And so, this is exactly the mentality of not only those Hebrews and the church as we find it now in this time. They’d been steeped in Judaism, and in the Old Testament, and then to have to accept the fact that all that has been fulfilled, it’s got to be laid aside; it wasn’t easy then nor is it now. In our day and time it encounters much resistance mainly because of the number of people involved and the depth of its deception. Because it accommodates mans flesh and his understanding of what is known as religion. They don't know or understand that God's idea of religion is much higher than mans and that Jesus as the son of man did not deviate from His appointed course nor did He give in to mans desires. So always keep that in mind, but at the same time remember, as Paul writes in Romans, that all these things were written for our learning. So I trust we are, even as we study Hebrews, learning a lot of the things that pertain even to us today. Alright, so let’s just jump in at verse 25 where we finished.
Hebrews 7:25
"Wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, (in other words, by believing that finished work of the Cross) seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them."
Now I didn’t really comment on that last part of the verse. But it’s just simply to tell us that God will never stop being all that we need. Even when we get to that eternal state when there’s no longer the necessity for interceding for us as we struggle through this life. Yet, the confidence that we have is that this relationship with our great High Priest will never end. It is forever and ever and ever. And this is also born witness to in Revelation chapter 8 and verses 3 and 4.
Now then, we can go into verse 26.
Hebrews 7:26
"For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens;"
Now if you’ll just analyze that for a moment, could any of that apply to a priest of Levi? No. No, mere human can measure up to that. This was something that only Christ Himself could fulfill. And that’s the kind of a High Priest we have. He is harmless, undefiled, totally separated from sinners. He didn’t have that old sin nature that we’re born with. He was always God. Even while “the son of man”, He remained or stayed the course, the old or ancient path as it is revealed in the scriptures and which He opened the mind of His flowers to shortly after His resurrection. And of course was proclaimed to be, "...made higher than the heavens" because He stayed this course. Its this same course that Israel as a young nation just birth from Egypt was called to, and those of us who through our passing through the same first estate can now enter because Jesus Christ has done it first for us and God requires it of us also. Because when we come to know our girl friend, we are said to love her and cherish her, just as we're to come to know God in Christ. We have to come to know Him and thereby have developed, His Agape Love, within us again. The secret of dieing on the cross and our being placed within the corral in the ministry of the Holy Spirit, our first blessing. Now then, verse 27.
Hebrews 7:27a
"Who needeth not daily, as those high priests,…"
See how this is constantly showing us that he’s talking to Hebrews. And they knew the role of the priesthood in Judaism. The ordinary priest who went in the daily ministrations of the sanctuary from the altar out there at the gate and then stopped at the laver of cleansing. And then into the little front room of the sanctuary wherein there was the table of showbread that had to be changed every day. And the candle-holder that had to be trimmed and filled with oil every day. The altar of incense, that had to be kept burning with incense. And that was their routine day in and day out from the human element, a ministration dependent on mans works of self-effort. And, of course, when they died someone else would have to take their place. Alright, but every day they would have to go through the ritual of this maintaining the temple worship. They had no insight of the true meaning of all those articles of the temple as being symbols of Christ and His ministry as our High Priest. And this is still the block of stumbling even in our time.
Hebrews 7:27b
"…to offer up sacrifice, first for his own sins, (because they too were sinners, even though they were priests, remember to that they thought that they were above the gentiles and therefore had no sin like that of the gentile dogs) and then for the people’s.(the Nation of Israel. But Christ didn’t have to do this) for this he did once, when he offered up himself."
Now I’ve always stress when in Hebrews, look for the number of times where it tells us that Christ did these things "once." Once for all, as the old hymn put it. So "for this he did once, when he offered up himself." And we’re going to see in another chapter where the blood of animals, bulls and goats couldn’t do it but His singular sacrifice finished everything. Why? Because the value God puts on His Blood as this Blood has Eternal Life’s power in it or is an Endless Life force in itself. Now again I have to deviate somewhat from our course because you see Jesus was not only the last son in the heirship of King David but through John the Baptist [as the last son in Levis heritage] was ordained a priest at the river in His baptism by John. For this is the meaning of, "to fulfill all righteousness" by them both. And now verse 28.
Hebrews 7:28
For the law maketh men high priests which have infirmity; but the word of the oath, which was since the law, maketh the Son, who is consecrated for evermore.
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