Hebrews 7:11-17 — Down with Melchezzie! The Law! The LAW!

READ THIS: Hebrews 7:11-17

11 If perfection could have been attained through the Levitical priesthood—and indeed the law given to the people established that priesthood—why was there still need for another priest to come, one in the order of Melchizedek, not in the order of Aaron? 12 For when the priesthood is changed, the law must be changed also. 13 He of whom these things are said belonged to a different tribe, and no one from that tribe has ever served at the altar. 14 For it is clear that our Lord descended from Judah, and in regard to that tribe Moses said nothing about priests. 15 And what we have said is even more clear if another priest like Melchizedek appears, 16 one who has become a priest not on the basis of a regulation as to his ancestry but on the basis of the power of an indestructible life. 17 For it is declared: “You are a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek.”

WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY?

This chapter is SO important in understanding the Jewish people's hesitation to Jesus. The key question and hesitation for a Jewish person with Jesus being our true high priest would be, "How could Jesus possibly be our High Priest when He isn't from the tribe of Levi? The Law says priests must be from Levi, and if the Law is how we can be perfect, then we need to follow that and Levitical priests...not Jesus."

In the very scrolls that the Jewish people learned the Law was Psalm 110, which proclaimed a coming King and Priest. It said that King/Priest would be "a priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek." So, the same Law that required a priest in the order of Levi also required that there at some point be a priest in the order of Melchizedek. That feels incredibly contradictory IF the Law is perfect how it is and is the only thing that we need to be perfect...read on tomorrow to hear more on that!

THINK ABOUT IT:

1. Why would the Law require both a priest in the order of Aaron AND in the order of Melchizedek? What is the difference between those two types of priests?
 
2. Why does the law have to change if the priesthood changes? (Verse 12). 

TRY THIS:

Imagine being a Jewish person who believed the law is perfect. What hesitations would you have about Jesus and some kind of new law? 

How would this exercise help you be able to communicate to a Jewish person better about Jesus?

SONG OF THE WEEK:
 
NEW SONG OF THE WEEK - This week, we are learning a LOT about Jesus being the high priest who intercedes for us in Heaven. Check out this Shane + Shane song that dives into the particulars of that! (Spotify or Youtube)





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Galatians 2:1-5 — Marathon Training

R EAD THIS:  Galatians 2:1-5 1 Then after fourteen years, I went up again to Jerusalem, this time with Barnabas. I took Titus along also. 2 I went in response to a revelation and, meeting privately with those esteemed as leaders, I presented to them the gospel that I preach among the Gentiles. I wanted to be sure I was not running and had not been running my race in vain. 3 Yet not even Titus, who was with me, was compelled to be circumcised, even though he was a Greek. 4 This matter arose because some false believers had infiltrated our ranks to spy on the freedom we have in Christ Jesus and to make us slaves. 5 We did not give in to them for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.   WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY? Yesterday, we learned about how Paul went to Jerusalem and shared the incredible things Jesus did, but today, we are hearing about Paul's second time visiting Jerusalem... 14 years later. Paul talks about a bunch of things that happened ...
Read more

Luke 8:19-21 — Jesus's Fam!

R EAD THIS:  Luke 8:19-21 19 Now Jesus’ mother and brothers came to see him, but they were not able to get near him because of the crowd. 20 Someone told him, “Your mother and brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.” 21 He replied, “My mother and brothers are those who hear God’s word and put it into practice.” WHAT’S THIS MEAN, ANYWAY? Ummmm, hold up, is Jesus dissing on His family here? I mean, I know He is God's Son and all, but at first glance, this passage makes it seem like He is kind of hating on His family! However, if we really look into this passage, it's actually a lot more about us than it is about the family of Jesus.  In case you forgot, the last few passages have features Jesus telling and explaining different parables to a large crowd as well as His disciples. Clearly, the crowd has gotten so large that Mary and Jesus's brothers (yes... Jesus had brothers!) couldn't even reach Him. When someone told Jesus "hey dude, your fam is here an...
Read more

WELCOME BACK! Hebrews Introduction

WELCOME BACK TO DEEPLY ROOTED!!! Greetings fellow Bible readers and Jesus journey-ers! We're stoked to get back in the swing of things with y'all. For any new readers, this section would usually be where our handful of Bible verses will be. The section below would break down what in the world the verses mean. Then, there are some debrief questions for you to dive deeper and an application point. A new addition this year is the Song of the Week! We'll share a song that ties into the theme of the next few verses...if you gaze ahead and have song suggestions, comment below or text! HEBREWS INTRODUCTION: As with any book of the Bible, different Biblical scholars say different things about this letter, but we'll tell you the most probable take. So here it is: Hebrews is a letter written to a group of Jews who were being persecuted for deciding to follow Jesus. It is a letter to encourage them and to show that Jesus truly is the best person to follow despite how hard it was g...
Read more