A Better Hope (Hebrews 7:4-19)

What this episode covers

When Marshall McLuhan argued that “the media is the message,” he was suggesting that you cannot separate the content of the message from the means by which it is received. He emphasized the fact that new technology can change the values and norms of society over time. The means through which we approach God is critical to our understanding of the content of his revelation. The means by which the Old Testament saints approached God was different. While they belonged to the same covenant of grace, we recognize that the administration of that covenant has differed throughout history. The priestly administration radically changed everything! To revert to an older administration is to depart from the fulfillment in Christ. We might also infer that developing a new administration, apart from special revelation, is to depart from the better hope that Christ has achieved. The means by which we commune with God must be governed by the word of God. Unfortunately, humans are fickle creatures enamored by creative means of approaching God. However, when we acknowledge what Christ has accomplished, we won’t be so easily led astray from the biblical prescription for worship. Fundamentally, that means we: Draw near to God through a better hope empowered by the indestructible life of our Savior. Read Hebrews 7:1-19. The Superiority of Melchizedek (4-10) I titled this sermon series, “Jesus >”. It is a synonym for the word “better,” a word that occurs in Hebrews more than the rest of the New Testament combined. The author is not contrasting a bad thing with a good thing, but a good thing with something that is better. The point? Jesus brings us into a better hope (19), one that establishes a better covenant relationship with God. Last week we began by reviewing all of the passages, up to this point, that referred to Jesus as our high priest. We considered what led up to his case for the character of Melchizedek. This week we will look at Melchizedek in comparison to Abraham, then Christ. This first section highlights the superiority of Melchizedek over Abraham. The author focuses on the tithe Abraham offered and the blessing Melchizedek gave, two things he already mentioned in Heb 7:1-2. 1. Melchizedek Received a Tithe from Abraham (4-6a; 8-10): Throughout Israel’s history the Levites were commanded to receive tithes from the people. Although they were all descendants of Abraham, the Levites were given a tithe instead of an allotment of land for their inheritance (Deut 18:1-2). This tithe also served as payment for their priestly service (Num 18:21-29). Whereas the Levites are mortal men, Melchizedek is prophesied by the psalmist to live (Ps 110:4). No Levitical priest could ever be superior to Abraham, but Jesus is a high priest after the order of Melchizedek. 2. Melchizedek Blessed Abraham (6b-7): If Melchizedek blessed Abraham, his superiority extends to Abraham’s descendants as well. Herveus: “If Melchizedek, who was a sign and shadow, is preferred to Abraham and to all the levitical priests, how much more Christ, who is the truth and the substance!… If a type of Christ is greater than he who has the promises, how much more so is Christ himself!” Tithes are offered by the inferior to the superior, while blessings are given by the superior to the inferior. Simple Offerings, Superior Blessings All through my high school years I had a mentor named Dave Peterson who was a great encouragement to me. He was on staff at the church I attended and served as the director for YoungLife in Fresno. At one point, he went on a short-term mission trip to Japan. One of the men he met on that trip wanted to give him a gift as he was leaving, but he didn’t have anything with him. So the young man bent down and took the leather shoelace out of his shoe and wrapped it around Dave’s wrist. He was a bit embarrassed by the simplicity of his gift, but that bracelet was very meaningful for Dave. It became a symbol of their

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