November 1st
Hebrews 5
6:
As he saith also in another place, Thou art a priest for ever after
the order of Melchisedec. 7: Who in the days of his flesh, when he
had offered up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears
unto him that was able to save him from death, and was heard in that
he feared; 8: Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the
things which he suffered; 9: And being made perfect, he became the
author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; 10: Called
of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec. 11: Of whom we
have many things to say, and hard to be uttered, seeing ye are dull
of hearing. 12: For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye
have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of
the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not
of strong meat. 13: For every one that useth milk is unskillful in
the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. 14: But strong meat
belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of
use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.
There
is no actual priesthood of Melchisedec except in the sense that
Melchisedec was himself. Christ has a priesthood that has some
similar features and this is what the writer to Hebrews is saying.
There is no record in scripture of the birth or death of Melchisedec
and Christ’s ministry is like that he is an eternal person and so
therefore unlike the Aaronic priests who died and their ministry
ended Christ’s ministry goes on eternally. Christ’s ministry of
prayer for Israel is described here as - prayers and supplications
with strong crying and tears. Christ as a son and as a man learned
obedience through his suffering. We see this in the garden where he
sweated great drops of blood as he contemplated the suffering to
come. And his obedience was fully completed, that it was made perfect
and he became ‘the author of eternal salvation unto all them that
obey him’. The writer to the Hebrews confesses that there is much
more that he could say but that they would not understand. He says at
this stage you should be the teachers of these things yet you are
still struggling to understand the alphabet. He says you are babies
in understanding. Those that are mature have the ability to make
difficult decisions regarding moral issues.
- What are the similarities between Melchisedec and Christ?
- What is Christs ministry of Prayer?
- What is the difference between spiritual maturity and immaturity?
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