We'll take your Bibles and turn
with me to Hebrews chapter 9. The subject of my message this morning
runs from chapter 5 all the way through chapter 10 of the book
of Hebrews. Chapter 9 kind of sums up one
of the things that I'm making a point of in my message. Hebrews
chapter 9, beginning with verse 1. Then verily the first covenant
had also ordinances of divine service, and a worldly sanctuary. For there was a tabernacle made,
the first, or the first part of, wherein was the candlestick,
and the table, and the showbread, which is called the sanctuary. And then after, they're hung
a heavy veil within this tent. And after that, the second veil,
the tabernacle, which is called the holiest of all, which had
the golden censer, the Ark of the Covenant overlaid round about
with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna And Aaron's
rod budded, and the tables of the covenant, the law. And over
it the cherubims of glory, shadowing the mercy seed of which we cannot
now speak particularly. Now when these things were thus
ordained, the priest went always into the first tabernacle, accomplishing
the service of God. That is, every day. Every day. They had to go in,
they had to take care of the bread, they had to put oil in
the lamp. All day, every day, these things
were going on. Sacrifices were being offered.
When these things were thus ordained, the priest went always into the
first tabernacle, accomplishing the service of God, but into
the second went the high priest alone, once every year, not without
blood, which he offered for himself and for the errors of the people.
The Holy Ghost thus signifying that the way into the holiest
of all was not yet made manifest while as the first tabernacle
was yet standing, which was a figure for the time then present, in which were offered both gifts
and sacrifices that could not make him that did the service
perfect as pertaining to the conscience, which stood only
in meats and drinks and divers washings and carnal ordinances
imposed on them until the time of reformation. But Christ, being
come a high priest of good things to come by a greater and more
perfect tabernacle, one not made with hands, That is to say, not
of this building. Neither by the blood of goats
and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy
place, having obtained eternal redemption for us. For if the
blood of bulls and of goats and the ashes of a heifer sprinkling
the unclean sanctify to the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall
the blood of Christ who through the eternal Spirit offered himself
without spot to God purged your conscience from dead works to
serve the living God. Now we'll stop there. If you will, turn with me to
Hebrews chapter 7. Hebrews chapter 7. I sometimes refer to it as the
Book of Hebrews, which is biblical. He calls different parts of the
Bible books, though it's more properly identified
as an epistle. It's a letter. It's a letter. The inscription at the beginning
of it reads, of Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews. That's how it
began. Now, the Apostle Paul, let me
start here, the Apostle Paul had a love for his kinsmen, unequal,
at least in expression, by any other writer of scripture except
maybe most. He's the only other one in Scripture
that I find who makes this statement. Lord, if you're going to blot
them out of your book, blot me. And the Lord said, I'll blot
out of my book whom I will. You serve me. But Paul the Apostle
said in Romans 9 verses 2 and 3 that he had great heaviness. and continual sorrow in his heart,
and he said, I could wish that myself were accursed from Christ
for my brethren, my kinsmen, according to the flesh, who are
Israelites. Oh, for a love for lost sinners
like that. The epistles written to Hebrew
believers who were especially vulnerable to Jewish legalists
I'm going to gradually work myself into the message this morning.
It might take a little time, but it's a great value, and it's
very important that you pick up on these early parts. It's
written to Hebrew believers who were especially vulnerable to
Jewish legalists and ceremonialists who buy these things. Circumcision. The priesthood. by these things
convinced men and women that the person and work of Jesus
Christ alone was not sufficient to save their souls. You have
to have a priest. You have to have this. You have
to have that. You have to be circumcised. And to understand this, one must
first be taught that the whole of the Jewish economy I've been
hearing that name Jew since I was just a little boy. The whole of the Jewish economy,
the name Jew and all the successors of Abraham, the whole of the
Jewish economy is typical. It's typical. The Jews were a
special people. The Bible traces their beginning
to a man called Abraham. And from a man taken out of the
house of idols, God formed a nation. He said, I didn't choose you
because you were the greatest, but because you were the least. They were and are yet today called
God's elect, God's chosen children. Just ask anybody, nearly anybody,
who are the Jews? And see what they tell you. Find
a man stumbling down the sidewalk, out in the bar, ask him who the
Jews are. He'll tell you. That's the elect of God. That's
God's chosen people. Out of this nation came, for
the most part, all the apostles, all the prophets, whose writing
makes up what we call Holy Scripture. There were some exceptions, but
not many. Not many. Paul's kinsmen, he
tells us in Romans 9-4, were Israelites. Or what's so special about them?
To them pertaineth the adoption. God said, I have an adopted people,
Israelites. Israelites. To them pertaineth
the adoption. Set forth the sons and daughters
of God, the children of God, and the glory. You don't talk
about the Jews, you're going to talk about the glory of God.
Of all the nations, God's presence was with Israel. Read about it. Followed them in a cloud. What
about that rock? We're talking about millions
of people with cattle and sheep and goats and all this livestock. They're out in the middle of
a wilderness and there's no water around. Where'd they get the
water? From the rock. Yeah, but what about when they
moved? That rock followed them. That's what Scripture said. God's
presence was with them. The glory, the Shekinah glory. They looked at that little tent
and the Shekinah glory of God glowed in that thing. And the
covenants, God made a covenant with Abraham, made a covenant
with Isaac and Jacob. Established his covenant. And the giving of the law. Who
did give the law? He didn't give it to the Amorites,
he gave it to the Jews, the law of God, and the service of God. Who was anointed to offer an
atonement? A Jewish priest. Huh? That's right. And the promises,
all the promises of God made to the Jews. And the fathers,
that is the patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And of whom
concerning the flesh, Paul said, Christ came, whom God blessed
forever. Oh, wrong. The Jews, they were
a special people. They had undeniable blessings
of God bestowed on them, but as a nation, as a people, they
rejected Christ, and by wicked hands, Peter said, crucified
and slaved the Son of God. Well, don't that make the Scriptures
of none effect? God said he was going to bless
them. God said he had adopted them. God said they, huh, he
made covenants with them. He made promises to them. Don't that make the Scriptures
of none effect? Doesn't that pose some kind of
flaw in the Word of God or some weakness in God, some inability
of him to foresee the future? Some weakness or power in him
that he's not able to arrange things and make them come to
pass? Absolutely not. And here's why. Romans 9.6. Have you got it? I want you to see
it for yourself. Romans 9.6. For they are not all Israel,
which are of Israel. Now let me break that down for
you a little bit. They are not all Israelites, the nation, who
are of Jacob, whom God named Israel. Neither, listen to this, verse
7, neither, because they are the seed of Abraham, are they
all children. But in Isaac shall thy seed be
called. Now watch this. That is, they
which are the children of the flesh, these are not the children
of God, but the children of the promise are counted for the seed. The whole of the Jewish economy
are emblematic of the elect of God. But you say, What's that
got to do with me? I'm not a Jew. I wasn't raised
in that environment. Oh, yes, you were. Oh, yes, you
were. Worldly religion, long-established
religion, Antichrist religion is nothing in the world but a
satanic mixture of Judaism and Christianity. That's what it
is. Everything in it is a carryover
from the Old Testament economy. Everything. Altars. Who come up with the
idea of altars? Well, there was an altar in the
Old Testament. That's why in Hebrews, Paul, he's dealing with
these types, he said, we have an altar. But you're not worthy to serve
this altar, them old priests. Gowns. Who got the idea that
a priest, that you even had to have a priest? But then, having
a priest, you put this big gown on him, or a preacher comes out
and he's got this big, I don't even know how they walk. Temples,
priesthood. Where in the world do Catholics
get the idea of a priesthood? Old Testament. The keeping of days and weeks. and years, and special diets. There's a bread that's named
after a passage of Scripture. Special diet. Where'd you get
that idea? Out of the Old Testament. Tithing. Modern Christianity
is nothing more than a modern form of Judaism. That's all it
is. That's all it is. Beloved Jesus Christ fulfilled
every jot and tittle of the law. If there's anything left undone,
you and I have no hope. Now I'm telling you, those things
were typical of Christ, and those Jews could never fulfill those
things, never. That's why they continually offered
to sacrifice. Everything that God demands from
the sinner, he's accomplished by his Son and our Savior, Jesus
Christ. And the center point of that
typical economy was the priesthood. The priesthood. God set aside
an entire tribe of the Jews, the Levites, and sanctified them
as priests to minister to men in things pertaining to God.
You know why he said he did it? You can read about it back here
in Hebrews 5. Because there's ignorance. And therefore they
can deal with the ignorance of those who come to them. Boy,
that ain't how we're set forth today, is it? Oh, man, you gotta
go kiss his ram. He's something else. Huh? God
chose him because he's ignorant. Everything that pertained to
serving God, walking with God, fellowship with God, and the
sacrifice for sins, even the spokesman for the prophets, came
by way of the priesthood. Moses said, I can't talk. Well, I'm going to give you a
priest. He'll be for your mouth. Isn't that what he said? Oh,
you mean he chose Aaron, the high priest, to be a spokesman
for the prophets? When it come time to determine
if Jesus was the Christ, who'd they take him to? The high priest. The high priest. In Hebrews chapter
5 through 10, the apostle focuses on the priesthood. Now there
are two priests prominent in the Old Testament. Aaron and Melchizedek. Two priests. Now I'm using Aaron, the first
of the Levitical priesthood, as a representative of all his
successors. When the Scripture says questioning
Aaron or what Aaron did, he's questioning the entire priesthood,
not just one man. Aaron was ordained of God before
Israel's deliverance out of Egypt. He was put in place to make God's
message clear to Pharaoh and those of his council. In Exodus
4, 16, he said to Moses, he shall be thy spokesman unto the people. And he shall be, even he shall
be unto thee instead of a mouth. And thou shalt be unto him instead
of God. The prophet brings the word of
God, the high priest makes it clear. Is that not what we're
doing here today? I'm telling you what the prophet
said, and the high priest is the only one who can make it
clear. Jesus Christ. God's word from God's pulpit
by the person of God's priest. God has spoken to us in these
last days by His Son. By His Son! The son, our great high priest,
takes the words of the prophets and makes them ring clear in
our ears. Abram, the high priest, and then
Melchizedek. There's an ongoing debate over
who this man really was. But it's perfectly clear to me
that this man was a pre-messianic appearance of Christ. Why does
Paul use these two men? Aaron was manifested preceding
Israel's deliverance out of Egypt. Melchizedek was manifest in Israel's
beginning. Abraham, that's the first time
we know anything about Melchizedek, is when Abraham was returning
from the Battle of the Kings and paid tithes to this man. Aaron was manifest to show in
detail the work of redemption and reconciliation. Melchizedek
was manifested to show us the glory of the priest. Aaron was put in place to typify
our Lord's earthly ministry. Melchizedek appeared to manifest
the priest already in place, already doing what he was ordained
to do. Without this priest, there couldn't
have been a creation. There'd been no need. God would
have destroyed it. as soon as Adam sinned. Both
of these priests are significant, but the less, and that's what
he goes on to tell us here in Hebrews 7, the less is blessed
with the greater. Without the glory of his person,
we couldn't understand the priesthood of Adam. We'd just mimic it,
the way they do today. We'd have a priest. We wouldn't
know what he was for, but we'd have us a priest. Now here in Hebrews 7, Paul raises
the question. If therefore perfection were
by the Levitical priesthood, for under it the people received
the law. What law? The ceremonial law. The ceremonial law. What further
need was there that another priest should rise after the order of
Melchizedek and not called after the order of Aaron? a problem
with the priesthood of Aaron, why are we even talking about
Melchizedek? You see what Paul is saying? If Aaron and his predecessors
were sufficient, if their work was adequate to save sinners,
where then is the necessity of another priest? Let me bring
it even closer to you. If this priesthood is not typical,
symbolic, emblematic. Why does Christ appear and dissolve
the Jewish priesthood? That's what he says. You read
these chapters when you get home, see if I ain't telling you the
truth. This thing waxes old and is ready to vanish away. Why? Because it wasn't sufficient.
It did what God ordained it to do, typify the coming priest. And the reason is stated here
in the first sentence of the verse. Perfection. Huh? What's wrong with that? He ain't perfect. What's wrong
with the sacrifice? They weren't perfect. What's
wrong with the work? It didn't make the conversation
too perfect. Perfection. Let me give you a
few words that have the same meaning. Complete. In Him dwelleth all the fullness
of the Godhead bodily. You're perfect. You're complete.
In Him. Finished. It is finished. Oh, I love that word. Huh? It ain't complete till it's finished.
Total. Oh, my. Total. Unalloyed. Perfect. So let me give you four things
concerning the priesthood of Christ as it's manifested in
Melchizedek. We're fairly familiar with Aaron's
priesthood, but I don't think we're very familiar with Melchizedek's
priesthood at all. So let me give you four things
concerning the priesthood of Christ as it's manifested in
Melchizedek. And the first thing that Paul
points out to us is the superiority of his person. While the work of Aaron details
the way of redemption, his person falls far short of it. Hebrews 7, 1 through 3 describes
our Lord's person. He's the king. Aaron was never
king, but Christ is. Christ is. He's the king of peace. He is the king of righteousness. Oh my. I was disappointed as I read
commentator after commentator and they attempted to apply this
man Melchizedek to some tribe of the Jews or some Gentile king. Some even went so far as to say
it was an appearance of the Holy Ghost, which is invisible. God
is spirit. And on and on and on they went.
Let me tell you something. Don't reason in the Scriptures
with natural reasoning. Don't do it. Take God at His
Word and allow yourself to be reasoned with of God. You wouldn't go up to God the
High Priest and start explaining to Him something about the priesthood.
You'd go up there wanting the priesthood explained to you.
That's the way we need to read the Scripture. Melchizedek is
a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ. How do I know this? Well,
let me give you some reasons. First of all, because our Lord
said, Abraham rejoiced to see my day and he saw it and was
glad. Oh, that's talking about him
on the mountain. No, that's talking about him
and Melchizedek, him on the mountain and him with the son Isaac. Talking about all that he's seen. He saw my day, and he was glad. He saw him in Melchizedek and
in Isaac, and saw him as the Lord's provision on the mount.
And then secondly, who else could be called the King of Peace?
Who are you going to tack that name on? What about the King
of Righteousness? Who's going to wear that title? And then thirdly, he is distinctly
said to be without descent. Is there some son of Adam that
I haven't read about who had no descent? Christ is all. He's all. That means he always was, having
neither beginning of days or end of life, but made like unto
the Son of God. This is Christ. This is a pre-incarnate
picture of Christ. Christ appeared in the form of
Melchizedek. And then fourthly, Melchizedek
is a God-man. There's only one God-man, and
that's Christ. He had no earthly father, but
appeared as a man. The difficulty men wrestle with
here is that Christ is said to be after the order of Melchizedek. Now listen to me, I'm going to
see if I can make this as plain as I know how. He's simply saying
that the order of the true priest of God was set in the priesthood
of Melchizedek. There's no need to make him out
to be some Gentile king or some man. And then lastly, he said,
but this man, because he continueth ever, Who else are you going
to say that about? Has an unchangeable priesthood,
verse 24. There's no comparison between
the priesthood of Christ and that of Abraham. And then the
second thing that Paul shows us about the priesthood of Christ,
that's the glory of his person. He has no descent. He wasn't
fallen. He wasn't affected by the fall.
This is God's priest put in place before the foundation of the
world. And then the second thing Paul shows us about the priesthood
of Christ is the perfection of his office and work. Turn with
me to Hebrews chapter 10. There is a perfection required
on the office and work of the priest that Aaron and his predecessors
could not produce. Let me begin back over here in
chapter 9. Hebrews 9, verse 9. The priesthood, it says, was
a figure for the time then present in which were offered both gifts
and sacrifices that could never make him that did the service
perfect as pertaining to the conscience. Neither the priest
that offered them nor the people whom they represented and for
whom they did the service. That priest could not make real
and perfect expiation for sin. He couldn't do it. He couldn't
put sin away. He could only typify it. He couldn't
justify sinners. Couldn't do it. He couldn't cleanse
or sanctify the sinners. The cleansing of the flesh, being
typical, was produced. but not the cleansing of the
soul. Chapter 10, verse 1, for the law, having a shadow of good
things to come, and not the very image of those things, can never,
with these sacrifices which they offered year by year continually,
make the comers thereunto perfect. For then would they not have
ceased to be offered? Wouldn't they have quit offering
these things? because that the worshippers once purged should
have no more conscience of sin. Generation after generation and
priest after priest the succession continued on and on and on for
over a thousand years and suddenly there appeared in Bethlehem a
tiny baby and the angel said this is the Christ. This is the
Christ. A virgin had conceived brought
forth one whom the angels announced as the Christ. Look down here
in Hebrews 10 verse 5. Wherefore, when he cometh into
the world, he saith, not with his mouth, but by his appearance,
he saith, Sacrifice an offering thou wouldest not, but a body
hast thou prepared me. In burnt offerings and sacrifices
for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then said I, Lo, I come in the
volume of the book which is written of me to do thy will, O God. Verse 10, By the which will,
that is the accomplishing of the redemptive will of God, by
the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body
of Jesus Christ once for all. What a high priest. One sacrifice
for sins forever. Every priest standed daily ministering
and oftentimes offering the same sacrifices which can never take
away sins, but this man, after he had offered one sacrifice
for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God expecting
till his enemies be made his footstool. For by one offering
he hath perfected forever them that are sanctified. Now watch
this, here's the very next verse. whereof the Holy Ghost is a witness
to us." Huh? Both in the gospel of his priesthood
and in the purging of the conscience. The Holy Ghost is a witness to
us. And then back over in Hebrews
chapter 5, verse 7, I use this portion of Scripture in my Sunday
School lesson. We're talking about the perfection of the office
and the work Jesus Christ. That's what's required. That's
why Aaron could only typify. Who in the days of his flesh,
when he'd offered up prayers and supplication with strong
crying, tears unto him that was able to save him from death,
he was heard in that he feared. And though he were a son, yet
learned he obedience by the things that he suffered, and being made
perfect. What's that talking about? A
perfect priest. He became the author of eternal
salvation unto all them that obey him, called of God a high
priest after the order of Melchizedek. Huh? Oh my. And then thirdly, and I'll try
to be more brief. Let's consider the effectiveness
of his ministry. Under Moses, the pattern of the
future priesthood was given. And God said, see that thou make
all things according to the pattern that I showed you in the mount. But now hath he obtained a more
excellent ministry, saves men to the uttermost, puts away sin,
cleanses from within, applies the revelations to the heart.
And by how much also is he the mediator of a better covenant
which was established upon better promises? By way of this man's
priesthood, let me go back and just give you the type of the
tabernacle. By way of his priesthood, the light shines within the tabernacle. What's the tabernacle? That's
Christ. Where does the light shine? In Him. I'm the light
of the world. In Him is light. There is no
darkness. By way of his priesthood, the
light shines within the tabernacle in the person of his son. Bread
is set before the priest. I'm the bread, he said. A sweet savor rises up to God
out of that altar of incense. Huh? And listen to this. The holiest
of all is now open for chosen sinners. He rent that veil top
to bottom. He didn't make a hole in it for
somebody to crawl through. He split that thing top to bottom. And then lastly, experience the
results of his ministry. This man, this priest forever, he didn't just take office because
he was a successor of Aaron. This man took office by the oath
of God. Huh? When Aaron swore in, he
wasn't sworing by an oath of God. But he did his own. Thou art a priest forever. You
reckon God's gonna back up off that? No, he ain't changing nothing. This man, because he continueth
ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood. Wherefore, verse 25, he is able
also to save them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing
he ever liveth to make intercession for them. When Christ died, the
veil of the temple was rent in twain from top to bottom, the
earth shook, the rocks rent, and the graves of the saints
were opened. Huh? What's that tell you? Many bodies of the saints which
slept arose and came out of the graves after his resurrection
and went into the holy city and appeared to many. Hey, you remember
me? You buried me out there in that
graveyard. Huh? My soul. The result of his priesthood
is that dead sinners should live spiritually, actually. And the
result of his priesthood is that the bailer's rent And sinners
have access to the holiest of all. The result of his priesthood
is that he ever liveth to make intercession for us. The result
of his priesthood is that we have an anchor of the soul, sure
and steadfast, that goes beyond the veil. Let me tell you something. When Israel came and brought
that sacrifice, they watched that high priest through the
gate. And that high priest disappeared into the tabernacle. And they
all stood there and watched. Why? Because that was their hope.
That was their hope. He was taking before God the
sin offering. Would God accept it? Not unless
I see him come out. Christ rose from the dead, declaring
our justification, declaring God's satisfaction with all that
he did. And the result of his priesthood
is there is between us and God a high priest who can be touched
with the feelings of our infinity. Huh? Oh, when you think of the
Son of God, you think, oh my, we're poles apart, poles apart. He understands exactly what you're
saying. And then one last thing. Every
sinner for whom he received his priesthood shall be saved. Ain't gonna be saved. Ain't no
way of saying too much about it. His priesthood is a fiction.
His sheep will hear his voice. They'll come to him. They'll
no wise be cast out. They'll all be drawn of God.
They'll all be taught of God and be brought to Christ and
they shall all be willing in the day of his power. You're
not going to have to drag anybody down an aisle. They're all going
to be with us. Now let me leave you with these
verses. Hebrews 10, verse 21. And I suggest that you take some
time. You don't have to do it this
afternoon. Take some time. Read Hebrews chapter 5 through
chapter 10 and see if what I'm telling you is not so. Now listen
to this. Hebrews 10, 21. Having said all
these things, He said, and having a high priest
over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in
full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an
evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let's hold fast the profession
of our faith without wavering, for he is faithful that promised.
Oh, may the Lord Bless his gospel to our hearts and all who hear
it.