1 00:00:01,420 --> 00:00:05,060 Our Father, we would come into Thy presence 2 00:00:05,060 --> 00:00:10,340 and give Thee thanks that Thou art eternally 3 00:00:10,340 --> 00:00:14,460 faithful and the promises that Thou hast made 4 00:00:14,460 --> 00:00:21,840 will come into effect and we can look 5 00:00:21,840 --> 00:00:27,560 forward with a confident anticipation of a day 6 00:00:27,560 --> 00:00:33,780 of perfection and glory in Thy presence and 7 00:00:33,780 --> 00:00:37,580 of the victory of Thy kingdom in this 8 00:00:37,580 --> 00:00:42,300 world where there is so much indifference and 9 00:00:42,300 --> 00:00:45,980 apathy toward Thy name today. 10 00:00:47,340 --> 00:00:50,740 We would entrust ourselves to Thee this evening 11 00:00:50,740 --> 00:00:54,380 and pray that our meditation together in Thy 12 00:00:54,380 --> 00:00:58,980 Word might be beneficial and might be strengthening 13 00:00:58,980 --> 00:01:00,220 to each one of our hearts. 14 00:01:01,120 --> 00:01:04,080 We commit ourselves to Thee and seek Thy 15 00:01:04,080 --> 00:01:05,720 blessing in our Savior's name. 16 00:01:06,060 --> 00:01:06,280 Amen. 17 00:01:09,740 --> 00:01:16,030 Let's turn again to the Hebrews and we'll 18 00:01:16,030 --> 00:01:19,190 pick up on the last verse of chapter 19 00:01:19,190 --> 00:01:19,710 4. 20 00:01:36,210 --> 00:01:39,450 Hebrews 4 and 16 says, Let us therefore 21 00:01:39,450 --> 00:01:43,350 come boldly unto the throne of grace that 22 00:01:43,350 --> 00:01:46,430 we may obtain mercy and find grace to 23 00:01:46,430 --> 00:01:49,410 help in time of need. 24 00:01:50,570 --> 00:01:53,530 And then there's a description of the necessity 25 00:01:53,530 --> 00:01:56,870 and calling of high priests and then this 26 00:01:56,870 --> 00:02:01,270 reference to Christ's priesthood and verse 9, chapter 27 00:02:01,270 --> 00:02:05,150 5 says, And being made perfect, he became 28 00:02:05,150 --> 00:02:09,169 the author of eternal salvation unto all them 29 00:02:09,169 --> 00:02:13,530 that obey him, called of God the high 30 00:02:13,530 --> 00:02:18,190 priest after the order of Melchizedek, of whom 31 00:02:18,190 --> 00:02:20,270 we have many things to say and hard 32 00:02:20,270 --> 00:02:23,630 to be uttered, seeing ye are dull of 33 00:02:23,630 --> 00:02:23,950 hearing. 34 00:02:24,890 --> 00:02:26,690 For when for the time you ought to 35 00:02:26,690 --> 00:02:30,810 be teachers, you have need that one teach 36 00:02:30,810 --> 00:02:33,630 you again which be the first principles of 37 00:02:33,630 --> 00:02:34,790 the oracles of God. 38 00:02:35,910 --> 00:02:38,050 And are become such as have need of 39 00:02:38,050 --> 00:02:40,990 milk and not of strong meat or solid 40 00:02:40,990 --> 00:02:41,390 food. 41 00:02:43,650 --> 00:02:46,210 For everyone that useth milk is unskillful in 42 00:02:46,210 --> 00:02:47,710 the word of righteousness, for he is a 43 00:02:47,710 --> 00:02:47,990 babe. 44 00:02:48,730 --> 00:02:52,050 But strong meat or solid food belongeth to 45 00:02:52,050 --> 00:02:54,970 them that are of full age, even those 46 00:02:54,970 --> 00:02:57,030 who by reason of use have their senses 47 00:02:57,030 --> 00:03:00,730 exercised to discern both good and evil. 48 00:03:03,450 --> 00:03:05,530 Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of 49 00:03:05,530 --> 00:03:08,950 Christ, let us go on unto perfection, not 50 00:03:08,950 --> 00:03:11,550 laying again the foundation of repentance from dead 51 00:03:11,550 --> 00:03:15,990 works and of faith towards God, of the 52 00:03:15,990 --> 00:03:19,770 doctrine of baptisms or washings and of laying 53 00:03:19,770 --> 00:03:22,430 on of hands and of resurrection of the 54 00:03:22,430 --> 00:03:23,690 dead and of eternal judgment. 55 00:03:23,930 --> 00:03:26,010 And this will we do if God permit. 56 00:03:26,410 --> 00:03:29,050 And then there's a section relating to those 57 00:03:29,050 --> 00:03:33,970 who have departed or fallen away, as the 58 00:03:33,970 --> 00:03:34,710 expression is. 59 00:03:37,110 --> 00:03:38,710 And then a contrast in verse 9. 60 00:03:38,830 --> 00:03:42,490 But beloved, we are persuaded better things of 61 00:03:42,490 --> 00:03:45,210 you or concerning you and things that accompany 62 00:03:45,210 --> 00:03:47,050 salvation though we speak. 63 00:03:48,030 --> 00:03:51,110 For God is not unrighteous to forget your 64 00:03:51,110 --> 00:03:54,090 work and labor of love which you have 65 00:03:54,090 --> 00:03:56,870 showed toward his name, in that you have 66 00:03:56,870 --> 00:03:59,830 ministered to the saints and do minister. 67 00:04:01,330 --> 00:04:03,130 And we desire that every one of you 68 00:04:03,130 --> 00:04:05,410 to show the same diligence to the full 69 00:04:05,410 --> 00:04:08,150 assurance of hope unto the end, that you 70 00:04:08,150 --> 00:04:10,550 be not slothful but followers of them who 71 00:04:10,550 --> 00:04:13,730 through faith and patience inherit the promises. 72 00:04:14,590 --> 00:04:17,209 For when God made promise to Abraham because 73 00:04:17,209 --> 00:04:20,850 he could swear by no greater, he swore 74 00:04:20,850 --> 00:04:24,970 by himself saying, surely blessing I will bless 75 00:04:24,970 --> 00:04:27,950 thee and multiplying I will multiply thee. 76 00:04:29,410 --> 00:04:32,510 And so after he had patiently endured, he 77 00:04:32,510 --> 00:04:33,810 obtained the promise. 78 00:04:35,130 --> 00:04:38,430 For men verily swear by the greater and 79 00:04:38,430 --> 00:04:40,490 an oath for confirmation is to them an 80 00:04:40,490 --> 00:04:41,950 end of all strife. 81 00:04:43,450 --> 00:04:46,210 We're in God willing more abundantly to show 82 00:04:46,210 --> 00:04:48,690 under the airs of promise the immutability of 83 00:04:48,690 --> 00:04:51,410 his counsel, confirmed it by an oath. 84 00:04:52,550 --> 00:04:55,010 That by two immutable things in which it 85 00:04:55,010 --> 00:04:58,030 was impossible for God to lie, we might 86 00:04:58,030 --> 00:05:01,930 have a strong consolation who have fled for 87 00:05:01,930 --> 00:05:05,270 refuge to lay hold upon the hope set 88 00:05:05,270 --> 00:05:06,070 before us. 89 00:05:07,870 --> 00:05:09,950 Which hope we have as an anchor of 90 00:05:09,950 --> 00:05:14,710 the soul, both sure and steadfast and which 91 00:05:14,710 --> 00:05:17,810 entereth into that within the veil. 92 00:05:18,570 --> 00:05:21,450 Whether the forerunner is for us entered, even 93 00:05:21,450 --> 00:05:24,470 Jesus made a high priest forever after the 94 00:05:24,470 --> 00:05:25,750 order of Melchizedek. 95 00:05:27,130 --> 00:05:32,390 Now chapter 7 begins the explanation of what 96 00:05:32,390 --> 00:05:35,170 he means by this expression, a priest forever 97 00:05:35,170 --> 00:05:36,570 after the order of Melchizedek. 98 00:05:37,910 --> 00:05:43,550 And he says, for this Melchizedek, king of 99 00:05:43,550 --> 00:05:46,710 Salem, priest of the most high God, who 100 00:05:46,710 --> 00:05:49,270 met Abraham returning from the slaughter of the 101 00:05:49,270 --> 00:05:52,330 kings and blessed him, to whom also Abraham 102 00:05:52,330 --> 00:05:55,870 gave a tenth part of all, first being 103 00:05:55,870 --> 00:05:58,850 by interpretation king of righteousness and after that 104 00:05:58,850 --> 00:06:01,170 also king of Salem, which is king of 105 00:06:01,170 --> 00:06:01,510 peace. 106 00:06:02,510 --> 00:06:06,710 Without father, without mother, without descent, having neither 107 00:06:06,710 --> 00:06:09,350 beginning of days nor end of life, but 108 00:06:09,350 --> 00:06:12,810 made like unto the Son of God, abideth 109 00:06:12,810 --> 00:06:16,810 a priest continually or to perpetuity. 110 00:06:19,930 --> 00:06:22,510 Now if you look at that section verses 111 00:06:22,510 --> 00:06:27,900 1 to 3, that's all one extended sentence 112 00:06:27,900 --> 00:06:32,240 and really the main clause of the sentence 113 00:06:32,240 --> 00:06:35,800 is simply the first phrase and the last 114 00:06:35,800 --> 00:06:41,320 phrase, for this Melchizedek abides a priest continually 115 00:06:41,320 --> 00:06:42,940 or to perpetuity. 116 00:06:49,560 --> 00:06:53,760 Now I want to connect what we have 117 00:06:53,760 --> 00:06:57,140 at the end of chapter 4 and think 118 00:06:57,140 --> 00:06:59,220 a little bit about the Lord Jesus as 119 00:06:59,220 --> 00:07:03,840 our high priest after the order of Melchizedek. 120 00:07:06,520 --> 00:07:08,420 And really the story that we have in 121 00:07:08,420 --> 00:07:13,060 Genesis chapter 14 really is an example of 122 00:07:13,060 --> 00:07:15,360 what it means at the end of verse 123 00:07:15,360 --> 00:07:19,360 16 of chapter 4 to find grace to 124 00:07:19,360 --> 00:07:22,760 help in time of need. 125 00:07:24,100 --> 00:07:28,940 That is an intervention by the high priest 126 00:07:28,940 --> 00:07:37,020 to secure the faith, the stability of the 127 00:07:37,020 --> 00:07:40,860 believer of the pilgrim who is about to 128 00:07:40,860 --> 00:07:44,000 be tempted to find grace to help. 129 00:07:44,000 --> 00:07:48,340 And I remember seeing it translated or interpreted 130 00:07:48,340 --> 00:07:51,220 as to help in the nick of time. 131 00:07:52,120 --> 00:07:53,880 So maybe we should just read the story 132 00:07:53,880 --> 00:07:56,980 in Genesis 14 even though it's already referred 133 00:07:56,980 --> 00:08:00,300 to in our book, but there's a few 134 00:08:00,300 --> 00:08:02,840 details that are left out. 135 00:08:03,380 --> 00:08:14,710 So Genesis chapter 14 and there's 136 00:08:14,710 --> 00:08:21,570 been a battle and Sodom and Gomorrah and 137 00:08:21,570 --> 00:08:25,210 some of the other kings have been overtaken 138 00:08:27,230 --> 00:08:32,450 and Lot is carried away and all the 139 00:08:32,450 --> 00:08:37,030 goods of Sodom and Abraham goes after them 140 00:08:37,030 --> 00:08:40,750 and pursues and he is successful and brings 141 00:08:40,750 --> 00:08:42,909 back all the goods and all the people. 142 00:08:44,030 --> 00:08:45,410 And it says in verse 16 and he 143 00:08:45,410 --> 00:08:48,650 brought back all the goods and also brought 144 00:08:48,650 --> 00:08:51,630 again his brother Lot and his goods and 145 00:08:51,630 --> 00:08:54,090 the women also and the people. 146 00:08:55,330 --> 00:08:56,930 And the king of Sodom went out to 147 00:08:56,930 --> 00:08:59,210 meet him after his return from the slaughter 148 00:08:59,210 --> 00:09:02,170 of Shadr Laomer and of the kings that 149 00:09:02,170 --> 00:09:04,570 were with him at the valley of Sheba 150 00:09:04,570 --> 00:09:09,350 which is the king's dale and Melchizedek, king 151 00:09:09,350 --> 00:09:13,530 of Salem, brought forth bread and wine and 152 00:09:13,530 --> 00:09:15,710 he was the priest of the Most High 153 00:09:15,710 --> 00:09:16,270 God. 154 00:09:17,610 --> 00:09:20,590 And he blessed him and said, blessed be 155 00:09:20,590 --> 00:09:24,590 Abram of the Most High God, possessor of 156 00:09:24,590 --> 00:09:27,430 heaven and earth and blessed be the Most 157 00:09:27,430 --> 00:09:29,690 High God which hath delivered thine enemies into 158 00:09:29,690 --> 00:09:30,310 thine hand. 159 00:09:31,130 --> 00:09:34,610 And he, that is Abraham, gave him, Melchizedek, 160 00:09:35,230 --> 00:09:36,110 tithes of all. 161 00:09:36,910 --> 00:09:39,830 The king of Sodom said unto Abram, give 162 00:09:39,830 --> 00:09:41,510 me the persons and take the goods to 163 00:09:41,510 --> 00:09:42,030 thyself. 164 00:09:42,810 --> 00:09:45,010 And Abram said to the king of Sodom, 165 00:09:45,630 --> 00:09:47,790 I have left up mine hand unto the 166 00:09:47,790 --> 00:09:53,040 Lord, the Most High God, the possessor of 167 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:54,940 heaven and earth that I will not take 168 00:09:54,940 --> 00:09:57,720 from a thread even to a shoelatchet and 169 00:09:57,720 --> 00:09:59,440 that I will not take anything that is 170 00:09:59,440 --> 00:10:03,180 thine, lest thou should say I have made 171 00:10:03,180 --> 00:10:04,140 Abram rich. 172 00:10:05,780 --> 00:10:07,740 Save only that which the young men have 173 00:10:07,740 --> 00:10:09,960 eaten and the portion of the men which 174 00:10:09,960 --> 00:10:13,240 went with me, Enoch, Eshcol and Mamre, let 175 00:10:13,240 --> 00:10:15,440 them take their portion. 176 00:10:16,520 --> 00:10:18,040 And after these things the word of the 177 00:10:18,040 --> 00:10:20,200 Lord came unto Abram in a vision saying, 178 00:10:21,080 --> 00:10:25,560 fear not, Abram, I am thy shield and 179 00:10:25,560 --> 00:10:28,940 thy exceeding great reward. 180 00:10:34,820 --> 00:10:38,120 Now this is a very interesting story from 181 00:10:38,120 --> 00:10:45,990 the book of Genesis and I'm just going 182 00:10:45,990 --> 00:10:47,570 to draw attention to a few of the 183 00:10:47,570 --> 00:10:49,470 details that are given to us in Genesis 184 00:10:49,470 --> 00:10:53,290 14 and show how it links with the 185 00:10:53,290 --> 00:10:55,930 substance of what I want to think about 186 00:10:55,930 --> 00:10:56,390 tonight. 187 00:11:00,730 --> 00:11:07,940 Melchizedek intervened as the king of Sodom is 188 00:11:07,940 --> 00:11:11,380 coming out to meet Abram coming from the 189 00:11:11,380 --> 00:11:14,760 slaughter of these other kings and it seems 190 00:11:14,760 --> 00:11:22,320 that however close they may have been, Melchizedek 191 00:11:22,320 --> 00:11:25,280 just comes in between and the first thing 192 00:11:25,280 --> 00:11:27,280 he does is he feeds him. 193 00:11:28,260 --> 00:11:32,580 He provides for his immediate needs and so 194 00:11:32,580 --> 00:11:38,060 Abram is refreshed and strengthened and that in 195 00:11:38,060 --> 00:11:42,200 itself is one important facet of our preservation 196 00:11:42,200 --> 00:11:45,000 and strengthening as we go through life. 197 00:11:45,900 --> 00:11:50,200 When we've become worn down and we're hungry 198 00:11:50,200 --> 00:11:54,440 and tired and thirsty, we sometimes don't make 199 00:11:54,440 --> 00:11:57,520 the best decisions and so he takes care 200 00:11:57,520 --> 00:12:00,940 of his physical needs first and so he's 201 00:12:00,940 --> 00:12:03,940 refreshed and encouraged but then he brings this 202 00:12:03,940 --> 00:12:05,680 revelation of God to him. 203 00:12:06,960 --> 00:12:08,820 This is the first time that the expression 204 00:12:08,820 --> 00:12:10,760 the Most High God is used in our 205 00:12:10,760 --> 00:12:14,740 Bible and you notice how he connects his 206 00:12:14,740 --> 00:12:17,300 own relationship to God with Abram. 207 00:12:18,300 --> 00:12:20,840 He's called the priest of the Most High 208 00:12:20,840 --> 00:12:21,460 God. 209 00:12:22,100 --> 00:12:25,700 Now that expression, the Most High, refers to 210 00:12:25,700 --> 00:12:26,940 God as sovereign. 211 00:12:28,000 --> 00:12:31,800 It emphasizes that God is above all and 212 00:12:31,800 --> 00:12:36,320 has power and sovereignty over everything on earth 213 00:12:36,320 --> 00:12:39,960 and basically you can say that the Most 214 00:12:39,960 --> 00:12:43,740 High God is the one who determines who 215 00:12:43,740 --> 00:12:45,340 gets what and when they get it. 216 00:12:46,920 --> 00:12:53,430 And Abram had been given promise that all 217 00:12:53,430 --> 00:12:59,150 of that land, in fact it was really 218 00:12:59,150 --> 00:13:03,110 just back in chapter 13 after Lot separated 219 00:13:03,110 --> 00:13:06,130 from him, all of that land was to 220 00:13:06,130 --> 00:13:06,610 be his. 221 00:13:08,070 --> 00:13:11,990 Everything was going to be his inheritance but 222 00:13:11,990 --> 00:13:12,530 not yet. 223 00:13:13,230 --> 00:13:15,170 God hadn't given it to him yet. 224 00:13:15,770 --> 00:13:17,990 Now the king of Sodom is really offering 225 00:13:17,990 --> 00:13:20,470 to him, you might say the richness of 226 00:13:20,470 --> 00:13:26,990 this land, in the immediate instead of waiting 227 00:13:26,990 --> 00:13:31,010 for God's provision that was still to come. 228 00:13:33,930 --> 00:13:37,710 However we would relate that to our present 229 00:13:37,710 --> 00:13:38,210 life. 230 00:13:38,610 --> 00:13:40,550 I know you can think of different facets 231 00:13:40,550 --> 00:13:43,210 of life and what it would mean to 232 00:13:43,210 --> 00:13:47,470 trust in God in contrast to getting our 233 00:13:47,470 --> 00:13:51,370 needs met or our riches, our wealth from 234 00:13:51,370 --> 00:13:52,110 the world. 235 00:14:02,090 --> 00:14:06,050 One of these ways of being instantly wealthy 236 00:14:06,050 --> 00:14:09,750 and they could say I have made that 237 00:14:09,750 --> 00:14:10,670 man rich. 238 00:14:11,750 --> 00:14:15,010 And we have been given tremendous promises and 239 00:14:15,010 --> 00:14:16,150 that's what we're going to be trying to 240 00:14:16,150 --> 00:14:17,630 look at a little bit tonight. 241 00:14:18,670 --> 00:14:22,390 And Abraham, as the one who is the 242 00:14:22,390 --> 00:14:27,400 heir of the promises, through the intervention of 243 00:14:27,400 --> 00:14:32,440 Melchizedek, he's enabled to withstand the temptation to 244 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:36,080 make any kind of alliance or agreement or 245 00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:38,660 to be under obligation to the king of 246 00:14:38,660 --> 00:14:42,620 Sodom and he's able to be kept in 247 00:14:42,620 --> 00:14:47,320 separation from the world in its wickedness in 248 00:14:47,320 --> 00:14:47,860 that sense. 249 00:14:50,280 --> 00:14:52,580 But the revelation of God is the most 250 00:14:52,580 --> 00:14:55,940 high God, possessor of heaven and earth. 251 00:14:56,860 --> 00:14:59,280 And then God is praised in verse 20 252 00:14:59,280 --> 00:15:02,560 as the one who accomplished this deliverance. 253 00:15:03,500 --> 00:15:07,400 So again he's reminding Abram, Abram it's God 254 00:15:07,400 --> 00:15:10,420 who has granted you this deliverance today. 255 00:15:11,460 --> 00:15:15,320 And in recognition of this relationship with Melchizedek 256 00:15:15,320 --> 00:15:18,640 and the most high God, Abram gives him 257 00:15:18,640 --> 00:15:22,580 tithes, which is really a worship towards God 258 00:15:22,580 --> 00:15:23,040 himself. 259 00:15:24,160 --> 00:15:28,000 And Abram as he responds then to the 260 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:29,940 king of Sodom's offer, he says I have 261 00:15:29,940 --> 00:15:32,800 lifted up my hand unto the Lord, the 262 00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:36,000 most high God, the possessor of heaven and 263 00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:39,380 earth, that I will not take from a 264 00:15:39,380 --> 00:15:41,220 thread even to a shoelatch. 265 00:15:43,240 --> 00:15:47,580 It's interesting that this expression, this title of 266 00:15:47,580 --> 00:15:50,880 God becomes prominent again in the book of 267 00:15:50,880 --> 00:15:57,080 Daniel in a very significant context where the 268 00:15:57,080 --> 00:16:00,020 nation of Israel has lost their inheritance. 269 00:16:00,780 --> 00:16:05,040 They've been dispossessed and God does not call 270 00:16:05,040 --> 00:16:07,840 himself the God of Israel during the captivity. 271 00:16:08,800 --> 00:16:11,020 But he does make himself known as the 272 00:16:11,020 --> 00:16:11,780 most high God. 273 00:16:13,140 --> 00:16:17,840 And he has this, you might say, conflict 274 00:16:17,840 --> 00:16:22,520 with the emperor of Babylon, the king of 275 00:16:22,520 --> 00:16:27,740 Babylon, Nebuchadnezzar, and the most powerful man on 276 00:16:27,740 --> 00:16:30,000 earth is brought down to his knees. 277 00:16:30,360 --> 00:16:34,380 And to eat grass, to have everything taken 278 00:16:34,380 --> 00:16:37,940 from him until he acknowledged that the most 279 00:16:37,940 --> 00:16:40,840 high God rules in the kingdoms of men. 280 00:16:41,320 --> 00:16:43,400 And he gives the kingdom to whomever he 281 00:16:43,400 --> 00:16:43,660 will. 282 00:16:44,010 --> 00:16:47,100 So this is the recognition of God as 283 00:16:47,100 --> 00:16:52,300 the sovereign God who has made promises, but 284 00:16:52,300 --> 00:16:55,600 there is the endurance of faith to wait 285 00:16:55,600 --> 00:16:57,160 for the promises to be fulfilled. 286 00:16:58,800 --> 00:17:00,940 So there is a parallel, I believe, that 287 00:17:00,940 --> 00:17:03,520 is being drawn here in Hebrews in that 288 00:17:03,520 --> 00:17:06,960 the Lord Jesus has been called of God 289 00:17:06,960 --> 00:17:10,300 a high priest according to the order of 290 00:17:10,300 --> 00:17:13,140 Melchizedek and really I'm just drawing from the 291 00:17:13,140 --> 00:17:16,060 illustration of Genesis to show that even the 292 00:17:16,060 --> 00:17:20,400 character of his ministry to us has a 293 00:17:20,400 --> 00:17:24,819 certain parallel with what Melchizedek did for Abram. 294 00:17:25,460 --> 00:17:28,520 But the expression after the order of Melchizedek 295 00:17:28,520 --> 00:17:34,060 is really teaching the idea of an unchangeable 296 00:17:34,060 --> 00:17:38,660 priesthood, of an eternal priest who never will 297 00:17:38,660 --> 00:17:44,520 be replaced, never be superseded, and therefore God's 298 00:17:44,520 --> 00:17:49,060 final purposes, God's ultimate promises are going to 299 00:17:49,060 --> 00:17:51,540 be fulfilled through his ministry. 300 00:17:53,940 --> 00:17:57,080 So in Hebrews 5 and 9, speaking about 301 00:17:57,080 --> 00:17:59,440 the Lord Jesus and being made perfect, he 302 00:17:59,440 --> 00:18:05,080 became the author of eternal salvation unto all 303 00:18:05,080 --> 00:18:07,400 them that obey him. 304 00:18:08,300 --> 00:18:12,480 So he's become the cause of eternal salvation. 305 00:18:14,840 --> 00:18:21,990 Now the author of eternal salvation to all 306 00:18:21,990 --> 00:18:24,550 that obey him called of God and high 307 00:18:24,550 --> 00:18:26,870 priest after the order of Melchizedek. 308 00:18:27,170 --> 00:18:29,250 So this is where we begin to get 309 00:18:29,250 --> 00:18:34,130 some of the description of what the writer 310 00:18:34,130 --> 00:18:37,550 wants to be able to convey of the 311 00:18:37,550 --> 00:18:40,470 riches of the inheritance, of the greatness of 312 00:18:40,470 --> 00:18:43,270 this priest, his great ability to bring us 313 00:18:43,270 --> 00:18:48,470 into God's final purposes and yet he's acknowledging 314 00:18:48,470 --> 00:18:50,910 a hindrance in it and that hindrance is 315 00:18:50,910 --> 00:18:55,430 that the saints were becoming hard of hearing. 316 00:18:56,270 --> 00:18:58,850 And the term hard to be uttered is 317 00:18:58,850 --> 00:19:02,310 really difficult to be explained because you have 318 00:19:02,310 --> 00:19:04,890 become dull of hearing. 319 00:19:05,430 --> 00:19:08,930 Now I'll just point out that that expression 320 00:19:08,930 --> 00:19:11,830 dull of hearing is actually the same, I 321 00:19:11,830 --> 00:19:13,690 think the word dull is the same as 322 00:19:13,690 --> 00:19:16,290 what we have done in chapter 6 and 323 00:19:16,290 --> 00:19:19,730 verse 12, that you be not slothful. 324 00:19:22,490 --> 00:19:27,840 And so it's really talking about the fact 325 00:19:27,840 --> 00:19:32,220 that we can become slow and sluggish and 326 00:19:32,220 --> 00:19:35,040 unresponsive to teaching. 327 00:19:38,530 --> 00:19:40,130 And I suppose that happens to all of 328 00:19:40,130 --> 00:19:40,370 us. 329 00:19:43,080 --> 00:19:47,750 Sometimes when I think back to younger days 330 00:19:47,750 --> 00:19:53,730 when every conference was a wonderful experience and 331 00:19:53,730 --> 00:19:58,970 I was like a sponge to absorb the 332 00:19:58,970 --> 00:20:00,750 teaching and the ministry that was given. 333 00:20:00,750 --> 00:20:04,090 And sometimes now I get to go to 334 00:20:04,090 --> 00:20:06,550 7 or 8 or 9 conferences in a 335 00:20:06,550 --> 00:20:10,450 fall season and as I think back I 336 00:20:10,450 --> 00:20:13,910 have to ask myself not only what do 337 00:20:13,910 --> 00:20:17,470 people remember or absorb from what I have 338 00:20:17,470 --> 00:20:21,150 taught but how much have I absorbed, retained 339 00:20:21,150 --> 00:20:24,090 and benefited from all the ministry that I've 340 00:20:24,090 --> 00:20:26,570 been exposed to over a 3 or 4 341 00:20:26,570 --> 00:20:29,730 month span in the fall conferences. 342 00:20:31,110 --> 00:20:33,830 And I know we all have our limitations 343 00:20:33,830 --> 00:20:36,330 on how much we can absorb and the 344 00:20:36,330 --> 00:20:39,030 fact as we do gain in knowledge we're 345 00:20:39,030 --> 00:20:43,150 only sort of picking up smaller bits of 346 00:20:43,150 --> 00:20:46,350 new teaching so it's not quite the same 347 00:20:46,350 --> 00:20:47,350 as when we're young. 348 00:20:47,950 --> 00:20:49,810 But at the same time I know there's 349 00:20:49,810 --> 00:20:51,790 also another problem and that is that we 350 00:20:51,790 --> 00:20:56,290 do become, we flatten out in our zeal, 351 00:20:56,470 --> 00:20:58,310 we flatten out in our interest in God 352 00:20:58,310 --> 00:21:01,050 and his things and we plateau. 353 00:21:02,310 --> 00:21:04,610 And that same kind of challenge is brought 354 00:21:04,610 --> 00:21:08,110 to us in Philippians chapter 3 and it's 355 00:21:08,110 --> 00:21:10,770 not always the same kind of reason for 356 00:21:10,770 --> 00:21:11,430 that happening. 357 00:21:11,910 --> 00:21:14,230 But in the context of the passage here 358 00:21:14,230 --> 00:21:18,890 it is that the believers have become disheartened 359 00:21:18,890 --> 00:21:22,290 and there was lots to discourage them. 360 00:21:22,730 --> 00:21:27,030 There were the persecutions that were ongoing, the 361 00:21:27,030 --> 00:21:29,290 losses that they had suffered as chapter 10 362 00:21:29,290 --> 00:21:33,710 teaches us, the fact that others were departing 363 00:21:33,710 --> 00:21:37,950 and the defections were really robbing them of 364 00:21:37,950 --> 00:21:39,710 their joy and stability. 365 00:21:40,180 --> 00:21:44,070 As they would see this relative and that 366 00:21:44,070 --> 00:21:46,570 one that they had counted as among them 367 00:21:46,570 --> 00:21:49,070 turning away and as we have in the 368 00:21:49,070 --> 00:21:51,970 first part of chapter 6 those who actually 369 00:21:51,970 --> 00:21:58,770 return to Judaism and spurn Christ and actually, 370 00:22:00,070 --> 00:22:03,010 it says, crucifying to themselves the son of 371 00:22:03,010 --> 00:22:03,630 God afresh. 372 00:22:08,150 --> 00:22:11,170 Those are very sobering things that are told 373 00:22:11,170 --> 00:22:12,070 us in that passage. 374 00:22:12,730 --> 00:22:16,030 And in one sense I realize that to 375 00:22:16,030 --> 00:22:20,270 its fullest extent this could only be in 376 00:22:20,270 --> 00:22:23,170 the first century, in that first generation after 377 00:22:23,170 --> 00:22:25,770 the Lord was presented to the Jewish nation. 378 00:22:26,410 --> 00:22:28,950 Because here were a people who had been 379 00:22:28,950 --> 00:22:31,750 the covenant people of God but the covenant 380 00:22:31,750 --> 00:22:33,830 itself was being replaced. 381 00:22:34,310 --> 00:22:37,910 A new way was being introduced and if 382 00:22:37,910 --> 00:22:40,510 they didn't come forward and move into the 383 00:22:40,510 --> 00:22:44,510 new covenant relationship they couldn't go back and 384 00:22:44,510 --> 00:22:47,510 just keep where they were and retain a 385 00:22:47,510 --> 00:22:48,470 relationship with God. 386 00:22:48,750 --> 00:22:50,830 They were going to lose everything and actually 387 00:22:50,830 --> 00:22:53,830 become enemies of God which is what some 388 00:22:53,830 --> 00:22:57,010 of them are said to have done in 389 00:22:57,010 --> 00:22:57,730 the book of Hebrews. 390 00:22:57,730 --> 00:23:01,650 And so that effect upon the true believers 391 00:23:01,650 --> 00:23:05,770 who continued into the fullness of Christianity would 392 00:23:05,770 --> 00:23:06,870 have been very, very significant. 393 00:23:07,950 --> 00:23:10,930 And so all of that combination of things 394 00:23:10,930 --> 00:23:15,210 had made these believers unable to really enter 395 00:23:15,210 --> 00:23:18,810 into the fullness that was theirs in Christ. 396 00:23:20,970 --> 00:23:22,670 And he says that you need somebody to 397 00:23:22,670 --> 00:23:24,630 teach you again the first principles of the 398 00:23:24,630 --> 00:23:25,590 oracles of God. 399 00:23:25,590 --> 00:23:29,590 Now coming down into verse 9 of chapter 400 00:23:29,590 --> 00:23:34,950 6, in contrast to the defections, the departure, 401 00:23:35,170 --> 00:23:37,970 the turning away, he says in verse 9, 402 00:23:39,570 --> 00:23:43,850 But beloved, we are persuaded better things concerning 403 00:23:43,850 --> 00:23:48,590 you and things that accompany salvation though we 404 00:23:48,590 --> 00:23:49,490 thus speak. 405 00:23:50,210 --> 00:23:52,730 So I want to notice with you the 406 00:23:52,730 --> 00:23:57,990 grounds of assurance that is given to us 407 00:23:57,990 --> 00:23:58,310 here. 408 00:23:59,310 --> 00:24:01,970 And the first ground of assurance is in 409 00:24:01,970 --> 00:24:06,030 verse 10 where we have a righteous God. 410 00:24:07,590 --> 00:24:12,990 God is not unrighteous to forget your work 411 00:24:12,990 --> 00:24:15,490 and labor of love which you have showed 412 00:24:15,490 --> 00:24:16,410 toward his name. 413 00:24:22,450 --> 00:24:24,460 It's a wonderful thing to be in relationship 414 00:24:24,460 --> 00:24:30,460 with someone who will never forget anything good 415 00:24:30,460 --> 00:24:31,080 you have done. 416 00:24:32,980 --> 00:24:35,720 Any expression of love that you have shown, 417 00:24:36,440 --> 00:24:38,080 any care, any kindness. 418 00:24:39,600 --> 00:24:42,600 We have the tendency to become forgetful of 419 00:24:42,600 --> 00:24:45,820 what other people do for us but we 420 00:24:45,820 --> 00:24:48,040 sure remember things that they do against us. 421 00:24:49,000 --> 00:24:52,520 And we find this beautiful combination of God 422 00:24:52,520 --> 00:24:57,420 in that he will never forget or disregard 423 00:24:57,420 --> 00:24:59,520 our love, our faith, our service. 424 00:25:00,060 --> 00:25:01,680 And yet in chapter 8 and in chapter 425 00:25:01,680 --> 00:25:04,800 10 he makes this wonderful promise, Their sins 426 00:25:04,800 --> 00:25:08,800 and their iniquities I will remember no more. 427 00:25:09,540 --> 00:25:14,300 So God in taking up this eternal relationship 428 00:25:14,300 --> 00:25:17,600 with us has so dealt with the issue 429 00:25:17,600 --> 00:25:22,140 of sin that he can handle every failure, 430 00:25:22,680 --> 00:25:27,720 every weakness, every faltering and not let it 431 00:25:27,720 --> 00:25:31,680 change his attitude of love for us and 432 00:25:31,680 --> 00:25:33,420 his faithfulness to us. 433 00:25:33,960 --> 00:25:36,700 And so you have a righteous God who 434 00:25:36,700 --> 00:25:40,660 will not be forgetful of the love and 435 00:25:40,660 --> 00:25:42,180 goodness that has been done. 436 00:25:43,080 --> 00:25:48,650 And so the second ground of assurance that 437 00:25:48,650 --> 00:25:53,050 is conveyed in this little section is your 438 00:25:53,050 --> 00:25:55,130 work, the evidence of salvation. 439 00:25:55,510 --> 00:25:59,070 And I think there is a conscious contrast 440 00:25:59,070 --> 00:26:04,830 between verse 4 down to verse 6 where 441 00:26:04,830 --> 00:26:09,630 you have all of these spectacular supernatural manifestations. 442 00:26:11,210 --> 00:26:14,650 The pouring out of the power of the 443 00:26:14,650 --> 00:26:18,230 Holy Spirit, the coming of the Lord Jesus 444 00:26:18,230 --> 00:26:22,990 into the world, those who were enlightened to 445 00:26:22,990 --> 00:26:27,830 the truth of who Christ is, the good 446 00:26:27,830 --> 00:26:29,830 word of God, the powers of the age 447 00:26:29,830 --> 00:26:30,270 to come. 448 00:26:30,450 --> 00:26:33,210 I would suggest that's the miracles that they 449 00:26:33,210 --> 00:26:36,250 saw that were evidences of the kingdom of 450 00:26:36,250 --> 00:26:37,290 God having come. 451 00:26:38,510 --> 00:26:41,810 And yet after having seen and experienced and 452 00:26:41,810 --> 00:26:43,950 not just being witness of it but like 453 00:26:43,950 --> 00:26:46,810 Judas would have been, someone who actually would 454 00:26:46,810 --> 00:26:49,950 have healed people, who would have shared in 455 00:26:49,950 --> 00:26:52,750 the powers of the Holy Spirit being poured 456 00:26:52,750 --> 00:26:53,070 out. 457 00:26:53,710 --> 00:26:55,050 And I think that's a sense that is 458 00:26:55,050 --> 00:26:57,490 intended of made partakers of the Holy Spirit. 459 00:26:58,290 --> 00:27:00,850 People who had experienced all of that and 460 00:27:00,850 --> 00:27:04,390 yet turned away from Christ. 461 00:27:08,660 --> 00:27:12,000 Verse 11, no verse 10, the last part 462 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:12,560 of verse 10. 463 00:27:13,020 --> 00:27:14,600 For God is not unrighteous to forget your 464 00:27:14,600 --> 00:27:17,420 work and labor of love which you have 465 00:27:17,420 --> 00:27:20,000 showed toward his name in that you have 466 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:22,040 ministered to the saints and do minister. 467 00:27:22,340 --> 00:27:23,880 That sounds pretty ordinary doesn't it? 468 00:27:24,880 --> 00:27:26,280 Something that we can do today. 469 00:27:26,880 --> 00:27:31,580 And so our work, our labor, our love 470 00:27:31,580 --> 00:27:35,460 as shown in our care for one another 471 00:27:35,460 --> 00:27:41,160 is understood as evidence of our true relationship 472 00:27:41,160 --> 00:27:41,760 to him. 473 00:27:42,620 --> 00:27:46,040 So verse 11 then is the encouragement, the 474 00:27:46,040 --> 00:27:49,480 desire that each one of us would show 475 00:27:49,480 --> 00:27:50,940 the same diligence. 476 00:27:52,540 --> 00:27:54,540 And of course the word diligence is really 477 00:27:54,540 --> 00:27:57,520 the opposite of the word slothful. 478 00:28:05,240 --> 00:28:06,940 That you do show the same diligence to 479 00:28:06,940 --> 00:28:08,960 the full assurance of hope unto the end 480 00:28:08,960 --> 00:28:13,100 and that you become not slothful but followers 481 00:28:13,100 --> 00:28:16,280 of them who through faith and patience inherit 482 00:28:16,280 --> 00:28:17,440 the promises. 483 00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:22,160 I remember reading in a book on counseling 484 00:28:22,160 --> 00:28:26,830 a number of years ago that the two 485 00:28:26,830 --> 00:28:32,110 things that every individual needs is hope and 486 00:28:32,110 --> 00:28:32,610 responsibility. 487 00:28:33,970 --> 00:28:36,450 Every one of us need a sense of 488 00:28:36,450 --> 00:28:36,910 hope. 489 00:28:37,370 --> 00:28:40,770 We need to have a hopefulness towards the 490 00:28:40,770 --> 00:28:41,090 future. 491 00:28:42,030 --> 00:28:44,250 There has to be something that motivates us 492 00:28:44,250 --> 00:28:46,650 and we also need to have a sense 493 00:28:46,650 --> 00:28:47,870 of responsibility. 494 00:28:48,770 --> 00:28:53,570 And people who lose their hope or lose 495 00:28:53,570 --> 00:28:57,770 their sense of responsibility are people who don't 496 00:28:57,770 --> 00:29:00,170 end up functioning very well and end up 497 00:29:00,170 --> 00:29:02,990 in this condition of slothfulness. 498 00:29:04,950 --> 00:29:06,950 So if we lose sight of our hope 499 00:29:06,950 --> 00:29:11,210 we lose our zeal and our diligence. 500 00:29:12,450 --> 00:29:15,450 But followers of them who through faith and 501 00:29:15,450 --> 00:29:17,770 patience inherit the promises. 502 00:29:18,790 --> 00:29:21,730 So again in the context of the book 503 00:29:21,730 --> 00:29:26,950 of Hebrews, faith and patience is linked together. 504 00:29:27,800 --> 00:29:30,910 And so it's not just a matter of 505 00:29:30,910 --> 00:29:34,510 yes we believe certain truths but that we 506 00:29:34,510 --> 00:29:39,510 in believing them endure through the present in 507 00:29:39,510 --> 00:29:42,190 all that the present may involve as we 508 00:29:42,190 --> 00:29:44,890 wait for the promises of God to be 509 00:29:44,890 --> 00:29:46,130 brought to fulfillment. 510 00:29:49,720 --> 00:29:53,120 And those promises in the book of Hebrews 511 00:29:53,120 --> 00:29:56,140 emphasize eternal things. 512 00:29:56,140 --> 00:30:00,280 And there's a stamp of finality and perfection 513 00:30:00,280 --> 00:30:03,600 that is given throughout the epistle. 514 00:30:04,540 --> 00:30:07,460 And we get expressions like eternal salvation that 515 00:30:07,460 --> 00:30:08,640 we read in chapter 5. 516 00:30:09,080 --> 00:30:12,740 We have eternal redemption, eternal inheritance. 517 00:30:13,720 --> 00:30:15,660 And so we are talking about the things 518 00:30:15,660 --> 00:30:19,840 that are everlasting, enduring, eternal things that we 519 00:30:19,840 --> 00:30:21,120 have been brought into. 520 00:30:21,900 --> 00:30:24,720 And then the example of God and Abraham 521 00:30:24,720 --> 00:30:26,700 is given for our encouragement. 522 00:30:27,820 --> 00:30:32,100 And the importance I think of the promise 523 00:30:32,100 --> 00:30:36,720 being connected here is that that promise was 524 00:30:36,720 --> 00:30:38,540 concerning the promise of redemption. 525 00:30:38,920 --> 00:30:42,260 Surely blessing I will bless thee, multiplying I 526 00:30:42,260 --> 00:30:43,520 will multiply thee. 527 00:30:44,480 --> 00:30:50,720 And the promise made to Abraham was in 528 00:30:50,720 --> 00:30:54,600 connection to God's will to bless all of 529 00:30:54,600 --> 00:30:55,360 humanity. 530 00:30:56,620 --> 00:31:02,140 Now this lawfulness that is mentioned in verse 531 00:31:02,140 --> 00:31:09,260 12 will cause us to give up or 532 00:31:09,260 --> 00:31:12,320 give in to the pressures of life, to 533 00:31:12,320 --> 00:31:13,980 the influences that are around us. 534 00:31:13,980 --> 00:31:16,880 And we will become kind of stalemated. 535 00:31:17,780 --> 00:31:20,360 And we will let the enmity of the 536 00:31:20,360 --> 00:31:22,340 world or the apathy and indifference of the 537 00:31:22,340 --> 00:31:26,120 world become our condition as well. 538 00:31:27,160 --> 00:31:30,820 Now I remember a very extreme case of 539 00:31:30,820 --> 00:31:34,920 this back in the Timmins area a number 540 00:31:34,920 --> 00:31:35,580 of years ago. 541 00:31:36,540 --> 00:31:40,940 And there was one sister in particular who 542 00:31:40,940 --> 00:31:43,140 had a lot of natural ability. 543 00:31:45,450 --> 00:31:48,910 She was really quite intelligent, quite capable, but 544 00:31:48,910 --> 00:31:55,870 she was also unfortunately lacking in ambition and 545 00:31:55,870 --> 00:31:56,350 incentive. 546 00:31:57,010 --> 00:31:58,790 And she had gotten to the place where 547 00:31:58,790 --> 00:32:02,990 she was living by herself and she had 548 00:32:02,990 --> 00:32:03,830 no responsibilities. 549 00:32:04,390 --> 00:32:07,410 She was on some kind of a disability 550 00:32:07,410 --> 00:32:12,380 pension of some kind even though she was 551 00:32:12,380 --> 00:32:13,660 just a young person. 552 00:32:16,020 --> 00:32:19,860 And she had these different anxieties and phobias 553 00:32:19,860 --> 00:32:21,780 and she couldn't hardly go out among people. 554 00:32:22,560 --> 00:32:24,640 And she was just almost becoming a prisoner 555 00:32:24,640 --> 00:32:25,880 in her own little world. 556 00:32:27,580 --> 00:32:30,900 And she would often be, you know, in 557 00:32:30,900 --> 00:32:32,660 bed middle of the day and all of 558 00:32:32,660 --> 00:32:33,240 that kind of thing. 559 00:32:33,240 --> 00:32:37,800 Just a totally disorganized, useless life. 560 00:32:38,780 --> 00:32:40,540 And she'd had a Sunday school class and 561 00:32:40,540 --> 00:32:42,920 she was, I think she had said she 562 00:32:42,920 --> 00:32:43,720 was going to give it up. 563 00:32:43,920 --> 00:32:47,780 And so my wife and another sister went 564 00:32:47,780 --> 00:32:48,520 to see her. 565 00:32:49,240 --> 00:32:51,100 And they thought maybe they would have to 566 00:32:51,100 --> 00:32:52,720 try some shock therapy on her. 567 00:32:52,980 --> 00:32:55,740 And figured they had nothing to lose and 568 00:32:55,740 --> 00:32:58,020 so just basically told her where she was 569 00:32:58,020 --> 00:32:58,280 headed. 570 00:32:59,560 --> 00:33:02,180 And told her that she had lots of 571 00:33:02,180 --> 00:33:02,600 potential. 572 00:33:02,600 --> 00:33:04,440 And that she had to make a choice. 573 00:33:05,200 --> 00:33:08,360 And Becky offered to take her, go to 574 00:33:08,360 --> 00:33:10,840 the doctor with her and ask the doctor 575 00:33:10,840 --> 00:33:12,480 if she needed to be on the medication 576 00:33:12,480 --> 00:33:13,120 she was on. 577 00:33:13,220 --> 00:33:15,500 Which was making her all the more dull 578 00:33:15,500 --> 00:33:17,340 and apathetic and unable to function. 579 00:33:18,100 --> 00:33:20,120 And so she surprisingly agreed. 580 00:33:20,520 --> 00:33:22,100 I think she had gotten to the point 581 00:33:22,100 --> 00:33:23,880 of being pretty sick of her life. 582 00:33:24,580 --> 00:33:26,160 She was depressed and everything like that. 583 00:33:26,880 --> 00:33:30,980 Went to the doctor and the doctor was 584 00:33:30,980 --> 00:33:32,800 not the most personable kind of fellow. 585 00:33:34,080 --> 00:33:36,700 And after the case was presented to him, 586 00:33:36,740 --> 00:33:38,180 he says, no, you don't need to be 587 00:33:38,180 --> 00:33:38,520 on it. 588 00:33:39,040 --> 00:33:40,620 But if it keeps you from crying all 589 00:33:40,620 --> 00:33:42,260 day, well, that's what it's for. 590 00:33:43,040 --> 00:33:45,500 And so basically she realized it's up to 591 00:33:45,500 --> 00:33:45,760 me. 592 00:33:46,200 --> 00:33:48,220 I'm going to either live the rest of 593 00:33:48,220 --> 00:33:49,080 my life this way. 594 00:33:49,660 --> 00:33:52,080 And I think one thing that had triggered 595 00:33:52,080 --> 00:33:55,540 her just prior to that was that her 596 00:33:55,540 --> 00:33:59,630 sister, who had gotten married and had two 597 00:33:59,630 --> 00:34:00,190 little children. 598 00:34:00,890 --> 00:34:05,270 Her sister had told her that I wanted 599 00:34:05,270 --> 00:34:10,929 to have you as my, whatever, the alternate 600 00:34:10,929 --> 00:34:13,770 caregiver if something ever happened to us. 601 00:34:14,170 --> 00:34:16,070 That the children would be taken care of 602 00:34:16,070 --> 00:34:16,469 by you. 603 00:34:16,929 --> 00:34:18,630 But she says, I can't do that because 604 00:34:18,630 --> 00:34:19,489 you're not responsible. 605 00:34:19,489 --> 00:34:22,690 And that was one thing that had at 606 00:34:22,690 --> 00:34:24,630 least twigged in her conscience. 607 00:34:25,510 --> 00:34:29,270 But happily, she made the choice. 608 00:34:30,010 --> 00:34:31,989 And it was pretty slow progress at first. 609 00:34:34,929 --> 00:34:36,770 Becky would go with her to get on 610 00:34:36,770 --> 00:34:38,110 the bus to go to the mall. 611 00:34:38,489 --> 00:34:41,489 That was an achievement to be able to 612 00:34:41,489 --> 00:34:43,290 go out and make a trip on the 613 00:34:43,290 --> 00:34:44,090 bus to the mall. 614 00:34:45,150 --> 00:34:50,790 And eventually she got her, you know, so 615 00:34:50,790 --> 00:34:53,810 that she would take responsibility to do more 616 00:34:53,810 --> 00:34:54,150 and more. 617 00:34:54,790 --> 00:34:57,030 She finally went back to school, went to 618 00:34:57,030 --> 00:35:00,930 college, got her nursing training, graduated top of 619 00:35:00,930 --> 00:35:02,770 the class, became a nurse. 620 00:35:04,290 --> 00:35:08,890 And she's gotten married since and moved away 621 00:35:08,890 --> 00:35:09,570 from Timmins. 622 00:35:09,930 --> 00:35:11,870 And then finally they moved back to Timmins. 623 00:35:12,010 --> 00:35:12,970 And now they're a help. 624 00:35:14,090 --> 00:35:17,250 And so there's just such a vast difference 625 00:35:17,250 --> 00:35:20,310 in one life of the choice that we 626 00:35:20,310 --> 00:35:20,830 can make. 627 00:35:21,010 --> 00:35:24,570 Whether we're going to just let our circumstances 628 00:35:24,570 --> 00:35:27,950 and conditions that affect us control us. 629 00:35:28,030 --> 00:35:30,410 Or whether we're going to hold on to 630 00:35:30,410 --> 00:35:32,570 what can be ours. 631 00:35:33,190 --> 00:35:34,990 And so this is part of at least 632 00:35:34,990 --> 00:35:36,750 the message of this chapter. 633 00:35:37,550 --> 00:35:42,690 That through faith in God and his promises, 634 00:35:43,130 --> 00:35:48,850 we can endure through what is very unfavorable 635 00:35:48,850 --> 00:35:53,550 and experience the power of God for us. 636 00:35:54,650 --> 00:35:57,530 When you think of the promises of God, 637 00:35:57,870 --> 00:35:59,770 I want to just draw attention to a 638 00:35:59,770 --> 00:36:02,830 little bit to what we have here told 639 00:36:02,830 --> 00:36:03,610 us about God. 640 00:36:06,500 --> 00:36:08,960 First of all, we see God's willingness. 641 00:36:14,200 --> 00:36:18,140 Verse 17 mentions, wherein God willing more abundantly 642 00:36:18,140 --> 00:36:20,560 to show unto the heirs of promise the 643 00:36:20,560 --> 00:36:23,360 immutability of his counsel, confirmed it by an 644 00:36:23,360 --> 00:36:23,580 oath. 645 00:36:24,120 --> 00:36:27,040 So God is very, very willing. 646 00:36:27,860 --> 00:36:29,960 In fact, he's determined to bless. 647 00:36:30,730 --> 00:36:37,080 And I always find the confrontation of Balaam 648 00:36:37,080 --> 00:36:41,440 and Balak with God over Israel in Numbers 649 00:36:41,440 --> 00:36:44,620 22-24 a very thrilling section. 650 00:36:47,170 --> 00:36:48,810 They go to meet with God to try 651 00:36:48,810 --> 00:36:50,570 to bring a curse upon God's people. 652 00:36:51,470 --> 00:36:55,370 And over and over again, Balaam brings back 653 00:36:55,370 --> 00:36:56,230 the wrong message. 654 00:36:57,410 --> 00:37:00,050 And finally, Balak says, well, just don't bless 655 00:37:00,050 --> 00:37:01,590 them at all and don't curse them at 656 00:37:01,590 --> 00:37:01,770 all. 657 00:37:01,850 --> 00:37:03,310 Just shut up and be quiet. 658 00:37:04,390 --> 00:37:08,430 And Balaam says, he has blessed and I 659 00:37:08,430 --> 00:37:09,770 cannot reverse it. 660 00:37:10,490 --> 00:37:13,030 There's a number of amazing statements that Balaam 661 00:37:13,030 --> 00:37:13,890 is forced to say. 662 00:37:14,690 --> 00:37:16,170 God has blessed. 663 00:37:17,090 --> 00:37:18,930 God has made his will known. 664 00:37:19,550 --> 00:37:21,190 And so you have God's determination. 665 00:37:22,370 --> 00:37:24,650 And what guarantees it? 666 00:37:24,650 --> 00:37:26,410 Well, his greatness. 667 00:37:27,550 --> 00:37:28,370 He is supreme. 668 00:37:29,010 --> 00:37:30,570 He's supreme in authority. 669 00:37:31,610 --> 00:37:33,570 There is no one else who can ever 670 00:37:33,570 --> 00:37:36,530 come to him and say, you can't do 671 00:37:36,530 --> 00:37:36,850 that. 672 00:37:37,790 --> 00:37:39,190 That's not up to you to make that 673 00:37:39,190 --> 00:37:39,950 kind of a promise. 674 00:37:40,570 --> 00:37:42,890 And you're not allowed to make that kind 675 00:37:42,890 --> 00:37:43,390 of a commitment. 676 00:37:43,950 --> 00:37:47,250 There's no one who can override his authority. 677 00:37:48,010 --> 00:37:49,730 There is no one who can resist his 678 00:37:49,730 --> 00:37:52,270 power to achieve his promise. 679 00:37:53,030 --> 00:37:55,270 And there's certainly no one who can outwit 680 00:37:55,270 --> 00:37:56,810 him and prevent it. 681 00:37:57,650 --> 00:37:59,250 He is supreme in wisdom. 682 00:37:59,990 --> 00:38:01,650 He's also supreme in goodness. 683 00:38:02,630 --> 00:38:05,730 And he is so generous in his love 684 00:38:05,730 --> 00:38:08,490 and his promise to us that he's really 685 00:38:08,490 --> 00:38:10,010 promising us the world. 686 00:38:10,710 --> 00:38:13,610 He's promising us everything that can be shared 687 00:38:13,610 --> 00:38:15,750 with us apart from his own deity. 688 00:38:16,590 --> 00:38:19,170 So when he says to Abraham, surely blessing, 689 00:38:19,670 --> 00:38:20,730 I will bless thee. 690 00:38:21,290 --> 00:38:23,050 Multiplying, I will multiply thee. 691 00:38:23,450 --> 00:38:26,910 He's really telling Abraham, Abraham, you're in the 692 00:38:26,910 --> 00:38:28,090 middle of my plans. 693 00:38:29,290 --> 00:38:32,130 Whatever blessing that I give, I'm going to 694 00:38:32,130 --> 00:38:32,730 bless you. 695 00:38:33,070 --> 00:38:35,910 Whatever multiplying I'm going to do, you're going 696 00:38:35,910 --> 00:38:36,990 to be multiplied. 697 00:38:37,370 --> 00:38:41,850 And so Abraham had this great promise bestowed 698 00:38:41,850 --> 00:38:42,470 upon him. 699 00:38:43,910 --> 00:38:45,090 But God let him wait. 700 00:38:46,730 --> 00:38:47,730 And wait. 701 00:38:48,670 --> 00:38:49,210 And wait. 702 00:38:50,470 --> 00:38:52,810 You think of Abraham's life, most of it 703 00:38:52,810 --> 00:38:53,710 was spent waiting. 704 00:38:55,030 --> 00:38:57,510 Most of us would seem to have been 705 00:38:57,510 --> 00:38:58,710 spent for nothing. 706 00:39:01,610 --> 00:39:05,330 And he just lived to see the very, 707 00:39:05,470 --> 00:39:08,850 very beginnings of this purpose of God in 708 00:39:08,850 --> 00:39:09,250 fulfillment. 709 00:39:10,250 --> 00:39:13,890 Of Isaac being born and then Isaac getting 710 00:39:13,890 --> 00:39:14,330 married. 711 00:39:15,850 --> 00:39:20,790 Abraham just saw the inkling of the beginning 712 00:39:20,790 --> 00:39:21,890 of God's purposes. 713 00:39:22,930 --> 00:39:25,510 But it says, so after he had patiently 714 00:39:25,510 --> 00:39:27,670 endured, he obtained the promise. 715 00:39:30,740 --> 00:39:34,580 So you have God's will, you have his 716 00:39:34,580 --> 00:39:37,220 greatness, you have his oath. 717 00:39:38,500 --> 00:39:40,860 And if there's one thing that is redundant, 718 00:39:41,280 --> 00:39:44,060 it is that God should ever need to 719 00:39:44,060 --> 00:39:44,740 swear an oath. 720 00:39:45,700 --> 00:39:49,980 There is nothing more sure than God speaking 721 00:39:49,980 --> 00:39:51,740 and uttering his will. 722 00:39:52,520 --> 00:39:58,320 But it says here that God, because it 723 00:39:58,320 --> 00:40:02,620 is among men common that an oath is 724 00:40:02,620 --> 00:40:07,620 made to confirm or establish a promise. 725 00:40:08,500 --> 00:40:14,480 God condescends to our low level of confidence 726 00:40:14,480 --> 00:40:19,640 and he binds himself to make an oath. 727 00:40:21,100 --> 00:40:22,920 And because there isn't anyone greater that he 728 00:40:22,920 --> 00:40:25,940 could swear by, he swears by himself, by 729 00:40:25,940 --> 00:40:29,060 his own life and his own immutability. 730 00:40:30,420 --> 00:40:33,720 And so we have this wonderful reality that 731 00:40:33,720 --> 00:40:37,360 by two immutable things, in which it was 732 00:40:37,360 --> 00:40:40,880 impossible for God to lie, we might have 733 00:40:40,880 --> 00:40:45,400 a strong consolation or strong encouragement who have 734 00:40:45,400 --> 00:40:48,900 fled for refuge to lay hold upon the 735 00:40:48,900 --> 00:40:51,160 hope set before us. 736 00:40:54,940 --> 00:40:57,260 So we have a strong consolation that is 737 00:40:57,260 --> 00:40:58,720 a fortress of strength. 738 00:41:00,020 --> 00:41:03,220 And my mind at least always goes to 739 00:41:03,220 --> 00:41:06,840 the cities of refuge as possibly the analogy 740 00:41:06,840 --> 00:41:08,420 that is being drawn from here. 741 00:41:09,720 --> 00:41:12,040 And it's interesting if you remember the cities 742 00:41:12,040 --> 00:41:15,020 of refuge that were appointed and a person 743 00:41:15,020 --> 00:41:17,960 could flee to that city of refuge for 744 00:41:17,960 --> 00:41:21,840 safety, it was always related to the length 745 00:41:21,840 --> 00:41:23,840 of the life of the high priest, until 746 00:41:23,840 --> 00:41:25,660 the death of the high priest. 747 00:41:26,560 --> 00:41:28,820 So again we have a hope that is 748 00:41:28,820 --> 00:41:31,080 associated with a high priest, but this is 749 00:41:31,080 --> 00:41:34,740 in a very different connection really, to lay 750 00:41:34,740 --> 00:41:37,560 hold upon the hope set before us, which 751 00:41:37,560 --> 00:41:40,560 hope we have as an anchor of the 752 00:41:40,560 --> 00:41:44,520 soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters 753 00:41:44,520 --> 00:41:46,100 into that within the veil. 754 00:41:48,700 --> 00:41:53,780 Now thinking about the Lord Jesus as being 755 00:41:53,780 --> 00:41:56,660 this one who has entered into the veil, 756 00:41:56,760 --> 00:42:02,500 within the veil, we're really approaching here where 757 00:42:02,500 --> 00:42:07,400 the new covenant truth completely goes beyond anything 758 00:42:07,400 --> 00:42:11,420 that the old covenant could ever picture for 759 00:42:11,420 --> 00:42:11,720 us. 760 00:42:12,680 --> 00:42:14,680 And just thinking about the high priest in 761 00:42:14,680 --> 00:42:19,620 the Day of Atonement, the only time in 762 00:42:19,620 --> 00:42:21,740 the year that he was allowed to come 763 00:42:21,740 --> 00:42:24,840 into the Holy of Holies, and he was 764 00:42:24,840 --> 00:42:27,600 only there just a few brief moments. 765 00:42:29,600 --> 00:42:31,670 There was no chair there for him to 766 00:42:31,670 --> 00:42:31,930 sit. 767 00:42:32,850 --> 00:42:35,430 There was no expectation that he could sit 768 00:42:35,430 --> 00:42:38,710 and commune with God for a period of 769 00:42:38,710 --> 00:42:43,050 time, let alone live there and let that 770 00:42:43,050 --> 00:42:45,110 be his place of residence. 771 00:42:46,150 --> 00:42:49,130 And there certainly was no anticipation that he 772 00:42:49,130 --> 00:42:51,090 could ever lead the rest of the priests 773 00:42:51,090 --> 00:42:53,990 in, let alone lead all the people into 774 00:42:53,990 --> 00:42:56,970 this Holy of Holies to dwell in God's 775 00:42:56,970 --> 00:42:57,330 presence. 776 00:42:57,330 --> 00:43:01,250 But here we have the tremendous truth taught, 777 00:43:01,750 --> 00:43:03,870 that there's both a present and a future 778 00:43:03,870 --> 00:43:06,550 outcome intended from this. 779 00:43:07,430 --> 00:43:09,270 For the Lord Jesus to go in as 780 00:43:09,270 --> 00:43:13,710 the forerunner means he's going in ahead to 781 00:43:13,710 --> 00:43:16,150 prepare the way, to secure the way for 782 00:43:16,150 --> 00:43:19,390 us also to be able to enter. 783 00:43:25,760 --> 00:43:29,960 And when it says, even Jesus, made an 784 00:43:29,960 --> 00:43:32,920 high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek, 785 00:43:34,680 --> 00:43:38,460 we are being shown that this is God's 786 00:43:38,460 --> 00:43:41,320 final plan for his people. 787 00:43:42,440 --> 00:43:46,680 And the Lord Jesus in his presence, in 788 00:43:46,680 --> 00:43:52,620 resurrection, in heaven itself, guarantees that you and 789 00:43:52,620 --> 00:43:55,600 I can come to God at any time, 790 00:43:56,200 --> 00:43:59,880 at all times, without any hindrance or restriction. 791 00:44:00,600 --> 00:44:03,100 The way is open for us by means 792 00:44:03,100 --> 00:44:06,780 of the Lord Jesus, having entered by his 793 00:44:06,780 --> 00:44:09,520 own blood as chapter 9 teaches, and having 794 00:44:09,520 --> 00:44:13,820 made the way into that presence of God 795 00:44:13,820 --> 00:44:15,020 within the veil. 796 00:44:18,020 --> 00:44:20,500 So that is, for the present time, while 797 00:44:20,500 --> 00:44:23,040 we're here on earth, we have access to 798 00:44:23,040 --> 00:44:24,060 that divine presence. 799 00:44:25,240 --> 00:44:28,500 And so even though we are, in a 800 00:44:28,500 --> 00:44:30,800 sense, just like everyone else on earth, we're 801 00:44:30,800 --> 00:44:34,400 living our life here, yet we are bonded 802 00:44:34,400 --> 00:44:37,020 to heaven, and we have that open access. 803 00:44:37,800 --> 00:44:40,880 But it also means that in the future, 804 00:44:41,560 --> 00:44:45,640 that's home, that's where we belong, that's our 805 00:44:45,640 --> 00:44:48,760 portion in the very presence of God itself. 806 00:44:50,900 --> 00:44:56,380 And so then this teaching of the significance 807 00:44:56,380 --> 00:45:01,100 of Melchizedek and his priesthood is emphasized at 808 00:45:01,100 --> 00:45:03,160 the beginning of chapter 7, where we read, 809 00:45:05,830 --> 00:45:10,890 and it's interesting that the description of Melchizedek, 810 00:45:10,890 --> 00:45:14,230 you know, every detail that is given to 811 00:45:14,230 --> 00:45:18,970 us is made use of to present the 812 00:45:18,970 --> 00:45:20,510 foreshadowing of the Lord Jesus. 813 00:45:21,830 --> 00:45:24,030 Now, I remember some years ago, when I 814 00:45:24,030 --> 00:45:25,870 guess I must have been speaking somewhat on 815 00:45:25,870 --> 00:45:28,250 this subject, and a brother came to me 816 00:45:28,250 --> 00:45:32,160 and asked me, who do you think Melchizedek 817 00:45:32,160 --> 00:45:33,680 really is? 818 00:45:34,800 --> 00:45:36,960 Well, I was kind of thrown off by 819 00:45:36,960 --> 00:45:38,920 that question because as far as I know, 820 00:45:39,000 --> 00:45:40,300 Melchizedek is Melchizedek. 821 00:45:41,360 --> 00:45:43,740 But it is true that Melchizedek is a 822 00:45:43,740 --> 00:45:47,620 title, and it could be a name and 823 00:45:47,620 --> 00:45:50,980 a title, but this brother, who is a 824 00:45:50,980 --> 00:45:53,780 very, very intelligent student of the word and 825 00:45:53,780 --> 00:45:57,240 quite a thinker, he had a very interesting 826 00:45:57,240 --> 00:45:59,680 suggestion, and I have no idea whether there's 827 00:45:59,680 --> 00:46:02,200 any validity to it or not, but he 828 00:46:02,200 --> 00:46:06,320 traced out the genealogies and the time periods, 829 00:46:06,340 --> 00:46:08,580 and he actually believed that I think it 830 00:46:08,580 --> 00:46:11,260 was Shem, one of the sons of Noah, 831 00:46:11,640 --> 00:46:16,940 who was still living contemporary with Abraham in 832 00:46:16,940 --> 00:46:17,600 those years. 833 00:46:18,160 --> 00:46:19,420 At least he had it figured out that 834 00:46:19,420 --> 00:46:19,640 way. 835 00:46:20,520 --> 00:46:22,040 So is that possible? 836 00:46:22,260 --> 00:46:23,260 I have no idea. 837 00:46:24,280 --> 00:46:26,320 It would at least explain how he could 838 00:46:26,320 --> 00:46:28,780 be priest of the Most High God, and 839 00:46:28,780 --> 00:46:30,840 not just someone out of the blue that 840 00:46:30,840 --> 00:46:33,060 had no connection to Abraham whatsoever. 841 00:46:33,560 --> 00:46:36,440 But again, as far as I'm concerned, that's 842 00:46:36,440 --> 00:46:37,460 completely speculation. 843 00:46:38,720 --> 00:46:42,600 But here's a man who simply appears on 844 00:46:42,600 --> 00:46:43,120 the scene. 845 00:46:44,040 --> 00:46:47,300 He's in this unique relationship to God, priest 846 00:46:47,300 --> 00:46:48,360 of the Most High God. 847 00:46:49,240 --> 00:46:52,720 There's no record of any parents, no children, 848 00:46:53,980 --> 00:46:57,120 no birth, no death, and all of these 849 00:46:57,120 --> 00:47:02,480 details are carefully left on the record so 850 00:47:02,480 --> 00:47:05,300 that he could be a perfect picture of 851 00:47:05,300 --> 00:47:09,420 the Lord Jesus as high priest in resurrection. 852 00:47:09,960 --> 00:47:12,500 I think we have to see that it 853 00:47:12,500 --> 00:47:15,640 not only is a type of the Lord 854 00:47:15,640 --> 00:47:18,420 Jesus as the eternal Son of God, and 855 00:47:18,420 --> 00:47:20,780 I think we could claim that from this 856 00:47:20,780 --> 00:47:24,380 little section, when it says, having neither beginning 857 00:47:24,380 --> 00:47:26,540 of days nor end of life, but made 858 00:47:26,540 --> 00:47:29,120 like unto the Son of God, abides a 859 00:47:29,120 --> 00:47:29,840 priest continually. 860 00:47:30,400 --> 00:47:36,180 You could not say that of the natural 861 00:47:36,180 --> 00:47:38,260 history of Jesus on earth. 862 00:47:38,800 --> 00:47:41,000 Obviously, we have record of his birth. 863 00:47:41,500 --> 00:47:42,700 We have record of his death. 864 00:47:43,260 --> 00:47:45,760 So when it's talking as made like unto 865 00:47:45,760 --> 00:47:47,700 the Son of God, it must be in 866 00:47:47,700 --> 00:47:50,540 reference to him in a different sense. 867 00:47:51,300 --> 00:47:53,220 And I think this could be going right 868 00:47:53,220 --> 00:47:57,020 back to chapter 1 and that great declaration 869 00:47:57,020 --> 00:47:58,140 of his sonship. 870 00:47:58,800 --> 00:48:01,900 And in contrast to all of creation, he 871 00:48:01,900 --> 00:48:03,680 is eternally God's Son. 872 00:48:04,940 --> 00:48:07,500 But it also, I think, has to relate 873 00:48:07,500 --> 00:48:11,740 to his priesthood being taken up in resurrection. 874 00:48:13,240 --> 00:48:15,520 Because that is the emphasis of the book 875 00:48:15,520 --> 00:48:18,980 of Hebrews, that having been made perfect, having 876 00:48:18,980 --> 00:48:21,800 been brought through all the experiences of life, 877 00:48:22,280 --> 00:48:24,120 and then by means of the death of 878 00:48:24,120 --> 00:48:28,020 the cross, he has accomplished the work and 879 00:48:28,020 --> 00:48:32,060 now he is fulfilling his function as high 880 00:48:32,060 --> 00:48:33,060 priest to us. 881 00:48:34,280 --> 00:48:37,720 And he abides a priest to perpetuity. 882 00:48:37,900 --> 00:48:40,800 That is, with no interruption to the ages 883 00:48:40,800 --> 00:48:42,000 upon ages to come. 884 00:48:42,860 --> 00:48:46,480 And really, the rest of chapter 7 is 885 00:48:46,480 --> 00:48:51,020 drawing out that great contrast between the Aaronic 886 00:48:51,020 --> 00:48:55,520 priesthood and this kind of priesthood that is 887 00:48:55,520 --> 00:48:56,900 an eternal priesthood. 888 00:48:57,420 --> 00:48:59,440 An uninterruptible priesthood. 889 00:49:00,340 --> 00:49:02,360 And I'm just going to draw attention to 890 00:49:02,360 --> 00:49:03,080 the contrast. 891 00:49:05,920 --> 00:49:09,620 In, I guess, verse 12 to 22, the 892 00:49:09,620 --> 00:49:13,020 emphasis is upon the inherent weakness of the 893 00:49:13,020 --> 00:49:18,920 law, which made men priests who had infirmities. 894 00:49:19,580 --> 00:49:21,880 In other words, the law could not make 895 00:49:21,880 --> 00:49:27,320 these men fitted or qualified to be an 896 00:49:27,320 --> 00:49:28,040 eternal priest. 897 00:49:28,280 --> 00:49:29,160 It didn't have the power. 898 00:49:30,040 --> 00:49:33,080 But Christ has been made high priest according 899 00:49:33,080 --> 00:49:35,780 to the power of an endless life. 900 00:49:36,100 --> 00:49:38,300 In verse 16, it gives this. 901 00:49:40,340 --> 00:49:42,260 Not according to the law of a carnal 902 00:49:42,260 --> 00:49:45,100 commandment, but according to the power of an 903 00:49:45,100 --> 00:49:48,160 endless, that is, an indestructible life. 904 00:49:49,000 --> 00:49:51,860 And so there's such a vast contrast. 905 00:49:52,320 --> 00:49:54,740 Men who are appointed according to a law, 906 00:49:55,820 --> 00:49:59,060 but that law could not make those men 907 00:49:59,060 --> 00:50:02,120 fitted to be God's final priest. 908 00:50:03,280 --> 00:50:06,020 But he has the power of an indissoluble 909 00:50:06,020 --> 00:50:06,440 life. 910 00:50:06,700 --> 00:50:09,180 And also, the second aspect of the weakness 911 00:50:09,180 --> 00:50:11,680 of the law, as it says, for the 912 00:50:11,680 --> 00:50:13,000 law made nothing perfect. 913 00:50:16,000 --> 00:50:21,760 But we have an oath, an unrevocable, irrevocable 914 00:50:21,760 --> 00:50:25,760 oath that the Lord swear and will not 915 00:50:25,760 --> 00:50:26,220 repent. 916 00:50:26,620 --> 00:50:29,900 Thou art a priest forever after the order 917 00:50:29,900 --> 00:50:31,460 of Melchizedek. 918 00:50:32,000 --> 00:50:38,120 And then from verse 23 to 28, we 919 00:50:38,120 --> 00:50:40,840 really have the inherent weakness of the men 920 00:50:40,840 --> 00:50:45,360 themselves who were appointed in contrast to the 921 00:50:45,360 --> 00:50:48,000 perfection of him as the son of God. 922 00:50:48,320 --> 00:50:51,560 Verse 23, they truly were many priests because 923 00:50:51,560 --> 00:50:54,500 they were not allowed to continue because of 924 00:50:54,500 --> 00:50:55,440 death. 925 00:50:56,000 --> 00:50:58,540 But this man, because he continues ever, has 926 00:50:58,540 --> 00:51:02,480 an unchangeable or untransferable priesthood. 927 00:51:03,000 --> 00:51:06,680 So verse 25 then brings us to the 928 00:51:06,680 --> 00:51:07,720 outcome of this. 929 00:51:07,860 --> 00:51:10,840 Wherefore, he is able also to save them 930 00:51:10,840 --> 00:51:14,720 to the uttermost that come unto God by 931 00:51:14,720 --> 00:51:17,920 him, seeing he ever lives to make intercession 932 00:51:17,920 --> 00:51:18,640 for them. 933 00:51:19,440 --> 00:51:22,960 So we have a complete provision that can 934 00:51:22,960 --> 00:51:24,420 take us right into eternity. 935 00:51:25,360 --> 00:51:27,140 There is no restriction. 936 00:51:28,200 --> 00:51:30,500 There is no end to his capability. 937 00:51:31,520 --> 00:51:34,560 And then finally, the rest of the book 938 00:51:34,560 --> 00:51:36,660 of Hebrews up to the middle part of 939 00:51:36,660 --> 00:51:40,220 chapter 10, really 8 through 10, basically would 940 00:51:40,220 --> 00:51:43,220 teach us the inherent insufficiency of the Old 941 00:51:43,220 --> 00:51:48,040 Testament sacrifices in contrast to the eternal sufficiency 942 00:51:48,040 --> 00:51:49,460 of his sacrifice. 943 00:51:51,000 --> 00:51:55,340 And so there's encouragement for us that the 944 00:51:55,340 --> 00:51:59,280 Lord Jesus, who has accomplished perfectly his work 945 00:51:59,280 --> 00:52:04,980 on the cross, is still at work ministering 946 00:52:04,980 --> 00:52:08,220 to us, sustaining us, stabilizing us. 947 00:52:08,980 --> 00:52:10,740 And as the one who has gone into 948 00:52:10,740 --> 00:52:13,080 the eternal presence of God as the forerunner, 949 00:52:13,080 --> 00:52:15,840 he's leading us into that presence. 950 00:52:16,000 --> 00:52:19,540 He has provided the way and our access 951 00:52:19,540 --> 00:52:24,960 now is guaranteed and our full home in 952 00:52:24,960 --> 00:52:28,820 heaven is guaranteed through that great work. 953 00:52:29,040 --> 00:52:29,520 Shall we pray? 954 00:52:32,850 --> 00:52:35,770 Our Father, we are conscious that thy promises 955 00:52:35,770 --> 00:52:40,570 are greater than we really lay hold of. 956 00:52:41,650 --> 00:52:44,050 As we think of the promises made to 957 00:52:44,050 --> 00:52:48,650 Abraham, how little he could see into the 958 00:52:48,650 --> 00:52:55,330 future of what thou did intend to come 959 00:52:55,330 --> 00:52:57,170 about by the promises made. 960 00:52:57,670 --> 00:52:59,370 We know that thou did give him a 961 00:52:59,370 --> 00:53:01,250 glimpse when thou did lead him up to 962 00:53:01,250 --> 00:53:05,550 the mountain and cause him to hand over 963 00:53:05,550 --> 00:53:07,430 his son to be sacrificed. 964 00:53:08,310 --> 00:53:11,230 And we believe that thou did reveal to 965 00:53:11,230 --> 00:53:15,310 Abraham then that thou would bring a redeemer 966 00:53:16,270 --> 00:53:18,690 into the world who would be an only 967 00:53:18,690 --> 00:53:21,950 son, one whom thou did love. 968 00:53:23,130 --> 00:53:25,430 And we remember that the Lord Jesus said 969 00:53:25,430 --> 00:53:27,850 that Abraham rejoiced to see my day. 970 00:53:30,480 --> 00:53:32,640 And yet there was so much that was 971 00:53:32,640 --> 00:53:33,980 still waiting in the future. 972 00:53:34,700 --> 00:53:37,620 And our Father, even as we now have 973 00:53:37,620 --> 00:53:41,100 the confirmation of thy purposes in that the 974 00:53:41,100 --> 00:53:44,480 Lord Jesus has come, he has fulfilled all 975 00:53:44,480 --> 00:53:45,920 the Old Testament types. 976 00:53:46,840 --> 00:53:51,840 He has fulfilled that final necessary sacrifice. 977 00:53:53,280 --> 00:53:55,560 And now that he has gone into the 978 00:53:55,560 --> 00:53:59,560 heavens and is invisible to our sight, we 979 00:53:59,560 --> 00:54:03,960 are called upon to count by word true 980 00:54:03,960 --> 00:54:07,060 and faithful and to wait for his coming, 981 00:54:07,900 --> 00:54:10,820 to anticipate a fulfillment of all that thou 982 00:54:10,820 --> 00:54:13,300 has promised, help us to lay hold of 983 00:54:13,300 --> 00:54:15,860 this and to rejoice day by day in 984 00:54:15,860 --> 00:54:20,020 the reality of an eternal inheritance, an eternal 985 00:54:20,020 --> 00:54:22,140 redemption, an eternal salvation. 986 00:54:23,100 --> 00:54:25,880 Our Father, we look to thee this evening 987 00:54:25,880 --> 00:54:27,500 and commit our ways to thee. 988 00:54:28,120 --> 00:54:32,860 Help us as we consider our lives that 989 00:54:32,860 --> 00:54:38,080 they might be with diligence and power to 990 00:54:38,080 --> 00:54:42,540 endure according to the need of each day 991 00:54:43,100 --> 00:54:45,620 that we might serve thee with strength and 992 00:54:45,620 --> 00:54:45,980 willingness. 993 00:54:46,740 --> 00:54:48,320 In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 994 00:54:48,800 --> 00:54:49,000 amen.