Study Desk

God cannot tell lies! And so his promises and vows are two things that can never be changed. We have run to God for safety. Now his promises should greatly encourage us to take hold of the hope that is right in front of us.

Melchizedek was both king of Salem and priest of God Most High. He was the one who went out and gave Abraham his blessing, when Abraham returned from killing the kings.

We are not told that he had a father or mother or ancestors or beginning or end. He is like the Son of God and will be a priest forever.

because the Law cannot make anything perfect. At the same time, we are given a much better hope, and it can bring us close to God.

God himself made a promise when this priest was appointed. But he did not make a promise like this when the other priests were appointed. The promise he made is, "I, the Lord, promise that you will be a priest forever! And I will never change my mind!"

This means that Jesus guarantees us a better agreement with God.

He is forever able to save the people he leads to God, because he always lives to speak to God for them.

If the first agreement with God had been all right, there would not have been any need for another one.

"But now I tell the people of Israel this is my new agreement: ‘The time will come when I, the Lord, will write my laws on their minds and hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.

According to the Law of Moses, those people who become unclean are not fit to worship God. Yet they will be considered clean, if they are sprinkled with the blood of goats and bulls and with the ashes of a sacrificed calf.

But Christ was sinless, and he offered himself as an eternal and spiritual sacrifice to God. That's why his blood is much more powerful and makes our consciences clear. Now we can serve the living God and no longer do things that lead to death.

He told the people, "With this blood God makes his agreement with you."

This is why Christ did not go into a tent that had been made by humans and was only a copy of the real one. Instead, he went into heaven and is now there with God to help us.

When Christ came into the world, he said to God, "Sacrifices and offerings are not what you want, but you have given me my body.

Then Christ said, "And so, my God, I have come to do what you want, as the Scriptures say."

The Law teaches that offerings and sacrifices must be made because of sin. But why did Christ mention these things and say that God did not want them?

Well, it was to do away with offerings and sacrifices and to replace them. That is what he meant by saying to God, "I have come to do what you want."

So we are made holy because Christ obeyed God and offered himself once for all.

By his one sacrifice he has forever set free from sin the people he brings to God.

So let's come near God with pure hearts and a confidence that comes from having faith. Let's keep our hearts pure, our consciences free from evil, and our bodies washed with clean water.