy of Jesus and and then when he launches in chapter 2 he gives us is really stern warning sources are lucky you don't want to neglect this salvation is a big deal is a big deal.

This salvation in Jesus and that Jesus himself if he says is kind of the founder of the captain of this salvation is promises of God realized in her life so so he's really waking you up as he starts into the box and he says what let's we need to consider Jesus and so we get sick.

Chapter 3 he says it again you need to consider. So that's why was a long time ago that this book really should be entitled Jesus because it's all about who Jesus is from a particular viewpoint of the Jews and he was overlooked in many ways because he wasn't recognized as the Messiah, but what the authors going to do is weave and show how the whole idea. Jesus is not an afterthought on God's part is really the central mode road through which God has planned that the fruition of his promises.

So just consider Jesus and any enemy. It's an interesting thing before he finishes three says you know that there is there's this promise from God and it's called rest R and I always like to equate this to you know the Psalm 23 about the shepherd and the sheep in the nearby and into nice pastors so the rest is an idea of a wonderful place to live in a sentence, like Eden again coming back to this, the promise of God is a great place for us to live with him so he introduces the idea of this rest and then as a further caution to wake you up.

This is, you know, that promise was given to Israel when they left Egypt, but they they decided not to not to really trust God's promise they were going to take him at his word that he was going to give this great promise land and so so again he cautions us again not only.you know you gotta consider Jesus but he says what can happen to you if you don't if you don't wise up and listen is what happened Israel when they left Egypt and did not make it into the promised land. This place of rest because they wouldn't take God's word.

Verse promise just wouldn't believe so.

So he he wants us again in chapter 4, now, be careful because you can go by the same way you can miss the promise. Even though the promise remains for rest, which is great. Good news for Christ. You can still miss it by just believing that God can do it but then he says something remarkable. He says, but there still remains a promise of rest for the people of God.

That's in chapter 4, which means it's not getting into the promised land. Palestine, you know it's there's there's still remains a promise from God for rest and so with that, he intrigues us by talking segues and who Jesus is, as our high priest. So before you finish the chapter 4 he talks about Jesus as the one who's gonna be the middleman. The mediator between God and us into in order to get us to where God wants us to be in the fulfillment of his promise to us of this rest and then right there in chapter 5.

Sourcing says okay rest up for second.

Are you ready for this noise is the up till now, you will been talking milk in terms of the gospel. No solid food. This is solid for you ready for this.

So he takes kind of a little little pause in chapter 5 like a ready can you handle the truth and then and then you know when he gets in chapter 6 is okay. I'm convinced you can handle. So let's go forward. In verse nine of chapter 6 let's go for permanent do this, here we go any says talking about God's promises to Abraham which actually are fulfilled in this resting NRA fulfilled in Jesus, but will get more to that in a couple minutes but is only backed Abraham was the father of the nation of Israel, as is were talking about is foundational. In fact, it's pre-foundational when he introduces the idea of this mystery man in Melchizedek who is a contemporary in terms of age with Abraham and and to whom Abraham paid great respect and even tithing.

And so he introduces the idea we got to last time about the fact that this Melchizedek. He's an important picture for us to understand the role of Jesus in us getting to this place of rest and the fulfillment of God's promises and so that's how we left it last time which was the fact that this this Melchizedek, especially if he is a priest. He's actually much, much greater than the classical Jewish idea, the priest, which comes from Levi and Aaron. He something much bigger and much more preeminent in the way the Levitical priests who were in the loin of Abraham at the time, and because etc. actually paid homage to Melchizedek so he introduces this idea that this mystery Melchizedek which everyone's familiar with your an Old Testament scholar like a Jew says this Melchizedek is kinda sorta like Jesus. And so here's how he's bringing the idea why the Jewish nation and we as well. Need Jesus because he plays a pivotal role in terms of making the promises of God come to fulfillment.

So that's where we've gotten to so he's he's taken almost 6 chapters say are you ready for well were up to her eyeballs now so I hope you contract with us.

But again, the whole the whole issue of why we been talking about. This is a God is made promises promises for arrest and if were not careful in disobedience, we may miss it. And so the offer is there and the promise never goes away, but critically in the center of the picture is Jesus as our high priest and the reason we would miss entering God's rest is because we do not we willfully choose not to believe what he says about it and what he says he will accomplish for us, and that really is the heart of that passage in three and four about them failing to enter the rest because of their disobedience will only hear disobedience.

We think they do so well when they didn't do was believe God right now that Scripture says no Abraham believed God, and that was reckoned to him as righteousness. So all this is tied together in terms of taking God at his word for his promises toward us for our benefit and this is God's loving intention for us is defined rest and define life and then just add one small thing since intercity, the high priest he there was a brief glimpse of a moment. He talked about the fact that were being brought in behind the curtain and we talked about that in the temple of his ways symbolically were God living there was a curtain that separated common mankind from the presence of God right there and we can't go past that, but the high priest could so in the metaphor all this were seeing the fact that if if we want to be brought to life to the promise of God in the nearness of God the promise presence in the presence of God. Somehow we have to get past that curtain that separate sinful man the high priest was going to do before. Guess what, we have another high priest Jesus was the high priest is still the only one who could do less. By the high priest in view is Jesus right so he's equated this rest with being in God's presence. And you know from a New Testament perspective will die. That's true. We understand that, but he's making his case to Jews and he's making quite forcefully soaring this whole topic of conversation is were in the middle of chapter 7 about about Melchizedek and Jesus comparing Melchizedek and Jesus together and seeing what we can glean from this little cameo appearance back in Genesis 14, three or four verses were Melchizedek shows up and he's milking this for all it's worth.

Because Melchizedek all the mysterious rate picture of the role of Jesus even pre-Moses. During the time of Abraham, so shall we just dive into it and play best used half our time. This can be to say yes so as to chapter chapter 7 verse 11 and will pick up the discussion that shows some light about who Jesus is based on the milk is okay. So if you remember where we left off. He just said no Melchizedek. What receives ties from all the priests who were still unborn in the loins of Abraham. So now picking up in verse 11. So now if perfection had been attainable through the Levitical priesthood for under it the people received the law. What further need when they have been for another priest to arise after the order attack rather than one named after the order of Aaron for when is a change in the priesthood. There is necessarily a change in the law as well for one of whom these things are spoken belongs to an tribe from which no one has ever served at the altar for its evident that our Lord was descended from Judah and in connection with that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. This becomes even more evident when another priest arises in the likeness of men kiss attack who has become a priest, not the basis of a legal requirement concerning bodily dissent, but by the power of an in tractable life for its witnessed of him. You are priest forever after the order is attack doing to stop yelling stop there because he makes a pretty obvious argument that a Jew is wrestling with right now. If you're claiming that Jesus some kind of superior high priest. It can't work because everybody knows that Jesus is not from the tribe of Levi and that's a rule in the Old Testament can't do it.

So we mean talk about priest introducing something new is actually no nontraditional something new. Introducing something that predates something very old old right that there is a priesthood that surpasses that is greater and existed before the Levitical priesthood was put in place is very relevant because Abraham himself paid tithes to this right so there you go. This guy is some kind of a priest so he says if you know if Melchizedek is never figured into your thinking spiritually speaking before is a Jew and might be because he is pointing toward Jesus, who was also not figuring think, but he should. Because Melchizedek is real and he has a relationship with Abraham and the promises to Abraham are talking about this so so he just makes his point is that he says importing his descended from Judah, okay I get that but Melchizedek is not descended from Judah back who is milk his descended from we know and and so that's what is coming in 16 about indestructible life didn't actually admit because they have an indestructible at well well if he was around he would be probably the only light was born. He died but we have no history of some Jewish ideas of the history of his birth to death any okay so you know interpreters account all over the map on the very real line of thinking that this Melchizedek. The patient Genesis was actually a pre-incarnate appearance Jesus but but the text is Katie doesn't say that out right so we are left to kind of wonder and to just go with the idea that that that hearing Hebrews were told he is like Jesus back and check. Here's a picture he is a tight beginning this chapter he said he resembles the right so I clued trying make a connection. So Jews except Melchizedek is a historical figure this thing so if you accept Melchizedek as a historical they need something that accepting Jesus because there they resemble each other in a number ways and so and again. What's interesting is what makes him unqualified isn't his genetics or bloodline grant be our present it's this eternal nature.

This indestructible life and you know we we live in Mormon territories. We have a lot of people who claim to be because of the priests while I sit round that the qualification permit because it is a is an eternal existence. It's an indestructible life. They always were always will be right. That's when he was a senior CAB really literal when you read the stuff asked that the whole thing about that but but he does quote someone 10. The only other place in the Old Testament that you find milk is Psalm 110 and he says so here here's the idea. He is a priest forever, which means before Abraham after Abraham for everyone following us always. He's a priest forever not just a high priest goes, and now the Jewish Temple which no longer exist today and whose office will pass to someone else when when he dies. Yeah, exactly. So we have. This is in an eternal high priest. He's he's starting to bring this into eternal heavenly dimensions of things never change. So then he goes on verse 18 is still making. This compares to make a late summer on the one hand I form a commandment to set aside because of its weakness in uselessness for the law made nothing perfect. But on the other hand, I better hope is introduced through which we draw near to God draw your attention to couple things here we've come across the WordPerfect and the phrase draw near, right here. Those things are both going to recur throughout the rest of the book of Hebrews.

We've already been already heard about drawing near. Back in chapter 4 we draw near with confidence to the throne of grace to this idea of drawing near to God is something you need to priest to do for you, so drawing near were to listen for that to show up again and again and that at least one more time in this chapter and then the idea of perfect or perfection is going to show up so it doesn't mean sinlessness. It means nothing more is needed is sufficiently it is sufficient so I would encourage you readers to take your concordance and look up that word perfect and looking up just to zero in on the New Testament, how Jesus used that word because you will be astonished at how many times it shows up in the Gospels, in the words of Jesus and look at how he uses the word and what he means by it and the writer of Hebrews uses it exactly the same way as the completion of the process.

Nothing more is needed in order to make it effective or holy complete), and it often implies a particular word implies the end of a process rest so I was I was say no if you're if you're developing a recipe your favorite recipe.

You don't want to and you'll like it will be change and change and change it to finally get to the end of the process and you say I have perfected my recipe so that's were perfect really is the end of a process and so it also implies a goal and pleasure going someplace toward an end and moving towards that. Yes, all of that is, wrapped up in that idea so so okay so come back to the text. Now is the law made nothing perfect right because there he always had to do a little more little more little more than better hope is introduced through which we draw near to God's talked about hope before us.

We have our hope that's anchored within the veil. We had hope in the confidence that God has done what he said he would do he will do what he says so. We have a better hope that's introduced with Jesus is our high priest, and that's an intriguing piece of good news is like when you have a better hope you have better hope than the process of the law back in the Old Testament and the sacrifice that I was exiting better. Better is better is a better hope which means point is something still to come right so that that draws Jews attention and our attention to what you mean a better hope. Well I identify with this if we as we all talk to people is a will, I hope been good enough for God to accept me.

Yeah right.

But that's wishful bad error hope that we have is in the accomplishment of Jesus for us all those things we could not do for ourselves yet and he said it in passing in such a benign way and 19 in our versions and parentheses. As you know, the law made nothing is right never completed the fronts of the law was never intended to to deal with your transformation out of sin right but it did a great job at pointing but that doesn't help still stuck you still can't come in the presence of God. The nearness of God because you too simple so the largest housing can't come in. That's what the law tells you that this is why it's a better hope there actually is now a way to get into the nearness of God. The presence of God, and they are in is rest and life send this help is not just wishful thinking and is confident expectation that God will do what he says he will do. I can bank on exactly infer afraid you listen as they say will wait a second sound like I made pretty good promises before the temple thing was working in the sacrifice. Thing is working and so are you saying that God made a bad plan to start with. No, he's not saying that, but he is going to start contrasting how that how these two plans are different. But remember, if Jesus is like Melchizedek. Melchizedek is a contemporary of Abraham. In this plan through Jesus like Melchizedek preexisted that transplant right so he's not he's gonna spin chapters talking about this because the facet okay we need to punch out. So how did Jesus get to be a high priest so back to back to the text first 2020 and it was not without an oath for those who formerly became priests were such were made such without an oath, but this one was made priest with an oath by the one who said to him, the Lord has sworn and will not change his mind. You are priest forever.

This makes Jesus the guarantor of better covenant. The former priests were many in number because they were prevented by death from continuing in office, but he holds his priesthood permanently because he continues forever. Consequently, he is able to save to the uttermost those who draw near to God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for the role of a high priest making intercession and there it is again the draw near.

Draw near.

He's able to save to the uttermost those who drawn you to go through him, through him, not on the merit of their own accomplishment. According to the law exactly okay and also in verse 25. A red he's able to save to the uttermost. Yeah well that's an that's a good translation but that word is actually related to the word perfect or perfection that were working to see again and again.

So again, that idea of nothing more is needed. He can save completely completely. It is finished.yes on the cross. Yeah so so he's going up he's finally high priest going to go the last mile he's going to go between us and God himself. In a sense he stands in the midst of that curtain that separates the two that allows mankind to come. The presence of God and to draw near to God through him in a sense is Kelly Jesus is on the door and on the door the sheep and stuff like that you have come to the right, work on ways he is. Anyway he's at door now so if you want if you want access to God in the presence of God and find life and joy in the presence of God. You gotta come through Jesus's northern name is no other way yeah so he's introduced this idea not only the better hope in Jesus, but I'm better confident causing my gosh what is well.

What makes this covenant better, and perhaps you've heard the term's old covenant and the new covenant has regular going to get into that next we big time after that.

But if this if Jesus is the guarantor of better confident well what was the one that needs to be better than that right one is based entirely on our willpower, our desire to obey and be good enough just as well. This covenant is a totally different deal then that God is the one who changes so we can get into that more big topic for the next couple of weight to the Jews. The Jews and actually fallen Christians all Seder hung up on this, the idea that there's a list of laws you have to do and if you keep doing those things better pollen Christians what you mean by that. Well, MacCallum subscriptions with okay and the in the end up living life on its people who live by laws. Basically anything that there's something that's been there earning me or crewing some kind of approval from God. Based on this list of things you do and that was a Jewish idea of the laws will got toasted the things we do these things and things get better and we get God's promises.

They go but that is not how it works and it turns out that the law itself was added after the original promise to Abraham right just to out sin, to show how sin is getting in the way of the promise and and that the old covenant is what revealed that sin, the new covenant solves that sin through Jesus. So that's really going to go to.

That's what the better, but we see the word covenant, don't freak out by the covenant, it just means an arrangement or a promise kind of claimant's agreement is a legal way to do life downright and this is this isn't an afterthought on God's part. This was actually core the original thought. Abraham's time well and to choose the IDF covenant was very important update.

Big deal. Big big deal so they were the people to whom God had made promises God had entered into an agreement and and they will even characterize themselves as God's covenant people. I made promises us and so covenant is just a gigantic income is just test the promise. So talk about the promise to Abraham.

So God asserts that he wants to give to his life in this pasture like rest place.

R.

Rest. But the problem is not that God's promise is somehow defective. But the fact that our sin keeps his way and so we so that's the case he's making right now about how it is.

We participate in this new covenant. This new plan is no arrangement that God is put together that the old covenant couldn't solve for us because the old covenant only shows arson. It didn't fix it and that's what's keeping us out of joy in the presence of God, and he and Hebrews had already told us back in chapters 3 and four that the job of the priestess to offer gifts and sacrifices right right that is aquifer that is what he dies, he offers gifts and sacrifices.

He rings the blood of the sacrifice that the people praying and brings it in before God and sell which would be necessary for sinless similar. I had constant shedding of blood is a constant reminder of our need for God's cleansing, so his point here is that Jesus holds his priesthood permanent. He's going to be doing. Always he can save completely. There's nothing more needed because he is always interceding for always and sees the high priest that never dies is a high priest that allows us access to the presence of God. He's a high priest that mediates our ability to take part in the promises of God. Everything is about Jesus. So he's put Jesus in the center stage of how it is. We participate in the great benefits and promises of God. He's put in the center stage and is not going to come off the stage for the rest of the book talk about this entire thing Jesus plays a role here which is something that the Jews really misunderstood about Jesus and really get that about these well and the writer of Hebrews has already told us that he was without sin that he was tempted as we are that he sympathizes with us that he has become the source of salvation that he is entered within the veil and anchored our souls in God's presence and through him we can draw near to God, redrawing fortitude, we draw near to God, which by the way, was something that was impossible, new matter what you did.

The temporal were not getting past it was all reminder of your separation, which is why such a remarkable visible image of Jesus is crucified that curtain that separates is torn apart entry into God's holiness is no one missed that metaphor. I am the way, no one comes to the father while we are out of time and that we hope we have overwhelmed.

Thinking but please come back with his next and will continue this will pick up chapter 7 talk about, so I'm Jim and I'm Dorothy glad you with this. We hope this is challenging you think is next week