Daily Scripture Reading Hebrews 6:4 - 7:10
One of the debates we have in Christianity as we seek to apply the Bible is what do we do with the Old Testament, particularly the Mosaic Law. People debate to what extent Christians need to obey the precepts given by Moses. Some Christians believe we need to observe the Law in some way, shape, or form. Very few Christians advocate for animal sacrifices, but many resort to symbolism to claim Christians can and should symbolically observe the sacrifices.
There are many passages in the Bible which address this question. Hebrews chapter 7 is one of them. Today and tomorrow we will read that Jesus is not a priest in the order of Aaron. Instead, He is a priest in the order of Melchizedek. That fact means Christians are not bound by the precepts of the order of Aaron.
In the opening verses of chapter 6, the author of Hebrews commanded his readers to leave behind elementary principles and pursue maturity. The elementary principles are repentance, faith, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgement.
Heb. 6:4 For in the case of those once having been enlightened and having tasted of the heavenly gift and having become partakers of the Holy Spirit,
Heb. 6:5 and having tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,
Heb. 6:6 and having fallen away, it is impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.
Look at the phrase “having fallen away”. The sentence in verses 4-6 is about those who have fallen away. Now look at the phrase “impossible to renew them again”. Since those who have fallen away already have the Holy Spirit, it is not possible for them to become believers again.
Heb. 6:7 For ground that drinks the rain which often falls on it and brings forth vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God;
Heb. 6:8 but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is unfit and close to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.
Ground that yields crops is blessed, but ground that yields thorns is cursed. The implication is those who remain faithful to God are blessed, but those who have fallen away bring condemnation upon themselves.
Heb. 6:9 ¶ But we are convinced about you, beloved, of things that are better and that belong to salvation, though we are speaking in this way.
Heb. 6:10 For God is not unrighteous so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and continuing to minister to the saints.
Unlike humans who can forget something good, God cannot forget our good deeds.
Heb. 6:11 And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence so as to realize the full assurance of hope until the end,
Heb. 6:12 so that you may not become dull, but imitators of those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.
Heb. 6:13 ¶ For when God made the promise to Abraham, since He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself,
Heb. 6:14 saying, “I WILL GREATLY BLESS YOU AND I WILL GREATLY MULTIPLY YOU.”
Note there are two parts to this oath. The promise to bless and the promise to multiply.
Heb. 6:15 And so, having patiently waited, he obtained the promise.
In verse 15 the pronoun “he” refers to Abraham. God promised descendants to Abraham, and though it took many decades for God to fulfill that promise, eventually Abraham’s patience paid off and he was rewarded with many descendants.
Heb. 6:16 For men swear by one greater than themselves, and with them an oath given as confirmation is an end of every dispute.
Look at the second half of this verse. In their culture, if someone swore an oath that they did or did not do something, that was considered the end of the dispute. People in the 1st century did not dare swear an oath to something that was not true.
Heb. 6:17 In the same way God, desiring even more to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose, guaranteed it with an oath,
Heb. 6:18 so that by two unchangeable things in which it is impossible for God to lie, we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.
In verse 17 the “heirs of the promise” refers to the Israelites being heirs of the promise that Abraham would be greatly blessed and multiplied.
In verse 18 the phrase “we who have taken refuge” refers to Israelites who were contemporaries of the author of Hebrews. The 1st century Israelites were heirs of the promise. Some of them became believers. Since it is impossible for God to lie, and since God swore with an oath to greatly bless Abraham and his descendants, the Jewish believers could have full confidence that they would receive the blessings promised to Abraham.
Heb. 6:19 This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and confirmed and one which enters within the veil,
Heb. 6:20 where a forerunner has entered for us—Jesus, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.
The author mentioned Melchizedek in chapter 5. Jesus is not a priest in the order of Aaron. He is a priest in the order of Melchizedek.
One of the debates we have in Christianity as we seek to apply the Bible is what do we do with the Old Testament, particularly the Mosaic Law. People debate to what extent Christians need to obey the precepts given by Moses. Some Christians believe we need to observe the Law in some way, shape, or form. Very few Christians advocate for animal sacrifices, but many resort to symbolism to claim Christians can and should symbolically observe the sacrifices.
If Jesus is not a priest in the order of Aaron, then that indicates the precepts of the Law of Moses are not binding on those who follow Jesus.
Heb. 7:1 ¶ 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,
Heb. 7:2 TO WHOM ALSO ABRAHAM APPORTIONED A TENTH PART OF ALL, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace.
Don’t overlook the fact that Abraham gave a tenth to Melchizedek.
Heb. 7:3 Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he remains a priest continually.
Heb. 7:4 ¶ Now observe how great this man was TO WHOM ABRAHAM, the patriarch, GAVE A TENTH of the spoils.
Heb. 7:5 And those indeed of the sons of Levi, who receive the priest’s office, have a commandment in the Law to collect a tenth from the people, that is, from their brothers, although these are descended from Abraham.
Heb. 7:6 But the one whose genealogy is not traced from them had collected a tenth from Abraham and blessed the one who had the promises.
Melchizedek collected a tenth from Abraham and Melchizedek blessed Abraham.
Heb. 7:7 But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater.
Heb. 7:8 And in this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives on.
Heb. 7:9 And, so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes,
Heb. 7:10 for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.
The point of this passage is that since Melchizedek collected a tenth and blessed Abraham, that meant Melchizedek was greater than Abraham. Since Aaron was a descendant of Abraham, that meant Melchizedek was greater than Aaron.
Christians debate whether we need to observe the Mosaic Law. This passage, which we will finish reading tomorrow, informs us that Christians are not under the order of Aaron, we are under the order of Melchizedek. It logically follows that we do not need to observe the precepts of the order of Aaron.
Does your church and pastor understand and teach the truths articulated in Hebrews about the priesthood of Jesus and the ramifications of this passage on our lives?
How should your belief system change in light of the fact that Jesus is a priest in the order of Melchizedek, and not in the order of Aaron?
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“Scripture quotations taken from the (LSB®) Legacy Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2021 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. LSBible.org and 316publishing.com.”