Wed.’s Devo - The New Priesthood

Read: Ezekiel 14:12-16:47; Hebrews 7:18-28; Psalm 106:1-12; Proverbs 27:4-67
God cut off the food supply of Jerusalem and even if Noah, Daniel and Job were living in the city, they would not be able to save anyone but themselves. Noah did save his family because they believed in what he had heard from God and helped him build the ark. Daniel was taken in the first group of exiles to Babylon, but none of his family was saved. Job prayed and sacrificed for his family and all but his wife were killed. What God was saying was that national judgement falls on a nation and all are responsible for their own sins. What happens in a nation affects everyone in it. Ezekiel was innocent and would be spared but he had to go through all the hardships because of the choices of the people. We are bearing the consequences of the sin of abortion in our nation even though we don’t agree with it.
Ezekiel put it another way: if the root of the tree is bad then the branches are bad. Jesus said that same thing in Matthew 3:10. “And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which brings not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.”
In Chapter 16 we have Israel’s history of how God chose her and raised her up from nothing and made her great. When she became a woman, she prostituted herself with the gods of every nation around her. She not only did this but she paid them instead of vice versa. She went after their gods and chose them over her own God. Now, she would be exposed to the nations who had watched God do such marvelous things for. She would be handed over to her lovers and they would not love her but enslave her instead.
In Hebrews, we continue the conversation about the priesthood. There has been a changing of the guards. The priesthood that was of this earth and governed by human priests who lived and died was replaced by the priesthood of heaven. Jesus was made our priest forever like Melchezekek. He will never die but remain our priest forever. Just like the priest of the earth, Jesus goes before the Father and makes intercession for us. We don’t have to wait until the Day of Atonement for this to happen because Jesus is always before the face of God praying for us. Earthly priests had to bring a sacrifice for their own sins, but Jesus had no sins so he is always clean and ready to do the job of our priest.
Thank you, Lord for your perfect plan that is always for our good. Thank you that you are our perfect priest who is always praying for us.