1. Hebrews 6:4-6. Can a Christian fall away? Is the person described here necessarily a Christian?

Let’s take a look at the person being described here. Is he a real Christian? Can a pseudo-Christian experience these same things? Here is a chance to exercise true discernment.

• Once enlightened. He understood. The light came on. Like the seed planted by the wayside? The birds came and gobbled it up?
• Tasted of the Heavenly gift. By being in the same room with those who were imbibing freely? By observation? Or by possession?
• Made partakers of the Holy Spirit. In the sense of being able to work miracles, which we assume even Judas could do? True believers can do these things too, but there is a class of Christians that will be told, “I never knew you”, even though they seemed to have been doing spiritual works.
• Tasted the good word of God. Sat in Bible studies, seminars, conferences. Enjoyed it. But refused to live it?
• Tasted the powers of the age to come. Were in miracle meetings to see the miracles, not to glorify God?
• Fell away. That is the question. The person described above hung around with believers, but in the end manifested the truth: They were not really interested in this Jesus and the demands He put on their lives.

I offer this as a possibility. This is a view from the Calvinistic side, for sure. The free will folks will tell you that the things mentioned here prove that this man was a stellar believer who at the very end lost everything. The church is split over this one. I encourage you to keep reading, keep listening.

2. Hebrews 6:17-20. What two immutable things give us hope?

God makes a series of promises to Abraham. Genesis 12:1-3. Abraham is to be a great nation. His name will be great. He shall be a blessing. Those who bless him will be blessed. Those who curse him, cursed. And in Abraham every family on earth will be blessed!

The promise is echoed by Melchizedek, about whom the writer of Hebrews gives us some valuable information. Genesis 14:19, “Blessed be Abram of God Most High…” Indeed.

Then in Genesis 22 Abraham offers his own son to this God who has blessed him so. At that point, God adds an oath to the promise: (16-17) “By Myself I have sworn … indeed I will greatly bless you, and I will greatly multiply your seed… in your seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed…”

The two “immutable” (unchangeable) things appear to be a promise followed by an oath to back up the promise. God can swear by no greater than Himself, so the promise is made doubly secure by this oath.

Now, the writer of Hebrews says (6:17) that the reason God added an oath to the promise was…us. Yes, God desired “to show to the heirs of the promise the unchangeableness of His purpose…” Heirs? Abraham is not the only heir? Oh my, no. The heirs are the nations of the earth that will be blessed by faithful Abraham.

For Abraham will have a son, Isaac. See how that simple truth is being demonically fought by the 25% of earth’s people who are Muslims.

Isaac produced Jacob and so on, down to Christ Jesus Himself. This is the Seed, the Seed of Abraham, in which the nations will receive blessings. Yes, there will come a time when the entire earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, when all will know Him and love Him.

We now know that that time is not now, but rather when Abraham’s Seed returns to earth to establish His Kingdom.

3. Hebrews 7:3. “Made like the Son of God.” What does this mean?

Surely Jesus was not made, though technically we are not describing Jesus here, but Melchizedek. But the words “made like” seem to imply “made to resemble”. Not made in the sense of created, but in the sense of designed. “Introduced to look like,” “developed into a similarity with,” might be two other ways to say it.

4. Hebrews 7:4. Was Melchizedek simply a man?

Many have wrestled with the identity of this person. Was he the Word of God before that Word entered the planet as the Son?

Or was he merely a unique man that serves as a model for who Jesus will one day be, a priest forever? King of righteousness, King of Peace, Priest of God, Bread and Wine, Receives tithes?

Jesus is to be a priest forever after the order of this man. Could this man be Jesus if Jesus is to be a priest after His order? On the other hand, could there be some higher order than Jesus, to which Jesus is attached hundreds of years later?

I believe I must team up with those who have seen Jesus in this man. The clues seem overwhelming. Consider:

• His name means “King of Righteousness.” I do not believe he was given this name by some loving mother who hoped the best for her Son. The name was given in Heaven, and has eternal meaning.
• The city over which He presides is “peace.” He is the King of Peace. In Isaiah, His name shall be called “Prince of Peace.” Whether seen as God or the Son of God, peace is the domain of King Jesus.
• He serves bread and wine. Symbols of the very Body and Blood of Jesus.
• He is called The Priest of God Most High. The priest. The only priest. The High Priest. A designation reserved for Jesus, to be sure.
• He blesses Abraham.
• He receives tithes of Abraham.
• Jesus is to be a priest after this order, swears God Himself.
• No [earthly] father, mother, genealogy.
• No beginning, no ending.
• Forever a priest. (Can there be two High Priests forever?)

Just as the Lord of Glory appears to Abraham as a man and visits his tent, so here the Word takes on human flesh to appear as High Priest.

The Son always was. The Word always was. He steps down here to establish a priesthood that pre-dates Aaron’s, then steps down 2,000 years later to assume the office of High Priest personally. Amazing.

5. Hebrews 7:11. Melchizedek’s purpose?

Melchizedek, who seems very much to be Jesus, was sent to establish a true priesthood for all time. Later, the Aaronic priesthood would be blessed by God as a temporary educational picture of salvation and forgiveness and sacrifice. But never could Aaron’s lineage do what Jesus, the priest after Melchizedek’s line, could do. True and permanent salvation and forgiveness would only come through Him.

6. Hebrews 7:12. Why is this statement true?

To switch from the Aaronic priesthood to that of Jesus involves so many changes that the entire legal system collapses. Jews were to sacrifice for this and for that. It had to be done just right. The moral code itself was impossible to keep due to the weakness of human flesh. With Jesus in charge, all the sacrifices are completed, in Him. He is the One Who offers the Sacrifice, He is the Sacrifice. His Spirit fills His believers in such a way that they walk by a new Law, also, the Law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus. It’s all different now. All things have become new.

7. Hebrews 7:22. How is the New Covenant “better”?

• 7:8. Our gifts are received by One Who lives forever, as opposed to giving tithes to a mortal.
• 7:11. Perfection is available through the New Covenant. Only frustration comes from trying to keep the Law of Moses.
• 7:16, 24. The High Priest is qualified by the fact that He is Eternal. In Moses, the mere human must meet certain requirements, but he is subject to death.
• 7:19. We now have a better hope. In Moses, there is no hope.
• 7:27. Constant sacrifices no longer necessary. Jesus offered a sacrifice once for all.
• 7:28. The Old Law appoints weak men. Our Jesus is not only strong, He is perfect. Forever.