Mercy Seat.

Sermon Title: Once is enough?

Scripture Text: Hebrews 7:23-28 NLT

The greatest gift of leadership is a boss who wants you to be successful.

Jon Taffer

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I know one thing for sure God, Elohim, wants us to be successful. In earthly terms of today God has a leadership team that wants the same thing.

Throughout history, from the beginning, He has given us people to help us on our journey. Queen Esther - who saved her people, Moses - received the law, Nehemiah-supervised the rebuilding of Jerusalem, Paul -the evangelist of the evangelist, Philemon – stayed in prison with Paul, Nathan the Prophet - presides at the anointing of King Solomon, The Persistent Widow – woman of faith that was healed by touching Jesus garment, Phoebe - who was trusted by Paul to deliver his letter to the Romans. Paul refers to her both as a "servant" or "deacon".

God gave us many Priests and Prophets that were men and women of faith to help care for us on our journey. Maybe you are one of them?

Now hear the reading of God’s Word:

Hebrews 7:23-28 NLT

23 There were many priests under the old system, for death prevented them from remaining in office. 24 But because Jesus lives forever, his priesthood lasts forever. 25 Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf.

26 He is the kind of high priest we need because he is holy and blameless, unstained by sin. He has been set apart from sinners and has been given the highest place of honor in heaven. 27 Unlike those other high priests, he does not need to offer sacrifices every day. They did this for their own sins first and then for the sins of the people. But Jesus did this once for all when he offered himself as the sacrifice for the people’s sins. 28 The law appointed high priests who were limited by human weakness. But after the law was given, God appointed his Son with an oath, and his Son has been made the perfect High Priest forever.

Many that read this think God is talking about the Law given to Moses and passed to his brother Aaron who was the first High Priest. But Jesus isn’t a Priest of the Order of Aaron. So there has to be more to this than meets the eye.

Hebrews 9:3-5

3 And after the second veil, the tabernacle which is called the Holiest of all;

4 Which had the golden censer, and the ark of the covenant overlaid round about with gold, wherein was the golden pot that had manna, and Aaron's rod that budded, and the tables of the covenant;

5 And over it the cherubims of glory shadowing the mercy seat; of which we cannot now speak particularly.

Paul didn’t want to speak of the Mercy Seat at that time maybe he hadn’t time to explain the details to them. But let’s take a quick look at it today from our vantage point. There are two parts to what we call the Ark: (the box that had items in it and then the Kaporeth.)

 kaporeth = The led or top of the Ark, two cherubim beaten out of the ends to cover and create the space into which Yahweh appeared.

Kaporeth = is propitiation in English. Jesus was and is the only one that is perfect enough (no sin in his life and son of the most high God) to die for our sins on the Cross. This allows Jesus to offer us atonement for our sins.

Propitiation =is another word for Mercy Seat. The Law is inside the Ark but the Mercy Seat is placed over the Ark to offer Mercy within the Law even before Jesus died on the Cross for our sins.

What is the answer to the question ask in this Scripture:

Hebrews 7: 11 So if the priesthood of Levi, on which the law was based, could have achieved the perfection God intended, why did God need to establish a different priesthood, with a priest in the order of Melchizedek instead of the order of Levi and Aaron?

(Longer Pause than normal.)

1 Corinthians 12:31 AMP

But earnestly desire and strive for the greater gifts [if acquiring them is going to be your goal]. And yet I will show you a still more excellent way [one of the choicest graces and the highest of them all: unselfish love].