Den’s Rap

Den’s Rap

5:14

Hebrew • Isaiah “Sins..separation”• Priest brings sympathy and understanding from God to us• Stands in between us and God.

– Ritual cleansing required first.– Aaron: the first Levitical priest (tribe of Israel).

• v.5-6 Introduces Jesus in the role of a priest.– But he can’t be a priest!

• Answered in 7:13,14 – Judah is the “Kingly Tribe”– He isn’t around anymore!

• Answer: not just a priest, but the only priest anymore!

• Must prove this from scriptures

• Isaiah “Sins..separation”• Priest brings sympathy and understanding from God to us• Stands in between us and God.

– Ritual cleansing required first.– Aaron: the first Levitical priest (tribe of Israel).

• v.5-6 Introduces Jesus in the role of a priest.– But he can’t be a priest!

• Answered in 7:13,14 – Judah is the “Kingly Tribe”– He isn’t around anymore!

• Answer: not just a priest, but the only priest anymore!

• Must prove this from scriptures– Melchizedek

Gen. 14 Melchizedek• Abraham Raided!– Goes to kick some butt…

• Afterwards: Melchizedek– King and a Priest of God– 600+ years before Aaran!– The exchange

• He blessed Abram– Common practice: priests, prophets, kings, etc.– Always the greater blessing the lesser.

• Abram tithed to Melchizedek: the superior.– Superior to Levi!

• You don’t have to be a Levite to be a priest!

Genesis 14:17 After Abram returned from defeating Kedorlaomer and the kings allied with him, the king of Sodom came out to meet him in the Valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley).18 Then Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine. He was priest of God Most High,19 and he blessed Abram, saying, “Blessed be Abram by God Most High, Creator of heaven and earth.20 And blessed be God Most High, who delivered your enemies into your hand.” Then Abram gave him a tenth of everything.


• Afterwards: Melchizedek• Tied to Jesus?– Psalms 110 – 1,000 years later.– “Lord says to my lord…”• David was king, supreme ruler, autocrat of Israel.• “Yaweh” says to “Adoni” (the Messiah).

– V.2-3 Power, authority of the Messiah– V.4 The Messiah will be a King and also a Priest.– “Melchizedek” shows up, the lesser priest has to step aside.


• Afterwards: Melchizedek• Tied to Jesus?– Psalms 110 – 1,000 years later.– “Lord says to my lord…”

• Time-Line: an open/shut case.– Someone set this up!?– Extant MSS predate JC by hundreds of years.– The span: all pieces fit together tight.– Not manmade: someone orchestrated this


• Afterwards: Melchizedek• Tied to Jesus?– Psalms 110 – 1,000 years later.– “Lord says to my lord…”

• Time-Line: an open/shut case.• God is orchestrating a plan from long, long

ago…– Has to be ringing a bell!!

The Hebrews 7 Version

• 7:1-2 King of Righteousness and Peace• 7:3 Pedigree always given for important

people…• 7:4-7 Greater than Abraham! ‘Without

question’– Has made the case: according to God’s ancient

revelation.• The point?

The Hebrews 7 – The Point

• 7:11 Levitical Priesthood was always temporary and scheduled to be scrapped!– 1 Ti. 2:5 One God, one mediator: Christ Jesus.– Thus, no goat offerings after this meeting tonight.– All priesthood is scrapped!• Nobody else can go to God for you!

The Hebrews 7 – The Point• 7:11 Levitical Priesthood was always temporary

and scheduled to be scrapped!• 7:12,18,19 Complete Change of Law, too!– “Covenant” is a contract – do this, get this…– You can’t just rip out priesthood without scrapping

the entire covenant!– V18 “setting aside” (or, “put away”, i.e., erasing).• Because it is weak and useless: didn’t effect change.• Merely pointed out problems: coveting, etc., like a mirror.• Romans 5:20 “so transgression..increase.” Incites

rebellion.

The Hebrews 7 – The Point• 7:11 Levitical Priesthood was always temporary and scheduled

to be scrapped!• 7:12,18,19 Complete Change of Law, too!

– “Covenant” is a contract – do this, get this…– You can’t just rip out priesthood without scrapping the entire

covenant!– V18 “setting aside” (or, “put away”, i.e., erasing).– V 19 Brings in a better hope

• NOT a rule-based way of life.• Rather: HOPE-BASED.

– Need to see: one hand/other hand.• The nature of a love relationship requires shedding rules.

– Thus, no longer under law: motivated by “I wanna do this!”– We can now draw near to God!

The Hebrews 7 – The Point• 7:11 Levitical Priesthood was always

temporary and scheduled to be scrapped!• 7:12,18,19 Complete Change of Law, too!• 7:25 JC can rescue you forever– An amazing security: live eternally with God.

The Hebrews 7 – Choices• Ignore God, hope he doesn’t exist…– Not smart.– What’s your explanation for these scriptures? • Conspiracy? What’s the point? How could they?

• Approach through your own works– “I belong here!” Not good: book of works problem.

• Go to human intercessor– But there’s only one!

• Accepting JC as your intercessor: the right one.– “Do you accept it?” is the only remaining issue here.

My Rap

Three Eternal Possessions 1 Corinthians 13:13

Three Eternal PossessionsIn Abraham’s Life

•Abraham believed “the promise of God” for a son / nation…Faith (trust)

•He “waited patiently…” knowing the results.Hope•Through his son “…all the nations of the earth will be blessed…”Love

Stedman’s Rap

Our Faith is Rooted In Jesus Christ

• What happened to Him will happen to us.• It means our hope is strengthened by

understanding the character of the one we hope in: Melchizadek.

• Through v.26: a great portrait of our helper.– Goes back to Abraham– After a battle, a stranger meets him, blesses him.– A movie depicting the life of Christ (v.1-3)

Melchizedek: Depicting Christ

• Plays the part of a man of the future!• An Exchange– Bread and Wine: symbols of life and strength.– Tithe: an acknowledgement of who owns Abe’s

riches.– The provision of Mel equals the submission of

Abe.• You may rule to the extent you are ruled by JC.

– They gave themselves to each other. Return

to this!!

Melchizadek: Depicting the Life of Christ

• Plays the part of a man of the future!• An Exchange• What can Christ give you?– King of Righteousness: the secret of right conduct,

which results in love.– King of Peace: mental health, the secret of “Rest”,

inner calm, so desperately sought today.

Melchizadek: Depicting the Life of Christ

• Plays the part of a man of the future!• An Exchange• What can Christ give you?• Continuity: Without Father or Mother– The silence of the record tells of the changeless

nature of what JC offers: 24/7, 365 days/year.– How much time do you spend with the Lord each

day? 24 hours! • Missing my “quiet time” doesn’t mean I missed the

Lord! I’m never shut off from his resources / wisdom / truth / peace.

The Weakness of Health Outside of Christ

All other ground is sinking sand!– V4-10– Priests are no different than today’s Psychologists,

etc.• Secondary / limited / temporary compared to Mel.• Their help can be very real (shrinks can help), but only

within limits.– Jesus supersedes the law v11-19 / Two reasons• There’s a different priest:

– a different address & ancestry. From Judah, the Kingly Tribe (the Law has been set aside) and different ancestry (not from Abraham),

– ministering from an eternal perspective.



etc.• Secondary / limited / temporary compared to Mel.• Their help can be very real (shrinks can help), but only

within limits.– Jesus supersedes the law v11-19 / Two reasons• There’s a different priest. • Which means a change in law.

– Therefore the temporary must go.– All of man’s efforts are trying to relate people to “reality”, to “see

as things are.” – IL: We “lie against the truth” ala James. “I didn’t say a word…but it

burns me!” And we think that’s Christian! We only covered it up & pretended it’s not there.» The real problem is the low source: earthy / sensual.» We like to be angry, bear a grudge, carry a spirit of hatred…

it’s pleasurable!» The job of any shrink is to help us see we’re deceiving

ourselves. That’s as far as it goes. Then what? In the OT, they might lift the guilt, but the problem remains. This is man’s approach, esp. w/ Psychologists, etc.

» “No clever arrangement of bad eggs will make a good omelete” CS Lewis.

» Without solutions, you’re left with dispair ala Rom. 7 “Wretched man! … Who can set me free?” The answer: the priest which can GO FURTHER.

» There’s a wisdom “from above..without partiality..what the Law couldn’t do, God did…righteousness fulfilled in us who walk after the spirit”



etc.– Jesus supersedes the law v11-19 / Two reasons– V.20-26 This one lasts forever.• They never took an oath; it wasn’t a permanent solution,

as it is with JC.– God: “I will NEVER change my mind! No other program will work!

In all the writings of men, their philosophies, no answer.– The rest all die and terminate. Here’s someone who won’t, there’s

no breakdown.– Therefore He can “save from the guttermost to the uttermost.”



etc.– Jesus supersedes the law v11-19 / Two reasons– V.20-26 This one lasts forever.– V26 He is therefore the best answer today, as He was

yesterday.• “Just Exactly Suits Us Sinners”



etc.– Jesus supersedes the law v11-19 / Two reasons– V.20-26 This one lasts forever.– V26 He is therefore the best answer today, as He was

yesterday.– What releases this power to us: faith. Not belief.

Relevancy?

AmishEmergent

Den’s Rap

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