Hebrews 7:28 - Prayer Tents



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Hebrews 7
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Melchizedek, Priest of God

7Melchizedek was king of Salem and priest of the Highest God. He met Abraham, who was returning from "the royal massacre," and gave him his blessing.G1063G3778G3198G935G4532G2409G5310G2316G3588G4876G11G5290G575G2871G935G2532G2127G846 2Abraham in turn gave him a tenth of the spoils. "Melchizedek" means "King of Righteousness." "Salem" means "Peace." So, he is also "King of Peace."G3739G2532G11G3307G1181G575G3956G4412G3303G2059G935G1343G1161G1899G2532G935G4532G3603G935G1515 3Melchizedek towers out of the past—without record of family ties, no account of beginning or end. In this way he is like the Son of God, one huge priestly presence dominating the landscape always.G540G282G35G2192G3383G746G2250G3383G5056G2222G1161G871G5207G2316G3306G2409G1519G1336 4You realize just how great Melchizedek is when you see that Father Abraham gave him a tenth of the captured treasure.G1161G2334G4080G3778G3739G2532G3966G11G1325G1181G1537G205 5Priests descended from Levi are commanded by law to collect tithes from the people, even though they are all more or less equals, priests and people, having a common father in Abraham.G2532G3303G1537G5207G3017G3588G2983G2405G2192G1785G586G2992G2596G3551G5123G846G80G2539G1831G1537G3751G11 6But this man, a complete outsider, collected tithes from Abraham and blessed him, the one to whom the promises had been given.G1161G1075G3361G1075G1537G846G1183G11G2532G2127G2192G1860 7In acts of blessing, the lesser is blessed by the greater.G1161G5565G3956G485G1640G2127G5259G2909 8Or look at it this way: We pay our tithes to priests who die, but Abraham paid tithes to a priest who, the Scripture says, "lives."G2532G5602G3303G444G599G2983G1181G1161G1563G3140G3754G2198 9Ultimately you could even say that since Levi descended from Abraham, who paid tithes to Melchizedek,G2532G5613G2031G2036G3017G2532G3588G2983G1181G1183G1223G11 10when we pay tithes to the priestly tribe of Levi they end up with Melchizedek.G1063G2258G2089G1722G3751G3962G3753G3198G4876G846

A Permanent Priesthood

11If the priesthood of Levi and Aaron, which provided the framework for the giving of the law, could really make people perfect, there wouldn't have been need for a new priesthood like that of Melchizedek.G1487G3303G3767G5050G2258G1223G3020G2420G1063G1909G846G2992G3549G5101G2089G5532G2087G2409G450G2596G5010G3198G2532G3756G3004G2596G5010G2 12But since it didn't get the job done, there was a change of priesthood, which brought with it a radical new kind of law.G1063G2420G3346G1096G1537G318G3331G2532G3551 13There is no way of understanding this in terms of the old Levitical priesthood,G1063G1909G3739G5023G3004G3348G2087G5443G575G3739G3762G4337G2379 14which is why there is nothing in Jesus' family tree connecting him with that priestly line.G1063G4271G3754G2257G2962G393G1537G2455G1519G3739G5443G3475G2980G3762G4012G2420 15But the Melchizedek story provides a perfect analogy: Jesus, a priest like Melchizedek,G2532G2076G2089G4054G2612G1487G2596G3665G3198G450G2087G2409 16not by genealogical descent but by the sheer force of resurrection life—he lives!—G3739G1096G3756G2596G3551G4559G1785G235G2596G1411G179G2222 17"priest forever in the royal order of Melchizedek."G1063G3140G3754G4771G2409G1519G165G2596G5010G3198 18The former way of doing things, a system of commandments that never worked out the way it was supposed to, was set aside;G1063G1096G3303G115G1785G4254G1223G772G2532G512G846 19the law brought nothing to maturity. Another way—Jesus!—a way that does work, that brings us right into the presence of God, is put in its place.G1063G3551G5048G3762G5048G1161G1898G2909G1680G1223G3739G1448G2316 20The old priesthood of Aaron perpetuated itself automatically, father to son, without explicit confirmation by God.G2532G2596G3745G3756G5565G3728 21But then God intervened and called this new, permanent priesthood into being with an added promise: God gave his word; he won't take it back: "You're the permanent priest."G1063G2409G3303G1526G1096G5565G3728G1161G3326G3728G1223G3004G4314G846G2962G3660G2532G3338G3756G3338G4771G2409G1519G165G2596G5010G3198 22This makes Jesus the guarantee of a far better way between us and God—one that really works! A new covenant.G2596G5118G1096G2424G1096G1450G2909G1242 23Earlier there were a lot of priests, for they died and had to be replaced.G2532G1526G3303G1526G1096G4119G2409G2967G3887G1223G2288 24But Jesus' priesthood is permanent. He's there from now to eternityG1161G1223G846G3306G1519G165G2192G531G2420 25to save everyone who comes to God through him, always on the job to speak up for them.G3606G1410G2532G4982G1519G3838G4334G2316G1223G846G3842G2198G1519G1793G5228G846 26So now we have a high priest who perfectly fits our needs: completely holy, uncompromised by sin, with authority extending as high as God's presence in heaven itself.G1063G5108G749G4241G2254G3741G172G283G5563G575G268G2532G1096G5308G3772 27Unlike the other high priests, he doesn't have to offer sacrifices for his own sins every day before he can get around to us and our sins. He's done it, once and for all: offered up himself as the sacrifice.G3739G2192G318G3756G2596G2250G5618G749G399G2378G4386G5228G2398G266G1899G2992G1063G5124G4160G2178G399G1438 28The law appoints as high priests men who are never able to get the job done right. But this intervening command of God, which came later, appoints the Son, who is absolutely, eternally perfect.G1063G3551G2525G444G749G2192G769G1161G3056G3728G3588G3326G3551G5207G5048G1519G165


The Message (MSG). All Scripture quotations are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, a Division of Tyndale House Ministries. More details.
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