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anglican devotional

The Daily Fountain Devotional of the Church Of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) 10 March 2022 – The Priesthood Of Christ And Melchizedek

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TOPIC: The Priesthood Of Christ And Melchizedek

READ: Hebrews 7:1-10 (NKJV)

  1. For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,
  2. to whom also Abraham gave a tenth part of all, first being translated “king of righteousness,” and then also king of Salem, meaning “king of peace,”
  3. without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, remains a priest continually.
  4. Now consider how great this man [was,] to whom even the patriarch Abraham gave a tenth of the spoils.
  5. And indeed those who are of the sons of Levi, who receive the priesthood, have a commandment to receive tithes from the people according to the law, that is, from their brethren, though they have come from the loins of Abraham;
  6. but he whose genealogy is not derived from them received tithes from Abraham and blessed him who had the promises.
  7. Now beyond all contradiction the lesser is blessed by the better.
  8. Here mortal men receive tithes, but there he [receives them,] of whom it is witnessed that he lives.
  9. Even Levi, who receives tithes, paid tithes through Abraham, so to speak,
  10. for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.

THE MESSAGE:

The inspiration for the writing of the epistle to the Hebrews was to redirect the minds of the Jewish Christians to see Christ Jesus as all-in-all. Due to their persecution and suffering, many of them began to doubt the truth of the Gospel and the New Covenant.

They sought to return to Judaism to follow the religion of Abraham and Levi their forebearers. Since the Jewish Christians prided in the fatherhood of Abraham and perfect priesthood of Levi, his descendant, our text today traced the Genesis account of the encounter between Abraham and Melchizedek to reposition their minds. Both Abraham and Levi were mortal men and limited in age but Melchizedek was both King of peace (Salem) and of righteousness and the Priest of God forever (Hebrews 7:1-3) – a typology of Jesus Christ.The author made an important attempt to correct the erroneous beliefs that could hinder spiritual growth and maturity of Jewish Christians. Church leaders and teachers should in the same manner, use Scriptures to clear doubts about customs and traditions in young converts.

The text helps us understand that the Old Testament institution of priesthood which Melchizedek represents is a shadow of things fulfilled by Jesus in the New covenant. Let us therefore not be obsessed with any age-long tradition but focus on Jesus who is above all.

PRAYER: Father, thank You for Your word which gives understanding into all that is true. Give me the divine ability to understand and interpret Scriptures rightly.

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