Helen, speak a word to us. Well, good evening. Turn back to Leviticus chapter 17. Verse seven, verse 11. For the life of the flesh is in the blood. And I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls. For it is a blood that maketh atonement for the soul. Now when the high priest would bring the blood within the most holy place, he was carrying the life of the victim in his hands, and there had been life forfeited, and it was proved by the blood. So there was blood sprinkled on the mercy seat, on the golden altar, and finally outside on the brazen altar.

So now let's go to Hebrews chapter seven. Hebrews seven. Now Melchizedek was king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, and he made Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, and Abraham gave him a tenth part of the spoil that he had taken from the five kings that he had made war with.

Then in the 110th Psalm, now Melchizedek is a type of the Lord Jesus Christ, that is the chief of his office, is as he is a type of the Lord Jesus Christ and that can be seen by what he brought. He brought bread and wine. The emblems of our Lord Jesus Christ. He brought red and white, that shows that he is a type of our Lord Jesus Christ. Then in 110th Psalm, verse four, the psalmist said, the Lord swear and will not repent, thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek, not of the order of Melchizedek, not another Melchizedek, not another like Aaron, like passed on from lineage, but after the order of Melchizedek, there were things typical of Christ in Melchizedek. There were similarities between them that made him a fit type of the Lord Jesus Christ.

And then in verse seven here he says, for this Melchizedek, King of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being by interpretation King of Righteousness, and after that also King of Salem, which is King of Peace. Now, Melchizedek, his name means King of Righteousness. He is the King of Righteousness, a fit type of our Lord Jesus Christ who established perfect righteousness for his people. Then after that, he is the King of Peace, our Lord Jesus Christ. He is our peace who has made both one broken down the middle wall of partition between the Jew and the Gentile.

He is our peace. He said, peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you, not as the world giveth I unto you. But he left his peace with us. So as long as we're looking to him alone for all of our salvation and not to our self-merit for any part of anything, then we have peace. But if we look at ourselves, then all we see is a miserable failure, and our peace just is gone. So let's not look at ourselves, let's look at Christ. for all of our stability and salvation.

He's the king of righteousness, and after that also the king of Salem, which is the king of peace, without father, without mother, without descent, having neither beginning of days or end of life, but made like unto the son of God, abideth the priest forever. Now, you'll find no genealogy of Melchizedek anywhere in the scripture. There is no recorded genealogy. He has no ascent. He has a, it's not recorded. His descent is not recorded. He has no preceding priest and he has no successor.

The Lord Jesus Christ is a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek and he abideth and our Lord Jesus Christ abideth a priest continually. When he was dying on the cross, He was in glory exercising his priesthood. Destroy this temple and I'll raise it up in three days. Now consider how great this man was. Now I'll be going through this pretty fast because I want to get through the whole chapter.

Now consider how great this man was and to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoil. a tenth of everything that Abraham had taken as spoils from the war. For verily, they that are of the sons of Levi, who received the office of priesthood, have a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law. That is of their brethren, though they come out of the loins of Abraham. So their commandment to take tithes was also their commandment to receive the tithes. which carries over into the New Testament. But he whose descent is not counted from them receiveth ties of Abraham.

Now Abraham, as you all know, Abraham was the stock of the children of Israel. He was the progenitor. He was the first. He was the one that God separated unto himself from all the rest of the population of the earth and all of the nations. Abraham was one that was highly looked unto by the Jews. So here the apostle is about to prove the superiority of Christ to Abraham because Melchizedek was superior to Abraham in that Abraham gave tithes to Melchizedek and Melchizedek blessed him and the less is blessed of the greater.

Also, this Melchizedek was a mere man. He was a typical man. He was a type of the Lord Jesus Christ. But look back at 5.4 and 5.1. For every high priest is taken from among men. That's the first qualification. An angel cannot be a priest for a man because he cannot have the feeling of our infirmities. He cannot be a faithful high priest because he cannot sympathize with us. But our Lord Jesus Christ, by a man came death, by a man came also the resurrection of the dead. And he, our Lord Jesus Christ, he can look on us with understanding and sympathy.

So Melchizedek was a man. And he says, now consider how great this man was. The progenitor of the Jewish race. paid tithes to Abraham. So again, here Paul is, he has proved in chapter one and two that Christ is superior to the angels. In chapter three, he proved that Christ is superior to Moses. Look at this, chapter three, verse six.

But Christ has a son over his own house. What house? Whose house are we? We're his house. The church of God, the elect of God. We're his house, and he built it. He's the builder of it. But Christ, as a son over his own house, whose house are we if we hold steadfast, hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of hope firm unto the end? Well, that's not a condition to, it's a condition of.

Those who are born of God do continually, without fail, and infallibly. They hold fast unto the end. There's no question about it. Look at Psalm 89, 34. Psalm 89, 34. My covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that has gone out of my mouth. Once have I sworn by my holiness, I will not lie unto David, unto Christ. His seed shall endure forever. Now, if we be in Christ, Galatians 3, 29, if we be in Christ, if we be Christ, then are we Abraham's seed and heirs according to the promise.

So if we are believers from the heart, there's no doubt that we're going to continue. But if we do not believe from the heart, then there's no doubt we will not continue. At least not we won't continue through the judgment. We might even continue until we die. But we'll maintain the testimony of the gospel as long as we live. And by that faith, we'll be ushered into glory, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Let me read that again. My covenant will I not break is God's covenant. He said that he swore. Nor all the things going out of my mouth once have I sworn by my holiness. That's pretty serious business. When God swears by his holiness, this is the way it's going to be. No questions, no ifs, ands, buts, or maybes. This is just how it is. Once have I sworn by my holiness, I will not lie unto David.

His seed shall endure forever. Well, if we endure to the end, is that a condition or a condition? That is a condition of heart. We will endure unto the end. Alright, let's go back to Hebrews chapter 7. I meant to say that's not a requirement, but a condition. I think I said that wrong.

For consider how great this man, to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of his spoil, for verily they are the sons of Levi, who received the office of priesthood at a commandment to take tithes of the people according to the law, that is, of their brethren, though they came out of the loins of Abraham. But he whose descent is not counted from them receiveth tithes of Abraham, and blessed him that had the promise.

Melchizedek had nothing to do with the sons of Levi and the Levitical priesthood. He was a completely different order. So there was a priesthood before the priesthood of Levi, of the Levitical priesthood, and there's a priesthood after him, the priesthood after the order of Melchizedek, the priesthood of our Lord Jesus Christ, the great high priest of the everlasting covenant of grace. And without contradiction, the less Abraham is blessed of better Melchizedek.

And here, men that die receive tithes, in other words, under Levitical priesthood, but there he receiveth them of whom it is witnessed that he liveth. He abideth a priest forever. And as I may so say, Levi also, who receiveth tithes, paid tithes in Abraham, for he was yet in the loins of his father Abraham when Melchizedek met him. So Levi, the whole Levitical priesthood, paid tithes to Melchizedek while he was still in the loins of Abraham, just like we all fell when we were in the loins of Adam. So that proves a kinship, a covenant headship, and a covenant relationship between Abraham and Levi. And it also proves a covenant relationship between us and Adam, and also us and the Lord Jesus Christ, believers and the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 11.

If therefore, perfection were by the Levitical priesthood. Well, it's not. If it was, but no, I'm sorry, it's not. Perfection is not by our works. Now look at Matthew 5, 48. Our Lord said, be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. So we have a commandment, what do we have to be? Well, you just have to be perfect. Well, how long? From the cradle to the grave. Never have a cross thought, word, or deed. How perfect is perfect? As perfect as God is perfect, even the Father.

Well, we ain't going to get there by our works, are we? So we have, there has to be a priest. There has to be somebody to fill up the gap between what we are and what we must be. And it has to be dependent on his work alone because anything that we add to it adds a flaw to it, puts a pollution in it, a corruption in it. So it has to be completely out of our hands. We having absolutely nothing to do with it in order to bring us to that perfection that God requires of us to be called his children. if perfection were by the Levitical priesthood. For under it, people received the law.

What further need was there that another priest should arise after the order of Melchizedek? But here it is in the middle of the Old Testament. Here comes David at the height of the priesthood of Levi under David and Solomon said, the Lord swear and will not repent. Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. He promised another priesthood in the midst of the Old Testament priesthood when it was at its highest realm. He said, this priesthood is not going to do. There's another priesthood coming after the order.

It's going to be similar to that of Melchizedek. If therefore perfection were by the Levitical priesthood, so we're shooting at perfection, we got to arrive at it by a priesthood. We cannot do it ourselves. And it's not after the order of the, it's not of the Levitical or Aaronic priesthood, not of any Mosaic institution.

But it's a priesthood that God has instituted. For under it, the people received it. What further need was there that another priest should arise after the order of Melchizedek and not be called after the order of Aaron? Well, God has changed the priesthood. He's changed it from the Levitical priesthood over to a priesthood after the order of Melchizedek. Verse 12, for the priesthood being changed. Who changed it? God changed it. When did he change it?

When he said, thou art a preacher forever after the order of the Lord swear and will not repent. Thou art a preacher forever after the order of the Lord. For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change also of the law. There had to be a change in the covenant that was associated with the priesthood because the covenant is based upon the efficacy of that priesthood.

Those priests were sinners. They were flawed. They were unfit, they could not bring in perfection. It takes a perfect priest to bring in a perfect salvation for the children of God. And the sons of Levi, they were just like us. They were sinners. They couldn't get the job done. Not only that, but the sacrifices that were offered proved un-efficacious. They could not make men perfect as pertaining to the conscience.

But once the Holy Spirit sprinkles our conscience with the blood of Christ, then our conscience is settled. It's at ease. We can approach unto the holiest by the blood that puts away sin entirely. We have no more conscience of sin. For the priesthood being changed, there is made of necessity a change of the law For he of whom these things are spoken pertaineth to another tribe. Who is he talking about? Who is his priest? It's the Lord Jesus Christ.

He pertained to another tribe, the tribe of Judah, and Moses said absolutely nothing about the tribe of Judah when it came to priesthood. He did not acknowledge Judah. For he of whom these things are spoken pertains to another tribe of which no man gave attendance at the altar, for it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Judah, of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood, and yet it is far more evident.

For after the similitude of Melchizedek, there arises another priest." That makes it obvious that the Levitical priesthood is put away That law is put away, that covenant is put away. It is fulfilled by he who comes after the order of Melchizedek and the Lord is bringing in a new covenant. Which actually is the everlasting covenant and the law was simply a temporary administration of the everlasting covenant.

Look at Hebrews 13 20. Hebrews 13, 20. Now the God of peace, and he is a God of peace to everyone who has fled for refuge in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now the God of peace that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep through the blood of the everlasting covenant. Look at Luke 2220. Luke 2220.

Likewise, the cup after supper, saying, this cup, or the blood that is in this cup, is the New Testament in my blood. He sealed the everlasting covenant of grace. He confirmed it. He ratified the covenant or contract. by his blood, it was a blood covenant. Salt covenant, shoe covenant, blood covenant. And he sealed it, he sealed that by his blood.

We'll look at Matthew, Matthew 26, 28. Matthew 26, 28. For this is my blood of the New Testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sin. The blood of Jesus Christ is the blood of the everlasting covenant, which is the blood of the New Testament. Christ Jesus is the testator, and it required his death. There had to be death. The soul that sinneth much must die. Christ Jesus died for all of the elect of God and for nobody else.

Verse back to Hebrews 7, 15. And it is far more evident, for after this militude of Melchizedek, there arises another priest who is made, or who is made a high priest, not after the law of a carnal commandment, not by nature's genealogy or generation, but by the power of an endless life he's got in human flesh. For he testified that thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek." That is, God had testified by David, Christ was a priest, and the Lord sware and would not repent that Christ Jesus is a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

For there is verily a disannulling of the commandment going before for the weakness and unprofitableness of it. It was ordained of God, it was given of God for a time then present, but it was to teach us that we cannot be justified by our works. The law absolutely teach us without fail that we cannot be justified by anything that we can do. We cannot live suitably before God to be justified by our works. That's what the law teaches us. The law was our schoolmaster and it teaches us our failure at perfection, such perfection as God requires.

For the law made nothing perfect. That's what we're striving for is perfection. But the law made nothing perfect. But the bringing in of a better hope did. Justification by the finished work of our Lord Jesus Christ. Justification, sanctification, full salvation by Christ alone. By which we draw nigh unto God.

And inasmuch as not without an oath, he was made priest. That is Christ Jesus was made, was certainly made priest by the oath of God. For those priests were made without an oath. They were made priests just because they were born into the family of Levi.

But this man, by an oath, that is an oath of God, by him that said unto him, the Lord swear and will not repent, thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. By so much, was Jesus, by the oath of God, Father, Son, Holy Spirit. By so much was Jesus made a surety of a better testament. Now a surety is one who assumes or takes to himself all of the liabilities of those for whom he is surety. Before it's ever manifest to anybody else what the debt is, he said, I'll pay it. No questions. No ifs, ands, buts, or maybes. Not if you will. Not if you do this, or you do that, or you're good enough, or whatever. No, he said, I'll pay the debt.

That made it certain. He's a surety. He took all of our liabilities. He took all of my filthy sins. Upon himself and bore them up on that tree. And poured out his life. And paid my debt. And if God will give you to believe this gospel, he did it for you. By so much was Jesus, there's his name, our Lord Jesus, by so much was Jesus made a surety of a better Testament. And they truly were many priests because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death. They died. They were an actual man. They died. They're passed on. There was a change of the priesthood. You know, there's a change of the administration of our, of our constitution every four years. You don't know what you're going to get. But this priesthood never changes. It's eternal. Thou art a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

But this man, that's one of the famous words of Hebrew, better than this man. But this man, because he continueth ever hath an unchangeable priesthood. He is unchanging, I am the Lord, I change not, therefore you sons of Jacob are not consumed. But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood.

Now this priesthood is going to endure to all eternity. It's never going to change. There's never going to be a change in this priesthood. He is a great high priest of the everlasting covenant and there's just one priest. There's only one high priest in this covenant.

Now we are all priests after a fashion as it is laid out in first Peter 2 5. You're a royal priesthood, a holy nation, and so on. But our priesthood exists is in this, that we can enter into the very presence of God at whatsoever time we feel the call of the spirit to kneel, we can enter into the very presence of God since that time that the veil of the temple was rending twain from top to bottom.

God was no longer sealed in and man sealed out. The way into the holiest of all was made when Jesus Christ bowed his head and said, it is finished. He got the job done. He accomplished all the Father sent him to do. But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore, he is able to save them to the uttermost that come to God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them. So his life, he said, as long as I live, ye shall live also. He lives to and does make intercession for us. We have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ, the righteousness. For such an high priest became us who is holy, perfectly holy, holy, holy. Holy, holy, holy. Perfect, perfect, perfect.

Without blemish, having no sin. In him is no sin, he did no sin. Satan cometh and hath nothing in me. The temptation to sins must be real to us because of the presence of indwelling sin, or sin in a principle. Satan had nothing in him. The prince of this world cometh, hath nothing in me.

Such a high priest became us who is holy. harmless, undefiled and undefilable. He can touch that leper back in Matthew chapter eight, verse one, and say, I will be that clean. And he could touch me and cleanse all my filthiness and cleanse me before God and bring me to God in his perfections. For such an high priest became us who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, and made higher than the heavens.

He took no part in the sins of sinners that he ate with, that he came to save. He had no part in their sin. He was the savior from sin. What he did do, though, is he purged their sins. He took away the guilt. the condemning power of sin by involving them or having union with them in his death. I am crucified with Christ. Nevertheless, I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.

Who needeth not daily as those high priests to offer up sacrifice first for his own sins? Christ never did that. He never offered anything for his own sins, because he had no sins to offer for. And that's the reason I had Brother Bruce to read Leviticus. Moses, or Aaron, on the great day of atonement, offered two sacrifices. One for his own sins, and then for the sins of the people. Christ had no antitype in in Aaron's offering for his own sins.

Christ had no sins. A sinner cannot save a sinner. God requires and demands and will have absolute perfection. Be ye perfect. who needeth not daily as those high priests to offer up sacrifice for his own sins and then for the sins of the people. Now Christ did do that once. He offered up sins for the people when he offered himself. Chapter 10, verse 12. But this man, after he had offered one one sacrifice for sins. He didn't offer two, just one. When he had offered one sacrifice for sins, sat down on the right hand of God, from henceforth expect until his enemies be made his footstool, for by one offering he hath, what, perfected forever all of the children of God, them that are sanctified.

Well, are you perfect? Yes. In Jesus Christ, you're absolutely perfect. In yourself, you're like me. You're a scumbag. But in Jesus Christ, we're perfect. Are we good enough? Not in ourselves. But we're not in ourselves. We're absolutely not in ourselves. If God has given us to believe the gospel, we are not in ourselves.

We live in a dead man. This body is dead. It was crucified at Calvary, and God reckons it dead. Reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ. who we are in the flesh, not who we are in the spirit. In the flesh, this man is dead. God crucified us at Calvary, and he will not have there our old man is alive. Because he crucified him in his son. And therefore, those sins we commit, and we do, They're not laid to our charge. They already been charged to our great priest. And he put them away by his death. Children of God, you can rejoice. You can rejoice and be glad that you stand perfect. before God in the perfections of our Lord Jesus Christ. This is no uncertain thing. God hath perfected forever all those whom he chose in the Lord Jesus Christ. Look at, while we're turning back, stop by 926.

For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world, but now, once in the end of the world, hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. Christ Jesus, there is no antitype for two offerings of Aaron, just the one. Who needs not daily as those priests to offer up a sacrifice first for his own sins and then for the sins of the people. For this he did once. He offered up one sacrifice of sin for the people when he offered himself. For the law maketh men priests who hath infirmity, who have infirmity, but the word of the oath, God's swear, which is since the law maketh the son who is consecrated Forevermore. Amen. Well, as Brother Tim James says, that might float your boat.