DYNAMIS!
A publication of St. George Orthodox Christian Cathedral
Wichita, KS
Hebrews 7:7-17 (02/02 or
02/15)
The Meeting of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Temple
The Ultimate Blessing: Hebrews 7:7-17, especially vs. 7:
“Now beyond all contradiction
the lesser is blessed by the better.” The
Lord Jesus has carefully instructed all who follow Him concerning the
culmination of time, what is known as the ‘End the Age,’ or the
‘Dread and Last Judgment’ (Mt. 24,25). At that final, heavenly court session,
the faithful will hear His ultimate blessing: “...Come you blessed of My
Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the
world...” (Mt. 25:34). Then
the Master’s righteous servants (whom we may call ‘the
lesser’ for having attained perfection through His grace upon their
labors) shall be blessed by Him Who, undeniably is ‘the Better’ -
or to speak fully and truly, ‘the Best.’
When the Virgin Theotokos and
Joseph brought the infant Jesus to the Temple “...to present Him to the
Lord,” (Lk. 2:22), at that time ‘the
lesser’ was blessed by ‘the Better.’ For then, Simeon took the Holy Child in
his arms and acknowledged that he was beholding ‘The Ultimate Blessing,’
the Incarnate Salvation of all: “Lord, now You
are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes
have seen Your salvation...” (Lk. 2:29,30).
As the Apostle penned these verses in Hebrews, he knew that
God the Father at last had provided His Ultimate Blessing to His People
“...by His Son, Whom He has appointed Heir of all things, through Whom
also He made the worlds” (Heb. 1:2).
The Apostle understood that the appearance of the Son of God was
‘The Ultimate Blessing’: He Who was to transform the Old Covenant
into the New and the better one.
May we hear God’s perfect blessing spoken by the Divine Son and
Ultimate Priest when He declares the Ultimate Blessing to His own (vs. 11)!
Under the former Covenant, the various offerings of the
ancient People of God were brought to the Temple for blessings pronounced by
the Levitical Priests. The people came as Solomon demonstrated
at the dedication of the Temple (2 Ch. 6:1-7,10). A variety of blessings, with
thank-offerings to God, were offered that the Lord might continue His provision
for the People’s earthly needs (2 Ch. 6:29,30). Sin offerings were made that God might
extend forgiveness to them (2 Ch. 6:22,23); and
holocaust offerings were presented that God might bless them with His presence
(2 Ch. 6:18,19).
The Apostle perceived that the acts of worship under the
Old Covenant were types that are now forever replaced at the appearance of the
Ultimate High Priest Who gives the Ultimate Blessing. Indeed, mankind continues to receive the
good things of this life from God, without restraint: food, covering, shelter,
and all that we need. Our God has
called us out of all nations, instituting a new age for giving thanks in
temples all over the earth. Now our
praise and thanksgiving for God’s earthly good things are embedded in the
far greater offering to God from Him Who is His Own Offering, once presented
“...in behalf of all, and for all.”
We still require God’s forgiveness and healing, of
course, being sinners. To this end,
our Great High Priest offers the Holy Gifts of His own Body and Blood for
“...those who shall partake thereof [that] they may be unto vigilance of
soul, unto forgiveness of sins, unto the communion of [the] Holy Spirit, unto
the fulfillment of the kingdom of heaven....” We receive Him unto boldness toward God
and not unto condemnation. Beloved,
consider this Ultimate Blessing Who is ours: “Christ is in our
midst. He is and He ever shall
be.”
The perfection sought by the Levitical
priesthood is now fulfilled in Christ our High Priest Who intercedes for us
(Heb. 7:25). As Simeon embraced
‘the Ultimate Blessing’ in the Child he held, now each of us may
say, “...my eyes have seen Your
salvation...” (Lk. 2:30).
Let Thy mercy be upon us, O Lord, even as we have set our
hope on Thee.
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