Refuge Audio Podcast

Hebrews 7 opens with the writer mentioning Melchizedek. It’s not the first time this name has come up in this first century letter written over 2,000 years ago. Before that, he was mentioned 3,000 years ago in the book of Psalms (Psalm 110), and 4,000 years ago in the book of Genesis.

So what about this mysterious man did the writer of Hebrews want us to know? Who was he? Why does it matter? And why is any of it important for us today?

To answer these questions, we need to go all the way back to Genesis 14 and meet this man for the first time with Abram—who was tired and bruised from a battle that was his fault. That’s when we meet Melchizedek—a man that seems like more than just a man. The King of Righteousness (that is what his name means) and the King of Salem (Peace)—that was his title. A King…and a priest.

“This hope we have as an anchor of the soul…” (Hebrews 6:19)

In the open sea, an anchor is essential for stability and security. Without it, the ship is adrift—rocking to and fro, moved by the whim of the wind and waves. It’s the same in life. When we find ourselves in the storms of life, it is vital to stay grounded, stable, and immovable.

In Hebrews 6, we’re told we have such an anchor—an anchor for our soul. We have a source of stability that will keep us unmoved by the wind and the waves. And yet, this passage tells us that we have far more than that! This chapter is full of incredible encouragement, timeless truths, and strong words—words like immutable, strong consolation, steadfast, refuge, and hope. Hope that we hold on to as we wait out the storm. Hope that is only found in God—in His word, His promises, and His testimony.

Letters…emails…texts—communication means a lot when its initiated by someone who cares about us. We can easily discard and disregard junk mail and spam that fill our mailboxes and inboxes. But to receive word from someone we know and who knows us…those are the messages we give priority to!

Jesus had something to say to seven of the churches in the first century. He had important things to tell them and told John to write down record His message. By studying these seven letters, we learn more about the Author of these letters—Jesus. We get to know His character, His heart for us, and how we can fulfill His purpose for His church here and now.

Our previous study ended looking at John exiled on the island of Patmos. One Sunday, many years ago, he was in the spirit, when he heard a voice behind him—a voice like a trumpet!

In our study last week, we saw a particular component of the Old and New Covenants compared and contrasted—the ministry of the High Priest. In our study this past Sunday, the writer of Hebrews wanted to carry that comparison further, but he didn’t. He wrote that it was difficult to explain—not because of the subject matter, but because the original readers had become “dull of hearing.” Even though they had found life and salvation in Jesus—they had grown and matured in the Lord—now, for various reasons, they had stopped advancing, stopped growing, and stopped maturing. They started to slide back.

While the letter of Hebrews was originally written to Hebrew believers, we know that the Word of God is living and active. So when we come to a portion like this, we pause and ask ourselves, “Is it I?—Am I moving forward in my faith, or am I sliding back? Are there things God wants to share with me but can’t because I’m dull of hearing?”

In our previous study, we continued our study of the book of Revelation. The more we study this book, the more we see aspects of the nature and character of Jesus that we might be familiar with.

Just consider the way Jesus is described in Revelation 1:5. He is…

the faithful witness…

the firstborn from the dead, and…

the ruler over the kings of earth.

The word that is translated to ’witness’ is ‘martus’, where we get the word ‘martyr’. But this word doesn’t just mean dying for your faith. It means living out your faith in such an unstoppable way that even death is not a deterrent.

That’s just what Jesus did—not even death could stop Him. Because Jesus conquered death, He is the firstborn from the dead. And since Jesus has victory over sin and death, He is King of all. And He is coming soon to rule and to reign here on earth!

As Christians, we know Jesus was appointed by God to be the mediator between God and man. We know of His compassionate ministry. And we know that He offered Himself as a sacrifice for sins.

But what we might not appreciate is the fact that these are the aspects of the ministry of a high priest. To a Hebrew, certain questions would come up with claims of a new high priest. Questions like:

When was he appointed by God? How can he have compassion on those to who he ministers? What sacrifice does he offer to God on your behalf?

In the letter of Hebrews to the Hebrews, the writer understood these questions and how Jesus uniquely fulfilled the qualifications of the High Priest. So beginning in chapter 5, we see proof from the Scriptures that Jesus is not only a high priest, but the Great High Priest with a ministry superior and preferable to the ministry of the high priest under the Old Covenant.

As we work though the book of Hebrews, the writer continues to contrast the Old and New Covenants for us. In chapters 3 and 4, he specifically looks at the leaders that God chose to lead His people to rest. Moses in the Old Covenant and Jesus in the New Covenant.

In our comparison of these two leaders, we see quite a few differences:

Moses was a servant in God’s house. Jesus is a Son over God’s house. Moses was a butler in God’s house. Jesus is the Builder of God’s house. Moses was unable to enter God’s rest because of disbelief and disobedience. But Jesus extends an invitation to those in the New Covenant to come to Him, to learn of Him, and to find rest for their souls.

If we hold fast to the confidence of our confession and come boldly to the throne of grace, we will find that rest and we will obtain mercy and grace to help us in our time of need.

"Therefore…"

That's how chapter 3 of the book of Hebrews begins. And if you've been studying the Bible with us, you know that when we come to a "therefore" in our study, it is important to find out wherefore the "therefore" is there for!

Which is something we could do a lot of in the book of Hebrews, given that there are 28 "therefore's" in this book. That's significant, since the Bible often builds upon what was previously written. In order to understand a particular idea, we can simply read what was written before.

That's exactly what we did as we began our study of Hebrews 3…and only studied the first verse - but what a verse it is!

The book of Hebrews is filled with warnings and with wonder. Warnings against neglecting so great a salvation. And wonder that encourages us to consider how great our Savior is.

Warning and wonder are coupled together throughout this book. And that’s not by accident. We need to heed these warnings as we continue to look at Jesus with wonder so that we don’t fall or fail on the battlefield of faith. The more careful attention we give to our salvation and our Savior, the more confident we will be in knowing that the battle belongs to the Lord.

Heeding the warning and enjoying the wonder, we continued our study in the book of Hebrews.

The book of Hebrews is a letter written to the Hebrew followers of Jesus—believers who were born and raised under the old covenant. They once related to God through rules, regulations, and rituals until the new covenant—the better covenant—was made when the Lamb of God came to take away the sin of the whole world.

These previously religious people experienced the joy, strength, and freedom that came with this new relationship with God through Jesus. Religion—with its rules, repetition, and ritual—might seem safe, but as we’ll see throughout the book of Hebrews—Jesus is better.

What makes Him better? And what is He better than? It’s something we considered as we continued our study in Hebrews.