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