Study Desk

He was faithful to God, who chose him to do this work, just as Moses was faithful in his work in God's house.

But Christ is faithful as the Son in charge of God's house. We are his house if we keep up our courage and our confidence in what we hope for.

When God made his solemn promise, "They will never enter the land where I would have given them rest"—of whom was he speaking? Of those who rebelled.

We who believe, then, do receive that rest which God promised. It is just as he said, "I was angry and made a solemn promise: ‘They will never enter the land where I would have given them rest!'" He said this even though his work had been finished from the time he created the world.

For somewhere in the Scriptures this is said about the seventh day: "God rested on the seventh day from all his work."

For those who receive that rest which God promised will rest from their own work, just as God rested from his.

There is nothing that can be hid from God; everything in all creation is exposed and lies open before his eyes. And it is to him that we must all give an account of ourselves.

Every high priest is chosen from his fellow-men and appointed to serve God on their behalf, to offer sacrifices and offerings for sins.

And because he is himself weak, he must offer sacrifices not only for the sins of the people but also for his own sins.

In his life on earth Jesus made his prayers and requests with loud cries and tears to God, who could save him from death. Because he was humble and devoted, God heard him.

But even though he was God's Son, he learned through his sufferings to be obedient.

When God made his promise to Abraham, he made a vow to do what he had promised. Since there was no one greater than himself, he used his own name when he made his vow.

To those who were to receive what he promised, God wanted to make it very clear that he would never change his purpose; so he added his vow to the promise.

and Abraham gave him one tenth of all he had taken. (The first meaning of Melchizedek's name is "King of Righteousness"; and because he was king of Salem, his name also means "King of Peace.")

There is no record of Melchizedek's father or mother or of any of his ancestors; no record of his birth or of his death. He is like the Son of God; he remains a priest forever.

For Levi had not yet been born, but was, so to speak, in the body of his ancestor Abraham when Melchizedek met him.

And our Lord, of whom these things are said, belonged to a different tribe, and no member of his tribe ever served as a priest.

But Jesus lives on forever, and his work as priest does not pass on to someone else.

He is not like other high priests; he does not need to offer sacrifices every day for his own sins first and then for the sins of the people. He offered one sacrifice, once and for all, when he offered himself.

But now, Jesus has been given priestly work which is superior to theirs, just as the covenant which he arranged between God and his people is a better one, because it is based on promises of better things.