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NOVEMBER 12
without an oath, but He with an oath by Him
who said to Him:
“The LORD has sworn 7:25 uttermost. Virtually the same concept as
And will not relent,
‘You are a priest forever was expressed in “perfection”(v.11) and “make
perfect” (v. 19). The Greek term is used only
According to the order of here and in Luke 13:11 (the woman’s body
Melchizedek’ ”), could not be straightened completely). inter-
22 by so much more Jesus has become a surety cession. The word means “to intercede on
of a better covenant. behalf of another.” It was used to refer the
23 Also there were many priests, because bringing of a petition to a king on behalf of
they were prevented by death from continu- someone.The High Priestly intercessory prayer
ing. But He, because He continues forever, of Christ in John 17 is an example.Since rabbis
24
assigned intercessory powers to angels, per-
has an unchangeable priesthood. Therefore
25
He is also able to save to the uttermost those haps the people were treating angels as inter-
cessors. The writer makes it clear that only
who come to God through Him, since He Christ is the intercessor (1 Tim.2:5).
always lives to make intercession for them.
26 For such a High Priest was fitting for us,
who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from once for all when He offered up Himself. For
28
sinners, and has become higher than the heav- the law appoints as high priests men who have
ens; who does not need daily, as those high weakness, but the word of the oath, which
27
priests, to offer up sacrifices, first for His own came after the law, appoints the Son who has
sins and then for the people’s, for this He did been perfected forever.
DAY 11:Who was Melchizedek, and why was he so important?
Melchizedek shows up abruptly and briefly in the Old Testament, but his special role in
Abraham’s life makes him a significant figure. He is mentioned again in Psalm 110:4, the passage
under consideration in Hebrews 4:14–7:28.As the king of Salem and priest of the Most High God in
the time of Abraham, Melchizedek offered a historical precedent for the role of king-priest (Gen.
14:18–20), filled perfectly by Jesus Christ.
By using the two Old Testament references to Melchizedek, the writer (7:1–28) explains the
superiority of Christ’s priesthood by reviewing Melchizedek’s unique role as a type of Christ and his
superiority to the Levitical high priesthood. The Levitical priesthood was hereditary, but
Melchizedek’s was not.Through Abraham’s honor, Melchizedek’s rightful role was established.The
major ways in which the Melchizedekan priesthood was superior to the Levitical priesthood are
these:
1. The receiving of tithes (7:2–10), as when Abraham the ancestor of the Levites gave
Melchizedek a tithe of the spoils.
2. The giving of the blessing (7:1,6,7), as when Abraham accepted Melchizedek’s blessing.
3. The continual replacement of the Levitical priesthood (7:11–19), which passed down from
father to son.
4. The perpetuity of the Melchizedekan priesthood (7:3,8,16,17,20–28),since the record about
his priesthood does not record his death.

November 12 15:1–3 Then the word…came. Israel, often
symbolized by a vine (17:6–10; Gen. 49:22; Jer.
2:21), had become useful for nothing. Failing
Ezekiel 15:1–16:63 to do the very thing God set her apart to do—
bear fruit—she no longer served any purpose
Then the word of the LORD came to me, and was useless (v. 2). Other trees can be used
15 saying: “Son of man, how is the wood of for construction of certain things, but a fruit-
2
the vine better than any other wood, the vine less vine is useless (v. 3). It has no value. In
branch which is among the trees of the forest? every age, the people of God have their value
3 Is wood taken from it to make any object? Or in their fruitfulness.
can men make a peg from it to hang any vessel

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