Focus
Stop and thank God for being present with you today. Ask for God’s guidance as you hear God’s voice through scripture and the writer.
Read
Hebrews 7:23-28
Furthermore, the former priests were many in number, because they were prevented by death from continuing in office; 24 but he holds his priesthood permanently, because he continues forever. 25 Consequently he is able for all time to save those who approach God through him, since he always lives to make intercession for them. 26 For it was fitting that we should have such a high priest, holy, blameless, undefiled, separated from sinners, and exalted above the heavens. 27 Unlike the other high priests, he has no need to offer sacrifices day after day, first for his own sins, and then for those of the people; this he did once for all when he offered himself. 28 For the law appoints as high priests those who are subject to weakness, but the word of the oath, which came later than the law, appoints a Son who has been made perfect forever.
Reflect
In this passage today we see that there have been all kinds of priests before Jesus. They were not perfect and they had to offer up sacrifices before they could enter such as that of the Red Heifer. Orthodox Jews today are looking for the perfect red heifer so they can rebuild the temple and reestablish the priesthood. These priests were imperfect and had to offer up sacrifices every time they went before the altar of God for themselves. Hebrews 4 lays it out plainly, he was like us in every way, but without sin. Jesus had to be the perfect priest, the perfect sacrifice. Jesus’ priesthood is not like the Aaronic priesthood, it is like that of Melchizedek because it is mysterious and blessed by God. Jesus is the perfect priest and perfect sacrifice later in Hebrews. So why does this matter? We will never be perfect and if we think that we can be made righteous by our works we are kidding ourselves. Even the works that the priest did were shadows pointing to the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus. This priesthood was a type a foreshadowing of the priest to come. As we will see tomorrow this new priesthood is not based on our own holiness but on Christ which gives us the ability to live lives of holiness and admiration. It is a comfort that we have a high priest who can identify with us and save us.
Pray
Heavenly Father please help us to be fully reliant on you. Help us to trust in our great high priest your son our Lord Jesus Christ. Thank you Lord Jesus for being a perfect mediator on our behalf not offering up the blood of bulls or rams, but offering your own perfect sacrifice we thank you Christ for your love. May we be led by the Holy Spirit to follow after you dear Lord.
