The Mystery of Melchizedek (Part 3 of 4)

For the book of Hebrews was written. Jews depended on the high priest to play a role in absolving them of their sin. They long for a day when a great high priest would emerge. Who would bring redemption once for all, from a series called fix our eyes on Jesus today on Truth for Life.

Alistair Begg explains how Jesus became the ultimate mediator who pleads with God on our behalf. Let's turn once again to Hebrews chapter 7 showing we left it by noting the question in verse 11. If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood. Why was there still need for another priest to come. We said that was the if you like $64,000 question in the book of Hebrews because the great issue that is being addressed is how the men and women may as he mentions in verse 19 drawn near to God and how that was going to be possible and what the implications of that would mean for life was essential in the instruction of the writer.

In point of fact, the phrase draw near to God are drawing near to God is used on multiple occasions throughout the book, and it is used in different ways.

I want take time to belabor the point.

But if you check the phrase drawing near to God will find that it is clearly used for trusting in Christ for salvation receiving the forgiveness of our sins continuing to trust in Christ's priesthood persevering in faith despite difficulties boldly coming to God in time of need. Asking God for his help being faithful to God and keeping on doing the will of God and all of those die mentions of Christian experience are caught up in this phraseology so it is clearly a vital essential phrase if all of that is contained in it, and it is imperative that his readers and that we would understand how it would be possible to draw near to God. Another reason it is so central to his argument is because the whole function of the priesthood wants to bring men to God to make men and women, the partakers of his favor and of his image and of the joy and happiness which God alone could provide and to do so in the extent of their nature and in the eternity of there being in other words, it was no flash in the pan expedience and wants to have one's life completely taken over by the power of God, indwelt by the Spirit of God and live in the service of God. And this was not something that was to be marked simply in a moment in time but was to be categorized by a life of steady pilgrimage and in order for that to be the case.

Certain things had to happen. Guilt had to be atoned for the conscience of man had to be settled, or if you like to tranquilize and the heart of man had to be purified. All of those things were involved in setting the unbeliever at peace and rest for a sinless God. Now the very fact that the Levitical priesthood is inadequate to achieve. This is made abundantly clear as the writer says sins long after the establishment of this priesthood. There was still need for another priest to come. One he says in verse 11 in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron because what was there was as far as verse 18 is concerned week and useless. Now this is something that he is going to drive home with great conviction and renewed emphasis in the verses that follow, and for example if you turn the page in your Bible you be at verse one of 10. The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming. He says to them, not the realities themselves. For this reason, it can never by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. If it could, would they not have stopped being offered for the worshipers would've been cleansed once and for all and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. The fact is they always felt guilty for their sins.

Because what we experienced in the structure of the Levitical priesthood was only that which could be of transient import to them and they were coming back again and again while the Israelites then where enables to render an outward obedience to the laws which regulated the service of the earthly temple and century the priests of the people were unable totally powerless to affect the inward cleansing of conscience that was necessary. They were unable to bring to the people that which could make perfect and those who drew near to worship as he says in chapter 10 were left kind of high and dry. Note back in chapter 7 and verses 12 and 13. The writer makes the point that these means and laws to which he is referring served a temporary purpose and when the time came, they had to be changed for something that would be permanent, complete and eternal because what was represented in this structure was impermanent and incomplete and valid only in time and so he says it's very important for you to understand that he the one who was the common the order of Melchizedek were in verse 13 and then into 14 did not descend from the tribe of Levi.

He belonged to a different tribe he says and 13 and no one from the tribe to which he belonged has ever served at the altar, for it is clear that our Lord descended from the tribe of Judah, remembering the Old Testament that he is the lion of Judah breaks the chains and the blind. Those who are held in captivity and in regard to that tribe Moses has said nothing about priests now again the logic is fairly straightforward since Jesus had no right to minister at the material altar.

It would be inconceivable that they would maintain such altars and light of the nature of his priesthood so that if you imagine all that was represented in the ceremonial structure of the Levitical system fully enforce surrounded by people and then comes one after the order of Melchizedek, and on his cross.

There is a once and for all atoning sacrifice for sin. And unlike the Levitical priests who only were able to exercise priesthood for a while.

He now is a exercising a permanent and eternal priesthood. It is inconceivable that people would still keep coming to these tables and going through all of this stuff that which had been before was obsolete and that which is now common in the person of Christ was perpetually significant.

Hence is quote from the Psalm we read, but it is declared verse 17 you are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek, the former regulation is set aside because it was weak and useless for the law made nothing perfect and a better hope is introduced by which we draw near to God, the law made nothing perfect.

It couldn't make the priests perfect it couldn't provide a perfect expiation for sin.

It couldn't afford men and women's hearts of perfect peace. It couldn't grant to them. A perfect conscience if it'd been able to accomplish all of that and it would've been permanent and it was on account of the fact that it couldn't that it was to pass away with a thoughtful person is then inevitably going to disabled and why did it even exist. Why did it exists, we has been a long time answering that question, but in essence, the answer is because it foreshadowed the grace which was to be revealed in the Lord Jesus Christ and all the benefits that it conveyed in that system were on the basis of Christ's forthcoming sacrifice so that people were redeemed in the Old Testament the way the people are redeemed in the New Testament, there was not Old Testament Way and I New Testament Way people redeemed in the Old Testament in prospect of the atoning sacrifice which would be made in the person and work of the great high priest, and people are redeemed in the New Testament era and in our era. On the strength of that to which we look back and so they look forward, albeit not seeing it in all of its fullness, and yet trusting in the promise of God, and we look to it and in the same place we find forgiveness of sins.

Peace with God cleansed conscience and a whole new hope.

It is at the cross that we see the light and are born again and that is why the once for all sacrifice negates all of the previous regulations and in the giving of himself, the Lord Jesus Christ vanquished any form of remaining divine authority for all the rights and regulations that one before. And if you know your Bible at all. You know that in the death of Christ upon the cross there was given at least to the immediate residents of Jerusalem the classic and graphic illustration of this, and must've been an amazing event to be standing in the temple precincts at the time of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for all those who had gathered their were most aware of the fact that there were certain precincts into which one could go. The court of the Gentiles in the court of the Jews in the place of the priests and then finally into the holy of holies, which were separated by this mammoth curtain, which once and for all symbolized the fact that you can draw near to God. Someone else is going to have to go and do that for you, and before they ever go in there they're going have to make sure they clean themselves as they gathered on that day. Witless, the vast majority of them to what was taking place. All of a sudden this gigantic curtain is torn apart in a dramatic symbolic gesture on the part of God to say to men and women step this way the lower ones I need to say to you that to cling to the shadow is to 4 feet. The substance that it represents. I was involved in an significant discussion yesterday with a man who is trying to explain to me that it was fine for him to hold on to the shadows, although he still believed in the substance. I don't thinks because the reality is so different from the shadow once you have embraced the real thing.

Why would you ever want to spend time around those tables again.

You think about your sensible people. What is this better hope in verse 19 from whence does it spring. How can we have a better hope by which we draw near to God. Well that is a hope which springs from belief in the indestructible life of the Lord Jesus Christ and the assurance that that life is still active in his priestly function as he intercedes for us. It is a better hope which is anchored within the veil fixed in the person of Christ, which is able to bring is immediately and wonderfully into his presence. Now in verses 20 to 28 which is the final section, he simply goes on to provide further instruction and make some crucial points of application and he makes much of the fact that the Lord Jesus has been appointed priest not by regulation of the law, not on the basis of the ancestry, which was his, but he is been appointed on the basis of an oath and it was not without an oath he says! And, of course. Again, the readers would be immediately tuned into this in a way that we need educated to heed." From the side, hundred and 10 and the point that he is making is the selfsame point. It is the superiority of the priesthood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now you will perhaps recall from chapter 6 that this is the second occasion in which the writer to the Hebrews tells his readers that God has sworn by an oath back in verse 13 of chapter 6 we read when God made his promise to Abram since there was no one greater for him to swear by. He swore by himself. What is this.

Meanwhile Peter Adam very helpfully says the fact that God swears on oath means that he will certainly do what is promised that he states his whole character and credibility on doing it is not in God's ordinary promises are less trustworthy, but when he swears on oath, with a promise he is leading his people know of the crucial and central importance of a particular promise within his purposes, so that it is not that his promises are any less trustworthy without an oath, but when he swears by an oath he is reinforcing Michael central truth, not everything that out in relationship to the two promises here in chapter 6 in chapter 7, you will understand something very wonderful because these two promises are the very heart of biblical faith. For example, back in chapter 6 we might backtrack for a moment, God's promise to Abraham I will surely bless you and give you many descendents began to be fulfilled in the calling and keeping of his chosen people right. It was then fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Abraham's descendent who in God's plan was to bring blessing to all the nations through his atoning death because when you read in the Old Testament of the promise of God to Abram in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed. Is it what is that possibly mean well, it means that it finds its fulfillment in so far as Jesus is a descendent from Abraham, lives his life dies and atoning death and thereby makes it possible for the Muslim and the Buddhist and the pagan to be born again of the spirit of God and to understand life in all its fullness.

The promise advances in fulfillment when you discovered Jews and Gentiles both coming to trust in Christ both discovering what God is done in Jesus and both becoming the children of Abraham's ear and say promise made to Abram finds its fulfillment in the choosing of his special people. It is advanced in the coming of Christ and in his atoning death swear by men and women may trust in Christ throughout all the nations of their and Jew and Gentile.

Together they become his children. Indeed, ultimately, the church of the Lord Jesus Christ is the result of God's promise to Abraham.

And while this in the may not mean much to many, the story of the Bible and the story of church history is the record of God doing what he swore to do. That's the whole story of the Bible in the same way. In the second promised which he refers here. The promise that God makes to Jesus. You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. It was fulfilled in the incarnation when Jesus died, as an atoning sacrifice when he was raised from death to the right hand of God, where he continues as a priest forever in the story of salvation in Christ is the story of God doing what he swore to do, just reinforce this for you in Ephesians chapter 1 Ephesians chapter 1 and in verse 11 in him that is in Jesus. We also we were also chosen, God chose the Jews. What was it that God determines in these people that he would choose what is he saying Deuteronomy since I didn't choose you or call you because you were more significant than any other person. I didn't choose you because I saw in you some peculiar redeeming quality.

I simply loved you because I loved you, and I determined of my own sovereign free choice to make a promise to you that will be throughout all time significant in its implications.

What is he say to us and redeeming us the exact same thing in him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we were the first to hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory, and you also were included in Christ when you hear the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation and having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit understand in his merciful goodness. God deigned to enter into a covenant with us through the work and merit of his son and he is the initiator in the covenant, and it is this better covenant of which Jesus himself has become the guarantee verse two. Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantee of a better covenant. In other words, you can bank on it and you can bank on it in the bank of heaven lay not up for yourselves says three Jesus treasures on earth, where moth and rust get in and eat it. Invited and destroyed, and where thieves come in and steal the stuff but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven is talking there about our endeavors as we live out our lives. The great significant treasure which is ours in heaven is the treasurer of the Lord Jesus Christ himself and when I am tempted to despair and when. Like many of these early readers I feel like chucking it and when I am so confronted by my own waywardness in my disinterest in the things of Christ and my my lax approach to so much and when all the accusations of the evil one against me saying you know you got no guarantee whatsoever you will make it in the end I'm going to remind him that in the Lord Jesus Christ, on account of God's oath. Ruth stated plainly in the hundred and 10 San I have in Jesus.

I guarantee of a better covenant. Have you understood what it means for Jesus to have sacrifice for sins once for all. In the offering of himself in light of the scene upon the cross, is it not arrogant and pompous for us to feel somehow or another that we can make ourselves acceptable to God that we would run the risk and run the gamut of trying to outweigh the balances of our bad with the expressions of our good possible good Alistair Begg here is describing the gospel of Jesus Christ in a manner you've never heard before, if you'd like to learn more about what it means to really be made acceptable to God, we will encourage you to take a couple of minutes and view a helpful video presentation online is called the story and you'll find it a TruthforLife.org/story your listing to Truth for Life are still much more for us to learn about this mysterious Old Testament priest Melchizedek.

If you missed any of the previous programs this week work you'd like to share this particular study with a friend. You can access all of Alistair's teaching for free go to Truth for Life.org or you'll find it on the Truth for Life mobile app Truth for Life. We made it our mission to teach the Bible so that God will work through his word to convert many to be followers of Jesus as a Christian.

That's part of your calling to but some of us are reticent to speak up were afraid someone might ask us a question we can't answer. We found a helpful book for you called. Have no fear.

This book will alleviate some of your nervousness and show you how you can get started sharing your faith. And then, in addition to have no fear would like to send you a second book that's specifically designed to help you walk a friend through the gospel message using the first chapter of the Gospel of John as the central focus of the book is called the word 121, and in this case will send you two copies, one for you and one to share with someone else. So today's special offer features a bundle of three books, a copy of have no fear, and two copies of the word. 121 the complete set is yours when you give a gift to support the ministry of Truth for Life request. The three pack online at truthforlife.org/donate or call 888588788 may be listing to Truth for Life on radio today or maybe you're catching the podcast or using her mobile app, but did you know you can also here truthfully on your Amazon Alexa device. All you need to do is ask Alexa to play truthful.

I program starts right up to an easy way to listen in your home or wherever you keep in Alexa device by Bob Lapine. Glad you been able to join us today and we hope you can join us again Thursday when our series called fix our eyes on Jesus continue's Bible teaching of Alistair Begg is furnished by Truth for Life Learning is for Living