A Study on the Book of Hebrews

²⁶ Such a high priest truly meets our need—one who is holy, blameless, pure, set apart from sinners, exalted above the heavens. ²⁷ 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. ²⁸ For the law appoints as high priests men in all their weakness; but the oath, which came after the law, appointed the Son, who has been made perfect forever.” Hebrews 7:26-28

“Now in the things which we are saying the chief point is this: We have such a High Priest, Who sat down on the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens.” Here then is the High Priest that became us, who in the infinite wisdom and grace of God are partakers of a heavenly calling. Are we born again? We have a High Priest above. Is our citizenship in Heaven? Our representative, our “Forerunner” and Great High Priest is already there, a Man in the glory. Has God, “being rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead through our trespasses, enlifed us together with Christ … and raised us up with Him, and made us to sit with Him in the heavenlies”?

Even so! And although we ourselves are yet traveling through the world in our unredeemed bodies, the earthly tabernacle in which we groan, being burdened, yet Christ, the Firstfruits of the resurrection, the First-born from the dead, has already ascended up on high, and been greeted by God as High Priest forever! And to Him has been given the place of honor at the right hand of God. There used to be a teaching that Heaven was at the center of the created universe, which revolved around it! Not so. The throne of God is far above all the heavens, far above His created universe. Our Great High Priest was made higher than the heavens. But His position “far above all” does not change His affections, His sympathy. How humbling it is to us who “look to the hole of the pit whence we have been digged” by sovereign Divine mercy and grace, we who have received a heavenly calling, with such a High Priest as this! (Precept Austin, Commentary on Hebrews 7:26-28)

Jesus, as the last high priest that we need, has been set apart and fulfills for us all the reconciliation we need. This has been our theme this week – there is no other priest we need who takes away our sin. There is nothing we need to do that Jesus has not already done for us. As such, our ultimate goal is not just belief, but a faith in the one we call our High Priest. It is one thing to say “I believe”. It is another thing to live in the manner that our High Priest is confirmed as our Lord.

Living out our faith each and every day requires a life of prayer, praise and thanksgiving. We should wake up with a prayer, recite prayers throughout the day, and end the day with a prayer. Yesterday I offered to you Luther’s morning prayer. Today I give you his evening prayer.

LUTHER’S EVENING PRAYER – In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have graciously kept me this day; and I pray that You would forgive me all my sins where I have done wrong, and graciously keep me this night. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.

Pastor Dave

 A Study on the Book of Hebrews

²⁰ And it was not without an oath! Others became priests without any oath, ²¹ but he became a priest with an oath when God said to him: “The Lord has sworn and will not change his mind: ‘You are a priest forever.’”

²² Because of this oath, Jesus has become the guarantor of a better covenant. ²³ Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; ²⁴ but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. ²⁵ Therefore he is able to save completely^[c]those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” Hebrews 7:20-25

Spurgeon – The Levitical priesthood dealt only with the shadows of good things to come, and not with the very substance of the things. So to speak, the sacrificial bull was not actually a sacrifice, but the representation of the sacrifice that was to come. The morning and evening lambs did not take away sin, but only mirrored the great blood-shedding of the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. In very deed and truth, the men of the house of Aaron who attended at the visible altar were not actual priests before the real altar of the Lord, but only shadows of the true. The real altar is the person of Christ, the real sacrifice is the death of Christ, and the real priest is Christ Himself.”

The author of Hebrews has come to the purpose of his letter in our devotions this week – Jesus fulfills the new Covenant – a better covenant – a permanent intercessor for the sins of all people. There is no need to offer a bull sacrifice in the morning and in the evening – there is just one sacrifice that was made for you and for me – Jesus Christ. And yet, there is no reason you and I cannot go to Jesus in the morning and the evening with the sacrifices of a contrite heart – through prayer and praise and thanksgiving.

Martin Luther has written wonderful prayers that can be said each morning and each evening. I will present to you the morning prayer in this devotion – and will present the evening prayer in tomorrow’s devotion.

LUTHER’S MORNING PRAYER – In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen. I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.

Pastor Dave