Sat.’s Devo - Our Hope is in our High Priest

Read: Lamentations 4:1-5:22; Hebrews 2:1-18; Psalm 103:1-22; Proverbs 26:23

Jeremiah gives us a sad picture of the priesthood. What was supposed to be precious (the gold) has changed and is filthy. The holy stones which represent the different tribes worn in the breastplate of the High Priest have lost their value and are nothing more than earthen pots. The people have lost all dignity, honor and worth. The wild animals are more humane than them. No one has pity for the children and babies. They have lost everything and their punishment is worse that Sodom and Gomorrah. They were gone in a moment, but their pain goes on and on. 

Their priests were once righteous, but became so sinful they didn’t even resemble the priests God chose. It would have been better to have died in the battle than suffer living in the siege. The women have boiled and eaten their own children. 

The very foundation of the people has been shaken through God’s wrath because the leaders and kings refused to believe in him. They didn’t believe anyone would ever penetrate their walls. 

The prophets and priests shed innocent blood and that blood was on their hands. They were the ones who needed to call “Unclean” wherever they walked. 

They kept waiting for some nation like Egypt to come and help them, but no one was coming. The same fate would come to Edom. They had to watch their nation become ravished and plundered with no hope. 

In the end, it is God who reigns forever and his throne will never be destroyed or overthrown. Jeremiah prays that God will one day restore and renew them. 

In Hebrews, even the angels were punished for their rebellion and so it will be for us if we rebel against God. God gave this world to man and not to angels. Jesus came as a man and put everything in this world under his feet. He conquered sin, death and hell, yet we don’t see the result of this yet. 

Jesus went to glory to bring us there one day. He did this through all he suffered. He had to be made a man to be our high priest since the high priest had to be a man who could understand the weakness of man and pray effectively for them. Jesus did this and is now our High Priest. He can intercede for us in our weaknesses and help us overcome them.

Lord, thank you for becoming a man and enduring the pain and shame and persecution for us. Thank your for your death and your resurrection. Thank you that you intercede for us in our weaknesses and make us strong because you live in us and through us. May you be strong today in your people.