July 14, 2008
-
Hebrews 7 by Pastor Don
Pastor Don did a quick review for those who missed last Friday’s Bible study. He pointed out that we needed to understand who Melchizedek was to gain an understanding of the priesthood of Christ. All priests, except Christ, have their roots in Levitical priesthood. Jesus was born of the tribe of Judah, not the tribe of Levi. His priesthood has nothing to do with the Levitical priesthood. He is a priest in the order of Melchizedek. This is a priesthood that is older than that of the Levitical priesthood. And, except for Jesus, there is NO priest of the order of Melchizedek.
We looked at Hebrews 7:17 For He testifies: “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”
Psalm 110:4 The LORD has sworn and will not relent, “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”
David was prophesying about Christ, and this was spoken before Jesus was born. David was prophesying under the unction of the Holy Spirit, and it was written into scripture. David was establishing something that was to come.
With prophetic words we can either accept them or reject them. This is a standard we fight against all our life. Whether it is a true or a false prophesy, we still have to deal with it. We either work against the word, or it sets a standard for us that we can always believe in.
We are always living with the child of the past, either exalted or dismissive. What has produced bondage in us always wants to manifest in our lives. When we see things arise that we don’t want to manifest, we need to make a decision to not give into it.
We need to ask ourselves if what is surfacing is still relevant or not. If your parents have told you that you are ugly and no one would want you, you may be living in that rejection and acting it our, or else you have determined that what they have said is not true. But the initial statement is still there for you to deal with in your life.
We need to remember that words spoken against you can shape your future. Your future is always before you.
Pastor Don shared that in elementary school his principal had him read the Old Testament to the student body once a week. Little did she know that this would shape what he does now, as Pastor Don does read the Word of God in front of the church today.
Negative input is just as powerful as positive input, and our destiny is what we believe.
We hear prophesies spoken over us, and see the context. Our inner child of the past fights over seed that someone planted. If you lived a life of rejection, when you come to Jesus you may fear that Jesus will not stick with you in the midst of your stuff, that He may reject you as well.
A word of prophesy can make you or break you depending on what you do with it.
Psalm 110 is a Prophesy about Jesus.
Psalm 110:1 The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, till I make Your enemies Your footstool.”
David could only see this through the Holy Spirit, only then could he say, The LORD (God) said to my Lord (Jesus).
Psalm 110:2-3 The LORD shall send the rod of Your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of Your enemies! Your people shall be volunteers in the day of Your power; in the beauties of holiness, from the womb of the morning, You have the dew of Your youth.
Jesus will die in His youth (33 yrs) and not get to old age.
Psalm 110:4 The LORD has sworn and will not relent, “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”
God will not take that back, it is forever.
Psalm 110:5-7 The Lord is at Your right hand; He shall execute kings in the day of His wrath. He shall judge among the nations, He shall fill the places with dead bodies, He shall execute the heads of many countries. He shall drink of the brook by the wayside; therefore He shall lift up the head.
What a powerful prophesy! Jesus was a carpenter. When this verse mentions water from a brook, it shows that He established the covenant. Jesus was over David, but under the Father.
David was a minstrel, and his music helped to soothe King Saul’s demonic moments, God intends for us to be overcomers. What are you going to do about what happens? King Saul, instead of sinking into depression, sought a minstrel to help raise his spirits and banish those demonic thoughts. Jeremiah requested a minstrel. When the presence of God comes, then there can be no fear. We are priests and kings under God. And when we are not in a right mood, or we are too immersed in ourselves, we need to bring ourselves to the presence of God. Listen to holy, anointed music. My help comes from the Lord.
Hebrews 7:17 For He testifies: “You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.”
This comes from the mouth of David concerning Christ. We have to know what is prophesied over us, and line up with the prophesy or fight against it.
After Jesus reads the prophesy in the temple, he speaks the correct prophesy over His life.
We are responsible to speak our prophesies into our lives, or counter them. We are played like a violin.Someone asked about what happens if you hear an ungodly prophesy, and in error accept this wrong prophesy as truth.
Pastor Don said, what does the Bible say?
1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
We are the righteousness of God. God will not leave us or forsake us. We are VICTORS not victims. We are the OVERCOMERS, not the overcome.
If there are messages that you have received that are not beneficial to you, don’t play back those messages. Remember, the Bible says that you shall have what you SAY. Say God’s truth about yourself, not those negative messages.
Your thought life IS your life. Proverbs 23:7a For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. What you are thinking you speak, and you shall have what you say.
We need to pay attention to what we are saying, to process the Word in our mouth. What I feed my mind, and when I say the right things, I can control my destiny by what I prophesy over myself.
Hebrews 7:18-19 For on the one hand there is an annulling of the former commandment because of its weakness and unprofitableness, for the law made nothing perfect; on the other hand, there is the bringing in of a better hope, through which we draw near to God.
Jesus and the New Covenant are our better hope.
Hebrews 7:20-21 And inasmuch as He was not made priest without an oath 21 (for they have become priests without an oath, but He with an oath by Him who said to Him: “The LORD has sworn and will not relent, ‘ You are a priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek’”),
Jesus’ office is greater than that of the priests who are priests according to Levitical Law. There was no oath spoken from God concerning the Levitical priests specifically. But God, the Father, spoke an oath over Jesus.
Hebrews 7:22 by so much more Jesus has become a surety of a better covenant.
It is a better covenant because it is by an oath of God.
Hebrews 7:23 Also there were many priests, because they were prevented by death from continuing.
As Pastor Don said, the Levites all croaked. They all perished and died. Unlike Jesus, who is eternal. That is why those churches who claim that they have a priesthood of the order of Melchizedek are in error, for all earthly priests die, and thus do not meet the criterion of the priesthood of the order of Melchizedek. The only way to qualify for the priesthood according to the order of Melchizedek is by what is stipulated in Hebrews 7:3 without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.
Christ is and was and ever shall be. He is God and was with God before the world was created. He never died. His flesh died, but there was no termination of His life. He is eternal.
A priest on the earth is mortal. The Bible tells us that we are all priests and kings. As a priest we are as a servant. A pastor is not a pastor over us, but a servant. Our job is to get the Gospel to people before Judgement Day.
Pastor Don responded to another question by telling us that sometimes we are sad, and lock ourselves away in pain, self medicate. Drinking and taking drugs to get away from ourselves. But when we decide to live, how deep is the love of God!!!! Power is bestowed with prophesy (speaking forth the Word of God). We can either speak words of death or words of life. Sometimes when we speak what we think is the truth (what our senses tell us) we speak death to somebody.
We need to ask ourselves is this the truth? Does it help me to say it or does it do damage?
The way we do things speaks louder than what we say or do.
Hebrews 7:25 Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.
Christ makes intercession for us. It is the saving power of Christ, and it is to the UTTERMOST, if you are the GUTTERMOST. His (Christ’s) consciousness is not shortened. God can do SOMETHING about ANYTHING. No one is beyond saving, help, or change as soon as you let Him (Christ). Go to the Lord, reach your arms out to Him. You are His children, salvation totally is available to you. Wholeness, wellness, mental capacity, all things are available to you. Plead your case before the Father and rely on His deliverance for us.
Hebrews 7:26 For such a High Priest was fitting for us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and has become higher than the heavens;
He is HOLY and UNDEFILED, and higher than the heavens.
Hebrews 7:27 who does not need daily, as those high priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own sins and then for the people’s, for this He did once for all when He offered up Himself.
Jesus is without sin. But the Levitical priesthood and priests and pastors on earth all have sin. Today the Jewish people are in a real pickle. Since the crucifixion, since the sacrifice is no longer able to be offered, there is no rabbi to declare that their sins are covered. They have no capacity to say that sins are atoned for. Only Jesus was able to offer up the perfect sacrifice, for He was without sin.
God had a plan and covenanted with David and Moses to bring back people into relationship with God. Even though they rejected the Law, God did not reject His people. Moses told God, Exodus 33:15-17 Then he said to Him, “If Your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here. For how then will it be known that Your people and I have found grace in Your sight, except You go with us? So we shall be separate, Your people and I, from all the people who are upon the face of the earth.” So the LORD said to Moses, “I will also do this thing that you have spoken; for you have found grace in My sight, and I know you by name.”
Moses knew that He did not want to go into the Promised Land without God.
Had God killed Moses there would have been no plan for the sacrifice of Christ. God made us in His image, and we can change our minds for the better.
In response to a question about God’s anger, Pastor Don reminded us, that after the Israelites built the idol, God told Moses to get down out of the mountain so that he could work up his anger. God is in control of His emotions, His emotions do not control Him. We are in His image, so we need to be in control of our emotions too.
Pastor Don concluded the Bible study by reminding us that everything else is secondary if we know that Jesus saves to the uttermost. Even when things seem out of control in our lives, we need to know that HE is ALREADY working on our problems and HAS RESOLVED it.
I pray that your day is blessed!
Heather
Comments (1)
thanks