Prepare for Christmas: The Fourteenth Day of Advent

And Who Is Melchizedek?

Saturday, December 15, 2018

We have this hope as an anchor for the soul, firm and secure. It enters the inner sanctuary behind the curtain, where Jesus, who went before us, has entered on our behalf. He has become a high priest forever, in the order of Melchizedek. Hebrews 6:19-20

I remember many years ago when our family was on our pontoon boat in the middle of a huge lake in south-central Kentucky. We had been back in a little cove, swimming and having a wonderful time together. Suddenly we realized that a heavy darkness was falling on the lake and knew that we should return to the dock where we kept our boat. Almost as soon as we began to move out of the cove and into the great opening of water, we found ourselves in the middle of a terrible storm. More than a little frightened, I asked my husband what we should do. Keep on moving toward the pier? Return to the cove and whatever protection we could find there? “No,” he said to all my suggestions. “The anchor is strong. Put life jackets on yourself, the children, and the dog, and get together in the center of the boat under the canopy. I’ll drop anchor, and we’ll ride it out.”

As usual, he was right. The anchor held; the lightening abated; the rain slacked; we rode it out. We drifted with the waves only a little; not much. We bounced about, but we were not in apparent danger as we had seemed to be when we tried to move against the wind and water. The experience was frightening, but the fear is not what I remember most. What I remember is how good it felt to realize that our good heavy anchor was keeping us in one spot.

I think of that experience as I read this passage in Hebrews. “We have this hope as an anchor. . . .” What is this hope? We use the word hope so casually. We hope it won’t rain. We hope we can afford a new car. We hope we do well in school. Is that the kind of hope the Hebrew writer is talking about? No! Our hope, our absolute anchor is as secure as Jesus Christ himself! In him we are firm and secure no matter how horrible the storm. Why?

No matter how severe the storms, our anchor holds!

Any good Jew would have understood the last part of this passage, but we often do not. Once a year, only the high priest was permitted to go into the holy of holy places to pray for himself and for the nation of Israel. It was considered the dwelling place of God, such a holy place that anyone who entered was in great danger. Fearing the priest might be overcome by that awesome presence with no person fit to retrieve his body, the people tied little bells around the hem of his skirt and a rope to his foot. If the bells ceased to tinkle, they’d know he was overcome, and they’d tug the rope and pull him out to either recover or to bury.

This Scripture tells us that Jesus not only went behind that curtain but split it from top to bottom. Now he ever intercedes there on behalf of the saints (that’s us), and even we can go boldly into his presence without fear (Hebrews 7:23).

Prayer: Father, thank you for the wonderful reminders we have in the word and in the church that our anchor – the Lord Jesus Christ – holds. Thank you for our high priest who rent the curtain from top to bottom so that we can join him there in praying for ourselves and interceding for all the other saints. Amen.

And Who is Melchizedek?

An Advent Devotional Guide
prepared for Rehobeth United Methodist Church, Winter 2012,
by Patience Nave, Christian Education Coordinator

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