Hebrews 5-8 - Prayer Tents

5Every high priest is a man chosen to represent other people in their dealings with God. He presents their gifts to God and offers sacrifices for their sins.G1063G3956G749G2983G1537G444G2525G5228G444G4314G2316G2443G4374G5037G1435G2532G2378G5228G266 2And he is able to deal gently with ignorant and wayward people because he himself is subject to the same weaknesses.G1410G3356G50G2532G4105G1893G4029G846G2532G4029G769 3That is why he must offer sacrifices for his own sins as well as theirs.G2532G1223G5026G3784G2531G4012G2992G3779G2532G4012G1438G4374G5228G266 4And no one can become a high priest simply because he wants such an honor. He must be called by God for this work, just as Aaron was.G2532G3756G5100G2983G5092G1438G235G2564G5259G2316G2509G2532G2 5That is why Christ did not honor himself by assuming he could become High Priest. No, he was chosen by God, who said to him, "You are my Son. Today I have become your Father."G3779G2532G5547G1392G3756G1438G1096G749G235G2980G4314G846G4771G1488G3450G5207G4594G1080G1473G1080G4571 6And in another passage God said to him, "You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek."G2531G3004G2532G1722G2087G4771G2409G1519G165G2596G5010G3198 7While Jesus was here on earth, he offered prayers and pleadings, with a loud cry and tears, to the one who could rescue him from death. And God heard his prayers because of his deep reverence for God.G3739G1722G2250G846G4561G4374G1162G5037G2532G2428G3326G2478G2906G2532G1144G4314G1410G4982G846G1537G2288G2532G1522G575G2124 8Even though Jesus was God's Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.G2539G5607G5207G3129G5218G575G3739G3958 9In this way, God qualified him as a perfect High Priest, and he became the source of eternal salvation for all those who obey him.G2532G5048G1096G159G166G4991G3956G5219G846 10And God designated him to be a High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.G4316G5259G2316G749G2596G5010G3198

A Call to Spiritual Growth

11There is much more we would like to say about this, but it is difficult to explain, especially since you are spiritually dull and don't seem to listen.G4012G3739G2254G3056G4183G3056G2532G1421G3004G1893G1096G3576G189 12You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God's word. You are like babies who need milk and cannot eat solid food.G2532G1063G1223G5550G3784G1511G1320G2192G5532G1321G5209G3825G5101G746G4747G3051G2316G2532G1096G2192G5532G1051G2532G3756G4731G5160 13For someone who lives on milk is still an infant and doesn't know how to do what is right.G1063G3956G3348G1051G552G3056G1343G1063G2076G3516 14Solid food is for those who are mature, who through training have the skill to recognize the difference between right and wrong.G1161G4731G5160G2076G5046G1223G1838G2192G145G1128G4314G1253G5037G2570G2532G2556

6So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don't need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God.G1352G863G746G3056G5547G5342G1909G5047G3361G2598G3825G2310G3341G575G3498G2041G2532G4102G1909G2316 2You don't need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.G1322G909G5037G1936G5495G5037G386G3498G2532G166G2917 3And so, God willing, we will move forward to further understanding.G2532G5124G4160G1437G4007G2316G2010 4For it is impossible to bring back to repentance those who were once enlightened—those who have experienced the good things of heaven and shared in the Holy Spirit,G1063G102G530G5461G5037G1089G2032G1431G2532G1096G3353G40G4151 5who have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the power of the age to come—G2532G1089G2570G4487G2316G5037G1411G165G3195 6and who then turn away from God. It is impossible to bring such people back to repentance; by rejecting the Son of God, they themselves are nailing him to the cross once again and holding him up to public shame.G2532G3895G340G3825G1519G3341G388G1438G5207G2316G388G2532G3856 7When the ground soaks up the falling rain and bears a good crop for the farmer, it has God's blessing.G1063G1093G3588G4095G5205G2064G4178G1909G846G2532G5088G1008G2111G1565G2532G1223G3739G1090G3335G2129G575G2316 8But if a field bears thorns and thistles, it is useless. The farmer will soon condemn that field and burn it.G1161G1627G173G2532G5146G96G2532G1451G2671G3739G5056G1519G2740 9Dear friends, even though we are talking this way, we really don't believe it applies to you. We are confident that you are meant for better things, things that come with salvation.G1161G27G3982G2909G4012G5216G2532G2192G4991G1499G2980G3779G2980 10For God is not unjust. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other believers, as you still do.G1063G2316G3756G94G1950G5216G2041G2532G2873G26G3739G1731G1731G1519G846G3686G1247G40G2532G1247 11Our great desire is that you will keep on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true.G1161G1937G1538G5216G1731G846G4710G4314G4136G1680G891G5056 12Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God's promises because of their faith and endurance.G3363G1096G3363G3576G1161G3402G1223G4102G2532G3115G2816G1860

God’s Promises Bring Hope

13For example, there was God's promise to Abraham. Since there was no one greater to swear by, God took an oath in his own name, saying.G1063G2316G1861G11G1893G2192G3660G2596G3762G3187G3660G2596G1438 14"I will certainly bless you, and I will multiply your descendants beyond number."G3004G2229G3375G2127G2127G4571G2532G4129G4129G4571 15Then Abraham waited patiently, and he received what God had promised.G2532G3779G3114G2013G1860 16Now when people take an oath, they call on someone greater than themselves to hold them to it. And without any question that oath is binding.G1063G444G3303G3660G2596G3187G2532G3727G1519G951G846G4009G3956G485 17God also bound himself with an oath, so that those who received the promise could be perfectly sure that he would never change his mind.G1722G3739G2316G1014G4054G1925G2818G1860G276G846G1012G3315G3727 18So God has given both his promise and his oath. These two things are unchangeable because it is impossible for God to lie. Therefore, we who have fled to him for refuge can have great confidence as we hold to the hope that lies before us.G2443G1223G1417G276G4229G1722G3739G102G2316G5574G2192G2478G3874G3588G2703G2902G1680G4295 19This hope is a strong and trustworthy anchor for our souls. It leads us through the curtain into God's inner sanctuary.G3739G2192G5613G45G5590G5037G804G2532G949G2532G1525G1519G2082G2665 20Jesus has already gone in there for us. He has become our eternal High Priest in the order of Melchizedek.G3699G4274G1525G5228G2257G1525G2424G1096G749G1519G165G2596G5010G3198

Melchizedek Is Greater Than Abraham

7This Melchizedek was king of the city of Salem and also a priest of God Most High. When Abraham was returning home after winning a great battle against the kings, Melchizedek met him and blessed him.G1063G3778G3198G935G4532G2409G5310G2316G3588G4876G11G5290G575G2871G935G2532G2127G846 2Then Abraham took a tenth of all he had captured in battle and gave it to Melchizedek. The name Melchizedek means "king of justice," and king of Salem means "king of peace."G3739G2532G11G3307G1181G575G3956G4412G3303G2059G935G1343G1161G1899G2532G935G4532G3603G935G1515 3There is no record of his father or mother or any of his ancestors—no beginning or end to his life. He remains a priest forever, resembling the Son of God.G540G282G35G2192G3383G746G2250G3383G5056G2222G1161G871G5207G2316G3306G2409G1519G1336 4Consider then how great this Melchizedek was. Even Abraham, the great patriarch of Israel, recognized this by giving him a tenth of what he had taken in battle.G1161G2334G4080G3778G3739G2532G3966G11G1325G1181G1537G205 5Now the law of Moses required that the priests, who are descendants of Levi, must collect a tithe from the rest of the people of Israel, who are also descendants of Abraham.G2532G3303G1537G5207G3017G3588G2983G2405G2192G1785G586G2992G2596G3551G5123G846G80G2539G1831G1537G3751G11 6But Melchizedek, who was not a descendant of Levi, collected a tenth from Abraham. And Melchizedek placed a blessing upon Abraham, the one who had already received the promises of God.G1161G1075G3361G1075G1537G846G1183G11G2532G2127G2192G1860 7And without question, the person who has the power to give a blessing is greater than the one who is blessed.G1161G5565G3956G485G1640G2127G5259G2909 8The priests who collect tithes are men who die, so Melchizedek is greater than they are, because we are told that he lives on.G2532G5602G3303G444G599G2983G1181G1161G1563G3140G3754G2198 9In addition, we might even say that these Levites—the ones who collect the tithe—paid a tithe to Melchizedek when their ancestor Abraham paid a tithe to him.G2532G5613G2031G2036G3017G2532G3588G2983G1181G1183G1223G11 10For although Levi wasn't born yet, the seed from which he came was in Abraham's body when Melchizedek collected the tithe from him.G1063G2258G2089G1722G3751G3962G3753G3198G4876G846 11So if the priesthood of Levi, on which the law was based, could have achieved the perfection God intended, why did God need to establish a different priesthood, with a priest in the order of Melchizedek instead of the order of Levi and Aaron?G1487G3303G3767G5050G2258G1223G3020G2420G1063G1909G846G2992G3549G5101G2089G5532G2087G2409G450G2596G5010G3198G2532G3756G3004G2596G5010G2 12And if the priesthood is changed, the law must also be changed to permit it.G1063G2420G3346G1096G1537G318G3331G2532G3551 13For the priest we are talking about belongs to a different tribe, whose members have never served at the altar as priests.G1063G1909G3739G5023G3004G3348G2087G5443G575G3739G3762G4337G2379 14What I mean is, our Lord came from the tribe of Judah, and Moses never mentioned priests coming from that tribe.G1063G4271G3754G2257G2962G393G1537G2455G1519G3739G5443G3475G2980G3762G4012G2420

Jesus Is like Melchizedek

15This change has been made very clear since a different priest, who is like Melchizedek, has appeared.G2532G2076G2089G4054G2612G1487G2596G3665G3198G450G2087G2409 16Jesus became a priest, not by meeting the physical requirement of belonging to the tribe of Levi, but by the power of a life that cannot be destroyed.G3739G1096G3756G2596G3551G4559G1785G235G2596G1411G179G2222 17And the psalmist pointed this out when he prophesied, "You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek."G1063G3140G3754G4771G2409G1519G165G2596G5010G3198 18Yes, the old requirement about the priesthood was set aside because it was weak and useless.G1063G1096G3303G115G1785G4254G1223G772G2532G512G846 19For the law never made anything perfect. But now we have confidence in a better hope, through which we draw near to God.G1063G3551G5048G3762G5048G1161G1898G2909G1680G1223G3739G1448G2316 20This new system was established with a solemn oath. Aaron's descendants became priests without such an oath,G2532G2596G3745G3756G5565G3728 21but there was an oath regarding Jesus. For God said to him, "The LORD has taken an oath and will not break his vow: 'You are a priest forever.'"G1063G2409G3303G1526G1096G5565G3728G1161G3326G3728G1223G3004G4314G846G2962G3660G2532G3338G3756G3338G4771G2409G1519G165G2596G5010G3198 22Because of this oath, Jesus is the one who guarantees this better covenant with God.G2596G5118G1096G2424G1096G1450G2909G1242 23There were many priests under the old system, for death prevented them from remaining in office.G2532G1526G3303G1526G1096G4119G2409G2967G3887G1223G2288 24But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever.G1161G1223G846G3306G1519G165G2192G531G2420 25Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.G3606G1410G2532G4982G1519G3838G4334G2316G1223G846G3842G2198G1519G1793G5228G846 26He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven.G1063G5108G749G4241G2254G3741G172G283G5563G575G268G2532G1096G5308G3772 27Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people's sins.G3739G2192G318G3756G2596G2250G5618G749G399G2378G4386G5228G2398G266G1899G2992G1063G5124G4160G2178G399G1438 28The law appointed high priests who were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed his Son with an oath, and his Son has been made the perfect High Priest forever.G1063G3551G2525G444G749G2192G769G1161G3056G3728G3588G3326G3551G5207G5048G1519G165

Christ Is Our High Priest

8Here is the main point: We have a High Priest who sat down in the place of honor beside the throne of the majestic God in heaven.G1161G1909G3004G2774G2192G5108G749G3739G2523G1722G1188G2362G3172G1722G3772 2There he ministers in the heavenly Tabernacle, the true place of worship that was built by the Lord and not by human hands.G3011G39G2532G228G4633G3739G2962G4078G2532G3756G444 3And since every high priest is required to offer gifts and sacrifices, our High Priest must make an offering, too.G1063G3956G749G2525G1519G4374G1435G5037G2532G2378G3606G316G5126G2192G5100G2532G3739G4374 4If he were here on earth, he would not even be a priest, since there already are priests who offer the gifts required by the law.G1063G1487G3303G2258G1909G1093G302G3761G2258G2409G5607G2409G4374G1435G2596G3551 5They serve in a system of worship that is only a copy, a shadow of the real one in heaven. For when Moses was getting ready to build the Tabernacle, God gave him this warning: "Be sure that you make everything according to the pattern I have shown you here on the mountain."G3748G3000G5262G2532G4639G2032G2531G3475G5537G3195G2005G4633G1063G3708G5346G4160G3956G2596G5179G1166G4671G1722G3735 6But now Jesus, our High Priest, has been given a ministry that is far superior to the old priesthood, for he is the one who mediates for us a far better covenant with God, based on better promises.G1161G3570G5177G1313G3009G3745G2532G2076G3316G2909G1242G3748G3549G1909G2909G1860 7If the first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no need for a second covenant to replace it.G1063G1487G1565G4413G2258G273G302G3756G5117G2212G1208 8But when God found fault with the people, he said: "The day is coming, says the LORD, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and Judah.G1063G3201G846G3004G2400G2250G2064G3004G2962G2532G4931G2537G1242G1909G3624G2474G2532G1909G3624G2455 9This covenant will not be like the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and led them out of the land of Egypt. They did not remain faithful to my covenant, so I turned my back on them, says the LORD.G3756G2596G1242G3739G4160G846G3962G1722G2250G1949G846G3450G5495G1806G846G1537G1093G125G3754G846G1696G3756G1722G3450G1242G2504G272G846G272G3004G2962 10But this is the new covenant I will make with the people of Israel on that day, says the LORD: I will put my laws in their minds, and I will write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.G3754G3778G1242G3739G1303G3624G2474G3326G1565G2250G3004G2962G1325G3450G3551G1519G846G1271G2532G1924G846G1909G846G2588G2532G2071G1519G846G2316G2532G846G2071G1519G3427G2992 11And they will not need to teach their neighbors, nor will they need to teach their relatives, saying, 'You should know the LORD.' For everyone, from the least to the greatest, will know me already.G2532G1321G3364G1321G1538G846G4139G2532G1538G846G80G3004G1097G2962G3754G3956G1492G3165G575G3398G846G2193G3173G846 12And I will forgive their wickedness, and I will never again remember their sins."G3754G2071G2436G846G93G2532G846G266G2532G846G458G3415G3364G2089 13When God speaks of a "new" covenant, it means he has made the first one obsolete. It is now out of date and will soon disappear.G1722G3004G2537G3822G4413G3822G1161G3822G2532G1095G1451G854