Which Order?

Hebrews 7:1 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. 11 Therefore, if perfection were through the Levitical priesthood (for under it the people received the law), what further need was there that another priest should rise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be called according to the order of Aaron? 12 For the priesthood being changed, of necessity there is also a change of the law. 13 For He of whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no man has officiated at the altar. 14 For it is evident that our Lord arose from Judah, of which tribe Moses spoke nothing concerning priesthood. 15 And it is yet far more evident if, in the likeness of Melchizedek, there arises another priest 16 who has come, not according to the law of a fleshly commandment, but according to the power of an endless life.

Following orders.

You know the phrase. “I was just following orders.” This seems to excuse our actions, no matter how heinous. Many of those who testified in the Nuremburg trials following WWII had exactly that to say. They were not terrible men at all. They were just, “following orders.” Who would not do the same, in the same circumstance?

There is a great degree of truth in that statement. We are all following some sort of order in this world, and the order we choose to follow will have great import. In fact, the order we choose to follow will determine our eternal destiny.

This is the point the author of Hebrews is making here. To the Jews, who have always placed such a priority on the office of the priest, and especially the High Priest, this would be a profoundly new way of thinking. Instead of following the old order of the priesthood, follow the New. There is, he says, a New Priestly Order which supersedes the old one. The main point of the old order - in fact - was only to lead us to the New One. Continuing to follow the old order now will get you nowhere.

What is being plainly stated here is Jesus Christ, of the tribe of Judah and not Levi, has replaced everything we have ever known of priests and priestly orders. Follow Him.

-  Pastor Bill