The author of the Letter to the Hebrews has said that Hebrew or Jewish Christians (along with Gentile Christians), are brought into a new and different priesthood of the order of Melchizedek, such that a more confident expectation is brought alongside. This new priestly order exists in parallel to Sinai Covenant Law. But for Hebrew Christians, when it comes to the setting in place and qualification of priests and the high priest, the old injunctions have been set on one side.
He then goes on to explain why Jesus, as high priest yet not a Levite as Covenant Law requires, brings in this more confident expectation. He explains by comparing the two orders of priests. A more excellent confident expectation, by means of which we Christians are coming near to God, is brought in alongside. ‘Namely down as absolutely not separated from an oath, because on one hand, those detached from swearing an oath are becoming priests, 21 but in company with an oath, by means of saying to him, [Jesus], ‘The Lord swears an oath and will not change afterwards. You are a priest penetrating into the age’, [Psalm 110 v 4] 22 down from so great and more excellent a set agreement Jesus has become the secure guarantee and bondsman’, (Hebrews 7 v 20 – 22).
That is another slightly complex sentence, so what is he saying? He is saying that the one made a priest by the swearing of an oath, is a better and greater priest than any who are made a priest without swearing of an oath. Nothing is said in Scripture of God swearing an oath when He chose Aaron and his posterity to be priests. Levitical priests were set apart without their role being confirmed to them by God swearing an oath. Priests of Aaron’s order were selected, instituted and set apart without any oath being mentioned by Moses, who did everything exactly as YHVH commanded him, (Exodus 40 v 16). By contrast, Jesus became a priest by virtue of God swearing an oath that He will not regret or think about again afterwards so as to change His mind. ‘You are a priest penetrating into the age’, and down from such an excellent and superior agreement, Jesus has become the secure guarantee and bondsman. The Greek word is ‘egguos’ and it only occurs here in all of the New Testament. It means ‘one who acts as a surety or guarantee’, ‘a guarantor who takes responsibility for another ensuring that an obligation or promise is fulfilled’.
Jesus is the secure bondsman ensuring that those brought forth by God will be delivered. He becomes responsible, so to speak, to law and justice, such that no injury will be done to law and justice by our deliverance even though we are sinners. The principles of divine law will be honoured in order that Christians will be delivered even though they have earned self-forfeiture and condemnation, as the Law and their conscience testifies. Jesus has become responsible for the fulfilment of this promise of deliverance, he is the surety, the pledge, that all proper honour will be paid to the Law and justice within this deliverance. He died to honour Covenant Law and the underlying principles of divine Law, in order to open a way by which divine condemnation may be fully remitted in a way that is consistent with justice. ‘But now, apart and separate from Law, God’s judicial approval is made clear and apparent, testified and borne witness to by the Law and the Prophets’, (Romans 3 v 21).
The author of Hebrews then spends verses 23 – 27 making further comparisons between Jesus as high priest with the Levitical priests and high priests of the old, Sinai Covenant. He shows the superiority of Jesus, concluding once again that ‘the Law appoints men who have weakness as high priests; but on the other hand, the word of the oath, after and in company with the Law, completely accomplished a descendant penetrating towards the age’, (Hebrews 7 v 28).
