Ruth 4:14-15. Kinsman Redeemer, part 10.Sunday July 22, 2018
Title: Ruth 4:14-15. Kinsman Redeemer, part 10.
We are currently investigating the second qualification, the impeccability of our Lord that qualified Him as Redeemer and gave Him the coin of the realm, which was “the blood of Christ.”
This has led us to look upon Christ as the perfect High Priest according to the Order of Melchizedek, which is revealed in Heb 7 in association with Jesus’ impeccability.
Gen 14:17 Then after his return from the defeat of Chedorlaomer and the kings who were with him, the king of Sodom went out to meet him at the valley of Shaveh (that is, the King's Valley).
Gen 14:18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought out bread and wine; now he was a priest of God Most High.
Gen 14:19 And he blessed him and said, "Blessed be Abram of God Most High, Possessor of heaven and earth;
Gen 14:20 And blessed be God Most High, Who has delivered your enemies into your hand."
That is the extent of the history of Melchizedek.
After comparing Jesus to Melchizedek and revealing the Order of Melchizedek to be greater than the Order of Aaron (Levitical priesthood), the writer then compares the Levitical priesthood to the priesthood of Jesus.
Heb 7:11 Now if perfection was through the Levitical priesthood (for on the basis of it the people received the Law), what further need was there for another priest to arise according to the order of Melchizedek, and not be designated according to the order of Aaron?
Heb 7:12 For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also.
Heb 7:13 For the one concerning whom these things are spoken belongs to another tribe, from which no one has officiated at the altar.
Heb 7:14 For it is evident that our Lord was descended from Judah, a tribe with reference to which Moses spoke nothing concerning priests.
Due to our study of the qualification of Jesus as perfect Redeemer, we are focusing on the word “perfect/perfection” in Heb 7:11.
It turns out that our Perfect Redeemer, who completed or perfected salvation (Heb 2:10), has made every believer complete or perfect in position.
We have seen this marvellous truth stated in Heb 2.
Heb 2:10 For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings.
This is a “perfect” example of a sentence in which teleioo (verb) should be translated “complete,” otherwise we are saying that the cross made Jesus perfect. He was and always is perfect, which is what qualified Him for the cross. The finished work at the cross completed Him, in other words, it completed His mission to seek and to save those who were slaves.
The old priesthood was transitory or changeable. There was no perfection in it; no spiritual completeness (Greek: teleiosis = perfect or complete). Perfection would not come through the old system.
The Levitical priesthood is under the Mosaic Law and neither could justify or perfect anyone (Heb 7:11). The priests only performed ceremonial cleansings. They sprinkled animal blood and water.
The Mosaic Law was broken by every man. It could not complete anyone, but only showed them how incomplete they were. The Savior would become the great High Priest and Redeem them, making them complete. The OT saints had to wait for this to happen long after their lifetimes, but for the NT saint it is an ever present reality.
The church age believer has the power to be spiritually mature/complete like no OT saint could be.
Eph 4:11 And He gave some as apostles, and some as prophets, and some as evangelists, and some as pastors and teachers,
Eph 4:12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ;
Eph 4:13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature [complete] man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fulness of Christ.
“mature” –teleios = complete or perfect. It can mean mature when talking about the growth of something.
The word teleios can mean mature when talking about growth, but mostly it means complete or perfect.
The complete man attains the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God. The spiritually complete man is at peace. None of us are complete materialistically or physically. There are always improvements possible to our health, bodies, and wealth and possessions, but because we are complete spiritually, in Him, none of the other things matter greatly, and so we are at rest in our faith, faith-rest.
What a wonderful benefit there is to putting our faith in this doctrine. “Be still my soul,” as the song goes. It is peace and tranquility in all situations of life. There isn’t a situation, event, report, or person that can overrule the One seated at the right hand of God above all rule and authority, and He, of Whom all the fullness of deity dwells in bodily form, has made you complete.
The believer under stress and fear is a real paradox. If you are (when you are) you must reject your thinking and conclusions and put your faith in these truths.
We are complete the moment we become born-again. Our calling, our election and predestination, is to live as spiritually complete men and women in the unique plan that God has given each of us.
It is not stressful to strive to conduct ourselves in completeness or to be spiritually mature, to be diligent. It is not overly burdensome to do so any more than practicing a skill or craft should be. A child determines that she wants to be a virtuoso violinist. She has to start practicing: scales, arpeggios, etudes, and mixed in with these, simple pieces. She must never leave the scales, arpeggios, or etudes, but they will become more complicated and so will the pieces. What if she says that practice is too stressful? Bad habits have to be corrected. What if she wants to continue practicing the bad habits?
Bad habits are easier to practice because they come naturally.
When the good habits are practiced enough they will become more natural until they actually become your normal.
What if she practices very hard every day but doesn’t enjoy it? Nobody enjoys it all the time, no one enjoys the spiritual life every second either, but if it is always work without joy, will our little girl ever become a virtuoso? She’ll be good, but not wonderful at her playing. There’s a reason why it’s called playing.
We have to find joy in the spiritual life, and it will not be hard to find when we submit ourselves to the word of God in understanding.
Joh 15:10 "If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father's commandments, and abide in His love.
Joh 15:11 "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. |