Hebrews 6:13-7:28: The Certainty of God’s Promise

Here is tonight's lesson on Hebrews. Use it if it will do you good. Just remember where you got it. 

Hebrews 6:13-7:28: The Certainty of God’s Promise

God made a promise that his people would have someone to guide them to him. In the Old Testament, it was the priests. The High Priest, or the main guy, led all the priests to God. But who would lead the High Priest? He was after all, a sinful man just like every other man. He just had a different job.

When God changed the priesthood  this time, it was for the last time. The first was the Patriarchal Period, where the fathers of a family came to God as priests. This was during the time of Abraham and Isaac and for the rest of the world besides the Jews after the law was given. The second was during the Mosaical Period, or after Moses gave Israel the new law and the Ten Commandments. That meant the Jews had a new way with new priests all outlined in the Old Testament. The third is now. We come to God by Jesus, our High Priest.

In all of these times, there had to be someone to bring us to God. In the first, the fathers brought their families; in the second, the priests brought the people; and in the third Jesus brings us.

But when he changed it all, God used only his own nature and will to promise us it would be done. Where we have to swear by someone greater than ourselves, God could only use himself, as there was no one else greater than he.

And again, he brought up a new kind of priest over a new kind of kingdom. He brought up a priest-king like Melchizedek in the Old Testament. He was a king and a priest. He name meant “king of righteousness” – melek zedek, or king righteousness) and he was the king of Salem (Salem – also shalom – means peace in Hebrew). He was the kind of king and priest that Jesus would be. And God authenticated him as such by Abraham giving him a tithe of all his stuff.

Jesus was a perfect person. He didn’t need someone else to go for him into God’s presence. What’s more, he is also an eternal priest. He will never die and go out of office. Like Melchizedek, Jesus became an independent priest. In him, we are independent priests. We do not answer to someone else for our authority. God gives it to us.

God did this so that we could have hope in Jesus. We don’t have to worry about whether or not we are good enough to go to God. Through Jesus, the perfect High Priest, we are. And that is our hope that anchors us to God.

QUESTIONS:
1.  Why would God have to swear in the first place?

2.  Hebrews says that Melchizedek was Without father or mother, without genealogy, without beginning of days or end of life, like the Son of God he remains a priest forever. How do you think that worked? Was Melchizedek immortal?

3.  The Levites (the priests) collected a tithe from the rest of Israel. How is that different from Melchizedek collecting a tithe from Abraham?

4.  Does the change of law mean the old law was no good? Why would it change? Did God change his mind?

5.  The law made nothing perfect. What does that mean? Jesus was perfect. What about him? He was under the law.

6.  How is God’s promise an anchor? In what way do you think it anchors us?

7.  If we do not answer to anybody’s authority, does that mean no one can tell us what to do?