with Elder Elico Manenji
✝️This chapter deals with the doctrine of the priestly office of Christ which is of a more excellent and essential a part of the Christian faith.
After the captivity of Judah by the Babylonians, the prophet Hosea prophesied saying, "For the children of Israel shall abide many days without a king, and without a prince, and without a sacrifice, and without an image, and without an ephod, and without teraphim"(Hosea 3:4).
The Apostle here assured them that by receiving the Lord Jesus they would have a much better high priest, a priesthood of a higher order and a better dispensation or covenant, a better law and testament.
Thus the Apostle shows that Christ instead of being made a priest from the tribe of Levi and the house of Aaron, He was made a priest in the order of Melchizedek, who was said to be without, father or mother and without beginning or end of days.
Since Christ was made a priest in the order of Melchizedek, His ministry is never ending, He always lives to make intercession for His people before a Holy God.
So His priesthood is more superior than that of Aaron who was only a priest but Christ being a sacrifice, the priest and king of peace.
1️⃣Hebrews 7:1-10: The priesthood of Christ compared to that of Melchizedek who received tithes from Abraham.
⏹️Melchizedek was King of Salem(peace), Salem was a Canaanite city which worshipped the true God amongst idolaters which was a rare occurrence in those days.
Abraham from whom the Levitical priesthood originated from paid a tithe to this Melchizedek, thus acknowledging his superiority over himself.
The prophet Isaiah says, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given: and the government shall be on his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."
(Isaiah 9:6)
⏭️So, Melchizedek, the priest and king, had a rare superiority over those Aaronic priests in that he was both priest and king than Aaron who held one office of priest. Melchizedek's priesthood was in all probability confined to two functions of sacrifice and intercession.
The prophet Isaiah says, "Therefore will I divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he has poured out his soul to death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors."
(Isaiah 53:12)
⏫Melchizedek is said to be without father and without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days, nor end of life simply because he as extra ordinary, his exercise of the worship of the true God amongst idolaters was rare, he was not of a known Hebrew origin but a true worshipper of God.
So Christ who was not from the tribe of Levi, who paid tithe whilst in the loins of Abraham even though He came from the tribe of Judah, a tribe unknown in the priesthood from which Christ was made a priest. He instead of holding only the office if priesthood was also a king of peace.
The Apostle says, "But he whose descent is not counted from them received tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promises."
(Hebrews 7:6)
⏹️As Melchizedek met Abraham from his warfare with the kings, Melchizedek blessed Abraham, and Abraham paid tribute to him by giving him the tithe of his spoils, thus the superior blessing Abraham who paid tithe to the superior.
The Scriptures say, "And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was the priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: And blessed be the most high God, which has delivered your enemies into your hand. And he gave him tithes of all. And the king of Sodom said to Abram, Give me the persons, and take the goods to yourself."
(Genesis 14:18-21)
⏭️So as we are in a spiritual warfare we have all been called by Christ, the Captain of the host, who is better than Abraham as He leads on His followers to battle and to victory.
He, as the anointed Priest, stands in the capacity of the better Melchizedec to bless His conquering and even His struggling troops against sin and evil forces.
His priestly hands are extended to bless and to conquer as He looks down from His heavenly throne on the earthly charge which He loves so well.
The prophet Isaiah says, "Speak you comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry to her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she has received of the LORD's hand double for all her sins." (Isaiah 40:2)
2️⃣Hebrews 7:11-28: The superiority of Christ priesthood as compared to that of the Aaronic order.
⏹️As perfection was not complete through the Levitical priesthood, God therefore ordained and appointed another means for true righteousness which by faith in Christ who was made both the Sacrifice and the Priest, for the perfection of the saints and this is the righteousness of faith which is obtained by laying hold on Christ’s righteousness by which we are only justified.
The prophet Micah says, "But you, Bethlehem Ephratah, though you be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall he come forth to me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting."
(Micah 5:2)
⏭️So God changed the priesthood from the order of Aaron which He abrogated and making way for that which had preceded it which was of the order of Melchizedek.
So as the Levitical priesthood was changed with its sacrificial offerings which could not confer perfection or could not reconcile God to man nor purify the unholy heart and open the kingdom of heaven to the souls of people, it was therefore necessary to abolished it and make a more robust system by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the sins of the people who come to Him in repentance of sin which is a more superior priesthood and a more superior sacrifice.
The Psalmist speaking of this superior order says, "Sacrifice and offering you did not desire; my ears have you opened: burnt offering and sin offering have you not required. Then said I, See, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do your will, O my God: yes, your law is within my heart. I have preached righteousness in the great congregation: see, I have not refrained my lips, O LORD, you know. I have not hid your righteousness within my heart; I have declared your faithfulness and your salvation: I have not concealed your loving kindness and your truth from the great congregation."
(Psalm.40:6-10)
⏹️The abolishing of the priesthood from the sacerdotal tribe of Levi to make way for the prophetic priesthood of Christ by the prophet Zechariah who said He shall arise as the dawn and be a Priest upon His throne who shall be our Lord risen out of Judah. He is Lord and King by right of birth as by this circumstance that He belongs to the tribe of Judah hints to us of the transference of the priesthood.
For Moses said nothing of this tribe in reference to priests, however great it became in its kings as the kingship of our Lord is foreshadowed in Melchizedek the king of peace.
The prophet Zechariah said, "Thus speaks the LORD of hosts, saying, Behold the man whose name is The BRANCH; and he shall grow up out of his place, and he shall build the temple of the LORD." (Zechariah 6:12)
⏭️That Christ is able to save to the uttermost is perfected by means of Christ beng the Saviour of sinners from His appointment to that work by the Father, whose infinite wisdom could employ no means inadequate to the purpose they were designed to accomplish. That He is able to save, may be argued from the dignity of His person, and His possession as God and as man of every qualification necessary in a Saviour.
The Apostle John says, "My little children, these things write I to you, that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." (1John 2:1)
🅰️Appeal
In Christ, there is a change in the form and order of making the priests.
In Christ, there is a change in the efficacy of the priesthood, for the former was weak and unprofitable and made nothing perfect but the latter brought in a better hope by which we draw near to God. In Christ, there is a change in the covenant of which the priesthood was a security and the priest a surety in the latter dispensation of the gospel, Christ becomes our surety for us to God and for God to us.
The Apostle Paul says, "Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dies no more; death has no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died to sin once: but in that he lives, he lives to God. Likewise reckon you also yourselves to be dead indeed to sin, but alive to God through Jesus Christ our Lord."
(Romans 6:9-11).
Amen!!!
Elico Manenji
('263712952704)
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