Happily Ever After...
Hebrews Chapter 7Scripture: Hebrews 7:26-28 (N.I.V.)
"Such a high priest meets our need - one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. Unlike the other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. He sacrificed for their sins once for all when he offered himself. For the law appoints as high priests men who are weak; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever."
Observation: How well do you remember your fairy tales? Do you remember how they began and ended? Usually the beginning was, "Once upon a time" and the ending typically was, "And they lived happily ever after." How naive, right? That's not the way life is. Life is not like some sitcom or television drama that gets solved at the end of every show. You know where everyone is happy and everything is once again right in the world. I always do want the good guys to win and the bad guys to pay for their crimes, but come on let's get a big dose of reality that is not how life works, right? Hebrews chapter 7 is in some respects like the telling of a fairy tale. There is this character named Melchizedek who is known as the King of Salem (Peace) and a priest of the Most High God. He greets Abram (not Abraham yet) after Abram has battled the kings in Genesis chapter 14 and gives him bread and wine (like communion) and blesses Abram. Abram in turn give Melchizedek a tithe of all the spoils of the battle. This Melchizedek represents Christ who became our perfect High Priest. We have no background information about Melchizedek at all and that speaks to Jesus' eternal and changeless characteristics. Since Abram paid homage to Melchizedek, it makes him supelevities the Levites who were the priest of Israel that came from Abraham through Isaac, then Jacob, then Levi. Jesus was not a descendant of Levi but from Judah so was outside the priestly order like Melchizedek. The priesthood of Levi could not however eradicate the sin of the world but only treat it. The priest of Levi in fact, had to atone for their own sin before they could care for the sins of the people of Israel. The world needed a priest out of the order of Melchizedek who could save us from our sin or really deliver us from sin and its eternal consequences. We needed a super high priest (one who had never sinned himself). We needed a champion who could redeem us. The law and the Levitical priesthood could reveal and treat our problem but could never cure us. Hebrews chapter 7:26 -28 tells us that Jesus was our hero, our champion, our Savior. He was able to not only represent us as our high priest but also become our substitute, the perfect sacrifice for our sin. What really makes this; a "And they lived happily ever after" story, is that our hero Jesus could settle our sin issue once and for all! He was able to take care of the sin of our past, the sin that we are currently involved in and the sin we will commit in the future. Now that is a happy ending! And these accomplishments of this hero of ours can never be challenged or his triumph reversed. In fact, he lives to be our hero and champion every day (see 7:25). Wow, what a story! Aren't you glad it is true!
Application: I want to live in victory over sin and today's circumstances. I am not held captive any more. My sin has been removed as far as the east is from the west, once and for all. I am not a victim but a victor. I will in the strength of my hero say No! I will triumph over evil today and will approach today's circumstances in the power of my Champion; in His might and ability.
Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank you for your victory. Thank you for being my High Priest. Thank you for removing my sin and giving me your righteousness. I want to walk in your power and might today, living in triumph over both sin and circumstances. Help me to yield to your voice and give me the boldness to obey your commands.
