Call to Commitment

An expository study of the book of Hebrews

 

Chapter 8

 1. Now this is the main point of the things we are saying: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens,

2. a Minister of the sanctuary and of the true tabernacle which the Lord erected, and not man.

3. For every high priest is appointed to offer both gifts and sacrifices. Therefore it is necessary that this One also have something to offer.

4. For if He were on earth, He would not be a priest, since there are priests who offer the gifts according to the law;

5. who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moises was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For said, “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.”

6. But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises.

7. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second.

 

A position of perfection

 The Holy Spirit is glorifying Christ, just as Jesus promised He would do: “For He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you” (Jn.16:14). In the seven previous chapters, He was leading us to this main point. He is now presenting the One, who is the High Priest of a better order of priesthood than the Levitical order. In the last chapter, He showed us this type in Melchizedek, having referred several times to Psalm 110:4. He is the perfection of the High Priest that God had in mind in eternity. 

  (An expository study of the book of Hebrews)

 Chapter 7

1. For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,

2. to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated “king of righteousness,” and then also king of Salem, meaning “king of peace,”

3.  without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.

 

The person Melchizedek

 We have now left the milk of the basic principles of the doctrines of Christ and are deeply into teaching that is solid food. We have learned of the oath of God towards Abraham and his spiritual descendants. We have studied biblical hope that is anchored within the veil and draws us into the Holy of Holies. Now we come to the teaching concerning Melchizedek, and the writer has already referred three times to him in 5:6 and 10, and in 6:20, quoting each time from Psalms 110:4. In 5:11, he states, “Of whom we have much to say, and hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing.” This is going to be very solid food.

I think, in this chapter, more than in any other portion in the Bible, the Holy Spirit establishes Scripture, not only as the greatest authority, but as the only authority for Christian doctrine. Under the anointing and inspiration of the Spirit of God, the writer develops a wide range of New Testament truth, regarding the order of Melchizedek, from a total of four Old Testament verses… Genesis 14:18-20 and Psalm 110:4. Taught by the Holy Spirit, he builds upon this foundation, not only upon what these verses say, but what they do not say. We will attempt to delve into a most intriguing study, a beautiful example of a revelation, in which the Spirit opens the eyes of the heart to give spiritual understanding!  

 Every word has significance. He first introduces the name of the person that he is presenting, Melchizedek, and then follows with the titles of his offices, as king and priest. He gives his encounter with Abraham, inserting it into the historical record from the book of Genesis. Abraham had just returned from rescuing his nephew, Lot, and his family from four kings, who had taken them captive. Immediately after Abraham accepts the bread and wine of Melchizedek, he refuses the reward of the king of Sodom. The type is most suggestive and means: Let all those who partake of the bread and the wine, which is the body and the blood of Christ, refuse the world’s offers. I remind you that this is no legend; it is an authentic story, written by the Holy Spirit with the lives of real people. Now the Author points the writer to the details that He placed in the account centuries before (1).

An expository study of the book of Hebrews 

 Chapter 6

1. Therefore, leaving the discussion of the elementary principles of Christ, let us go on to perfection, not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God,

2. of the doctrine of baptisms, of laying on of hands, of resurrection of the dead, and of eternal judgment.

3. And this we will do if God permits.

 

Six foundational principles

 Whenever I read these three verses in Hebrews, I always think of a classroom, in which the teacher is anxious for his or her class to advance and the greater part of the students want to learn. However, there are some people, usually sitting in the back of the room, who just don’t care. In fact, they create disturbances, hinder progress and they themselves have not even learned the basics of the course. This is a serious matter in the Kingdom of God, because there is a maxim at its core that says, “If you don’t go forward, you will surely regress.”   

 There are a couple things that we have to know in relation to this matter of progressing in the Christian walk. It does not mean that a believer leaves the gospel and goes on to ‘deeper’ things. It means that he goes deeper into the gospel. It does not mean that he leaves the foundation, but simply that he leaves off laying it, so that he can build upon it. In my version of the Bible, the NKJV, you will notice that it states, leaving the discussion, which seems to indicate that, in the writer’s teaching, he will now go on to more mature matters. Taking away the chapter division, it is a continuation of the subject of milk and solid food in the last verses previous to this chapter. Perfection in this case means maturity, which is precisely the subject matter at hand.

 Commentator Warren Wiersbe said: “When I was in kindergarten, the teacher taught us our ABCs. You learn your ABCs so that you might read words, sentences, books – in fact, anything in literature. But you do not keep learning the basics. You use the basics to go on to better things.  

  

Chapter 5

 1. For every high priest taken from among men is appointed for men in things pertaining to God, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins.

2. He can have compassion on those who are ignorant and going astray, since he himself is also subject to weakness.

3. Because of this he is required as for the people, so also for himself, to offer sacrifices for sins.

4. And no man takes this honor to himself, but he who is called by God, just as Aaron was.

 

Defining high priesthood

 In the first four verses, the writer defines the office of high priesthood. The Jewish Christians are very familiar with it, but they need to be reminded of its basic principles. Now we, who are less acquainted with Jewish priesthood, can learn and profit from his writing. It is consistent with human nature to be taken up with superficial details, surrounding the things into which God has placed us, and tend to forget the main purpose for which He created them.

 The first consideration that we must understand is that a high priest was chosen among his peers. In order to fulfill the purposes of his position, he must have the inner qualities that will equip him for ministry. Because he is a part of the human race, he understands the inner trials and suffering of those, to whom he renders service. His ministry is lost, if he is not compassionate. It is a great lesson for all those, who take on leadership of any kind in the church. For one to simply take on the duties and responsibilities related to any office, is to miss the point completely. He must have a heart preparation, before entering into Christian ministry.

 

  An expository study of the book of Hebrews

                            Chapter 4

 1. Therefore, since a promise remains of entering His rest, let us fear lest any of you seem to have come short of it.

2. For indeed the gospel was preached to us as well as to them; but the word which they heard did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in those who heard it.

3. For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: “So I swore in My wrath, they shall not enter My rest,” although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

4. For He has spoken in a certain place of the seventh day in this way: “And God rested on the seventh day from all His works”;

5. and again in this place: “They shall not enter My rest.”

6. Since therefore it remains that some must enter it, and those to whom it was first preached did not enter because of disobedience, 

7. again He designates a certain day, saying in David, “Today”, after such a long time, as it has been said: “Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts.”

8. For if Joshua had given them rest, then He would not afterward have spoken of another day.

9. There remains therefore a rest for the people of God.

10. For he who has entered His rest has himself also ceased from his works as God did from His.

11. Let us therefore be diligent to enter that rest, lest anyone fall according to the same example of disobedience.