Ruth 4:14-15. Kinsman Redeemer, part 9.

Friday July 20, 2018

 

Title: Ruth 4:14-15. Kinsman Redeemer, part 9.

 

 

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.

 

Vv. 1-3 draw comparisons between Jesus and Melchizedek.

 

HEB 7:1 For this Melchizedek, king of Salem, priest of the Most High God, who met Abraham as he was returning from the slaughter of the kings and blessed him,

 

HEB 7:2 to whom also Abraham apportioned a tenth part of all the spoils, was first of all, by the translation of his name, king of righteousness, and then also king of Salem, which is king of peace.

 

HEB 7:3 Without father, without mother, without genealogy, having neither beginning of days nor end of life, but made like the Son of God, he abides a priest perpetually.

 

He is king of peace and righteousness, priest, greater than Abraham, timeless, and ministering to all.

 

The second comparison is between the Order of Melchizedek and the Order of Aaron or the Levitical priesthood. The Order of Melchizedek is shown to be superior.  

 

HEB 7:4 Now observe how great this man was to whom Abraham, the patriarch, gave a tenth of the choicest spoils.

 

HEB 7:5 And those indeed of the sons of Levi who receive the priest's office have commandment in the Law to collect a tenth from the people, that is, from their brethren, although these are descended from Abraham.

 

HEB 7:6 But the one whose genealogy is not traced from them collected a tenth from Abraham, and blessed the one who had the promises.

 

HEB 7:7 But without any dispute the lesser is blessed by the greater.

 

HEB 7:8 And in this case mortal men receive tithes, but in that case one receives them, of whom it is witnessed that he lives on.

 

HEB 7:9 And, so to speak, through Abraham even Levi, who received tithes, paid tithes,

 

HEB 7:10 for he was still in the loins of his father when Melchizedek met him.

 

Then the writer 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.

 

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 and so led him to look for a Savior, Redeemer, which God repeatedly told them was only in Himself and that His act of redemption was to come in the future.

 

Would we call the NT saint “perfect?”

 

He is in position, and sometimes in practice. As he grows in grace and knowledge, his time spent in the perfect plan of God will increase greatly, but he will never reach a place of consistent perfection.

 

We noted in COL 2:10 that we are “complete” in Christ, or as the Greek says, “full” in Christ. He is holy and righteous in the eyes of God, and therefore in position he is perfect. This is something that the OT saints had to look forward to, but for the NT saint it is a present reality and it plays much into God’s call to our motivation and desire, i.e. “If you are holy and righteous, how should you conduct yourself in this life?”

 

Since the love of God and neighbor is the fulfilment of the Law, the church age believer, possessing the love of Christ, fulfils it.

 

GAL 5:13 For you were called to freedom, brethren; only do not turn your freedom into an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.

 

GAL 5:14 For the whole Law is fulfilled in one word, in the statement, " You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

 

By grace the believer has been entered into power and wisdom in Christ. He has all that he needs to live a life in righteousness, in the plan of God, which he will desire to do perfectly, knowing in practice that he will fail from time to time.

 

He also knows that he is forgiven and never under condemnation from God. He never thinks he is without his sin nature. He acknowledges his known sins openly to God and does not attempt to present himself to anyone as someone always sinless or perfect. He is humble, not judgmental, loving God and loving mankind.

 

These blessings in Christ make the NT believer complete.

 

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.

 

In that case, let’s lay aside the term “spiritual maturity” that we’re so used to, and call it “spiritual completeness.” They mean the same thing but using a synonymous term may open our eyes to more truth concerning it. The complete man attains the unity of the faith and the knowledge of the Son of God.

 

The equivalent word in the OT [Hebrew: tamim] also refers to being complete or perfect. God is tamim (DEU 32:4) and Israel is commanded to be tamim before Him.

 

Tamim is used mostly of the sacrifices offered to God, “unblemished.”

 

However, God told Abraham to be tamim and God also described Noah as tamim. God told all of Israel that they were to be tamim under the Law: “blameless” (NASB).

 

God calls Himself tamim: “The Rock, His ways are perfect.”

 

God says that His eyes are on those who walk in this way in Psa 101. God says in Psa 119 that those who walk in the Law are this way - undefiled, unblemished, blameless. Those who are tamim will remain in the land says Pro 2; their way will be directed, Pro 11; shall have good things, Pro 28.

 

God is tamim, perfect, and He calls upon Israel to be tamim, blameless. Naturally, we change the definition because no man is perfect. Is God asking the impossible of His people?

 

What is a blameless OT saint? One who keeps the Law. But all were lawbreakers. Noah and Abraham didn’t have the Law yet they were to be blameless, and as Romans tells us, when the Law came in, sin increased.

 

The Law is summed up in the two commands, “Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, and strength” and “Love your neighbor as yourself.” To love the Lord is stated 8 times in Deuteronomy. In Joshua’s short closing message to Israel he mentions it twice.

 

A love of the Lord would make an OT saint desire to be perfect under the Law with all his heart, but he wouldn’t be.

 

In his heart, since it was his chief desire, the OT saint who loved the Lord was blameless in the Law, but in practice he was not always, giving him a contrite (humble) heart.

 

Loving the Lord with all his heart would mean that he loved the sacrifices and the ritual feasts since they depicted the Lord’s grace, mercy, and redemption. He would love the commands as they were all in line with the righteous character of the One he loved.